What to do if you spot a random guy wearing your letters?

[LatinaAlumna]

It actually seems now that Senusret and snuknight's ideas are much better than just "letting it go".

Okay, so now you have options next time it happens, right?

[macallan25]

Evidently I'm the only one who thinks this thread is absurdly ridiculous yet insanely hilarious at the same. I'm pretty sure I just read a post by someone suggesting that they incinerate their clothing so as to not let it "fall in the wrong hands".

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Evidently I'm the only one who thinks this thread is absurdly ridiculous yet insanely hilarious at the same..

LOL. I just find it baffling that anyone would expend any energy at all worrying about something like this, or about what to do "next time."

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by macallan25

I'm pretty sure I just read a post by someone suggesting that they incinerate their clothing so as to not let it "fall in the wrong hands".

We would never incinerate our letters.


The catsuits on the other hand....

ETA: You're right, this is a totally ridiculous LOL thread.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Evidently I'm the only one who thinks this thread is absurdly ridiculous yet insanely hilarious at the same. I'm pretty sure I just read a post by someone suggesting that they incinerate their clothing so as to not let it "fall in the wrong hands".

No, I thought that beating someone up for wearing letters was hilarious. So I encouraged it.

[UGAalum94]

I agree that it seems strange to me because just wearing the letters wasn't that precious. But it's becoming apparent that to some groups the letters are more like something borderline sacred. And if that's the case, it's going to be more complicated. The only thing I come close to this level of concern about would be official badges on EBay, and even then, I'm not losing sleep.

This is apparently not a new issue: my dad has told me stories that at his campus they would give any old IFC shirts from OTHER organizations to bums in town intentionally, so that it might appear that the old drunk dude was a XYZ or whatever. It was a low grade prank. (I assume that they must have found them or gotten them from girls they knew because I'm pretty sure they didn't browse thrift shops for the purpose.)

I have to say I do think it's weird when I see high school girls wearing sorority lettered jerseys or carrying lettered totes where I teach. I assume they must belong to an older sister or something. Date night shirts, formals, all that makes perfect sense. But the actual jersey with fabric letters attached, where the whole point of the shirt is the letters, not an event; it seems weird. And I'm surprised that they do it.

[luv n tpa]

We actually had an incident on campus with a guy stealing our letters, wearing them and 'making fun' of us in pictures. Like an idiot, he posted them on Facebook. We contacted Panhel and the Greek director. There's evidently going to be action taken regarding theft and something within Greek affairs [not sure what it is] when we return in the fall.

[AlwaysSAI]

A lot of people do give letter bags and other paraphenelia away to Goodwill. I was once in a good will and saw an Alpha Phi letter bag. It was before I found GC or I would have bought it and sent it to a member.

Also, really random, but my sis and I had a good laugh over it. We love A&E-especially City Confidential. We were watching it one day while I was visiting and there was a little country bumpkin man wearing Delta Zeta letters under his overalls. Sitting there talking about some murder he knew about. It was really funny--he was missing teeth and had a deep south accent. And, he most assuredly was not a DZ. I guess he got the shirt at a goodwill or something.

I would never give away anything lettered to goodwill or salvation army. Yeah, you hope it will end up in the hands of a sister, but you never know. I would pass it all down to chapter sisters before I would give it away.

[SnuKnight172]

Originally Posted by nwu43

That would certainly be a good idea.

I was in a very awkward situation two years ago when I left a party with a girl. We had to wait for a ride and it was cold outside. She wasn't wearing that much, and I had my linejacket on.

The gentlemanly thing to do would be to put my jacket on her but that's basically like letting her wear my letters, which is pretty bad (it's like putting a girl above my letters or something like that). Outside, there were bros EVERYWHERE, and I knew that if they saw me do that they would never stop giving me shit about it. At the same time... I really *REALLY* liked this girl, and what would she think? She'd probably think I'm a total jerk and never want to have anything to do with me

I just kept thinking to myself, man what the **** am I gonna do??!?!

We don't have linejackets persay but I am sure your bros wouldn't have said anything had you given her your jacket turned inside out. I have on occasion been without my reserve sweetshirt and turned a set inside out. I know the lady would still be wearing it but it shows you were respecting the letters as well as being a proper gentleman. Had you done this and explained to her why she must wear them with the letters not showing she probably would respect that you care so much about something. She may have even found it to be an endeering quality and wonder how she could get you to care about her as much of as your Fraternity. It sounds mushy but ladies go for that stuff. (on the other hand if I linejacket is what I think it is that may be a little uncomfortable to wear inside out. They are satin or nylon right?)

[aephi alum]

While it is annoying to see some random stranger in your letters when you know s/he isn't a member of your org... there's not really much you can do.

What you can do, is try to make sure your own lettered items don't end up in the hands of non-members. For example, I have some lettered t-shirts that are still wearable. When they are no longer wearable, I'll make something useful out of them. So I won't be donating them to charity, where anyone could end up with them, but at the same time, I won't just toss them in the trash.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by porkfriedrice

No, I thought that beating someone up for wearing letters was hilarious. So I encouraged it.

Haha, yeah I would probably never stop laughing if I saw someone beat up a homeless dude that had on an XYZ T-shirt.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Actually, I mentioned this once in the "Places you've seen your letters..." thread, but it applies here too: I once saw a homeless guy in Malibu digging through a dumpster while wearing a Theta lettered sweatshirt. I got a good laugh out of it (and I don't mean any offense to Theta).

[moe.ron]

just let it go. if you decided to do something about it and it escalate, imagine the negative thing that could happen to your fraternity or your chapter. bad publicity, lawsuits, etc. this is where risk mgt come into effect. is it worth it to do something about it or is it more safe to just let it go?

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Haha, yeah I would probably never stop laughing if I saw someone beat up a homeless dude that had on an XYZ T-shirt.

OT but I was at a bar/restaurant the other night and saw Macallan on a bottle and then I thought of you. Greekchat get out of my head goddamnit!

I wouldn't stop laughing either, it'd be the beatdown of the century. As one of two martial artists in my chapter, I encourage violence :P

[KyleMcGuire1983]

The best way to handle a situation like that is to initiate your call-response or fraternity grip....

it would throw them for a loop and might embarass them...

we had some schmuck show up all ghetto wannabe Jamie Kennedy looking telling us he was a UC Berkeley brother. Go to the Berkeley chapter...and while not IMPOSSIBLE, it's pretty unlikely he was affiliated there.

So I said "oh that's great, glad you're visiting." He failed all three tests I gave so I finally said "Okay what's your badge number" he answers "uhh 254" I said "oh that makes you about 100 years old since the chapter there started in 1892...." booted his ass out.

The moral of the story: check first, get miffed later. Just because he doesn't *look* Alpha Beta Gamma doesn't mean he's not Alpha Beta Gamma....we got bros from all over the country who all dress different, speak different slang, are different colors, etc etc. and the only way you're truly know is by checking....