Plegdes wearing letters???

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I didn't see this earlier, but coming from an org that follows this policy, I'll take a stab at it.

The Greek letters spelled out -- Phi Mu Alpha -- are basically the name of the Fraternity; they identify the Fraternity and those people and things affiliated with it. But the Greek letters themselves -- F, M, A -- are much more than just the name of the Fraternity. (Shoot, for our first 50 years, they weren't even officially part of the Fraternity's name.) They are symbols of the ideals that we most cherish; and they identify those who have been fully initiated and who have committed themselves by solemn oath to cherish and promote what the letters mean. They are among the most meaningful symbols we have.

Until initiation, one is not a full brother. He may indicate his probationary affiliation with the Fraternity by wearing or having something with the name spelled out. But until he is initiated into full membership, he doesn't have the right to wear the letters themselves (or the coat-of-arms), because he has neither learned what they mean nor committed himself to what they represent.

I fully support any GLO's policies, whether or not they make sense to me, so please understand that I am not advocating that anyone is wrong, or should change.

I am simply approaching this from a logical standpoint. It still seems to me that hairs are being split - Whether or not "Alpha", for example, is written as a Greek letter or the English version, both stand for an element of the name of the group. Most, if not all, groups use the letters themselves because they are the first letter of a secret motto or meaning. So I still don't see why the Greek letters are any more representative of the secret-not-known-until-initiation meaning than the English version - both represent the beginning letter of a word that is not revealed until the member is fully initiated. And then there's FIJI - but that's taking it to an extreme.

Ultimately though, it's like I tell my darling children sometimes - "Because I'm the mom, and I say so!". If your GLO wants the letters reserved for initiated members, then they should be. I do think chapters should follow the national policy.