Who Owns Your Badge?
 

Hey,
I was just curious as to who really owns your badge for your organization.

I know for Alpha Phi, while you are living, the badge is yours; however, once you have passed, you are supposed to put in your will what happens to the badge. So you could say you're being buried in it, giving to a relative, etc. If you do not state where you badge goes after your passing, it then belongs to the fraternity and should be returned. This is why some sisters (who have the money) police places such as ebay to buy the badges and return them to Internationals.

My question is it is like that for all groups? It seems in looking at some other groups, that some sisters collect badges, giving me the impression that the organization doesn't want the badge back?

Just curious what the other policies are? Course personally, I think it would be a bit weird to have another sister's badge, and if Internationals has it, they would probably store it a lot better than I could.

In Alpha Gamma Delta, if I'm not mistaken (and sisters please correct me if I'm wrong) the Badge remains the property of IHQ and upon Initiation, each member purchases a lease on the Badge.

If a member becomes suspended, she must return the Badge.

If a sister enters Chapter Grand, she has the option of being buried with her Badge or disclosing on the Badge disposition form that her family is to return the Badge to IHQ. I think it's important for all sisters (whether it be within my own organization or NPC) to inform their next of kin on what to do with the Badge after their passing. It's the only way we'll keep them out of non-member hands.

Personally I don't know of any sister who collects Badges. I know of many who rescue them off of greedy sellers on eBay, but those sisters ultimately send them back to IHQ.

I can certainly be corrected, but I would hazard a guess that in most every national GLO, the member owns the badge regardless of what the national organization says. That is to say, a national org can say all it wants to that the badge must be returned to HQ upon a member's death, but as a legal matter the badge belongs to the member unless it was made clear at the time that the new member paid for the badge that it was just "on loan."

Efforts to say that badges must be returned to HQ seem to be a fairly recent (say, post-eBay) phenomenon (as well as one fairly limited to women's GLOs) and could not legally apply to anyone initiated prior to implementation of such a policy. And unless a new member agrees at the time of "purchasing" the badge that ownership of the badge remains with the national org and further agrees to make sure that the badge is returned to HQ upon death, such policies are, at best, only morally, not legally, binding.

For Sigma Kappa, the badge is the property of national headquarters. It is on loan to the initiated member until her death. When a member dies, the badge can be buried with her or returned to headquarters unless she has used the badge to give to another lady going through initiation.

Now I have a question. What happens to the alumnae pin, special recognition pins like the 25 or 50 yr. pins? I don't know what we are supposed to do with those. What do other chapters do?

I actually had just talked to a few Kappas about something related to this!

Ok my mother is a Kappa and I am a DG. When she passes could I have her badge? She has said she'd like for me to have it if my sister doesn't become a Kappa. Would it be wrong of me to keep it seeing as I am not a member? Of course I would never wear it, I'd just have it as sort of a memento of her. But I wouldn't want to keep it if it would upset KKG HQ.

Upsetting KKG HQ is of more concern to you than having a keepsake from your dead mother?

wptw

Haha no no no that's not what I meant. I was just wondering how they would feel about it. I may not even get it my sis could end up in Kappa.

I think that it's up to your mom.

SInce Ms. MysticCat is a Kappa, I know that every issue of "The Key" lately has had a little form for Kappas to cut out, fill out and put with important papers. The form basically says something to the effect that "upon my death, I want my badge to (a) go to my daughter, granddaughter or other legacy, (b) go to __ chapter as an award or officer's badge, or (c) be returned to HQ." There also may be an "other- you fill in the blank" option. To me this form tacitly acknowledges that the member owns the badge and can say what happens to it, while encouraging the member to keep it in the family, so to speak.

in zeta tau alpha we have a life leasehold
 

on our badge-i believe that that is stated on the initiation form every member signs before they are initiated, and that it is also on the badge order form.

As long as it stays in the family and is not worn by an uninitiated member, Kappa HQ has no problems with it. Potentially down the line, there may be other Kappa legacies (if you or your sister have daughters) who want to use it so it might be just as well that you keep it as opposed to sending it into Kappa HQ (which is also appropriate and if a viable legacy requests it it will be returned to the family). Mostly they just don't want it seen for sale.

Me. Although, there are rules on who can wear it.

My husband knows (about once a month something comes up and I tell him w/ much exasperation) that when I die my Quill is to be buried w/ me.

This perhaps will change if/when I have daughters. I would hope that my daughters would become Alpha Xi's and my badge would pass on to them.

The efforts may seem fairly recent, but our bylaws have always stated that the badge must be returned to IH unless it's being held for a legacy. Don't know about any other group, but we make an open statement about agreeing to abide by the rules when we join Gamma Phi. If you don't like the rules, don't join.

But yes, legally there may or may not be any standing.

IHQ does make note of the changing of the times with technology in its official statement regarding Badge Disposition:

"In the age of technology, access to information, history and collectable items has become easier to gain. Alpha Gamma Delta Badges that have been obtained by non-members are being auctioned through the Internet. According to the Constitution and Standing Rules of Alpha Gamma Delta, each member takes a lifetime lease of the Badge at the time of Initiation. The Badge is either buried with a member when she enters Chapter Grand or shall revert to the Fraternity (through International Headquarters).

All members are encouraged to ensure that family members know their wishes regarding their Fraternity Badge. Attaching your Badge Disposition Form to your will clearly allows you to indicate to your family your private wishes regarding your Badge."

The "lifetime lease" is explained to us prior to Initiation.

Good question... But I don't know the answer.

I thought I owned it, but I could be wrong... Maybe another sister can clue me in.

But I would like to give it to one of my kids (I will have at least one girl somewhere down the line---prolly a great granddaughter!!!) that becomes a Phi Sig.

If that doesn't happen, then I'd like to be buried with it.