Getting "pinned"...What exactly happens at this ceremony?

DGpledge · #1 01-29-2001, 02:13 AM

Could someone please fill me in? Thanks!

twigs344 · #2 01-29-2001, 09:16 PM

DGpledge,
Well, i hope you did not write this message in a state of worrying! Because you have nothing to worry about. I am a Delta Gamma at the Univ. of North FL. Your pinning ceremony will be a beautiful ritual that will culminate in you receiving your DG pledge pin. While I cannot reveal too much of the ceremony (all our rituals are kept secret, in order for them to remain sacred) i can tell you that it will be a day you will cherish for the rest of your life...i know i will never forget the day i accepted my pledge pin! Hope i was of some help.

33girl · #3 01-29-2001, 11:40 PM

Hi DG pledge and congrats on your new sisterhood!

There are two kinds of "pinning" ceremonies. The first is what twigs344 was talking about, a formal sorority ceremony where you receive your pledge pin. (I think every sorority has something similar) You may have had an "informal" ceremony on your bid day and this is a more formal one.

The second kind of "pinning" is where a fraternity man gives his girlfriend his fraternity pin. By doing this, he signifies that she means as much to him as his fraternity. This ceremony is a very serious step in a relationship and second only to becoming engaged.

Hope that clears things up for you!

DGpledge · #4 01-30-2001, 04:42 AM

Thank you guys so much!

Tonight I was "pinned" and twigs344 u are so right, I will never forget it, it was amazing! Also good to meet a fellow DG!

33girl, thanks for also clearing that up. I didn't even know the guys were "allowed" to give away their pin.

I can't wait until I'm finally initiated...that'll be a while though.

kmullini · #5 01-30-2001, 07:52 AM

DG Pledge,

I'm not sure what you mean about giving your pin away or being "allowed". When I was an active we were never allowed to give our badges or letters away. Not that were were forced not to but it was very serious thing with the brothers. Now, for example, if a brother was planning on proposing to his girl he would give her a Beta Lavalier and/or his letters. That would be a different story. In my Fraternity giving your letters away is considered a very serious thing, isnt taken lightly and usually isnt done unless marriage is involved.

Kevin Mullinix
Beta Theta Pi Alum
Epsilon Mu

Hootie · #6 02-01-2001, 01:53 AM

My parents were both greek while they attended school at University of NE at Kearney. My mom as an AOII and my dad was a Sig Ep. At any rate, my father was an AOII brother and my mom may have even been a Sig Ep lil sis. My mom was pinned and to this day she still has my father's pin in a jewelry box she keeps in her dresser. I think it's the sweetest thing (both of their pins lay side by side he he he).
::sigh::

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Everyone has their day in the sun. Some just last longer than others ~ Chi Omega Bid Day 1998

Billy Optimist · #7 02-01-2001, 02:28 AM

Hootie,
That sounds awesome. I hope I can do that someday.

------------------
Once in every lifetime, you'll know what life is. Oh I need you, you need me, oh my darling, don't you see? The Young Ones. Darling we're The Young Ones. The Young Ones. Shouldn't be afraid! To live. To love. There's a song to be sung. 'Cause we may not be The Young Ones for very long!!!

UNFSigmaChi · #8 02-01-2001, 03:26 PM

The UNF DG's are representing.....twigs344...Mary Styles is that you?!?!?!! :-)

SilverBlueAngel · #9 02-03-2001, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kmullini:
DG Pledge,

I'm not sure what you mean about giving your pin away or being "allowed". When I was an active we were never allowed to give our badges or letters away. Not that were were forced not to but it was very serious thing with the brothers. Now, for example, if a brother was planning on proposing to his girl he would give her a Beta Lavalier and/or his letters. That would be a different story. In my Fraternity giving your letters away is considered a very serious thing, isnt taken lightly and usually isnt done unless marriage is involved.

Kevin Mullinix
Beta Theta Pi Alum
Epsilon Mu

Kevin,
My fiance is a Beta and in his chapter (since that is all I can speak for) they lavalier and pin their girlfriends. As for myself, he hasn't pinned me yet (I have a lavalier)...

DeltAlum · #10 02-04-2001, 01:38 AM

Things have changed over the years.

I'm not sure when this happened, but in the past being "pinned" to your girl or boyfriend was a really big deal. There were even ceremonies for it in most fraternaties. A pictorial book I have from my college has pictures of two pinning ceremonies -- probably from the 50's or 60's judging by the dress.

There were basically four levels in a Greek relationship:

Dating
Being Lavaliered (I never remember how to spell that word)
Being Pinned
Being engaged

I read an interesting comment on one of these threads -- obviously from an alum -- that giving your girlfriend you badge was an indication that you loved her as much as you loved your fraternity.

The women wore their pinmates badge all the time -- providing they were dressed properly (dress or slacks & sweater, etc.) They would not wear the badge on a sweatshirt or tee shirt.

Some other triva. Only an active could "pin" his girlfriend. Pledges could only lavalier (there's that word again). That's probably because the pledge badge isn't the "real" badge of the fraternity. Fraternity men could "pin" non Greek women.

By the way, it wasn't too uncommon to see women wearing sweatshirts or tees with their pinmates letters. (That was often the case when the woman was not dressed as described above) Actually, it was pretty neat to see some really beautiful woman wearing your fraternity's letters and was a very nice statement to others on campus who saw it. The women would (could) not wear the coat of arms because they didn't understand the meaning and secrets involved.

It was also very common to see a car with both sets of letters of a Greek couple in the back window.

There is another current thread on sweethearts. In the past, a fraternity sweetheart was generally one of the brothers pinmate.

I guess the romantic in me wonders why all of that changed.

DeltAlum

KSig RC · #11 02-03-2001, 02:18 PM

deltalum -
in our chapter (and generally in the fraternity at large) there is still a lot of the 'old' tradition in lavaliering and pinning . . . they are taken very seriously, and even lavaliering is considered to be a sign of being serious. anyway, i guess the point is that for us it's still a big deal, which i think is pretty cool.

DeltAlum · #12 02-03-2001, 02:38 PM

KSig,

That's great. I hope that's true in other fraternaties as well. It does not seem to be the case that the schools I've visited and advised.

And, I agree. Being lavaliered was considered very serious.

I might add that non-Greeks also lavaliered at my school -- using the university's letters (OU, OSU, MU, MSU, etc.) instead of the Greek letters.

DeltAlum

Miami1839 · #13 02-03-2001, 06:00 PM

Hey Silverblueangel

Congratulations to you and your fiance.

I wish you both the best. Your the first I've met from Knox College

I never experienced a "pinning" in my chapter as an active. I did participate in this ceremony where a group of us went to this girls dorm that one of my brothers was serious about. We suprised her with a candlight serenade and he gave her the lavalier. It was pretty awesome... Usually in my chapter it was only done when the Brother had been dating the girl for a long time.

Delt Alum, I agree it was awesome to see a beautiful lady sporting my letters. Of course usually most guys didnt allow this unless things were really serious.

Kevin
Beta Theta Pi Alum
Epsilon Mu
George Mason