Fraternity and Sorority Arms, Seals, Flags and other Insignia

[Psi U MC Vito]

I actually have a question MC. The most recent edition of Themes for Brotherhood listed white as one of the colors. Was that ever official?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I actually have a question MC. The most recent edition of Themes for Brotherhood listed white as one of the colors. Was that ever official?

No, it was not. That's an error that creeped in an edition or two ago -- perhaps due to the white pearls on the badge. I understand that it will be corrected in the next addition of Themes.

The original official colors were red and black, adopted in 1898. Gold was added in 1910. As I alluded to in my last post, the 1910 Convention was a busy one in terms of symbols -- it standardized the badge, adopted the arms, adopted what remain the official colors, adopted the design of the shingle and adopted the flag.

[catface123]

@MysticCat From Sinfonian to Sinfonian just caught on your posts that you frequently use the term harp. I know it looks like one but in all of our text it is referred to as a lyre and should be referenced as one. Just giving some accuracy to your posts

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by catface123

@MysticCat From Sinfonian to Sinfonian just caught on your posts that you frequently use the term harp. I know it looks like one but in all of our text it is referred to as a lyre and should be referenced as one. Just giving some accuracy to your posts

Not in all of our texts. I think if you look around you'll find numerous sources that refer to it as a harp. That is what those who designed the coat of arms called it, that is what recent educational materials call it, and if you look at the article on the restored coat of arms in the December 2011 Sinfonian, you'll see that it is referred to there as a harp. And the reality is, it is shaped like a harp, not a lyre.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Fraternityguru

Yeah, I agree it always looked like a harp to me as well, but why did they call our HQ LyreCrest if they call it a harp in written material?

Per the Centennial History (p. 6.3):

The naming of the national headquarters in Evansville resulted from a brainstorming session between [then Executive Director Alan] Adams and assocate secretary Gerald Bordner, Alpha Sigma, soon after the move was completed. The location of the estate at the crest of a hill reinforced the symbolism of Sinfonia's crest, and a search for a defining term to incorporate music in the name led naturally from "lyric" to "lyre," symbolizing both music and Sinfonia. The Exective Committee was not in official session at the time, but the members of the Committee were so pleased that they reached a virtually instantaneous consensus, and so the estate was christened "Lyrecrest."

When the coat of arms was designed, the crest was considered a harp. Over time that harp has become associated with the lyre.

[mandyk01]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

It also makes me go back and forth on the bird being an eagle or other raptor and being a peacock.

It is a lyre bird, which is similar to a peacock but the feathers are more sparse.

The three stars relate to the three strings of the lyre in ritual so I see the lyre when I look at the COA.

[mandyk01]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

In Britain, for example, they are inherited as personal property, and only one person has the right to them at a time.

True, Prince William got his when he turned 18.


and Katherine Middleton got her Coats of Arms when she married William.


Article about Kate COA: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/goss...e-william.html

[pshsx1]

Always an amazing thread to bump

[MysticCat]

I love it when I have a reason to bump this thread.

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I wasn't sure of the wiki, so I went off my own research/memory. I found it interesting she was working with George Banta and allegedly did "crests for hire" via BPA for new and emerging organizations.

To my surprise, I have recently read (on the Wiki) that one of the newer fraternities for whom George Banta and Emily Butterfield did the coat of arms was Sinfonia. (Banta also published The Sinfonian in its early years, and was a 1917 honorary initiate of Alpha Chapter.) I haven't seen it anywhere but the Wiki, but knowing how the brother who maintains our Wiki pages operates and how careful he is on accuracy, I can't imagine he would have put it there without evidence.

I knew that a committee had been responsible for the design and had solicited ideas for what should be included, and that at the 1910 convention the design was adopted "in its essentials," but was later put into its final form by the committee. If what's on the Wiki is right, the committee enlisted Banta and Butterfiled to design the final form.

I'm finding this very cool, and it makes me even more glad that the decision was made to revert to the original form of the design. (I wonder if uncovering information that led to going back to the original design is also what led to information regarding Banta and Butterfield's involvement.)

Just as a reminder:

[Griffins&Quills]

I know this is kind of an old thread, but I was reading through it... to me, the rampant lions look extremely similar to our griffins.