Why?

[orchid2]

I've been wondering this for a while...it seems like after their collegiate years, marriage, etc., sorority women seem to take their letters off their cars and stop wearing greek shirts and so forth. Why is this? If membership is for life, why does it seem that they put their letters on the back burner after graduation? I've noticed this isn't quite as much of an issue for BGLOs in this area...Some of my teachers were AKAs and they proudly sport AKA plates on the front of their cars and stuff like that. I've also seen lots of Deltas and Omega Psi Phis, by the way. I'm just wondering, is there a set of rules that say you can't wear your letters or keep them on display after you go Alum or get married or whatnot?

[ilovemyglo]

I know in my org most our alum still wear letters proudly and they still have stickers on their cars and such. Many even have the clothes with alum written on them. It may just depend on the chapter, though!

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If your going to go greek, why not be a goddess?

[Katey Alpha Gam]

I think it is just kind of like those things might seem kind of youthful to some people?? I know I am going to be sporting my letters all the time. I am going to be teaching in a HS so it's always good PR!! PLus, I totally agree, what's wromg with having a license plate cover etc...? But I think it's just a littl younger for them?

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Katey, ZA chapter of AGD
"Could I have been anyone other than me?"-Dave Matthews

[PenguinTrax]

I have a ZTA license plate cover and at least 2 ZTA window clings on my car. I proudly wear letters all the time. In fact, I wore my Zeta Tau Alpha - Crown Chapter Winner t-shirt to a meeting at work on Monday (we've got a very casual office!)

B.

[carnation]

Well, I'm sitting here wearing a coral-colored shirt with white "Pi Phi" letters on it--I've started wearing my letters a lot! This great elderly AKA at work wears her letters all the time and I thought, "Hey, why not me?"

So if you ever meet me, I just might be wearing my Pi Phi or "Mom of AOPi" shirts! We even got my husband a "Dad" shirt and Mr. Jock actually wears it!

[loviest95]

I can't say this is true for my sorors-- we even buy "my mommy is an AKA" bibs and t-shirts for our baby girls or "future AKA" and "AKA in training" shirts are not uncommon for toddlers.
We are really encouraged to move on from Undergrad chapters to Grad chapters..

There are some ladies who do not become sorors until they are out of the "college life"..

I still wear a sorority shirt (polo style or blue jean long sleeve) every now and then and my car still has a crest...

And my coffee mug is on my desk!!

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IVY in my HAND-- AKA in my HEART

[dzrose93]

I've been out of school for quite a while and can proudly say that my car still sports my Delta Zeta crest, and that I still wear my t-shirts very frequently. As a matter of fact, I wore my 1996 DZ Crush Party shirt to work last Friday (that's our casual day) and got a lot of interested glances because of it!

[This message has been edited by dzrose93 (edited May 03, 2001).]

[kappagirl00]

Speaking from my experience, I can say that the VAST majority of my Kappa stuff is T-shirts. These shirts wear out, get old, or are just outgrown by many people as they get older. Also, adults just don't wear t-shirts as much as college students. And when they do, it's usually when they are around the house or when they work out of something. Maybe that's why we don't see that much.

[dzrose93]

Kappagirl00 is right. Some of my favorite shirts have been put in my pajama drawer because they have holes in them or have a noticeable stain that prevents them from being worn in public. Since I'm no longer in chapter, I don't have the opportunity to replenish my t-shirt collection with newer shirts. But I do still wear the nicer ones I have!

[loviest95]

DZrose

I noted that you and others were stating that your t shirts have worn out etc.
I was recently asked by co worker about my "para". She told me that it seems that BGLO's seem to have more para items like--umbrellas and pen sets etc.

Do you find this to be true?



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IVY in my HAND-- AKA in my HEART

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by loviest95:
DZrose

I was recently asked by co worker about my "para". She told me that it seems that BGLO's seem to have more para items like--umbrellas and pen sets etc.

Do you find this to be true?

Hi loviest95! I don't think that BGLO's necessarily have more items with their organization's name on it -- maybe just more of different types. For example, I see a lot more stationary, magnets, picture frames, flower pots, badge pillows, etc., for Panhellenic sorority members than I do for BGLO's. But, I also see more umbrellas, hats, pens, etc. for AKA and DST than I do for sororities like ADPi or Phi Mu. I don't think I've ever seen an umbrella for Delta Zeta - I'd probably own it already if I had!

I'm not sure exactly why this is the case. Probably manufacturers of Greek merchandise focus on making different types of paraphernalia for each group. I'm in marketing research, so I would guess that perhaps Greek manufacturers have found that BGLO members prefer to purchase a certain type of 'nalia and that other GLO members tend to purchase another type. It's all about what makes money in the long run. Hope this answers your question!

[James]

Hmmm . . . out of all the mainstream groups of which I have met alum the only group that never said "I was xyz" was Sigma Chi . . . they were very insistant in saying that they Are Sigma Chi's.

Part of the problem for the standard NIc NPC groups is probably because we, or I should say I for my group, are not well organized on the alumni level. There are alumni chapters, but from what I understand the vast majority of them do not function anywhere near as well as the BGLO graduate chapters . . . Or with the same purpose. But I may be wrong here or generalizing to much.

Nor is transition into some type of active alumni life part of our education or doctrine unless you become a volunteer. . . it would be a nice powerbase if we all had better organization . . . there are 176 thousand plus living Kappa Sigmas now, that would be a hell of a networking and politcal base . . . not to mention if all the groups were equally well organized on that level.

[Tom Earp]

Well, I know of some of my Brothers, me included have personalized tags on their cars. I for one am proud after 36 yrs to have LXA 1 on my Honda car!!!!!!
In Kansas you have on front and back to you can see me comming or going! LOL

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[LexiKD]

I think it's the same members that say "I used to be a ___". I guess in college it's cool and the real world is just confused by it!
I wear my badge that's now a necklace all the time, I dress up for work and make sure to put it on! I get tons of compliments on it daily, I do have to explain it 100 times, but I think that's fun!
My niece has a FUTURE KD shirt too, like loviest95 said, we have tons of that!
I have just begun an Alumnae Association and one suggestion was to wear letters around town, maybe we can find other alum in the area, just with a shirt or sticker!

[VctoriasSecrt]

laughing in my boots...and dying of histeria up in here...whew...i must of hit a gold mine or something...