Plegdes wearing letters???

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Well said.

Thanks, Peppy!

[PhiMuGirl07]

We are not allowed to wear letters during our new member period at all. Not on a shirt, tote, or even on our cars. We can wear Phi Mu spelled out but not the Greek letters. This is because we don't know what the mean until after initiation. This to me makes it more special when you finally get to wear letters to school. The only exception is if we have a big Philanthropy event like kids day then we can borrow letters for the day. I remember I wore mine as long as possible that day!

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by PhiMuGirl07

We are not allowed to wear letters during our new member period at all. Not on a shirt, tote, or even on our cars. We can wear Phi Mu spelled out but not the Greek letters. This is because we don't know what the mean until after initiation. This to me makes it more special when you finally get to wear letters to school. The only exception is if we have a big Philanthropy event like kids day then we can borrow letters for the day. I remember I wore mine as long as possible that day!

Pray tell - if a pledge doesn't know what the letters mean, and thus shouldn't wear them, why do you allow pledges to wear Phi Mu spelled out? They don't know what "Phi Mu" means as a pledge, right? So what is the difference?
I realize this is far snarkier than I usually am, and if I could figure out a non-snarky way to write it, I would. From a logical standpoint, I just can't see why the letters themselves are verboten, while writing it out is okay.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Pray tell - if a pledge doesn't know what the letters mean, and thus shouldn't wear them, why do you allow pledges to wear Phi Mu spelled out? They don't know what "Phi Mu" means as a pledge, right? So what is the difference?
I realize this is far snarkier than I usually am, and if I could figure out a non-snarky way to write it, I would. From a logical standpoint, I just can't see why the letters themselves are verboten, while writing it out is okay.

I'm with you all the way on this one, SWTX. I love it when a Chi Omega chapter uses this argument and I just say, "What does their pledge (read: new member) pin say?"

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I'm with you all the way on this one, SWTX. I love it when a Chi Omega chapter uses this argument and I just say, "What does their pledge (read: new member) pin say?"

LOL, nut. I had to look it up myself. BTW, I really like Chi Omega's New Member website. I've learned a lot about XO as a result of that.

I know there are several HQs that prohibit their NMs from wearing the Greek Letters and I definitely respect that. However, when you have a sorority that allows their NMs to wear the letters and an individual chapter makes up rules of their own, I can't help but question their motives for doing so. NMs think they have to earn their letters, and collegians continue that "tradition" because that's how they did it.

Personally, I'm glad that I was allowed to wear letters starting from Bid Day.

[SWTXBelle]

Here's my take on it, FWIW - a new member can wear the letters because they represent being a member of the organization. That is what the letters mean to most of the world - but to the initiated members, they mean far more. When a non-Gamma Phi sees our letters, they think "Hey! There's a member of Gamma Phi" or, "Hey!That's the Gamma Phi house."

Same with pledges/new members. They wear the letters to say "Hey! I'm a member of Gamma Phi." After initiation, they take on the additional, secret meaning.

Hey!

eta - and if a group just doesn't want their new members to wear their letters, that's fine by me. Just don't try to justify it logically with an illogical argument.

[aephi alum]

AEPhi is one of those NPC orgs that does not allow new members to wear letters. Why? Unless you're an initiated sister, you don't know the full meaning of the letters, nor have you made a full lifetime commitment to the sorority. New members can represent by wearing their ribbons, NM pins, or items that read "AEPhi" or "Alpha Epsilon Phi", but no Greek letters until initiation. So we welcome our NMs, but we also ask them to wait until initiation for the privilege of wearing the Greek letters.

Most NPC orgs don't let new members wear or own anything with the crest. AEPhi's NM pin actually is the crest, minus the Greek letters.

You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

AEPhi is one of those NPC orgs that does not allow new members to wear letters. Why? Unless you're an initiated sister, you don't know the full meaning of the letters

Sigh.

eta - I'm all for AEPhi handling their business anyway they wish - more power to them. But I still have to wonder (see below). Also, is this AEPhi HQ policy, or your chapter? I find many chapters have rules that are more strict than the inter/national GLO's policies.
Upon reflection, the fact that the crest IS the new member pin, minus the letters, is probably the strongest argument for AEPhi's policy. The letters are what distinguishes the new member pin from the initiated member's crest. So to over-logical me, that makes sense.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Pray tell - if a pledge doesn't know what the letters mean, and thus shouldn't wear them, why do you allow pledges to wear Phi Mu spelled out? They don't know what "Phi Mu" means as a pledge, right? So what is the difference?
I realize this is far snarkier than I usually am, and if I could figure out a non-snarky way to write it, I would. From a logical standpoint, I just can't see why the letters themselves are verboten, while writing it out is okay.

Still waiting on this one.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

AEPhi is one of those NPC orgs that does not allow new members to wear letters. Why? Unless you're an initiated sister, you don't know the full meaning of the letters, nor have you made a full lifetime commitment to the sorority. New members can represent by wearing their ribbons, NM pins, or items that read "AEPhi" or "Alpha Epsilon Phi", but no Greek letters until initiation. So we welcome our NMs, but we also ask them to wait until initiation for the privilege of wearing the Greek letters.

Most NPC orgs don't let new members wear or own anything with the crest. AEPhi's NM pin actually is the crest, minus the Greek letters.

You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

Questions (of course you dont have to answer, being that it could be privy to your org):

1. What happens if you have a PNM who says "screw that, im wearing letters" before initiation? Is she asked to leave the pledge class? Does she get to stay with a slap on the wrist? Is she socially looked down on? Or is it something on the books but not really enforced?

2. If new members are allowed to wear the crest, are they told what those things on the crest mean? If not, isnt that the same as wearing letters they dont know the meaning of?

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Sigh.

eta - I'm all for AEPhi handling their business anyway they wish - more power to them. But I still have to wonder (see below). Also, is this AEPhi HQ policy, or your chapter? I find many chapters have rules that are more strict than the inter/national GLO's policies.
Upon reflection, the fact that the crest IS the new member pin, minus the letters, is probably the strongest argument for AEPhi's policy. The letters are what distinguishes the new member pin from the initiated member's crest. So to over-logical me, that makes sense.

See, and it doesnt make sense to me, based on my argument above. NMs dont know what the letters mean, so they cant wear them, but the letters spelled out? youre still representing the organization. The crest has things, or perhaps a phrase, that are secret as well, but they CAN wear them? doesnt add up.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Pray tell - if a pledge doesn't know what the letters mean, and thus shouldn't wear them, why do you allow pledges to wear Phi Mu spelled out? They don't know what "Phi Mu" means as a pledge, right? So what is the difference?
I realize this is far snarkier than I usually am, and if I could figure out a non-snarky way to write it, I would. From a logical standpoint, I just can't see why the letters themselves are verboten, while writing it out is okay.

right, id like some answer to this as well. I think it leaves too much grey area. You are either a member (initiated, dues paid, NME process complete) or you are not (expressed interest, attended rush, going to rush/COB/pledge class/NME activities on the WAY to being initiated).

its like being pregnant. you either are or arent. it would be like saying "well im 8 months pregnant, and since im so close to childbirth, i can call myself a mom. but you're only 6 weeks pregnant, so you cant call yourself a mother yet."

or like getting a job. youre not an employee until you go through all those interviews, the head honcho tells you "youre hired," you get your company ID and all that jazz and hit New Employee Orientation. Imagine the look on someone's face if they were passing out business cards for a company they were in the interview process with. Theyve got no rights to represent that company.


Or... is it more like upon graduation, that middle area when you walk across the stage, yet you havent gotten your diploma? You can tell everyone you're a Univ of Whatever alum but its not official until the university sees all the requirements have been met?

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

eta - I'm all for AEPhi handling their business anyway they wish - more power to them. But I still have to wonder (see below). Also, is this AEPhi HQ policy, or your chapter? I find many chapters have rules that are more strict than the inter/national GLO's policies.
Upon reflection, the fact that the crest IS the new member pin, minus the letters, is probably the strongest argument for AEPhi's policy. The letters are what distinguishes the new member pin from the initiated member's crest. So to over-logical me, that makes sense.

It is the AEPhi HQ policy. While most NPC orgs allow new members to wear letters but not the crest, we allow new members to wear (a version of) the crest, but not letters.

Originally Posted by tld221

Questions (of course you dont have to answer, being that it could be privy to your org):

1. What happens if you have a PNM who says "screw that, im wearing letters" before initiation? Is she asked to leave the pledge class? Does she get to stay with a slap on the wrist? Is she socially looked down on? Or is it something on the books but not really enforced?

2. If new members are allowed to wear the crest, are they told what those things on the crest mean? If not, isnt that the same as wearing letters they dont know the meaning of?

A PNM wouldn't be wearing any org's letters, as she hasn't pledged anywhere yet. But a new member who is seen wearing letters would just be asked to stop doing so until after initiation.

As for the crest, there is some publicly available information, and the new members would have this information before receiving their pins. More than that, I cannot say.

[AOII Angel]

I think its your organizations prerogative to withhold your letters from you NMs, aephi alum. Of course there are reasons to withhold all types of paraphernalia from NMs. The badge is for initiated members only, but sometimes these rules are a little confusing and random. In the end, I agree that chapters should make sure to follow the actual rules of HQ and not the made- up rules of the individual chapter. AOII only withholds the badge from NMs. They can wear the letters and the rose (though, as a NM, I was not allowed to have anything with a rose on it because we thought that was the rule. It was a chapter rule!) I think most of the alums on GC get a little upset when collegians from our chapters come on GC with some far-fetched explanation why our org does something that clearly we know is not true.

[AOII_LB93]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I think its your organizations prerogative to withhold your letters from you NMs, aephi alum. Of course there are reasons to withhold all types of paraphernalia from NMs. The badge is for initiated members only, but sometimes these rules are a little confusing and random. In the end, I agree that chapters should make sure to follow the actual rules of HQ and not the made- up rules of the individual chapter. AOII only withholds the badge from NMs. They can wear the letters and the rose (though, as a NM, I was not allowed to have anything with a rose on it because we thought that was the rule. It was a chapter rule!) I think most of the alums on GC get a little upset when collegians from our chapters come on GC with some far-fetched explanation why our org does something that clearly we know is not true.

I know what you mean! I got so much grief from my "friends" from other chapters because I wore letters after Bid Day...because they weren't allowed at the time. I may not have known what they meant, but I also knew how to wear them - with pride and looking good....not all frumpy in sweats.

To each their own I guess.

[AnchorAlumna]

I'm thinking some of this confusion exists because new member periods are so short now.
With a semester-long NM period, you REALLY grind that stuff into your memory.
Now, it's just a matter of weeks.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by OTW

However, when you have a sorority that allows their NMs to wear the letters and an individual chapter makes up rules of their own, I can't help but question their motives for doing so.

I think what happens is either 1) they are carrying over the tradition from when they were a local group or 2) there was a national sorority on campus who WASN'T allowed to wear letters, and that became the campus norm.

It's kind of like frilly rush - maybe there is a chapter who thinks the "no letters before initiation" thing is silly (and their HQ says it is too), but if there are other chapters on campus who do it - especially the "top" chapters - they're not going to buck the system. I mean if a chapter, or the pledge class, says that wearing letters before initiation will make them a subject of campus ridicule, I'm not about to say they HAVE to wear letters. That's like hazing in reverse.

And like I've said a lot of times, the more that pledgeship has become about presents and self-esteem and the less about learning and working, the more arbitrary rules have been placed on things like letters. At least that's my experience.