Letters

sueali · #1 08-05-2003, 02:55 PM

When does your chapter give letters to new members? We don't give our new members their first set of letters until after they are intiated. We just changed this a few years ago. We used to get our first set of letters at Big/lil sis reveal.

Katey Alpha Gam · #2 08-05-2003, 03:01 PM

we used to get our first sewn letters @ New Member pinning, but we changed it so that new members can't wear sewn letters so they get those at initiation ceremonies. Though you can wear event shirts or the words Alpha Gamma Delta so people usually give their littles old event shirts now.

ShaunaF01 · #3 08-05-2003, 03:25 PM

my chapter used to give you your first set of letters at your initiation. however, according to alpha phi international, it's considered hazing to not allow new members to where letters. therefore, our chapter had to change and we now give them out on bid day. however, they don't get the actual letters, they get alpha phi bid day shirts, which have the words spelled out instead of letters.

the other glo's on my campus didn't take to this very well. however, we're forced to do so.

33girl · #4 08-05-2003, 03:38 PM

We could wear letters (stitched, screened, whatever) from bid day on...however, we did not get crests until initiation.

We have an open motto that corresponds directly to our letters so I think that may be part of why we have always allowed it.

DeltAlum · #5 08-05-2003, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
We could wear letters (stitched, screened, whatever) from bid day on...however, we did not get crests until initiation.

That's the was is was, at least, for most fraternities I know of. Mainly, because you don't learn the mysteries of the crest (or coat of arms) until initiation.

ATO/terp · #6 08-05-2003, 04:02 PM

I think pledges should not get letters until initiation because it makes "them" (was me last semester) put blood sweat and tears into getting to wear those letters....i got mine the day I was initiated it was awesome and really worth it.

ShaunaF01 · #7 08-05-2003, 04:12 PM

my personal opinion is that you should receive your letters when you're initiated as well. only because i know in alpha phi at least, during the initiation ritual you learn WHAT the letters alpha and phi MEAN - why where letters if you don't know what they stand for?

tcsparky · #8 08-05-2003, 04:44 PM

The chapter of AXiD of which I am the advisor gives letter shirts right after the new member ceremony.

Jadey28 · #9 08-05-2003, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ShaunaF01
my chapter used to give you your first set of letters at your initiation. however, according to alpha phi international, it's considered hazing to not allow new members to where letters. therefore, our chapter had to change and we now give them out on bid day. however, they don't get the actual letters, they get alpha phi bid day shirts, which have the words spelled out instead of letters.

the other glo's on my campus didn't take to this very well. however, we're forced to do so.

Same here with Phi Sigma Sigma. I know my chapter "adapted" to the rules, but some other chapters haven't done so.

I personally feel that new members shouldn't get wear letters until they are initiated because they don't know the meaning behind them. This is a touchy subject with me, so that's all I want to say about that.

Betarulz! · #10 08-05-2003, 05:31 PM

Our pledges get rush shirts that usually have letters on them some where.

Not to make people mad (and I'll probably get flamed for this), but I think it's a crock of **** to make people wait to get their letters...for a number of reasons.

Someone said earlier why wear letters when you don't know what they mean. I look at it this way, that person bears your organization's and chapter's name during their new member period. Their actions can be just as damaging to your chapter or organization as an initiated member...just because they can't wear the letters doesn't not make them a part of your chapter (on a trial basis). Other than the fact that they don't know the ritual, and can't attend chapter meetings, there isn't much difference between them and an initiated member.

Also someone said that everyone should wait until initiation so that they put work in to earning them. Again, total BS. The letters arent' important, it's the prinicples behind them that matter. The letters have value to you because of what they mean to you, this is why personally I don't care if I were to see someone wearing my letters who wasn't in Beta, b/c to them, they really don't mean anything. Beta Theta Pi to them is the same as Kappa Kappa Gamma or any other Greek letters. Your Pledges and new members should work hard in order to learn the secrets of your organization and to have a life altering experience (as I think most people would say their initiation was).

I guess what I'm trying to say is look at what's really important in consideration to your letters, rather than the pettiness on when someone gets to wear them.

DolphinChicaDDD · #11 08-05-2003, 05:50 PM

Tri Delta also considers not giving new members letters as hazing.

This issue was the source of MUCH controversy last semester, as we were a local who did not give new members letters (heck, they were even called pledges

) Our nationals came in, and next thing we know, everyone has letters.

I agree that you don't know the true meaning, and it is something to look foward to on intiation. We even had most of our new members say they wish they could have waited.

I'm not sure what this semester is going to bring. Personally, I would like them to be able to wear the *name* DELTA DELTA DELTA, but not the *letters* or the crest. I didn't get to wear my local letters until after initation, and there was just something that made it more special to recive them after initaion.

I made the case when speaking with our field consultant that if new members can wear the letters, what makes them special? What distinguishes us from anyone on the street? Is the next step going to be anyone who even has an interest in the organization get to wear letters? Is it going to include non Greeks, men, or sisters of other GLOs? My point is, if we want to distinguish ourselves from other people, we need to keep something sacred...and I believe that must be our secrets, which goes hand in hand with letters.

and I am now stepping off my soapbox.

edited because I can't spell...and there are probably more mistakes

AEPhiSierra · #12 08-05-2003, 05:56 PM

In AEPhi new members aren't allowed to wear the Phi symbol until they are initiated. They are allowed to wear shirts like bid day t-shirts or formal t-shirts with Alpha Epsilon Phi or A-E-Phi written out. To us wearing letters means you're a sister of AEPhi and you're not a sister until you are initiatated. As for the crest I guess they can wear it or posess it or whatever you would do with a crest since our pledge pin is our crest.

I really doubt there are any glo's out there whose letters don't have a deeper meaning and if someone doesn't know what your letters stand for than they shouldn't be wearing them.

AlphaPhiBubbles · #13 08-05-2003, 06:48 PM

Quote:

I look at it this way, that person bears your organization's and chapter's name during their new member period. Their actions can be just as damaging to your chapter or organization as an initiated member

I'm sorry but I have to disagree...the point of the new member period is to really decide if these women are true "XYZ" material. You can't learn much about a person through a week or so's worth of formal parties. I know that many times, a chapter does discover things about a new member that they would rather not have as part of the chapter, thus they do not become an "XYZ" sister...

In my personal experience we have had new members who did extremely embarassing (and I don't mean like wearing white after labor day) things, but since everyone knew they were a new member, it didn't represent our chapter necesarily because the women were not initiated. It's a trial period for a reason.

Quote:

The letters arent' important, it's the prinicples behind them that matter.

But the letters are a very important symbol of what those principles are. I would very much dislike someone non-alpha phi wearing my letters, BECAUSE they don't know what they mean, and they don't have to right to represent my organization.

ShaunaF01 - I know that A Phi Int. says that keeping a NM from wearing letters is hazing, but we always figured that just because that might be true, doesn't mean we HAVE to give them letters. We can choose whatever we want to give as gifts, but if they went out and bought letters on their own we could not stop them from wearing it. That was just my chapter's take on the situation.

Kristin AGD · #14 08-05-2003, 06:59 PM

Alpha Gam new members were able to wear our letters on clothing and jewelry. But they were not allowed to have or wear the armorial bearings or the badge.

They were considered new "members" even back when we called them pledges.
I think it is great publicity for the groups letters to be seen all around campus. And expecially in freshman circles. This is extremely true on small campuses.

sugar and spice · #15 08-05-2003, 07:04 PM

We're allowed to wear them during our new member period, but most of us didn't, and when we did it was only at sorority events.

I don't really understand how wearing the words "Delta Delta Delta" is any different than wearing the letters themselves, so I don't buy the whole make-them-earn-their-letters thing.