Wearing Other Organizations Letters...

Zephyr · #1 03-04-2003, 11:08 AM

What do you all think of this...

My grandmother was a Kappa Alpha Theta and had her sorority pin set as a necklace and gave it to my one aunt, who is a Sigma Kappa but wears the necklace. I know it was her mother's--but that's a SISTERHOOD pin!

Beyond the pins...my younger sister, who is not greek, wears some of my lettered t-shirts to work out and it drives me UP THE WALL.

I know people who collect sorority/fraternity badges as charms.

I know it might seem like splitting hairs but I just don't think anyone should wear anyone elses letters! I went through a NM Program to learn the meaning and values behind my letters and what they represent is important to me! I'd never wear any letters but my own! (unless I was lavaliered or something; but that is different...)

What do you all think? Do any of you have specific protocols in your organizations?

Kristen

JerzeeBoy26 · #2 03-04-2003, 11:14 AM

In our chapter of Beta, you are only allowed to wear the letters once you have been formally inducted as a pledge (at some other chapters you cannot wear the Beta letters till you are a brother)

that said, there are lots of girls on campus walking around in our letters who we give shirts too

FuzzieAlum · #3 03-04-2003, 11:20 AM

Well, collectors, in their defense, don't wear the items, usually. That's a separate issue that's been discussed often on Greekchat.

In general, only pledged members of AXD should be wearing our letters, but there are exceptions. Event shirts could be worn by anyone who participated. Babies can wear "An AXD loves me" bib. And of course many fraternity men give their letters to their girlfriends.

If you don't like your sister wearing your letters (I sure wouldn't let mine!) then stop her! I mean, they are your clothes. It's your responsibility to keep them out of non-member hands.

And finally, a badge is very different from any other sorority gear, and your grandmother and aunt as Greeks should both know better, no matter what setting they put it in.

Zephyr · #4 03-04-2003, 11:27 AM

LOL! I do my best to keep my letters of my sister...

ZTAngel · #5 03-04-2003, 11:37 AM

When my sis was stilll in high school, I never let her wear my lettered shirts or my jersey (no way!!!!). I did let her wear my homecoming and greek week shirts. At her HS, it was the cool thing to wear your older sister's sorority t-shirts.
My boyfriend has some of our rush shirts or date function shirts. I would never let him wear letter shirts, though.

POTGIRL · #6 03-04-2003, 12:03 PM

Im really not sure about that. I am in Rho Theta Tau, a Local sorority at Kean University, and i wouldn't let anyone else wear my letters. Although, my boyfriend is in ZBT and he asked me to wear his letters . i told him no, but he wants to get me ZBT sweetheart shirts. I asked him if that was ok? and he said that it is alright if you are a girl and you wear your boyfriends letters. I don't know, i would like to represent his fraternity and wear his letters, but i didn't do anything to earn them, ya know what i mean? And i don't know how my sisters would feel if i were wearing anyone elses letters but my own! i think its really up to the organization and the person. I really wouldn't have a problem with wearing something that said "ZBT sweetheart" or "i date a ZBT bro" shirt because i'd be representing, and it wouldn't be a "real" letter shirt.

POTGIRL

FuzzieAlum · #7 03-04-2003, 12:16 PM

On the other hand, since you are a girl, no one could possible mistake you for a brother of ZBT. No one would expect you to have "earned" them. If his fraternity's rules say it's OK (and nationall ZBT is fine with it), it's OK.

adduncan · #8 03-04-2003, 01:11 PM

From what I have learned so far, the only place where it is acceptable for anyone to wear another's letters is spouses/engaged couples. I wear my husband's letters, and, on formal occasions, his badge--and as his wife, I am the only one who can.

If I am initiated, he would most likely wear a lavalier from my GLO w/ his alumni recognition pin. I then would wear his lavalier w/ my own badge.

The way I understand it is: wearing anothers' badge, letters, etc, is the equivalent of a wedding ring--with more details about the affiliations and principles of your spouse.

Conversely, there is no way in hell you will catch me wearing my SILs badges. I would catch an earful if I even suggested the idea!

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

wptw · #9 03-04-2003, 01:44 PM

This obviously varies from GLO to GLO, not just in written policy, but in chapter level usage as well.

Generally speaking though, Adrienne, fraternities tend to be a bit more lenient about this - the acceptable female wearers are not just fiancees and wives, but usually also include mothers, daughters, sisters and housemothers.

Also, Zephyr: I hear what you're saying, but [policy or no] personally I would have a hard time judging what a mother chooses to give to her daughter, or what of a deceased mother's posessions a daughter chooses to wear.

wptw

Peaches-n-Cream · #10 03-04-2003, 01:47 PM

One day my mother needed to borrow a t-shirt to wear to the gym. She went into my bedroom dresser and borrowed a purple t-shirt which had letters on the back. She didn't see the letters so when someone walked up to her in the gym and said, "Oh my God, you're in D Phi E! I'm in D Phi E!" My mother had no idea what this woman was talking about until she took off the shirt and saw the letters on the back. She told me the story, and I thought that it was funny, but she felt bad because she looked at that very young woman like she was nuts.

trisigmaAtl · #11 03-04-2003, 01:54 PM

my boyfriend is in a fraternity (which I am a sweetheart of) and I (as well as other sweethearts) are allowed to wear shirts with letters that have been screen printed on (i.e. bid day shirts, formal shirts, greek week etc.) however, only initiated members can wear shirts or hats with letters that are sewn on or embroidered into the material. and they are serious about it!!!
they also don't like it if you are wearing a shirt from an event you weren't invited to. Like some non-member friends of the guys tried to wear bid day t-shirts this year and the guys got pissed! even though i had one on, it was because i was invited to the days events (bbq and lawn party) and those guys weren't. it was also the already mentioned issue that nobody thinks I am ever trying to be a brother, but those non member guys could be mistaken for members.

about the daughter wearing the mother's pin. as a greek she probably understands the significance of her mother's pin, she might wear it because she knows it was something precious to her and she wants to remember her by it. she probably doesn't want to blaspheme the glo's or the importance of the pins. but i don't know... it's definatly a touchy subject.

valpogal99 · #12 03-04-2003, 02:08 PM

As far as wearing others letters, we could wear shirts from other groups if they were event shirts (i.e., Derby Days). However, our letters can only be worn by members (new members included) and those that we lavaliere, pin, or marry as long as we are together. On that note though, most men are not fans of wearing sorority letters. Most fraternities I know have similar rules. Once you make a commitment to the person in the form of pinning, etc, the woman can wear his letters. My actual sister was a Tri-Delt and I am an ADPi and we would not dream of wearing each other's letters. However, if she were to pass away and leave me her pin, I MIGHT wear it on special days (like her Birthday) in another form of jewelry (i.e., ring or pendant). I would not wear it as a badge for the sanctity of the organization.

UDZETA · #13 03-04-2003, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JerzeeBoy26
In our chapter of Beta, you are only allowed to wear the letters once you have been formally inducted as a pledge (at some other chapters you cannot wear the Beta letters till you are a brother)

that said, there are lots of girls on campus walking around in our letters who we give shirts too

Girls like me. I have a bunch of Beta shirts from my ex-boyfriend.

GeekyPenguin · #14 03-04-2003, 07:26 PM

Like wptw said, this really varies on the chapter level. I have a friend dating a SigEp and he gave her a set of letters, but my SigEp (different campus) told me that I couldn't wear their letters unless we were pinned/engaged. The standard that my chapter of Gamma Phi has talked about is that we will not give men our letters unless they give us theirs - I don't know what would happen if a sister wanted to give an independent letters, I'm sure we'd talk about it.

DeltaBetaBaby · #15 03-04-2003, 08:13 PM

What about pledge moms/dads? On my campus, your pledge mom/dad traditionally gives you something with their letters on it. I have given Phi Mu shorts and hats to several guys (pledge husbands or pledge sons) as gifts. I don't think it is any big deal, because obviously they are not phi mus, and it gets our letters out there.

(edited for typos)