Wearing letters

[sairose]

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

That's cool. I can understand that, because our pledges aren't allowed to wear letters either.

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

LOL that's good to hear. (I know you wouldn't, I was just teasing in my previous post)

[Pasta162]

I stole this post from the TKE Forum

Originally posted by ncstatetke
a popular thing that we implemented 3 pledge classes ago was the "earn your letters" program. each pledge buys a T-shirt (of the same color) on the night of covanent. then along the pledge process, the Hegemon awards the pledges, in order, the "T" the "K" and the "E." Then soon after they are initiated, they take the shirt and the letters to a seamstress and then they have a unique letter shirt for their pledge class. you determine what it takes to earn each letter. we do it based on a point system -- play intramurals, become involved in at least one on-campus club/organization outside Greek Life, participate in all service/philanthropic events, bring over at least one guy who receives a bid, etc.

this is something that is VERY popular with the brothers and when the pledges are awarded their letters during the chapter meeting, they feel very important. Then when they wear those letters after initiation, they feel like they really earned them.

Since they are associated with TKE pledges are encouraged to wear letters, put them on thier car and permote TKE in a positive way.

They are not allowed to wear the Badge or The Coat of Arms.

We do have set days were the pledeges wear thier Pledge pin, bid day shirt and pledge class shirt (shirt they design and have made) and I was thinking about trying the earn your sewn on letters at our chapter.

[piphiarrow234]

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[dakareng]

Actually, while some chapters may not allow new members to wear letters, that is an old tradition that we are trying to eliminate. Pi Beta Phi does allow new members to wear the Greek letters, spelled out letters and crest. The only thing that a new member may not wear is the arrow badge. The concept of "earning" letters unfortunately can lead to more serious hazing because it encourages the separation of new members from members.

[kandy36]

with us, we werent allowed to wear letters until we were lettered..thats how it is with every glo on my campus..lettering is a huge deal and it feels so good to go to class the next day after being lettered sporting the hot jersey

[33girl]

Originally posted by 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?

Well, this is my personal view: my sorority has an open motto that corresponds to our letters (Aspire, Seek, Attain). So I don't have a problem with pledges wearing letters. There ARE things on the crest and the badge that you don't "get" until initiation, which is why those have to wait.

I can understand, though, why people whose letters don't correspond to anything that is open or viewable until initiaition would say "you should wait till you know what the letters mean to wear them." I'm not in those shoes though, so I don't feel I should question whatever their decision on that may be.

[thermobryan]

On the Pi Kappa Alpha pledge pin you are given the PI, as on the pledge pin there is only a PI. As an active you are given the PI, KAPPA and ALPHA. If you want to have a letters with a fat PI on them then a pledge is allowed, but plain and simple pledges shoudn't be able to wear letters. Letters are something that you do earn and you make a life long commitment to your GLO therefore you represent the organization, as a pledge you can DP at anytime...There should be a certain amount of pride and earning involved in getting your letters and wearing them....

[BabyP]

No letters until they are intitiated but we do require shirts in our colors (but in any design and they can buy it anywhere) with our name spelled out........ the girls like that choice that they can choose between a long sleeve or tank top or whatever....
but the point is, why dont we let them wear letters.......cuz if they DROP one its embarrasing to us and to them (since people will be like how come you are not with ABC anymore) and two its expensive.......I pity the people who bought letters then dropped lol...............and the people would know who are official members and who represent the sorority. If everyone is wearing letters, it makes it confusing for other people.......also it make it special when we give them letters on initiation!!

[AXOKatie]

we were told a couple years ago that new members could wear letters, but my NM class was discouraged from wearing letters until initiation just out of practice...i do agree that it's something to look forward to as a NM and i think that members could preserve this tradition without going against their nationals by doing what my chapter does and just avoid giving letters as presents until after initiation. because letters are so expensive, a lot of sisters don't buy them for themselves and instead get them through their big-bigs when they graduate or as xmas/birthday presents...i didn't get my disk until initiation but i got lots of other cool alpha chi stuff beforehand, so it's not like i felt like i wasn't representing my chapter merchandise-wise.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally posted by sairose

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.

Our Sinfonians give their letters out at will (espeically to Mu Phi Epsilon, our music co-ed fraternity)....BUT their pledges can't wear letters (???)

It's only lavaliers that they worry about (if a guy wants to lavalier his GF, it's voted on by the chapter whether he can or not)....but that's a totally different thread...

[KSUViolet06]

We were encouraged to wear letters from day one. On our campus ALL the sororities give out stitched letters on bid day. They want the whole campus to know who their wonderful NM's are on campus. It gives you a sense of pride and it's great PR.

Alot of people say you didn't "earn" them. I earned the right to wear them when I was chosen to represent Sigma as a NM. Through completing NM requirements, you earn the right to wear the badge and crest, which are far more sacred.

[AXOKatie]

the badge is sacred, i agree, but i don't have a stitch of clothing with the crest on it and i haven't seen any chapters on my campus with their crests either...maybe it's just a campus by campus thing

[IowaStatePhiPsi]

Somewhere I heard/read that Phi Kappa Psi colonies are not supposed to wear letters until they receive their charter but can have the name spelled out on shirts- but we've been encouraged by alumni and headquarters to go ahead with shirts that have the letters on them.

As soon as the girls sign a bid card...they can wear letters...

Even as a colony, we were allowed to wear letters.

[bekibug]

We were allowed to wear our letters (tees, lavalieres, etc.) as soon as we were presented with our Bid Day tees. We weren't allowed to wear anything with our Crest or wear a Quill until we were initiated, though.