Pledging Cermony and Strapless Dresses...

[naraht]

(While this is describing some actions in the pledging ceremony, I think that what's being described is general enough...)

A problem that I've seen at the Pledging Ceremonies (and Petitioning ceremonies) is when women wear Strapless (or Spagetti Strap Dresses). If a male brother is the one who puts on the pledge pin, putting it on can get pretty awkward to both the male brother and the female pledge because most of the fabric where it can be pinned is fairly close to (or *on* the breast).

There are a number of solutions, but each has its problems.
1) Remind the women attending the pledge ceremony about the fact that the pin should go in a specific place and suggest they plan their outfit accordingly. The question there is do you make a general announcement, add it to bid cards (if you do bid cards) or make it one more thing for the pledge master to remember.

2) Have the brothers rearrange themselves during the ceremony to make sure that women put the pin on women with problem dresses. That would seem to distract from the ceremony.

3) Try to match up as they come in, again, some noise issues.

4) Hand the pin to the pledge, saves everyone's modesty, but seems to take something from the ceremony.

5) Give the women with problem dresses a wrap to go over their shoulders in blue or gold? Cost?

Any other ideas?

Note, that for Brotherhood Ceremony, it is somewhat less of an issue if big brothers are pinning their little brothers because they know them a lot better, and putting the Service pin in the location of the Pledge pin is probably OK.

Randy