We make "paddles" for our bigs and littles in my chapter, but they aren't necessarily the wooden paddle that I'm guessing most other chapters make. Within our house, we get creative and occasionally go overboard. I don't know if it was a hazing issue at some point that started this, but we can make anything into a paddle, it just has to say things like "AXO, big sis, lil sis" and the names and so on...some people do the wooden paddles, but I've seen stuff like bulletin/dry erase boards, pillows, quilts, cross stitch samplers, all kinds of painted wooden things, picture frames, photo albums, and so on. I even know of someone who's making one out of metal, but not engraved, it's going to be shaped and formed into letters and stuff (but that's what I get for going to an engineering school
). I just got a little (they're actually doing their big sis search tonight, yay!!), and I got a fleece throw and decorated one of the corners for her paddle. My big and I have a contest going on to out-paddle each other, basically, to see who can be the most creative, and we'll probably end up with 50 paddles some day, but that's fine with me.
I think it's awesome to give something to your big or your little, no matter what it is, and I agree with whoever said that it's the action that makes it hazing, not the object. Anyhow, just my two cents.
