Help with a new member pin!
 

Hi all!
I'm new to the forums, so bear with me. I'm a new member of Phi Sigma Sigma and in our chapter, our Saphire sisters give us their new member pins on pinning night. Great! We were pinned about 3 or 4 weeks ago and I've kept my pin safe at all costs and worn it at all appropriate times.

Problem: I went to band practice today and somehow the pin came off at the end. I searched everywhere on the field for it, and I feel worse than awful. Ive spoken to a few of the higher ups in our chapter and they said "Don't worry about it, when you get your new pin, give it to your Saphire sister as a replacement" I would and want to do that, but I still feel awful, so Ive been searching around online to find a replacement before I tell her.

Question: Does anyone know where to find legitamate new member pins? I've tried ebay (I know its a big no no, but I really want to get her a new one) and Ive tried the Phi Sigma Sigma page, but no such luck.

Help!

Call your National office.
I would be a bit shocked if they have no SOP for this.

I don't know about PhiSig, but I can order an ASA new member pin on our National Website. Although you may have to wait until you are initiated to order...ours require that we put our membership # on the order.

Are you a pledge or a sister? Have you told your chapter officers or big sister? If you are too nervous, ask your chapter chaplain to help you tell them.

Nationals should have a procedure for this. You may have to pay for a new one, but I beleive the cost is pretty nominal. Double check your uniform and shoes. Sometimes these pins stick in the funniest places.

Lastly, check into pin guards; if it came off so easily, it might have been defective, or the style might just be not as sturdy.

Now take a deep breath.

You mean the sisters keep their NM pins after they're initiated? So they have a NM pin and a sister pin?

Tell your pledgemistress, she should be able to get you a new one.

What she said. The new member pins are not as $$$ as the initiates' badges. They may have extras or she can help you order a new one. Defintely go through her!!!

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much. It happens. I think people lose or break their NM pins all the time, they're usually not as secure or as sturdy as your actual badge. Just ask your chapter president (or whoever is in charge of the ordering of the badges) to order you an extra NM pin to replace your Sapphire sister's lost one the next time she places an order for badges/NM pins/guards. You can offer to pay if it makes you feel better, but they're so inexpensive that they might just tell you not to worry about it.

You also sounded a little bit worried that your Sapphire sister would be mad that it was HER pin you lost. Frankly, I don't know anyone who's too attached to their NM pin... I don't think it's all that big of a deal :)

We bulk order all that stuff at the beginning of the year. If somebody loses or breaks their NM pin, we just give them a new one. Just tell your new member educator and she should know where to get you another one.

Now when you are initiated, be more careful with your actual badge. It's much more expensive and more difficult to replace. I think everyone here has once had an "Oh my God WHERE IS MY BADGE?!" moment. It's not fun.
:)

I'll go one better than that. The newly initiated (in my chapter, I do not speak for all) don't get badges straightaway, they have to be ordered, so we use our 'mom''s badges instead. Except my sister-sister (we have the same mom) lost our mom's badge in between initiation and receiving her own. I'm personally surprised I haven't lost mine yet actually.
Wish I could have kept my NM pin, I really liked it.

While SAE's pledge pins ( yes, I will still use that term ) in my day did not have any place to mount a guard, the active ones did/do.

I would strongly suggest getting a guard for pin. Mine has been saved by the guard once or twice.