Rescuing Badges

[33girl]

Originally posted by angelove
Are you really going to be insulted if an alum buys a badge for your chapter and tell her that she should come to the house during rush and serve icewater instead? Why not recognize that everyone has different levels of involvement and respect what they do for the GLO, whether rescuing badges or advising a chapter? I'm just not sure why everyone is attacking her for this statement.

No, that would be great. But Mel's point was that there are very few alums who didn't do anything with their sorority for years and then said "OMG I am going to rescue badges and now I see the whole point of alumnae involvement."

There are people who love helping at rush parties and find charity work a pain. There are people who find charity work fulfilling and never donate a cent. They are ALL levels of alum involvement. You're basically agreeing with exactly what I said.

[PsychTau]

Originally posted by Adelie
I think a lot of people simply do not want to see non-members who have no affiliation with the organization owning something that is such a treasured symbol of their organization. It’s sort of like seeing someone from another country disrespecting an American flag-- I think it is similar in emotional resentment.

I think there is a difference between owning and disrespecting. Someone from another country can own 10,000 American Flags....maybe they think they're pretty. Hell, if they burned all 10,000 of them I would probably just look at them and say "Well, that was a waste of money wasn't it?" But this is just my opinion.

To me, a symbol is just an object that represents something special. Sure...I love my badge, and I would cry if I lost it. But I know that I could purchase another one and never lose that meaning. And if someone else wants to purchase an AST badge because they think it's lovely and wants to display it, well....I'm not going to freak out about it unless it's a VIP Badge (which I don't think we have any being sold recently that's identifiable). Even then, it may not rank real high on my radar...just depends on my station in life I guess. I have purchased badges off of Ebay...one was loaned to a sister and never returned to me, the other I paid for and it never got shipped (the b*&$tards!). And I bought one at a flea market for $5....that one I wear.

As someone else said "Different strokes for different folks".

PsychTau

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by 33girl
No, that would be great. But Mel's point was that there are very few alums who didn't do anything with their sorority for years and then said "OMG I am going to rescue badges and now I see the whole point of alumnae involvement."

My problem was with the comment that it gives some alums "purpose in life" Again, I say WTF????? Makes us sound like old women who have been sitting around doing nothing who finally found their purpose in life. The point of badge rescue groups is NOT to rescue badges (no, it really isn't). The point is to educate your members so the badges are not out there to rescue in the first place. That is the only way you will be truly successful.

Prior to being the chair of our group, I was the President of my AC (and still am)and I have been an advisor, treasurer of our HCB, and am currently Presidnet of our Panhel, and an international officer. And when I'm not doing that, I volunteer with a domestic violence org. I hardly think I need to find a purpose in my life............

And yes, women who have never paid dues WILL shell out money for a high priced badge. When it is from THEIR collegiate chapter.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by valkyrie
I personally don't see the point of making a big deal of "rescuing" badges. It seems counterproductive...

I have to agree with you. I would prefer to see a GLO use its money towards things that will truly impact the community or its members in a positive way.

I think in 99.99% of the cases, the pins that we're seeing up on E-Bay are from deceased members, and what is happening is that the surviving family members are not aware that the proper disposal of the badge is to return the pin to the GLO's headquarters.

I also have to say, that for the family members who are left behind, they are likely quite bereaved and want to settle matters as soon as possible, so repatriating a pin back to a GLO's headquarters might seem like more hassle than its worth. If they find a "pretty" pin, they might just go, "hmmm...maybe some antique dealer might take an interest in this?" Also a lot of people are clueless about the Greek alphabet and maybe don't even know that Grandma or Grandpa were in a GLO and if they did, they might not know what GLO it is...Grandma or Grandpa might not have mentioned it (particularly if they were not active alumni in the post-college years).

I guess my thoughts are, no, I don't really like it to see GLO pins for sale....that being said, if a Collector is buying a pin because they think it's beautiful and to be admired...well, then I can take some consolation in that, that they are valuing the pin and appreciating its beauty.

However...if someone is buying a pin with the intention of WEARING IT and misrepresenting themselves as an initiated member of that organization, then that, of course, is wrong.

I think though, pin collectors buy them for the looking, admiring and appreciating, not for the wearing.

I don't think the flow of GLO pins onto Ebay can ever be stemmed, so why not just let it be? It seems like a big waste of money to me, and money that could be better spent elsewhere. There are more important things in life to get worried over and better avenues into which an organization's money can be channelled.

Thanks for listening (err...reading!)

[AlphaSigOU]

In my fraternity, it is customary that the badge of Alpha Sigma Phi is willed to the fraternity for their archives. Recently, in an alumni e-mail sent by National Headquarters, it was encouraged that alumni make an effort to buy any badges that appear for sale or auction on eBay or other sources (that were not willed to the Fraternity) and donate them back to the Fraternity.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by Taualumna
For Alpha Gam, badges are either buried with the deceased or sent back to IHQ.

That's standard practice across the board of GLOs.

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
[B]I think in 99.99% of the cases, the pins that we're seeing up on E-Bay are from deceased members, and what is happening is that the surviving family members are not aware that the proper disposal of the badge is to return the pin to the GLO's headquarters

Actually, we have found quite a few badges that were not from deceased members, but were lost or stolen. Those women are almost always more than overjoyed that their badge has been found. They have said our group shows the true spirit of sisterhood and, as I mentioned before, go on to actively support the Fraternity in other ways, thereby strengthening it.

Originally posted by CutiePie2000 It seems like a big waste of money to me, and money that could be better spent elsewhere. There are more important things in life to get worried over and better avenues into which an organization's money can be channelled.

As has been mentioned time and time again, not every badge is bid on and it is very rarely, if ever the Fraternity's funds that are being used to purchase badges (and other historical items). Our funding is completley 100% from our group members' own pockets. If that's the way we see fit to spend our personal money, so what? Everytime a member buys a new handbag or a new ring or a new pair of shoes, should she have instead sent her money to her Fraternity? It's the same concept, only we derive personal enjoyment from Fraternity-related items.

As SmartBlondeGPhiB mentioned, a majority of the focus of our group is to educate our members and their families on proper badge disposal after the member has passed away. That's why there are badge disposition forms printed in every issue of our magazine; that's why members of our group give presentations to their own alumnae associations and chapters on what our group does; that's why we have a website. To educate and inform our members to lessen the chances of their badges someday showing up at an estate sale or flea market or antique store or eBay. No, we will probably never completely stop them from being sold, but we can greatly decrease the amount that do.

I don't have an issue with collectors; if they can properly take care of and respect our badges then that's all I ask. Yes, I would much rather see them in the hands of members, especially our older, historical badges, but I know that's not feasible.

[CutiePie2000]

For GLOs that "reimburse" money spent on rescued badges, I think the money would be better spent elsewhere.
*THAT* is what I am saying.

Originally posted by ISUKappa
Our funding is completley 100% from our group members' own pockets. If that's the way we see fit to spend our personal money, so what?

[ISUKappa]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
For GLOs that "reimburse" money spent on rescued badges, I think the money would be better spent elsewhere.
*THAT* is what I am saying.

Very very few, if any, GLOs actually do this.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by ISUKappa
Very very few, if any, GLOs actually do this.

If there is one, I would love to know who it is.............

And yes, has ISUKappa said, the majority of badges that end up on ebay have been lost or stolen that is a fact so no, 99.99% of them are not from deceased members. If you are going to try to spout facts, be sure you know them first........

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
That's standard practice across the board of GLOs.

No, actually it's standard policy across the board. It's rarely the practice across the board.........

[Tom Earp]

mcellpe


This is no way slamming collectors!

Yes, LXA has a policy in place for Badges.. It happens, Badges are put out for bids.

Most if any INTERNATIONALS or Nationals can afford to either buy them or bid for them.

As I have stated, The Collectors that I know reveare BADGES as a thing of beauty and keep them in better shape than the original owner.

For the fire brand new Members who even have Badges, ask some of your long lost Alums if they have theirs or know where they are? Oh, try what their Initation #s are.

I know many of My Brothers who over the years have lost them!

I have sold one to a Brother in the same situation, and I have donated Badges for an Auction of My Chapter.

Some I hold special for the Memebers who owned them.

When I die, it is all going back to either My Chapter or IHQ. But, it is still within My Fraternity. That is just me!

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
No, actually it's standard policy across the board. It's rarely the practice across the board.........

Yes, I had my nomenclature mixed up.

[kappa2]

Yes, let's not rip on CutiePie here, we're all just trying our best!

I think that the reason why so many badges get stolen is because it is an easy steal. Thefts often happen in such a manner that the owners aren't aware. The most common way to steal in the last year has been to head straight for the jewelry box, grab a handful, and leave before anyone is the wiser and it could be months before anyone is missing. I had a theft where they stole several outfits (can you imagine that they tried them on first? YUK!!), but left most my clothes & shoes (was I not their size?). They stole most of the real jewelry, but left everything junky in the jewelry drawer as well as everything like our DVD players, etc.

Theives are becoming more aware of the risks and choose what to steal accordingly....

[JonoBN41]

What's the longest a badge has gone missing before being found and returned to its original owner?

Are there very many success stories regarding long-lost badges being rescued?

Jono