Wearing letters

[AlphaFrog]

Originally posted by 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.

Not to be picky, but I really want to know...you weren't allowed to wear your badge quill or ANY quill?

[KappaKittyCat]

My bet would be that they weren't allowed to wear a badge Quill... hence the capital Q. That's how I differentiate between my house key and my badge Key. Not that it really matters.

AFAIK, the only thing our NMs are not allowed to wear is a Key, our badge. They could wear a t-shirt with a key on it or something, though. We encourage them to wear their NM pins as a symbol of the promise they've made, and to wear all sorts of other 'nalia for advertising and pride. I've never heard anything about our crest being reserved for initiated members. Come to think of it, I've only ever seen one sweatshirt with our crest on it. So that's kind of a moot point. If any other Kappas know, please weigh in.

And I'm with OTW that it's very important to follow your HQ's policy, whatever it is. I get nervous when I hear about chapters that don't follow policy on little things like this; it makes me wonder what else they're doing that isn't HQ-approved.

[kateshort]

With ADPi, until a member is fully initiated she may not have items with the crest. I'm not just talking wearing it, I mean No bumper stickers with it, No keychains, No cups, nothing.

It's not usually a problem making sure new members don't wear their badges until after full initiation, because the darned things never seem to arrive on time anyway! :P (I think that's pretty universal for greeks, not just an ADPi thing, though)

[LuvUTrulyKKG]

Originally posted by KappaKittyCat
I've never heard anything about our crest being reserved for initiated members. Come to think of it, I've only ever seen one sweatshirt with our crest on it. So that's kind of a moot point. If any other Kappas know, please weigh in.

I have never seen much stuff with our crest on it... maybe an embroidered polo shirt, but never anything else. In my new member education, I never was told not to wear the crest... and I just re-read my Kappa Notebook, and it does not say anything about the crest or letters. Of course, all of the items on the crest /coat-of-arms would not be fully understood until after initiation.

Keys are only worn by initiated members and pledge pins only by those who haven't been initiated but pledged to the fraternity.

In my chapter, we got our lettered jerseys after initiation and like kateshort said, our badges usually don't arrive until well after initiation!

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by kateshort
With ADPi, until a member is fully initiated she may not have items with the crest. I'm not just talking wearing it, I mean No bumper stickers with it, No keychains, No cups, nothing.

Yep, it was a big deal for us. After I was initiated, the first thing I got had our crest on it (and I still have it).

[bekibug]

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
Not to be picky, but I really want to know...you weren't allowed to wear your badge quill or ANY quill?

We weren't allowed to wear a badge. I suppose if we'd had say, a quill printed on our Bid Day shirts, we'd have been allowed to wear it. It's a national rule that new members are not allowed to wear a badge or a crest since they're signs of full-fledged sisterhood, according to our new member info books.

[Sister Havana]

Originally posted by 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.

That must be a fairly recent change. When I was at IU in the early-mid 90s, pledges wore shirts that said PI PHI on them and you never saw them with actual letters til initiation.

[ASTLuv21]

NM's can wear letters but cannot wear the Crest until initiated. I am not sure if they can't have it in their possession either. I know my little had the crest in her possession before she got initiated bc eventually it turned out to be one of my birthday gifts. It was actually the first thing I have ever received with the crest on it.

[cntryZTA5]

When I was a new member, we were allowed to wear letters etc. I received a shirt with block letters on bid day. We were not allowed to wear our badge or our crest until after initiation. This was (and I believe still is) the policy according to our International Office.

[TSteven]

When a man chooses to accept his bid from Sigma Chi Fraternity, from that point on he is considered a Sigma Chi pledge and may wear shirts, etc., with the words "SIGMA CHI" or "SIGS" but not the Greek letters Sigma Chi (a national regulation). He may wear Greek letters after initiation.

ETA: Only members may wear the badge or display the crest.

Pledges may also wear shirts, etc. with an unadorned white cross on a blue shield as found on the Fraternity's crest and similar to the Fraternity's pledge pin.