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Mu Alpha Chapter used to require that pledges make a paddle before they were initiated.
In more recent years, we don't require it before initiation, but it is expected that the pledge class makes one to hang in the office before they all graduate. TRADITIONALLY, a Brother cannot speak at pledge meetings unless their line has a paddle, but that has definitely relaxed over the past two years.
Also, when a pledge is initiated into my chapter, their Big Brother takes ownership of the pledgebook. The ONLY way the Brother can earn their book back is to make a paddle for their Big.
Ah, my Big's Paddle. . .it's an interesting story, because me and my friend Nikki, who was pledging Malika Kambe Umfazi at the time, both have wood from the same plank. Her half of the plank was used for something else, but about three feet of mine was used for this HUGE paddle I made my Big.
I had our names and other crossing information on the front, like nicknames, numbers, etc. From another peice of wood, I had the Greek letters cut out and painted blue and glued on the front of the paddle. On the Phi, I painted a rising sun and glued twelve pearls in a circle, so the Phi looked like the pin. On the back, I put laminated pictures of me and my big. Finally, I put a clear finish on the whole thing and gave it to her in front of the whole chapter.
But I was mad because I still wasn't given my book back for another two years almost! But, she did give it back to me on graduation day, and that was quite special.
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