NMs in letters.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

I was told the same thing when I was a new member but have since been told there's nothing saying new members can't possess/wear the armorial bearings. I've never checked, so I don't know what the real deal is. But either way, letters are definitely allowed.

I can't imagine that we'd start allowing uninitiated new members to have or wear the Armorial Bearings, and if that change was made I can't find it anywhere. The most recent issue of The Quarterly has an article about the Armorial Bearings, but makes no mention of who can or cannot wear it. In Member Services of our website I only found mention of Initiated Members being eligible to wear the Badge and Armorial Bearings. I did learn something from looking in my New Member Guide, the Armorial Bearings were only supposed to be worn on clothing or jewelry. The few items I have with the Armorial Bearings are neither clothing or jewelry, oops.

The other thing in The Quarterly article that struck me was the opening sentence "Before Alpha Gamma Delta introduced an official
brand (or visual identity), the Armorial Bearings served as the Fraternity’s first visual mark. It appears on many of the Fraternity’s earliest documents as the symbolic image of Alpha Gamma Delta." Same issue highlights events in May 1904, and our Founding Sisters appeared to have designed and ordered our monogram style badge to wear May 30th 107 years ago. I think of our badge as the original brand/visual identity, not only as it was there in 1904, but more sisters will wear it than the Armorial Bearings, and therefore more people will recognize us by our jewelry.

I'm curious about our upcoming roll out of new branding material. Please let it include a squirrel, please, please, please.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I can't imagine that we'd start allowing uninitiated new members to have or wear the Armorial Bearings, and if that change was made I can't find it anywhere. The most recent issue of The Quarterly has an article about the Armorial Bearings, but makes no mention of who can or cannot wear it. In Member Services of our website I only found mention of Initiated Members being eligible to wear the Badge and Armorial Bearings. I did learn something from looking in my New Member Guide, the Armorial Bearings were only supposed to be worn on clothing or jewelry. The few items I have with the Armorial Bearings are neither clothing or jewelry, oops.

The other thing in The Quarterly article that struck me was the opening sentence "Before Alpha Gamma Delta introduced an official
brand (or visual identity), the Armorial Bearings served as the Fraternity’s first visual mark. It appears on many of the Fraternity’s earliest documents as the symbolic image of Alpha Gamma Delta." Same issue highlights events in May 1904, and our Founding Sisters appeared to have designed and ordered our monogram style badge to wear May 30th 107 years ago. I think of our badge as the original brand/visual identity, not only as it was there in 1904, but more sisters will wear it than the Armorial Bearings, and therefore more people will recognize us by our jewelry.

I'm curious about our upcoming roll out of new branding material. Please let it include a squirrel, please, please, please.

I didn't know any of that...and I can't imagine it would be changed either, just couldn't say for sure.

And I want more squirrels, too. I avoid items with letters for the most part (clothing wise anyway) since I have more than enough already, but I'd love some squirrels.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Do you have a picture?? These do sound cute.

I don't have a specific picture of one, since our does not have them since we can't use our crest in that way, but I will search Facebook/PSU GL website and post if I find one!

[FSUZeta]

true!

[spaceykatie]

Our sororities and frats are national, but it's a campus policy for pledges not to wear letters until they are initiated, but most of the sororities are required to wear our pledge shirts EVERY DAY during the pledge process. no joke.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by spaceykatie

Our sororities and frats are national, but it's a campus policy for pledges not to wear letters until they are initiated, but most of the sororities are required to wear our pledge shirts EVERY DAY during the pledge process. no joke.

I've never heard of a campus regulating that.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by thetaj

I don't know if this is Theta-wide, but in my chapter you don't wear letters (clothes, car decals, facebook "about me" section, anything) until you are initiated. You can wear things that have, "Kappa Alpha Theta" written out, though, so that's what's on our bid day shirts and totes for new members. I haven't heard anything about wearing our coat of arms, but then again it really isn't printed on too much, either. I'm guessing you can't wear that either until you are initiated.

Originally Posted by sherrybaby

^ I know my Theta chapter is the same, even though lots of other sororities on campus give out lettered shirts and totes on bid day. I'd say on my campus it's a pretty even split - half let you, half don't. I'm in charge of designing recruitment shirts and bid-day totes and this has presented a minor challenge!

Kappa Alpha Theta does have a policy regarding how the greek letters, name, etc. can be used. It's probably something you can find on our website. If you don't have access to the Officer Portal, PM me and I will shoot you a copy. The chapter I advise has a person in charge of designing t-shirts, etc., and she runs everything past an advisor to be sure it's in compliance with our policies.

Definitely, this is something that varies across GLOs at an organizational level. No universals.

[thetaj]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

Kappa Alpha Theta does have a policy regarding how the greek letters, name, etc. can be used. It's probably something you can find on our website. If you don't have access to the Officer Portal, PM me and I will shoot you a copy. The chapter I advise has a person in charge of designing t-shirts, etc., and she runs everything past an advisor to be sure it's in compliance with our policies.

Definitely, this is something that varies across GLOs at an organizational level. No universals.

I'll have to check that out! I do have access to the officer portal, thank you! We have someone in charge of apparel as well, I'm guessing she does the same.

[IndianaSigKap]

I thought Theta might have a policy, a girl from my floor pledged and all she could wear was THETA until initiation. Their large gift from their bigs were sweatshirts with KAO on them. Also at at the time, our Pi Phi chapter didn't allow pledges to wear the beta. You had to be initiated to wear the three Greek letters. Their pledge class shirts always had Pi Phi in script with the tail underneath.

[AnotherKD]

Ours was similar in that we were strongly encouraged to not wear letters before initiation. All of our pledge classes had shirts that said "Kay-Dee" and/or "Kappa Delta", but no letters until initiation.

[aephi alum]

Alpha Epsilon Phi national policy stipulates that no one other than initiated sisters may wear or use the Greek letters. New members and non-members may wear items that read "AEPhi" or "Alpha Epsilon Phi" spelled out, but only initiated sisters may use the letters AEΦ.

Our new member pin is the crest, with the Greek letters at the tops of the columns removed, so there's no prohibition on the crest as long as it is modified so the Greek letters (particularly the Φ) are absent.

Needless to say, letters are a popular initiation gift.

[DrPhil]

Only duly initiated members (includes ritual and paperwork) can wear the Delta symbols.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Only duly initiated members (includes ritual and paperwork) can wear the Delta symbols.

Can you define symbols?

[BemoreLXA]

Personally, I'm against our policy that associates of our fraternity can wear letters but hey, shit happens. I can't control that

[tld221]

Originally Posted by spaceykatie

Our sororities and frats are national, but it's a campus policy for pledges not to wear letters until they are initiated, but most of the sororities are required to wear our pledge shirts EVERY DAY during the pledge process. no joke.

OH TEH HORRORZ.

Originally Posted by ChioLu

When I went to college, pledges weren't allowed to wear the letters until initiated and knew the meaning. We could wear anything with "Chi O" or "Chi Omega" written out in script. Per our national HQ, this is now considered hazing (because it sets 1 group apart from the rest). I see their point, but it was kind of a big thing to get initiated and finally be able to wear the letters.

We still don't allow non-Chi Os to wear the crest, so that will never be on a date party t-shirt or mom's/dad's day item.

As it should be. Another topic, another thread. Both which we've discussed ad nauseum.