When was your mascot adopted?
 

Ok, so most GLOs have official symbols. ie, Pi Beta Phi's is the arrow. This important because obviously it's a part of our badge and was with us from our founding.

We also have an unoffical mascot or symbol, which is the angel. This was adopted loosely in the 1930s from rush skits and songs about Pi Phi angels and then became widespread, and was finally adopted unofficially by our national organization as well.

When was your mascot (official or unofficial) adopted? ie, the Kappa Delta teddy bear (teddy bears weren't even invented when Kappa Delta was founded), Phi Mu's Sir Fidel, SGRho's poodle? Was there a period in time when a lot of GLOs were adopting such mascots? If so why was that?

Our unofficial mascot-the turtle-was adopted sometime in the 70's to honor a past National President (ashamed to say I don't know her name off the top of my head). Many of our older alums don't acknowledge the turtle at all....

Some of our chapters have different unofficial mascots b/c other chapters at their schools already had turtles by the time we started using them (I know of one that uses bunnies instead of turtles).

AEPhi's mascot is the giraffe because it has the largest heart of all the animals and it stands above the rest. I think AEPhi adopted it as its official mascot sometime in the 1970's.

Don't know exactly when Alpha Sigma Phi's Phoenix was adopted, but my guess would be after the second founding of the fraternity in 1907.

The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth; after Alpha chapter at Yale disappeared in 1872, Delta chapter at Marietta kept the ritual and traditions intact until Alpha was reborn in 1907.

Our unofficial mascot is the Gammy Bug, which was adopted around 1947. (That's when it first appeared in our Pledge Manual.) I can't find a picture anywhere, but here is a physical description from our newest history book:

The body of the bug bore more than a modest resemblance to the pin for new members, as it was shaped in a rounded triangular shape and decorated with a crescent. Extending from this body were two thin legs, two thin arms (or, given that this was a bug, two additional thin legs), and a round, smiling face with two antennae.

Many chapters do not use the Gammy Bug (or Gammie Bug, as my chapter calls it) and have an unofficial mascot of their own. I know two of our chapters (Witchita State and Alabama) use the penguin, and Delta Lambda uses the lamb.

Yes - at the 1977 national convention.

You made me look it up in my new member manual... ;)

Alpha Gamma Delta
 

1906
Skiouros the Squirrel made its first appearance as a mascot with the installation of Gamma Chapter at Wesleyan University, Middletown Connecticut.

We don't use the ladybug symbol nationally, and I wouldn't even say the use of the ladybug is widespread -- too many Phi Mu chapters are near ASA chapters!

I'd guess its use stems from the term we use to educate our pledges on becoming a "Phi Mu lady."

Sir Fidel, of course, is named after our closed motto, les souers fideles, which sounds like Sir Fidel in French. Kind of.

ASA does not have a national mascot. Raggedy Ann used to be used widely but I think Bobbs-Merrill (Annie's parents) weren't happy with that. The ladybug started to pop up sometime in the mid-90s, but I think there are lots of older chapters that don't really use it. There are still other mascots (turtles, apples etc).

The Phoenix is on our crest and is our magazine title, and I really like it as an image, but it's kinda hard to find a cute and cuddly phoenix to give your little. :)

i could be wrong, but i thought closed mottos were supposed to be kept secret...

You mean our open motto, right Jac? ;)

We randomly use ladybugs on some stuff here, but not a lot. We use Sir Fidel like crazy though haha, I think every girl here has a drawing of a cute lion on her door.

Delta Phi Epsilon adopted the unicorn as its mascot in 1981.
http://www.dphie.org/img/symbols/unicorn1.gif

TKE does not have and official mascot. Many chapters use the knight though because we were first the knights of classic lore before TKE. There was a brief mascot in the late 70's early 80's that died out called Zeke. Thats why Tom calls me Zeke for those of you that wondered.

Epsilon Sigma Phi adopted two mascots in 1996: the tigress and Whinne the Pooh. It is a little complicated to explain why we adopted the tigress. Whinne the Pooh is easier to explain. Since we are a sorority about diversity, Whinne the Pooh was a clear choice. He never discriminates when choosing his friends. Also, he is so gosh darn cute!!!

http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/otn/wink/smily012.gif

You're right, Fab, I did mean open. I have no idea why I wrote "closed." If it wasn't actually in the post I'd say I didn't!

man. Time for some sleep.