[bruinaphi]

Originally posted by Glitterkitty
Bears are way over used I think, But I have to disagree with what someone here said earlier about winnie the pooh-I think if you are going to have a bear as a mascot-have a specific one-like winnie or paddington. But I do think the mascot should have meaning, not just be cute.

I don't think most GLOs chose their mascots simply b/c they are "cute." Here is the history behind Alpha Phi's Phi Bear:

Alpha Phi's shield is bordeaux with a scroll and ivy leaf above it. Inscribed on the scroll is the public motto, Union hand in hand. A bar of silver crosses the shield from left to right; the upper half of the shield contains a Roman lamp in silver and the lower half, Ursa Major. The meaning of the symbols depicted on the crest is a significant part of the ritual witnessed at initiation. The mascot of Alpha Phi, the “Phi Bear,” is named after Ursa Major, the Great Bear, and was adopted in 1974.

Here's a picture of our crest:

LD