Paddles!
 

Hi Pretty Ladies :)

I saw this on the Sigma Kappa forum and thought it would be cool to start here! What does everyone's paddles look like?? I would love to see everyones! I'll post mine as soon as I get some pictures =]

Phi Sig Love <3

Do you mean class paddles orrrr Big/little paddles?

I LOVE my paddle! I use to have a picture of it in my email account... but I can't find it now. So I'll do my best to describe it in the meantime.


It's a traditional shape, about 15" tall. Wooden Phi Sigma Sigma letters going down the handle. At the base, it has a cup holder, with the Phi Sig "toothpick holder" (as we call the shot glasses). In the middle of the paddle is a BEAUTIFUL airbrushed cheetah head (family name). And if I remember correctly there are wooden letters that spell out my name, and my Lil's name (that gave me the paddle), and the semester she initiated.

My description does not give it justice... So I'll have to take another picture of it to show it off ;)

My Big's Paddle
 

Hi! I just rushed Phi Sig this past Spring so I also just recently got my Big and made her paddle. I spent sooooo many hours working on it because I love my Big and I'm a perfectionist ... but in the end it was worth it to see the look on her face when she got it :)

Hope you like it!! I painted and did everything by hand and this picture is before I trimmed the ends of the ribbon lol.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/...9d581637a0.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52012361@N07/4789074987/

I can't believe your talking openly about paddles on this forum. I was always led to believe they were discouraged because of the negative connotations.

Then again I see big/little terminology still hasn't faded away even years, decades, after it was written out of the books.

(and now I'm sure this post makes me sound all stuck up...oops)

No it just makes you sound confused. You'll have noticed that people here say Rush even though it's Recruitment. At least in the NPC, i think the word "paddle" is so far divorced from the prospect of actually beating someone, that people don't think about it. But you can call it a wall plaque if you like.

And where was big/little "written out of the books."

Not the concept, but what they are called. Because supposedly calling someone your little is "demeaning" and promotes a sense of "power" one member over the other. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Things that are good stick. Things that are stupid do not.

I didn't realize this was the Phi Sig forum and not the main paddles post that's been updated so frequently lately.

So maybe that's the case for them.

I'm not confused. But yeah, I've been a stickler for rules which was one advantage when I was a volunteer at the International level.

Littles/bigs have been Sapphire sisters since the 90s and personally, I always thought that sounded nicer anyway.

You're probably right 33girl, it was silly to try and erase/change that terminology, but those in charge still try! I know in other areas I certainly get tired of the overly "politically correct" changes in terminology (I still call female actors actresses)

(and yes, "Rush" still bothers me too. I guess I am just one of the few for which the indoctrination was successful when I was new)

As long as lane swerving and highjacking is going on, I'll throw out there that, to me, rush sounds like fun and Greek tradition. Recruitment sounds like what the military does.

/phi sig paddles

To each their own. Like I said, it was how I was indoctrinated, and the words used when I became a Phi Sig and what most sisters said around me. And, again, my volunteering for IHQ (another new term) in the past, reflects how I had to use these words. Being from Canada "rush" didn't mean anything to me other than being a name of a rock band. :-p

My own chapter never had a tradition of paddles or wall plaques. We stuck mostly to scrapbooks and a couple other items. I think the new women may have picked up this new/old tradition though - I vaguely remembering hearing a couple young sisters talk about it.

As for the paddle posted - it is cute. :) It's nice to know sisters care enough to devote their time and attention to create a gift for someone special.

MG, I understand where you're coming from... To offer some insight, the only thing I can go on is what I know from my chapter, and when I was active. :)

As one of the founding members of my chapter, we tried to learn the best traditions from other chapters and implement them as we grew. Paddles were one of those traditions - our advisor did it at her chapter and offered that as one of the options we could use to show the Sapphire Sisters appreciation for each other. We also did Chapter Letters and Lavalieres... And now they're doing a whole bunch of other things, but we don't need to go into that right now. ;) lol

Regarding the "BIG/LIL" titles - everyone is still paired with their Sapphire Sisters. We have used "BIG/LIL" to help differentiate between which sister - especially since some of our families have been closed, then re-opened (where all of the alum sisters of that family adopt "twin" Sapphire Sisters as NMs - like my family did). Plus, the other organizations at our campus only use "BIG/LIL" (we are the only NPC org). So it's easier to explain all the way around.

I believe that because we knew the reasons behind doing these things, and in the case of the Sapphire Sisters, knowing what the proper terminology really was, we didn't lose sight of what Phi Sigma Sigma wanted the sisterhood to be and represent. Granted, I’m not sure if my chapter’s active sisters still have this knowledge… but as I said before, this is what I know from when I was active. :)

That's adorable!! Thanks for sharing!! :D



*realizes that I still need to get a photo of mine to share*

Thanks SS. My post certainly came of harsher than I meant - I didn't want to condemn so much as express how flabbergasted I was that what was drilled into me wasn't really the reality. Well, not that it ever was the reality since I was always aware the transition to the new terms was a struggle.

Anyway, I would like to see more pictures of wall plaques, whatever the form. Even if not for me, I know there are sisters out there who would like ideas and to share.

Anytime =] I love to share!!

MG I totally get where you are coming from too. Before I joined Phi Sig things like paddles made me nervous because of everything I have seen in the media about sororities.

However as soon as I joined and I saw things like this for the traditions and gifts that they are, it was much easier. I had a lot of fun making something special that my Big will keep forever and really put a lot of effort into because I care about her and I wanted to.

There is a sorority on my campus that does not allow paddles or anything like that and honestly I am so glad I didn't end up there because I would feel like I was missing out. I think the paddles are fine as long as they are used as just a tradition of making a thoughtful and creative gift for your Big and then getting one yourself as a Big.

PS. I would also really like to see more pictures! I actually only found this website because I was searching for ideas on how to make my paddle and I used other pictures and my own ideas to create it.