Beta 101 Question: Pin
 

Beta 101 Question: At the Capitol Hill Reception last night I was asked by a Brother why I wore my pin on my lapel instead of my shirt. I stated that due to my very limited Beta experience (having been finally initiated after 21 years a pledge) I wore it there to show it off and to spark conversations. It was noted ...that several others wore thiers on the laepl as well. So, is there a Beta code segment that tells me I am in error and need to move it?

Sorry for the girl-crash, but when I was a pledge, we were also told to NOT wear our pin on a lapel. I think the rationale was that you might take your jacket off and leave it someplace and if you are wearing your pin it should stay on.

When I asked our national ritual chair a few years ago - she had never heard of such a thing. I think it was probably something that sprang up during the late 70s - early 80s when blazers and suits were popular for college women (especially in the Northeast).

Another lane swerve, since I'm not a Beta.

I believe it was once very common to wear badges on lapels; I've seen lots of old (as in early 20th Century) pictures from various fraternities where badges are on lapels. Over time, that practice seems to have faded in favor of wearing the badge directly over the heart. In some fraternities this is by rule (our General Regulations forbid wearing our badge on a lapel) while in others it may be by custom.

FWIW, Chapter XV, Section 2, of Beta's Code (which is online) says that the badge is "to be worn over the heart and in a manner befitting the honor and dignity to which the badge is entitled." A Beta would have to say whether wearing the badge on the lapel satisfies this provision.

Code On-line
 

Did not know that the Code was on-line. Thank you.