Service pins instead of active pins?

[emb021]

Originally posted by That1LoudChick
You're right and I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I went on the national website and noticed the difference in badges so I sort of assumed (I still have yet to understand the consequences of assuming!) that the service pin was a lower-costing alternative. My mistake!

Its not a wrong assumption. The service pin WAS created to be a low cost alternative to the badge.

At the time the badge cost between $2.50 and $25 (depending on gold content and pearls, etc.), while the service pin was twenty five cents.

It was created at the 1940 NatConv, and made available shortly thereafter. Many chapters resolved that ALL its members would obtain the pin and wear it, as the cost of it made it feasible for all to do so. (this per an article in the T&T in 1941)

Much later, its use was written into our ritual such that ALL new Brothers would receive it as part of their induction.

[Senusret I]

The Badge

[emb021]

Well, another update is that (for a couple of years now) our official jeweler has been the Greek Division of Herff/Jones. Their website is http://www.hjgreek.com/

If you want APO stuff, go there, go to Organization Catalogs and find APO. Here's a direct link: http://www.hjgreek.com/index.cfm?eve...nization_ID=51

You will find info on Badges in "Official Jewelry"

[Senusret I]

Thanks for that update as well. I seem to remember one of the great barroom debates of this forum was about who our official jeweler was and when we would get another one.

[emb021]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Thanks for that update as well. I seem to remember one of the great barroom debates of this forum was about who our official jeweler was and when we would get another one.

We've always had an official jeweler.

The strange thing is that while for decades it was LG Balfour, in the last decade we've had about 4-5 different ones, due to the buyout/consolidation of the greek jewelry business. Herff/Jones is our jeweler because they bought out our previous one, BurrPatersonAuld. And since they've pretty much bought all the others, they're the only game in town. When I joined it was 'Preferred Greek'. There were one or two between them and BPA.

At the APO Store at Nationals, I got into a little conversation on this topic with the HJ rep and Jordan (of the APO Collection, who always runs the APO Store at Nationals).

Tau Mu Chapter at USF uses the Service Pin as our "active" insignia. I don't know if any of our members has a badge off the top of my head, but the only two pins I am familiar with are our pledge pin and service pins, signified by the "P" or "S" in the center, respectively.

Regional Conference 2007 at USF Tampa! Woo!

[Brita]

I have the silver badge! It looks like they don't offer it anymore???