Do You Actually Get The Items Back
 

I know multiple NPC orgs have policies surrounding what happens to the paraphernalia of a sister who's membership has been revoked and what needs to be returned. What I'm wondering is does it actually happen? I'm curious about the badge but a hit more so with lettered items since there is so much Greek stuff for sale these days.

I know in my chapter we're supposed to get the items back but the 2 times diaffiliation occurred we didn't get much back and no one wanted to fight with the girls for it.

Yes. We had people go and collect it. If someone did something so heinous that she had to be terminated, we sure didn't want her wearing our letters around campus.

We are supposed to buy it back at a fair price.

Does that always happen? Nope.

I know our chapter only requires the badge and their initiation card back and that gets sent to nationals. Anything else they can keep. They usually end up selling it or just handing it down to family.

Same here. We just get the badge and membership certificate back. The rest is theirs to do with as they please.

National TPA requires the badge you be turned in.

In my chapter (which I have been removed from for several years, don't know if they still do this), if a girl voluntarily disaffiliated then her last few meetings she was able to bring all her stuff and sell it. The few times it happened they would just put all their stuff out on a table and take what they could get, while making sure it went to sisters.

Our chapter is so small, and we only do one group t-shirt order a year, so anything else you buy completely on your own! We make sure to get their badge and membership card.

Badges come back. The swag is a little different. Big/Lil gifts go back, but items the suspended member bought herself is tricky. How do we know what she has? Legally there is no basis to confiscate it. If she wants to wear letters after that, what would stop her from buying whatever she wants the second her other items were taken away? If the member wants to sell the stuff to other sisters or on eBay, I have no issue with it.

At Convention, our executive director shared the return rate for badges...it's not good, despite the best efforts. Anyone who is terminated, resigns, etc. is not very likely to happily bring their badge and other items back.

Maybe there could be a new reality show about people who repo sorority items from former members: "Buffy the Badge Hunter."

Only if Buffy also searches for antique and rare badges.

^^^ Yes! Adding an element of "Antiques Roadshow" and "American Pickers" to the show would likely increase its popularity.

I'm pretty sure we ask women to turn in a badge that they paid for without giving them anything in return. While I'm sure the membership agreement says something about the fee actually being a rental for the life of the member, and that they have to give it back if they terminate or something, I wonder if there are any groups that buy them back.