ye olde sorority/fraternity pins...

[TNAndy]

The badge of Beta Theta Pi has undergone many changes over the years but nearly all of them occured before 1909. Now only three badges are available: The standard Chandler badge with a plain border, the Chandler with an etched border, and the president's badge. Each new initiate is given a Chandler badge. Only chapter presidents, district chiefs, etc. are supposed to wear president's badges. Our jeweler also sells sweetheart pins. These don't have the symbols on the back that would be required to make them true badges, but the fronts look similar.

Founder's badges are significantly different than today's badges. There is no black enamel and a crescent moon appears instead of a wreath and diamond. They are more rectangular; only the corners are concavely curved. The stars at the top have six points and the symbol on the back is a heart and arrow instead of the shaking hands of today. These badges were made from $10 gold coins.

The Paddock badge is much more like the badge of today in that it has black enamel, a diamond, and wreath. The difference is that it is completely rectangular--no notches in the corners at all. The stars have six points and shaking hands are on the back.

Reproductions of the founders' badge are given to General Fraternity Officers as they leave office. Repro Paddock badges are given to General Fraternity Employees as they leave service. (We don't say 'national' whatever since this tends to snub our Canadian brothers.)

The Kirby and Newman badges were named for the jewelers who made them. However it was common practice for members to find their own jeweler, show him a drawing of the badge, and have him make it to order. That is why there are so many unique Beta badges from the mid-to-late 1800s. You can see quite a few of these in the Beta Theta Pi museum in Oxford, OH. Reproductions of some of these unique badges--the ones with significant stories behind them--are used as badges of office for the General Fraternity President, General Secretary, and General Treasurer.

About 100 years ago, the General Fraternity Officers decided to standardize on one badge design. George Chandler, an engineer, designed it and produced a set of engineering style drawings showing exact measurements, angles, ect. and even specified the gold content. There have been at least two official jewelers since then, but except for minute details, the badges are all the same.

Of course, most of the late model badges aren't solid gold, and even fewer have a real diamond in the mounting, but at least every new member gets a badge. When I was initiated, I had to order my badge on my own. Lots of my contemporaries didn't have the cash and did without.

[AngelPhiSig]

Originally posted by Ginger
MysticCat -

That is a wonderful story! I hope your son cherishes the meaning and history of that badge as much as you obviously do!

A question (for everyone) about badges - I'm getting the impression that the badges you receive at initiation have jewels in them - is this correct? I'm curious because DOs only receive a gold badge with no stones of any kind - you have to order one of those on your own, and I've actually never seen one (not even at convention!) Is it common for other fraternities and sororities to automatically recieve a jeweled badge?

The Phi Sig basic badge is a Sphinx head that slightly resembels George Washington (well... it does!) With Sapphire Eyes...

This is the badge that MOST chapters choose to give their initiates.


The other badge is the Sphinx head set in a pyramid with three sappires at each point... some chapters use this as their badge, but a lot of times, sisters just buy one when they want.

Luv
Alison

[PiKA2001]

Very cool story indeed MysticCat. That is the first story that I've heard of someone personally owning such an old badge. I'm quite surprised and pleased to hear how a badge could mean so much to someone who wasnt in that certain group. Hopefully, your son will go greek as well( maybe choosing PKA) so that the badge would be cherised even more. I personally would love to own a badge with that much history.

[Erik P Conard]

Originally posted by sweetie adpi
hi all... so i was looking on ebay for sorority pins in general (you know how some of them are unidentified? i like to make sure they aren't adpi pins there that i'm missing) anyways, i ran across this kkg pin:

and i was wondering... it doesn't look quite like the kappa pins that i've seen the girls wear at our school, it looks older... so anyways my real point of this whole thing is that it got me wondering:

a) have your organizations badges changed, and if so in what ways?

b) does anyone own any old badges? how did you aquire them? any cool stories?

and on a side note, is this an older kkg pin? (either way it's beautiful, i've always thought the kappa key was beautiful )

adpi's badge has evolved since 1851...

The first badge was worn by the Adelpheans in 1851. It was a satin riband with ribbon streamers; the name "Adelphean" appeared on one end with a design of clasped hands at the other end. In the center was the Open Motto (We Live For Each Other).

The second year after organization, a diamond-shaped silver pin was adopted. Stars were not included on this first badge, but it did have a monogram of the Wesleyan pin attached to the badge by a link chain, thus forming a guard.

In 1854 the stars were added, but it was not until 1874 that the stars and the clasped hands were raised. This design remained with only slight modifications until 1906 when, at Alpha Delta Pi's first convention, Nanaline King presented a new design for the pin. Her design was a smaller gold badge with a black enamel center which pictured the clasped hands, the two stars, and the Greek letter, "Alpha Delta Phi." This design was adopted by the convention and is the same pin we have today, with "Alpha Delta Phi" being changed to "Alpha Delta Pi" at the 1913 convention.

we can get our pins with different stones, the traditional pearl border, etc. there are some beautiful pictures of different badges in our book, Sisters, from throughout the years.

also, anyone that has served as (i think) an international officer for the sorority receives a replica of an old adelphean badge like the ones from 1854. they're so beautiful!

[Erik P Conard]

There are often various badges on E-bay, locals, nationals, clubs, even non-collegiate ones like Beta Sigma Phi and Epsilon Sigma Alpha which are "hens" clubs in towns with a goodly number of emblems & do-dads. Often the peddlers try to
pass these off as collegiate. DUH....they have their place but are not what we traditionally call collegiate by any means.
The professional outfits like Phi Mu Alpha (Sinfonia) and Alpha Phi Omega (once-Boy Scout service club) from time to time have chapters on campuses and operate as a social when the
school does not allow nationals, like Luther College, in Iowa,
and these groups try to fill a need denied by the institution. Of course, there is U of Michigan,. home of professional fraternites,
and many have houses there...side by side with the socials, but
do not--in most cases--compete with the 'traditionals.'
The nicknames of groups change sometimes from campus to campus, and over the years sometimes undergo changes, too.
The Phi Sigs could be Phi Sigma Kappa, Phi Sigma Epsilon, Phi Sigma Sigma. At Illinois in the 60s the Phi Sigma Sigmas
were called "Phi Sig Sigs". The Sigma Kappas are sometimes
called Snakey Ks due to the snake on the badge. The Theta Chis are jokingly called "Circle Bar X" on some western campi,
and the Theta Xis are sometimes called The Taxi. TKE and DKE used to be confused 'til TKE got big and DKE slowed growth. SAE and Sig Alph are commonplace, and Taus are
sometimes ATOs. Pi Kappa Phi may be called "Boy Pi Phis"
on some campuses. I recall one campus who called the Sig Eps there "spees." I never heard Pikes called anything but Pi
Kaps or PiKAs during the fifties. Never heard of Delts being called anything else. Phi Kappa Sigma sometimes called "Skulls" The so-called individual nicknames blossomed with the release of Animal House, a funny movie, but often misunderstood, and it hurt us. By the way, I have been told that none of the major cast in Animal House were Greeks. Mergers, absorptions, all have influenced nomenclature. Consider
the names, like when the two catholic ones, Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi became Phi Kappa Theta.
Then there a are some old line outfits who call themselves societies, but they are now so far out of the mainstream it is not
even worth discussion. Ditto for the dysfunctional co-eds.
Anyhow, there are badge collectors, and it is often fun to look upon E-Bay to see the various designs. One Sigma Chi badge,
old, diamond encrusted, was gorgeous. I notified Sigma Chi
htqtrs on it, as it was over a hundred years old. Come find out,
a widow had it, was her husband's grandpa's and she really had a need for the $. So, it went to a good Sig and was a win- win situation
But Betas are Betas, and who'd have it any other way?
I did not go to college with Wilson Benton Heller, but did know him, and he was 43 years older'n me. The Bairds and Bantas
were kinda in bed with each other, but Heller came much later,
and would have NEVER had anything to do with them.
The only other Greek magazine I knew of was FRATERNITY MONTH, published by Leland Publishers of St. Paul. Leland F
Leland, TKE, issued this slick and not staid (like Banta's Greek
Exchange) mag for about twenty years.
Occasionally ratings are published and are purely up to the reader to object or accept. Often they are dead wrong, and the
use of "frat" is generally by bottom-feeding, knuckle-dragging,
angry reporters and writers who know little of us...Well, I am sure I have offended someone by now, so, 'bye for now. Ergo, dear reader, you have suffered enough. Erik Conard, TKE,
Denver Alumni Chapter

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by Erik P Conard
The professional outfits like Phi Mu Alpha (Sinfonia) and Alpha Phi Omega (once-Boy Scout service club) from time to time have chapters on campuses and operate as a social when the
school does not allow nationals, like Luther College, in Iowa,
and these groups try to fill a need denied by the institution. Of course, there is U of Michigan,. home of professional fraternites,
and many have houses there...side by side with the socials, but
do not--in most cases--compete with the 'traditionals.'

This has been covered in the "Non-Social GLO's... Do You Consider Us Greek" thread, but since it got brought up here.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is not a professional fraternity. It was founded in 1898 as a social fraternity for students in conservatories and music schools, which often maintained some distance (figuratively if not literally) from sheltering institutions. Over the years, it took on many of the aspects of a professional fraternity and began to call itself a professional fraternity -- it was one of the founding groups what is now the Professional Fraternities Association. Even so, it never lost many of the characteristics more usually associated with social fraternities -- in particular, it never limited membership to music students, nor did it focus on preparing men for careers in music. In the 1980's, however, partly as a result of the desire to remain single-sex, the Fraternity voted to return to completely to social fraternity status -- all references to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia as a professional fraternity were removed from governing documents, communications, etc. The Fraternity has made quite clear for almost 20 years that were are not a professional fraternity.

That said, you are right that many chapters of Phi Mu Alpha got their start in the days when we were considered professional and professional fraternities were allowed on campuses where socials were not. It is also quite true that old habits die hard with some chapters, who still avoid interaction with other general/social fraternities and may even still call themselves "professional." But many chapters have now joined their campuses' IFC's, and the idea of Phi Mu Alpha joining the NIC is being actively discussed -- I have heard that this may very well happen within the next few years.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by PiKA2001
Very cool story indeed MysticCat. That is the first story that I've heard of someone personally owning such an old badge. I'm quite surprised and pleased to hear how a badge could mean so much to someone who wasnt in that certain group. Hopefully, your son will go greek as well( maybe choosing PKA) so that the badge would be cherised even more. I personally would love to own a badge with that much history.

Thanks PiKA2001. I have had the same thought about my son going Greek -- maybe even Pike. Most of my family and my wife's family are Greek (at least 10 different GLO's between us all), so it ought to be in his blood.

[fairytate]

Alpha Gamma Delta's badge was orginally the opposite of what it is now. What it is now is the Delta at the back, with a Gamma on top of that, and at the front is the Alpha.

Everyone has to buy their badge, and the most basic is just gold. You can also get a diamond or pearl in the center, or you can get it with all pearls (14 of them) on it. There is one that is all diamonds, but the International president is the only person allowed to wear it.

For a pic, you can go here:

http://www.burrpatt.com/alphagammadelta/AGDBadges.asp

[raulif]

Hi I'm from Spain,

I'm a coin collector, and here in Spain your Euro coins are very difficult to get.

I was just wondering wether any of you could suggest me a easy way to get them, or if you were so nice, we could change our coins, I send you mine and you send me yours, with no expenses for any of us.

Please help this Spanish lad.

If anyone is interested, please, email me to raulif@hotmail.com or simply post a reply here.

Thanx, bye.

[navane]

(hee hee hee....this isn't a Greek Nationals board...we don't have Euros here! )


I keep hearing about Alpha Phi's "Lazy Phi" badge, but I've never seen one! I once tried to do a search on the 'net but couldn't find a picture of it. If anyone could post a picture of the Lazy Phi badge, that would be neat!


......Kelly

[valkyrie]

The lazy phi pins ARE gorgeous!

[ChiOqt]

What do they look like?

[valkyrie]

Huh...I thought the picture would show up...I must not know what I'm doing.

You can see a lazy phi pin (and our official badge) by visiting the following link (sorry I can't figure out how to do the picture):

http://www.geocities.com/alphaphietagamma/facts.html