Pinning

[speholdsmyheart]

I'm a girlfriend of a SigEp Alumni Texas Upsilon Chapter.
For Christmas he gave me his Founding Father Pin
I don't think that I understand the pinning process completely or what it means to him. I'm not in a sorority and so it's significance is lost on me.

PLEASE someone explain!

From looking on the internet and researching the concept of 'pinning and lavaliering', I understand that it is a sort of pre-engagement. However this is a general explaination, but I want to know what it means for him as a member of Sig Ep.

[SigEpBrother2K8]

First, congrats on being a SigEp Sweetheart!!

Now, pinning is different at every chapter.

Some chapters pin new girls every year and those girls act as kind of "house moms," e.g. they take care of the guys and the guys are fiercely protective of her. She hangs around the house a lot and is generally a "frat favorite."

At my chapter pinning a girl is much more formal. As you mentioned, it's considered a sort of pre-engagement ceremony (meaning you DON'T do it unless you have been together for a long time and are almost certain you will be marrying her). The ceremony makes the pinned girl an honorary brother of SigEp. She is allowed to wear our letters among other benefits around the fraternity. She is considered a brother by all at my chapter, and we protect her and treat her as such.

Sometimes pinning a girl doesn't mean too much, and sometimes it does. All chapters of SigEp vary. Ask him about it, I haven't met a brother yet who isn't more than willing to discuss SigEp or anything that has to do with the fraternity.

Again, congrats!

Brother Nate Janning