Letters on Bid Day???

[SthrnZeta]

It's not just about the literal meaning of the letters, it's about everything those letters stand for, what it means in general to be a member of that org. You're representing that organization by wearing those letters. It wasn't that we disliked other chapters or anything like that, just that we knew the letters held meaning that they didn't fully understand and it seemed inappropriate to wear them - we felt we should earn them. I guess the letters weren't as big a deal as other symbols to that org, and I understand that (our crest and crown weren't allowed to be worn by anyone but initiated sisters).

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by SthrnZeta

... just that we knew the letters held meaning that they didn't fully understand and it seemed inappropriate to wear them - we felt we should earn them. I guess the letters weren't as big a deal as other symbols to that org, and I understand that (our crest and crown weren't allowed to be worn by anyone but initiated sisters).

Ya know...in reality, a group of new members don't come together and all feel that way without the advice - guidance - prodding - coaxing of a couple of older members.

I never liked the phrase "you should 'EARN' the letters." I think you "learn" sisterhood -- you don't "earn" it.

[SthrnZeta]

By earn, I meant learn the history of our fraternity and truly feel the honor of being a Zeta. I don't feel that you really understand it until you've learned something about the org and been through initation, that's all. Not that we were hazed or that we had to make the sisters like us or anything catty like that. I agree with your sentiment, Nut.

[FSUZeta]

it may be a tradition of your chapter that new members wait to wear letters, but zta does not have a national policy that prohibits new members from wearing them. one of my proudest moments was being given my big sisters zta jersey to wear until the ones my pledge sisters and i ordered came in. back in my day, if you could not wear letters, you had nothing to wear until after initiation-this was way before the t shirt phenom. happening nowadays.

you are correct that uninitiated members cannot possess the zta crest.

[Cane94G8r97]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

it may be a tradition of your chapter that new members wait to wear letters, but zta does not have a national policy that prohibits new members from wearing them. one of my proudest moments was being given my big sisters zta jersey to wear until the ones my pledge sisters and i ordered came in. back in my day, if you could not wear letters, you had nothing to wear until after initiation-this was way before the t shirt phenom. happening nowadays.

you are correct that uninitiated members cannot possess the zta crest.

My sister was so excited that I pledged ZTA she gave me a lavalier on bid day! So, while other ladies were waiting for t-shirts, I wore my letters every day! In fact, I still have my same lavalier 15 years later.

And... the day after initiation I went out and bought something with the crest on it!

[APhi Sailorgirl]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

it may be a tradition of your chapter that new members wait to wear letters, but zta does not have a national policy that prohibits new members from wearing them. one of my proudest moments was being given my big sisters zta jersey to wear until the ones my pledge sisters and i ordered came in. back in my day, if you could not wear letters, you had nothing to wear until after initiation-this was way before the t shirt phenom. happening nowadays.

you are correct that uninitiated members cannot possess the zta crest.

FSUZeta, please correct me if I am wrong and my memory may not serve correctly, but I am assuming you are referring to sewn letters? When I was in my senior year of college the ZTA colony gave all of the new members white t-shirts with teal letters. I cannot remember if the crest was also on there on not. These were screen printed shirts with letters not sewn.

This was of course much before they were chartered b/c they received the shirts in the fall and were not chartered until the end of the spring semester.

[33girl]

A lot of times too, it's a campus thing. No one knows how or where it started, just that State U has a tradition of Greek pledges not wearing letters. In this case, I don't think pledges should be forced to wear letters - they'll be set apart from their peers on the rest of the campus and that, too, can be construed as hazing. This is why new chapters often adopt the "tradition."

It's like frilly rush - if everyone stopped at the same time, maybe that would work, but no one wants to be the first.

[lilzetakitten]

Originally Posted by APhi Sailorgirl

FSUZeta, please correct me if I am wrong and my memory may not serve correctly, but I am assuming you are referring to sewn letters? When I was in my senior year of college the ZTA colony gave all of the new members white t-shirts with teal letters. I cannot remember if the crest was also on there on not. These were screen printed shirts with letters not sewn.

This was of course much before they were chartered b/c they received the shirts in the fall and were not chartered until the end of the spring semester.

APhi Sailorgirl, I think we go (went?) to the same school

So if you did go where I think you went, then crest was not on the Bid Day shirts. It was the letters, with a crown over the Zeta, which we received at our Bid Day party.

[PiPhiERDoc]

It is actually NOT an international rule that Pi Phi's cannot wear letters until initiation. This was a tradition at many chapters for years, including my own - we could not wear letters or Beta (so just shirts that said Pi Phi spelled out). But that practice is discouraged now by our internationals.