Handsigns?
 

So, in the recent Crescent there is our former IP with new chapter members, all making a crescent with their hands. I've also seen a contorted attempt at making a "gamma" with your hand and putting your index finger over your open mouth to make a "phi". Ick.

Is it just me - I think we do NOT need any "gang"type signs - no "throw what you know". We do have a recognition sign and counter-sign, but I hope they do NOT take photos with it (if they even know it.)

Am I an old fogey? Are all you sweet young Gamma Phis feeling left out because you don't have a hand-sign? What's the deal?

Are you making a statement about organizations with members who use unofficial handsigns and take pictures with them?

Or is it just certain Gamma Phi Beta handsigns that you deem "gang"type and "throw what you know" when used in pictures?

My comments are specifically related to Gamma Phi - and not to any other org. Hence their being posted here, and not in Greek Life.

It's not my place to comment about other GLOs and their handsigns, official or unofficial.

That's all you have to say. We've had these topics on here before and they haven't been restricted to the Greek Life forum.

As for the rest, no need to be a smartass unless thou doth protest too much. I didn't have that tone with you but I can. ;)

I'm no Gertrude - and yes, I know there have been general discussions on this topic, but I really do just want to know how other Gamma Phis feel. It may well be that I need to grab my walker and start muttering under my breath about these young'uns. I truly don't know if actives feel "left out" because they don't have handsigns, or if it is an isolated incident or two.

For what it is worth, it is my understanding that handsigns are of far more historic significance to D9 groups. If that is indeed the case, I would hate to have groups that do not have the history adopt them just because they think they are "cool". Imitation may be a form of flattery, but in this case I don't understand why our established traditions aren't enough.

If it's in your national magazine then it's not frowned upon by the organization -- which supersedes individual opinions on the matter.

There is no international stance on the issue. I would never post here about an international policy with which I disagreed - that's why God created InCircle.

As a careful reading of my original post indicates, there is not even one specific "sign" for Gamma Phi. The question is specifically how other Gamma Phis feel about what is a recent development. It may be that should it turn out that many Gamma Phis feel the same way about it that I do that it is addressed at our next Convention - or if many members want an official sign, it may be that one is adopted then. It may be that no one else really cares enough about it, or the whole thing fades away in the next two years.

Who knew Gamma Phis were of such interest to so many. :rolleyes:

InCircle.... that's like a network of Gamma Phi Betas only where you can post your opinions and get other opinions from other Gamma Phi Betas, right?

Yes - but as it has just launched many have not yet joined. Hence my posting HERE in the GAMMA PHI BETA forum asking for input about a subject which is not in conflict with international policy. (Plus, I specifically want to know what GC GPhiBs think.)

So, all of you non-Gamma Phis - do you like our hand signs?

Oh, well congratulations on the new network! I hope it is as successful for your sisterhood as it seems to have been among the other NPC organizations that adopted it.

I don't like the handsigns. We have other ways that we can show pride in being a Gamma Phi Beta. If a sister would like to propose a handsign amendment at the next Convention, have it discussed/debated and then voted upon, then fine. But if it's not something that is officially part of our organization then I don't think it should appear in Gamma Phi Beta photos or be used in Gamma Phi Beta activities.

I'm anti-Gamma Phi hand sign. It just seems lame for us to be coming up with a handsign just now. The crescent sign I don't mind much, but the one with the mouth is horrid. I just don't think we need to create these things now when we've been around for more than a century without them (I'm including the suggested mascot in this argument too).

I'll admit, I was rather surprised to see the picture in The Crescent of sisters, including LDJohnson, making a crescent handsign. I don't mind it too much, but I was surprised that it would be something a chapter would submit to The Crescent, and something that would get published, because it is so unofficial. I haven't seen the "phi" open-mouth, index-finger-in-front sign, but it sounds rather ridiculous and I doubt I would have recognized it as a "phi" if I had seen it. So I guess it comes down to the fact that I haven't seen that many collegiates using made-up signs myself, and so thought of it as kind of a non-issue. I would assume that a few chapters are using them in informal snapshots, but aren't really thinking they're official, so I don't mind.

If anyone is curious what the aforementioned gamma and phi sign from convention looks like, I can send a picture. It's something that Gamma Tau came up with for a performance at Confirmed Conventioneers, and the ladies of my alumnae chapter thought it was pretty cute in the moment. I have no idea if we'll be taking pictures with handsigns in the future, but at Convention, when we were all hyped up and enjoying ourselves, no one seemed to have any reservations, and that was in a group of 13 alumnae of diverse backgrounds and ages. The picture I have is actually from right before PCB. We did a serious pic, and then someone suggested we take a pic with the handsign, so we did. The collegians were there with us, but they were taking the pic, not in it. I actually think it was one of those silly little things that helped us bond with the collegians, and that was pretty fun.

I haven't seen anyone use it since then, for what it's worth. And I don't have any feelings one way or the other on the issue, so I'm neither advocating it nor condemning it in this post. :) Advance apologies if I came off as defensive above, I was trying not to, but I figured I should go ahead and reply since I'm one of the culprits. :D

my chapter does to the crescent hand sign on occasion. I do it if we're all doing it, if not...I just think it looks silly. In that issue of The Crescent, there is also a shot of some girls making a gamma with their thumb and index finger