quick question for AOIIs!
 

I was browsing around on your national website, and under the description of the badge, it says that if it is worn with another pin, it is to be worn above and to the right of the other pin.

Well...

In SAI, OUR badge policy is that it is NEVER to be worn above or beneath another badge, and that if another fraternity/sorority pin is worn, it must be worn beside it.

So...what would happen if an AOII became an SAI, or vise-versa?

Just curious!

Zeta Tau Alpha has the same policy that no pin is to be worn above ours. When I was an undergrad, several of my sisters were Zetas and SAI's. They usually resolved that issue by wearing only their ZTA badge for ZTA functions and their SAI badge for SAI funtions.

~Allison

I have no clue? Dare I say whichever one you joined first you follow that rule? Nah j/k. Ummmmm personally I just wouldn't wear the two together so as to not offend either organization

I agree with alsparky.

Re: quick question for AOIIs!
 

That's a good question, and a hard one because I'm from the school of thought where nothing takes precedence over our AOII badge, regardless of the organization or length of membership. We don't even allow guards or dangles on our AOII badges, we wear our badge, period. (Works for me, but I wasn't a member of any other group that required their pin or badge to be worn above any other organization's jewelry.)

I think Allison gave the best answer--wear the SAI badge to SAI functions without the AOII (or ZTA!) badge. That way you can show the proper respect to each badge when you wear it, and follow each group's badge guidelines. A definite win-win!

I know we have other jewelry we can wear to indicate our AOII membership (not limited to lavaliers!) so a sister with dual AOII-SAI membership could always wear her SAI badge to her SAI events with a piece of AOII jewelry to show her loyalty to AOII as well. Check out the AOII Emporium (www.aoiiemporium.com) and check out all the stuff we can spend our hard earned dollars upon :D

Christin

I don't know about AOII's but I've seen many women & men wear their fraternity/sorority pin and their Delta Sigma Pi pin at the same height. :)

Well, that's what I was asking. SAI does not ask you to put the SAI badge ABOVE another; in fact we very strictly say it must be worn BESIDE the other badge, on the same level. But my question was, because AOII has a rule saying it must be ABOVE the other...would it be wrong to wear it *beside* the SAI badge?

I'm not an AOII by the way...I was just curious. :)

I have to agree with others just not to wear them at the same time. I know that adpi also has it that no other pin should be above your adpi pin...None of my other organizations have a problem with that so my others all sit bellow my adpi pin...

Yes. Wearing another badge next to our AOII badge is giving it the same importance so to speak.

But in doing so, this would say that SAI is not as important as AOII. And I'm sorry, but that's not right.

I would never expect an SAI to put her badge above that of another GLO. We have had many members in 2 GLOs and we respect that, as long as they give each GLO equal time and value each just as much.

Saying that SAI isn't as important as AOII is disrespectful, in my opinion. It's saying, "put AOII above SAI; it's more important. You should always put SAI below AOII because they're not as important". That's not fair...many girls in two GLOs value both sororities exactly the same. We have a member who is a DZ, and she loves SAI just as much as DZ.

Sorry if I come off as rude, but I find it rude to not be able to wear another GLO badge beside the AOII one.

I'd wear them them one at a time.

In response to your question about would it be wrong to wear the AOII badge beside the SAI badge, yes I would agree that that would be wrong inasmuch as our international policy states the following: “If it is worn with another pin, it is to be placed above it and to the right. No other pin, badge, insignia, such as a fraternity pin, Greek letter indicating the name of a chapter or a symbol denoting an office, may be attached to the badge in any way, whether by a chain or by hanging it on the fastener.”

I will try to put this in a way as not to cause controversy, which does not seem likely, but I will try, so here goes...To say that you find it rude/disrespectful that AOII is asking its members to wear their badge above others is in my opinion disrespectful of the organization as a whole and me as a member for you to be criticizing the guidelines of AOII for its members.

I don’t believe that AOII and my pledge to be a member of said organization is to be taken with a grain of salt, nor should a pledge to be in any organization. I am not saying that AOII is more or less important than another organization, just that much like all orgs, AOII has expectations as to how you wear your badge. It is a choice to wear a badge in the first place, and a choice that should not be entered into lightly for anyone. Nowhere on our website does it state that AOII is more important than any other organization, and nowhere does it state that your loyalties must lie only with AOII. Knowing Alpha Omicron Pi international’s guidelines for wearing our badge, I would be inclined to respect the wishes of my organization.

However...this does not negate being in another organization, but Christin (AOIIalum) had the best suggestion of all. Considering the conflicting ways to wear a badge between the two orgs, I would say to do it the way she suggested for SAI functions as then you would be respecting both. As for AOII functions, respect the wishes of AOII, and perhaps just wear a recognition pin for SAI. Not wearing the badge, but wearing the recognition pin still means that you are a member, and a good one that is respecting the guidelines of both of the orgs as a whole. Regardless of how one chooses to wear a badge, in situations like rituals, I would be inclined only to wear the one of the org that was having the ritual out of respect for the ritual, members and org.

Hopefully this is clear, and not too confusing as that was not my intent.

**edited because I found a typo**

In my oversimplification, my point was missed and I apologize. It is not an issue of who is better then who. When our founders developed our badge and its meanings (the importance to us), it was decided that no other badge was to be placed above it or attached to it. That is why AOII does not utilize chapter guards. Someone further explained it to me from our Ritual, Traditions and Jewels Committee that no other badge should be on the same level, i.e. right next to it. If any organization has rules that are different, that’s fine. An AOII will just have to choose which badge is most appropriate for the occasion.

ETA - Great post AOII_LB93!

Believe me, I understand how important each GLO's badge policy is. But you stated, as did others, that another one can't be ATTACHED to it. And I know that since I am not an AOII my opinion doesn't really count for much, and maybe I don't even have the right to make suggestions, I don't know. But if I were in 2 GLOs, I would always want to wear both pins when dressed up. Now, for rituals, it would be appropriate to only wear the pin for that group. But what about other times you are dressed up? Like, non-sorority related times? THEN how do you choose which pin to wear?

Like I said, I KNOW my opinion doesn't count for much. But...I think AOII nationals should really think about this kind of situation. For cases where the member's other GLO badge policy conflicts with AOIIs, it would be a good idea to come up with a compromise...like wearing the pins side by side. I simply don't understand why this would be disrespectful, or wrong. I know this is the sorority's policy and tradition...But I believe there should be some exceptions.

I know I have offended you, and I am sorry. However, do you see how I am a little offended that a fellow Greek organization thinks that their badge should be worn above another that a member is just as devoted to?

Any other opinions?

Note: In reverence and respect to my Canadian sisters, Alpha Omicron Pi is an international organization. Not being picky, just don't want my sisters up north to feel slighted.

First of all, I never said your opinion didn't count for much, but as someone else stated earlier in this post, I think it was alsparky that mentioned that ZTA has the same policy, so why the apparent hostility towards AOII?
I'm sure that many GLOs would prefer that their members hold them in the highest of importance and thus want to wear the badge above others. I’m not saying that there isn’t something wrong with compromise or your idea, but truly this is a question for people on the Alpha Omicron Pi Ritual, Traditions, and Jewelry committee.