Alpha pin
 

So I recently aquired an Alpha pin that was saved from ebay. I'm very excited because it's pretty and shiny and looks brand new :D

So here's my question. I've read somewhere else on GC (though I don't remember where or when and can't find it for the life of me) about somebody getting a pledge pin for their organization and turning it into a guard for their badge. What do you ladies think about this?

I personally don't see anything wrong with it.

I say go for it.

I think it sounds cool and will be very unique!

I hate to be a rule monger, but - you should return the Alpha Pin to EO. The Alpha pin is property of the chapter and should always be returned to the chapter. When women don't return them the chapter has to buy new ones. They are very inexpensive through EO ($3), but it is chapter property and should be returned.

I think we all wanted to keep ours -- but there is something to be said for having a pin that has been worn by others in your chapter over the years and realizing that it is ours just to borrow for our time as an Alpha member.

While it is very true that most people are asked to return it after Alpha Ceremony, there are many who dont. So many of those pins have turned up on ebay its unreal. I dont see any harm in keeping it. You bid on it and won and if you want to keep it as a memory, I think its fine. As you stated those pins are so cheap. I was Guard and I would order new ones all the time cause so many came up missing or people forgot to return them.

Hmmm...

I'm *all* for following the rules, yet I own not one, but TWO Alpha pins! I know that one was mine. I was a "hold-over" for grades, meaning I was not initiated in the Spring with the rest of my pledge sisters, but held-over the summer. The alpha pins weren't collected from us holdovers.



My only concern about making the alpha pin a guard is that it is not real gold (or even plated) so it will not hold up over the years as well as your badge will.

Again sweetie I see nothing wrong with what you want to do. That pin is rightfully yours, you bid and won it from Ebay. Yes, whomever it belonged too should have returned it but they didn't so it is yours now.

F&F (sorry wanted to abbreviate) has a point about it not holding up, the thing is though as an alum you RARELY (at least for me) wear your pin. If I'm lucky I wear it TWICE a year. Hardly the amount you would wear it as a collegian. (Obviously this is different if you are an advisor for a chapter of some kind, you will wear it more than). So I think as long as you take care of the pin and guard (which I can't see you not doing) the Alpha pin should hold up just fine.