It is fascinating to look at the Psi U's varied chapter arms. Here is a link to specific page on their website:
http://www.psiu.org/about/heraldry.html Imagine if banners for each were displayed at a convention!
Some fraternities use a system of cadency marks to differentiate the arms of each chapter. A small charge, added to the honor point of the shield, customizes the arms. The first nine cadency marks are traditional. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadency for examples. If the system is extended further, a new emblem must be chosen for each new chapter.
Alpha Rho Chi (Architecture) uses such a system to identify each chapter. Here is a document that illustrates and explains APX's cadency marks:
http://www.alpharhochi.org/attach/ca...de-Feb2010.pdf
I've read that Beta Theta Pi uses such a system (
http://www.betathetapi.org/about-beta/history/heraldry), but I have not seen any examples of chapter arms. Can anyone share? Do other fraternities use a similar system?