ye olde sorority/fraternity pins...
 

hi all... so i was looking on ebay for sorority pins in general (you know how some of them are unidentified? i like to make sure they aren't adpi pins there that i'm missing) anyways, i ran across this kkg pin:
http://members.aol.com/sigmapime/kkg.jpg
and i was wondering... it doesn't look quite like the kappa pins that i've seen the girls wear at our school, it looks older... so anyways my real point of this whole thing is that it got me wondering:

a) have your organizations badges changed, and if so in what ways?

b) does anyone own any old badges? how did you aquire them? any cool stories?

and on a side note, is this an older kkg pin? (either way it's beautiful, i've always thought the kappa key was beautiful :))

adpi's badge has evolved since 1851...

The first badge was worn by the Adelpheans in 1851. It was a satin riband with ribbon streamers; the name "Adelphean" appeared on one end with a design of clasped hands at the other end. In the center was the Open Motto (We Live For Each Other).

The second year after organization, a diamond-shaped silver pin was adopted. Stars were not included on this first badge, but it did have a monogram of the Wesleyan pin attached to the badge by a link chain, thus forming a guard.

In 1854 the stars were added, but it was not until 1874 that the stars and the clasped hands were raised. This design remained with only slight modifications until 1906 when, at Alpha Delta Pi's first convention, Nanaline King presented a new design for the pin. Her design was a smaller gold badge with a black enamel center which pictured the clasped hands, the two stars, and the Greek letter, "Alpha Delta Phi." This design was adopted by the convention and is the same pin we have today, with "Alpha Delta Phi" being changed to "Alpha Delta Pi" at the 1913 convention.
http://www.oakland.edu/org/alphadeltapi/badge.gif
we can get our pins with different stones, the traditional pearl border, etc. there are some beautiful pictures of different badges in our book, Sisters, from throughout the years.

also, anyone that has served as (i think) an international officer for the sorority receives a replica of an old adelphean badge like the ones from 1854. they're so beautiful! :D

I hope that pin goes back to a Kappa!

AEPhi's badge has always been essentially the same. I think the original badge was smaller than the current one, but it has always been the Greek letters sequentially, set with 27 pearls, on a gold bar. No customization is permitted, except that the back of the bar is engraved with the sister's initials, and you can buy a chapter guard, which is pearl set to match the badge.

National officers receive a pin which is a gold circle with the Greek letters Alpha Epsilon Phi set diagonally. They wear this pin in addition to their badge.

There have been four or five permutations of the Delt badge. What is kind of interesting is the the current badge seems to have been around since the founding, and the different ones were mostly based on the original. As they came and went, the original badge remained.

There currently is at least one different badge, with some jewels, which is worn by the chapter president.

Our first pins were stick pins. Not long after they switched to clasps. There was no standard die at first; the letters varied in treatment (on black enamel, burnished), as did the size of the pin and the shape of the feathers. The first jeweled pin featured a sapphire and two turquoises.

It was standardized in 1911.

Members can still choose from 3 or 15 pearls, or none, silver or gold, or replace any pearl(s) with a diamond. For a while they made them with 21 pearls, and I have one of those in white gold.

Delta Gamma's first badge was in the shape of the letter "H" (which stood for hope). I can't remember the year, off the top of my head, but it was later changed to the anchor badge we wear today, because the anchor is the age-old symbol of hope :)

You are right, my sister twigs!
The year was 1877 and it has been the beautiful golden anchor ever since!

Phi Beta's badge:

http://www.phibeta.com/graphics/jewelry/plain_badge.jpg

It can be plain gold with engraving on the Beta as shown above. It can also be set with pearls in the Phi (which is more popular with the women).

As far as I know it hasn't changed since its inception. I think it's really cool when people can customize their badges with various stones, etc. (I know I've seen different ones on LCA badges). I saw a sorority badge that was in white & yellow gold.. I think Gamma Phi Beta? I loved it!! I wear silver and/or white gold most of the time, so I that would be a perfect option for me! :D

LXA Badges have not changed except the offer of the stones in the Lambda. The Cresent is usually pearl incrusted graduating in size. White gold is extra!

Mine is white gold with pearls in teh cresent and saphires in the Lambda! I also have one that is yellow gold with pearls and rubys with three diamonds at the points of the Lambda. Both have guards of LX ( CHAPTER ) with pearls!

Brother Jono got one like mine except it is diamonds with saphires at the Lambda point!

I feel we have a great Badge with a lot of symboliism in it, but I recognize, there are many great Badges from the other Organizations!

Our only change was in 1939 when the largest merger in Greek History was done with TKN and it changed our Then Pledge Pin!

The melting of both!

This also changed our Coat of Arms which has been the most studied and true to form of the Hereldic Times of any group!

This has been an unpaid Advertisement from Me to you!:D!!!!!

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's has changed little over the years. The current form (illustrated in this graphic) dates from 1910:

http://www.music.ecu.edu/depts/sinfonia/images/pin1.gif

Originally (1898), only the letter "S" was found in the triangle -- the Greek Letters were added in 1904 or 1906. For a short period around that same time, a point-down triangle was used.

And unlike many other GLO's, the manner in which the pin is jeweled is not a matter of personal preference -- the placement of the garnets and pearls is part of the official design.

Absolutely no disprespect meant to Lambda Chi, Tom, but I have seen statements like this before, and I think they may not hold up. Lambda Chi may have a more complete achievement of arms than most GLO's -- that is, it may make more use of optional design elements, such as supporters, helmet, badge and ribbon (i.e., anything except the shield, crest, and perhaps one motto) -- but I don't think one can support the claim that the Lambda Chi arms are more heraldically "correct" than those of ATO, Beta, FIJI, Sigma Chi, or TEKE, to name a few. In fact, I think the claim can be made that the arms of the latter GLO's are all more "correct" than Lambda Chi's.

Again, no disrepect intended -- after all, my fraternity's arms aren't heraldically correct, but they still mean the world to me. ;)

Re: ye olde sorority/fraternity pins...
 

I have a PKA that I inherited from my grandmother -- her father gave it to her mother in 1886 (according to the inscription on the back). (Each of the grandkids got a special piece of jewelry when she died, and this is what came to me.)

We have the badge mounted and framed in a shadow box. It looks much like a present-day PIKE badge, except for the colors. The shield in the background is white with gold letters (ffka). The diamond is blue(!) with very small blue stones (turquoise or something similar) around the edges.

In the way of cool stories, I came across a PIKE history book in a used bookstore a few months back. Interested, I looked through it, only to find two pictures of my great-grandparents before they were married -- he a chapter member and she a chapter sister or sweetheart. I think it's particularly cool since my grandmother's maiden name is my son's given name -- PIKE or not, he'll get the badge and the book one day.

Though I'm not a PIKE, I cherish the badge as something that was special to my great-grandparents and to my grandmother (her mother, the recipient of the badge, died when my grandmother was only a few years old). I treat the badge with respect it deserves.

MysticCat -

That is a wonderful story! I hope your son cherishes the meaning and history of that badge as much as you obviously do!

A question (for everyone) about badges - I'm getting the impression that the badges you receive at initiation have jewels in them - is this correct? I'm curious because DOs only receive a gold badge with no stones of any kind - you have to order one of those on your own, and I've actually never seen one (not even at convention!) Is it common for other fraternities and sororities to automatically recieve a jeweled badge?

dz badges
 

our badges are all the same, and the only options are the way the stone is set (tiffany or flush) all badges are gold (that level you can choose) and has a clear colored stoned (diamond or cz)

I love my badge, but once i found out what all it means, i was like -- WOW!

i don't own any old badges, i'm the first in my ENTIRE family to go greek, ever.

The original Alpha Sigma Phi badge was flat and non-dimensional compared to the badges worn today. During the period of Delta Beta Xi (which was Alpha Sigma Phi operating underground) in the 1860s, the only modifications was to change the Greek letters and the hieroglyphics on the open book to something resembling text.

When the fraternity was revived in 1907 the badge was redesigned to be smaller and the black shield was made three-dimensional. No Alpha Sigma Phi badge may be jeweled and all are the same size, except for antique (pre-1907) badges and the chapter president's pin which resembles the original badge design of the mid 1800s.

We aren't given any badges at initiation. We order our own badges, and we can choose whether we want the silver one, the gold filled one, the gold one, the one with three pearls, the one with 15 pearls, or one with diamonds in place of any of the pearls (whew! enough choices!). At initiation, you get your big sis's badge to wear until your own comes in.