[pirepresent]

Everything that GeekyPenguin and wptw have said is true. On top of that, having a badge in your possession doesn't make the sister. It doesn't magically transfer membership of an organization unto the person who holds it. It doesn't invoke any official rights or privileges. Wearing it doesn't suddenly infuse the knowledge of rituals or the meaning behind the symbols and letters. When push comes to shove, it's a piece of metal. Sometimes the metal has jewels on it. Sometimes even dangles.

Sure, I get upset when I see our badges on Ebay. It annoys me. It's a part of my sorority and is something cherished by all our sisters. But I know that if someone who is not a sister chooses to buy and even wear one of our badges, they're not anything special. I haven't heard very many stories of monster pin collectors who put on sorority badges and then go out and create havoc on the town, thus disrespecting the group.... It sucks when non-members have badges, but it's not the end of the world. To a non-member, it's just a pretty piece of jewelry.

I don't mean to come off rudely, if I do. I just have been following this thread for a little while and I wanted to include my $.02....