The History of Pinnings?

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by SthrnZeta

I thought I'd resurrect this thread because I had a question: is it appropriate to do this if both people are alums or is pinning/lavliering/etc only done while in college? Also, does anyone know if Delta Tau Delta does this or is it just a chapter by chapter tradition?

Let me guess...you graduated in '04 and you're now dating a Delta Tau Delta alumnus?

In my opinion, lavaliering and pinning is for while you are in college. No rule against it later in life, to be sure, but I see it as more of an undergrad tradition.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Let me guess...you graduated in '04 and you're now dating a Delta Tau Delta alumnus?

In my opinion, lavaliering and pinning is for while you are in college. No rule against it later in life, to be sure, but I see it as more of an undergrad tradition.

I agree. While I absolutely would have loved to have a candle passing while I was in college, I would have felt very strange if my three-years-out-of-school ATO boyfriend (now husband) would have given me a lavaliere. And we definitely hadn't been dating long enough to talk engagement!

Now, I satisfy that urge by buying him cool antique ATO badges off eBay (of course, they're kept on my pin pillow next to my Kappa badges. )

[SthrnZeta]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

I agree. While I absolutely would have loved to have a candle passing while I was in college, I would have felt very strange if my three-years-out-of-school ATO boyfriend (now husband) would have given me a lavaliere. And we definitely hadn't been dating long enough to talk engagement!

I agree, I think of it as an undergrad thing as well, just curious was all.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Let me guess...you graduated in '04 and you're now dating a Delta Tau Delta alumnus?

In my opinion, lavaliering and pinning is for while you are in college. No rule against it later in life, to be sure, but I see it as more of an undergrad tradition.

Somewhere along the line, the story I heard was that a college man wouldn't be able to afford tuition, fraternity dues, AND an engagement ring - so pinnings became a popular symbol of commitment. Don't know how true that is, but it does make sense.

[Tom Earp]

The sweet heart pins as one posted are in many cases no longer made by the one jewler, just regular size Badges.

Laviliering or wearing of the letters show that this is a members girl friend and is under the protection of said fraternity. This I assume goes back to the day of heraldy and protecting a lady from brigands and usurpers!

Pinning as it was known has I think long paqst by the way side. One has to be very serious about the lady as Badges cost a lot of more money today than they did then! Along with the fact that many Fraternity members today do not even buy Badges or wear letters. How said that is!

[jon1856]

A rather down and dirty search found the following sites with all sorts of definitions, including pinning:
http://www.utsa.edu/sa/greeklife/htm/greekterms.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/pinning
http://www.usd.edu/greek/sae/recruitment/terms.cfm
http://www.deltachi.org/resources/ot...g_Ceremony.pdf
http://people.howstuffworks.com/fraternity4.htm