Wearing letters

[bluefish81]

Kappa Alpha Theta doesn't allow the members to wear the Greek letters until after they are initiated. Until that time, new members can where them written out.

[GeekyPenguin]

If you do a search on this, you will find lots and lots of differing opinions. Every GLO, and really every chapter, is different.

[phisigduchesscv]

Phi Sigma Sigma's official policy is that NM can start wearing letters, words spelled out, etc as soon as they sign their bid card and start the new member period. The only thing NMs can not wear is our badge and our crest, they are allowed to wear these once initiated. All this is stated in our NM manuals

[Adelphean1851]

I think the problem is that some of these "letter wearing" policys have changed relatively recently. Adpi's offical policy is alphas can wear anything but the Crest, but, at least when I was a Delta, my chapter still had "old school girls" who remembed the "good ol' days" (hazing) and they really resented the changes so the things they could get away with stayed the same. There was still the old sentiment of having to "earn" your letters (or in the absence of earning wait a really long time). I personally waited till initation but I diddn't mind I couldn't really afford to buy letters at the time so my diamond sister presenting them to me was great! I think you'll find less varience as fewer sisters who remember hazing are still active in chapters its the " the new girls have everything handed to them" atttiude that makes them cling to older policys.

[shadokat]

Delta Phi Epsilon allows new members to wear letters, words, etc. on the day they sign their bid cards. The only item they may not wear is the crest and sister badge.

[33girl]

We could wear anything but the crest. We didn't make any differentiation between stitched letters, screenprints, whatever. But your big bought you a crest sweatshirt for initiation. I think this practice went by the wayside when the Greek store stopped having crest iron-ons and the only crests available were the super expensive ones you got through ASA national. My guess is that's when all the stitched/iron-on stuff came into play.

Even if your national policy is that the women can wear anything before initiation, I think it's important to not force them to just to show you're not hazing, because that's hazing too. (confusing sentence) That is, if none of the other sororities on campus let their members wear letters for whatever reason and you're the only ones who do, the pledges might not want to feel "set apart" from the rest of the campus. It's their choice whether they WANT to wear letters - if they decide they don't want to (without hearing "we all chose to wait" or something similar) that should be honored.

And no, if the other chapters beat their pledges to a bloody pulp every night I don't think you should too.

[sueali]

There has already been a lengthy thread on this topic.

http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...threadid=37442

[sairose]

Originally posted by OohTeenyWahine
While I see the benefits of waiting till after Initiation to wear letters and being allowed to wear letters prior to that, I have a problem with chapters not keeping things uniform and adhering to NM policy set forth by IHQ.

In my "pledge manual" (since it was called that then), it said that we were "encouraged to show your pride in your chosen Fraternity by displaying the name of Alpha Gamma Delta. Pledges may wear our Greek letters on clothing and jewelry."

I think it's wrong for a chapter's rules to supercede the rules IHQ enforces.

Thoughts?

Yes, I agree! For instance, SAI's national policy is no letters or spelled out or ANYTHING until Initiation. Our fraternity, as a whole, feels that since our members-in-training do not yet know the meaning of our letters, they should not wear them yet. Therefore, if there were chapters out there (though I haven't heard of any who do) that DO let their MITs wear letters, well, that would be going against what nationals said. And the purpose of national policies is not only to stop hazing but to create uniformity.

I understand that each GLO has their own policy about wearing letters, and that is fine. However, whatever each group says as a whole...I think ALL chapters should adhere to that.

[mommag2]

Ok I've already posted on this thread and after reading all of the posts I have a question?

NM's are allowed to wear letters but not the crest or badge, because the don't know the meaning behind the crest or the badge, correct?

So my next question is are NM's told the meaning behind XYZ's letters when they sign their bid or is that information withheld until after initation?

And if that information is withheld until initiation, how can they wear their letters with pride not knowing the special meaning behind them?

So what's the difference?

Why not let them wear both as soon as they sign their bid?

In my sorority, as I have stated before, we cannot wear letters until after activation(initiation) because we DO NOT KNOW the meaning behind the letters or our CREST and for us that is a NATIONAL RULE that ALL chapters have to follow and as far as I know ALL CHAPTERS of GAO FOLLOW that rule.

I know that for me waiting until activation to be able to wear my letters made it much more special, because then I knew the meaning behind my letters and I wear them with the utmost respect and pride.

[Pike1483]

My chapter lets guys wear our greek letters and get liscence plates and all that as soon as you're a pledge. We do have a rule against wearing the shield until your a member, though. I'm not sure what our national policy is on the situation.
I know I really enjoyed wearing letters when I was a pledge. It was my first semester at school as a Freshmen, and wearing letters got me noticed, and it was just cool to be a Pike, and the letters were just a reminder. Our chapter's theory is that wearing letters is great publicity for the fraternity, and we're all proud of our fraternity, members and pledges, so we wanted people to know that.
Like most people have said, it's pretty much whatever your GLO's policy is. I think it's cool that some people wait 'till initiation, because it has a special meaning to them, but I like the way my chapter did it.

What about Non-Members wearing letters? I'm talking about Non-Members and Non-Pledges. Does your GLO have specific rules about this? I'm not sure what our national policy is (I'll have to look it up). I know at my chapter, Girls wear our letters all the time on different T-shirts and Pike-Girl shirts and stuff. We also let legacies wear letters, but that's really up to their father or brother getting them a t-shirt or something. My sister used to get me Pike T-Shirts when I was still in High School. I'm a legacy Pike, and my sis was dating a Pike, so I had some connections in getting T-Shirts.

[thermobryan]

You let pledges wear letters?!!?! OMG!!! Hell NO! You can't even write the letters PiKA until you're an active, I mean write them on a piece of paper. For my chapter, the only people that can wear our letters are:

1. Actives
2. Dreamgirls
3. Girls that have been pinned(girls that bros have married or engaged to and have given the girl their pins)
4. Mothers or female relatives of actives

Anyone else wearing our letters has an open invitation for an ass beating!
i.e. If a bro is kicked out of our chapter and he still wears our letters we can beat his ass.

[sairose]

Originally posted by thermobryan
You let pledges wear letters?!!?! OMG!!! Hell NO! You can't even write the letters PiKA until you're an active, I mean write them on a piece of paper. For my chapter, the only people that can wear our letters are:

1. Actives
2. Dreamgirls
3. Girls that have been pinned(girls that bros have married or engaged to and have given the girl their pins)
4. Mothers or female relatives of actives

Anyone else wearing our letters has an open invitation for an ass beating!
i.e. If a bro is kicked out of our chapter and he still wears our letters we can beat his ass.

Hmmm, guess I'd get an ass beating in your chapter, then. LOL Cause I have at least 2 or 3 Pike shirts.

Seriously, though, many chapters vary (in all GLOs) their policy on that, and I guess if it doesn't go against a national policy it should be OK.

[sairose]

Originally posted by Pike1483
What about Non-Members wearing letters? I'm talking about Non-Members and Non-Pledges. Does your GLO have specific rules about this? I'm not sure what our national policy is (I'll have to look it up). I know at my chapter, Girls wear our letters all the time on different T-shirts and Pike-Girl shirts and stuff. We also let legacies wear letters, but that's really up to their father or brother getting them a t-shirt or something. My sister used to get me Pike T-Shirts when I was still in High School. I'm a legacy Pike, and my sis was dating a Pike, so I had some connections in getting T-Shirts.

NO ONE but initiated sisters of SAI can wear our letters. Not even Members-in-Training. We aren't allowed to have lil bros/sweethearts/etc so that rules that out.

I think music Greeks tend to be more strict about this policy. I know Phi Mu Alpha here, NO ONE but the initiated brothers can wear the letters; not even sweethearts. A few girls got dropped by their PMA boyfriends and there was even a stir about that, although I think it's OK. I also know TBS won't allow pledges/non-members to wear letters.

[PsiU_EN]

Our Pledges cannot use or wear the letters.
There are exeptions, if they r using a brothers car........come to think of it thats the only exeption i know of.

[thermobryan]

Originally posted by sairose
Hmmm, guess I'd get an ass beating in your chapter, then. LOL Cause I have at least 2 or 3 Pike shirts.

Seriously, though, many chapters vary (in all GLOs) their policy on that, and I guess if it doesn't go against a national policy it should be OK.

Nah, but we don't make shirts with our letters on it. I know that chapters vary, but NO pledge is wearing letters!

We wouldn't beat your ass btw....