questions about pinning?

[SigmaKappaKelly]

Originally posted by greeklawgirl


Ummm, I was (am) pinned to a Sig Ep, as were several of my sisters and friends. I can assure you that none of us ever sat in on a ritual.

I have a hunch that if such a thing is really going on, Sig Ep's headquarters wouldn't be happy to hear about it.

Maybe I could have gotten it wrong? He said something the other day about when I get pinned being let in on a ritual. I thought the same thing myself it doesn't sound right I was just going on what he was saying. But in a way it makes some sense b/c back in the 60's there was a group of women who were loveliered who were considered "sig eps" and they were allowed to be in ritual. I know this because when we were at formal the National President of Sigma Phi Epsilon was talking about it. And the wives and girlfriends who were loveliered were allowed to sit in at the formal ritual. Maybe I'm getting two things mixed up? But I'm just saying thats what I know? Maybe I'm not getting the full story?

[greeklawgirl]

I'm really not sure. There *is* a ceremony for the pinning itself, I've been to a few of those and participated in one myself...but I have never sat in on an initiation or anything remotely related to it. Neither have any of my friends, and we represent 4 different Sig Ep chapters on 4 different campuses.

I just asked my husband about this for further clarification, and he said he has never heard of anything like that. (Actually he had a few more choice words than that, I'll spare the details. )

Could you get some clarification from your boyfriend and let us know what he says? You've piqued my interest, and now I really want to know what he is referring to!!! Thanks!

[AlphaGam1019]

This is the exact reason why many of the big fraternities got rid of their little sister programs. Their "little sisters" wanted to become full brothers and that defeated the purpose of having a ALL MALE fraternity.

[HBADPi]

I think everyone has to understand that there is no right or wrong answer here nor is this something approved by your nationals. It varies from school to school therefore lavalierings and pinnings are held at different levels.

My school, lavalierings are something personal between the couple. It's not really something public but it basically lets the girl wear her boyfriends letters. I havent heard of a sorority girl at my school lavaliering her boyfriend but from the sound of it other schools have it.

Pinnings on the other hand are a big deal. Since we dont have sorority houses we have suites in the top floor of our female dormitory. This dormitory has a balcony on it so when a girl gets pinned she stands on the balcony with her chapter and the fratnerity walks down the walkway towards the dorm usually with torches or such. They then serenade her which is then followed by the boyfriend climbs up the side of the wall to the balcony and gives his girlfriend his fraternity pin. But this is really just a "greek engagement" it doesnt mean that you get to sit in on their ritual or learn their secrets. If that was true I think we would all know a lot more about other GLO especially if the relationship ended.

[AlphaGam1019]

Originally posted by HBADPi
I think everyone has to understand that there is no right or wrong answer here nor is this something approved by your nationals. It varies from school to school therefore lavalierings and pinnings are held at different levels.

I think it is wrong to share ritual and fraternal secrets with non-members. I doubt any nationals would approve of this practice.

[HBADPi]

Originally posted by AlphaGam1019


I think it is wrong to share ritual and fraternal secrets with non-members. I doubt any nationals would approve of this practice.

AlphaGam, I agree. That's why there is no sharing of ritual or secrets.

[KappaKittyCat]

At my school when a guy pins his girlfriend, he gives her his pledge pin. That way he's not parting with his badge, but she is wearing something that means a lot to the fraternity.

Lucky frat guys get to keep their pledge pins... I was devestated when I learned that Kappa pledges don't get to keep theirs.

As far as shirts go, BQP had rush shirts last year that say "GO BETA" in huge letters on the back. Those are now the most popular shirts on campus. Just about every Beta girlfriend has one of those. Most of them also have "Beta Lifeguard" shirts from their fall Beach Bash party. Those say "Certified in Mouth to Mouth." Tee-hee.

[prophet]

First off let me say, "HooRah!" to Demon Knight. Phi Tau 4 shize..Demon Knight was on point!
-Heath
FKT

[prophet]

First off let me say, "HooRah!" to Demon Knight. Phi Tau 4 shize..Demon Knight was on point!
-Heath
FKT
www.bspotonline.com/phitau

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

On my campus, if a Delta Chi lavelieres a girl and they subsequently break up, he's responsible for not only getting the letters back, but swallowing the laveliere.

[OUlioness01]

Originally posted by Dejajeva
I think Lavaliering is the sweetest thing ever. I can't wait until one of our girls is Lavaliered, but I'm sure it's difficult, seeing as how none of them, except three of us, are dating fraternity guys.

At our school we have what we call being pearled, which is the equivalent to lavaliering except that a GDI would pearl, while someone in a fraternity would lavalier you.

[AchtungBaby80]

How does pearling work? I'm curious, 'cause I've only heard of lavaliering!

[Rio_Kohitsuji]

No one lavaliers here of what I noticed. It's mostly just when you're pinned you get his pin and you wear his letters (but never the crest!!!). But this is only done if their is an engagement in the not-so-distant future. All glo's are different but this is how it's done in TKE. Plus some chapters may have bylaws about the process. Here it is only the member can buy TKE apparel for the girlfriend, not herself, or she can wear what he already owns but she can never keep his chapter shirt. Also, we get serenaded and the pinner gets to be dumped in the lake behind campus, lol

[sassykd]

It is really interested to hear what happens on other campuses.

What amazes me the most at some schools is the number of females wearing fraternity letters. Where I went to school, being "lettered" was the first step. This was ususally done at some public function and the guy would present his girlfriend with a fraternity shirt. Only lettered women were allowed to wear the fraternity's letters (expect for shirts from combined functions, like KD/PiKapp crush party). For this show of effection, the guy would be dumped into the Fountain by his brothers.

Next came lavellering, pinning, and then engagement. Pinning was very rare and it was assumed that it was only a matter of time (and $$$) before the engagement happened.

For each of these events, the sister would get a candlelighting ceremony. Only the chapter president and her big sis or little sis knew (big/little was responsible for making the candle to be passed).

The "punishment" for the brother got progressively worse with each stage, and he usually ended up tied to the lamp post, pelted with food, and then thrown in the fountain (Sometimes along with his girlfriend if she wasn't quick enough )

[OUlioness01]

Pearling is basically the same as lavaliering, except that the guy is a GDI. it's a great alternative if you want to have the candlepass for yourself but aren't dating a fraternity man. Our greek shop sells pearls that can hook onto lavaliers. It's usually when a GDi is really serious about his greek girlfriend (just like the lavaliering). One of my sisters was pearled at our spring formal. Her boyfriend had been told about pearling from her best friend. he knew about lavaliering (he is a theta chi alum) but he was so many years out that he felt it was innapropriate. he went to the greek store and bought a pearl and we had the candle pass at formal. it was so sweet. all our dates took pictures for us. All of the sororites on our campus take out newspaper ads to congratulate sisters who have been pearled, lavaliered, etc., and I've seen momre ads for pearlings than for lavaliers.