GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > Greek Life

Greek Life This forum is for various discussion topics regarding greek life. If you are posting a non-greek related message, please do so in one of the General Chat Topic forums.


Register Now for FREE!
Join GreekChat.com, The Fraternity & Sorority Greek Chat Network. To sign up for your FREE account INSTANTLY fill out the form below!

Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail:
 
Image Verification
Please enter the six letters or digits that appear in the image opposite.

  I agree to forum rules 

» GC Stats
Members: 325,123
Threads: 115,503
Posts: 2,196,040
Welcome to our newest member, zsamulpitt5293
» Online Users: 1,072
1 members and 1,071 guests
LaneSig
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-04-2012, 10:03 PM
ADPiEE ADPiEE is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 297
Hand signs

I'm sure this topic has been addressed but I couldn't find it. I know we've had our hand sign (the diamond) for decades and I remember Theta having one also when I was in college 20 years ago...and maybe Tridelt too. Has everyone always had one or are some of them kind of new? Seems like every group has one now and I don't remember that back in my day. Just curious
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-05-2012, 09:42 AM
MysticCat MysticCat is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: A dark and very expensive forest
Posts: 12,731
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADPiEE View Post
I'm sure this topic has been addressed but I couldn't find it. I know we've had our hand sign (the diamond) for decades and I remember Theta having one also when I was in college 20 years ago...and maybe Tridelt too. Has everyone always had one or are some of them kind of new? Seems like every group has one now and I don't remember that back in my day. Just curious
I don't remember anyone outside the Divine Nine having hand signs back in my day (30 years ago). If any NPC orgs did have them, then I have to think they weren't commonly used where I was. I had never seen any of them prior to Greek Chat.
__________________
AMONG MEN HARMONY
1898
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-05-2012, 09:48 AM
amIblue? amIblue? is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Shackled to my desk
Posts: 2,936
We didn't have them when I was in college. (20ish years ago)
__________________
Actually, amIblue? is a troublemaker. Go pick on her. --AZTheta
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-05-2012, 09:53 AM
AnchorAlumna AnchorAlumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Old South
Posts: 2,935
I was a regional officer back about 13-14 years ago. I noticed that at campuses with a big Divine 9 presence, NPC chapters were beginning to use hand signs. Those at campuses with a small Divine 9 presence, no.
So hand signs are very recent.
In that job, I did a LOT of reading - constantly - of various handbooks, and discovered that Delta Gamma has an official whistle and even an official signal with your handkerchief. I doubt that hand signs have been officially recognized, but ways to note your membership or recognize sisters go back 100+ years!
__________________

Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-05-2012, 10:11 AM
MysticCat MysticCat is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: A dark and very expensive forest
Posts: 12,731
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna View Post
In that job, I did a LOT of reading - constantly - of various handbooks, and discovered that Delta Gamma has an official whistle and even an official signal with your handkerchief. I doubt that hand signs have been officially recognized, but ways to note your membership or recognize sisters go back 100+ years!
Love the hankerchief sign! Can it be shared or is it secret?

Based on the reading I've done, whistles and calls were once very common for both sororities and fraternities. I think most if not all groups had them, and may still, even if they're not used much anymore.
__________________
AMONG MEN HARMONY
1898
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-05-2012, 10:18 AM
amIblue? amIblue? is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Shackled to my desk
Posts: 2,936
Kappa has a whistle. I couldn't whistle it, but I know there is such a thing.
__________________
Actually, amIblue? is a troublemaker. Go pick on her. --AZTheta
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-05-2012, 10:23 AM
ADPiEE ADPiEE is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 297
What is the divine nine?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-05-2012, 10:28 AM
naraht naraht is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Rockville,MD,USA
Posts: 3,502
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADPiEE View Post
What is the divine nine?
Divine nine = NPHC.
__________________
Because "undergrads, please abandon your national policies and make something up" will end well --KnightShadow
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-05-2012, 11:22 AM
AnchorAlumna AnchorAlumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Old South
Posts: 2,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticCat View Post
Love the hankerchief sign! Can it be shared or is it secret?
I doubt it or the whistle is secret - it was in a non-secret officers handbook. I don't remember the handkerchief signa exactly...it was something about how and where you held it to your face.

LOL at somebody doing that today. My mom left me several very pretty handkerchiefs, elaborately embroidered or festooned with lace, and thinner than Kleenex, with orders to use them at her funeral instead of tacky Kleenex. At the time, though, it was the last thing on my mind.
I'm sorry, Mom.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticCat View Post
Based on the reading I've done, whistles and calls were once very common for both sororities and fraternities. I think most if not all groups had them, and may still, even if they're not used much anymore.
You're correct - I remember reading that along with the explanations.
__________________


Last edited by AnchorAlumna; 09-06-2012 at 10:27 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-05-2012, 11:29 AM
WhiteDaisy128 WhiteDaisy128 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2,034
Send a message via AIM to WhiteDaisy128
Here are some of the whistles:

__________________
There are friends who pass like ships in the night, who meet for a moment, then sail out of sight, with never a backward glance of regret...Friends we meet briefly then quickly forget.
Then there are friends who sail together, through quiet waters and stormy weather. Helping each other through joy and through strife. And those are the kind who give meaning to life.
~ ⚓ΔΓ⚓ ~
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 09-05-2012, 12:19 PM
honeychile's Avatar
honeychile honeychile is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Counting my blessings!
Posts: 30,468
^I was going to say that I once posted an old page of whistles!


We did the <> when I was in school, and as far as I know, we were the only ones with a handsign.
__________________
~ *~"ADPi"~*~
Proud to be a Macon Magnolia
"He who is not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 09-05-2012, 12:47 PM
naraht naraht is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Rockville,MD,USA
Posts: 3,502
For Alpha Phi Omega, the hand sign is official, it is the same as the Boy Scout sign (right hand, thumb joined to pinky, other fingers straight.)
__________________
Because "undergrads, please abandon your national policies and make something up" will end well --KnightShadow
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 09-05-2012, 01:09 PM
MysticCat MysticCat is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: A dark and very expensive forest
Posts: 12,731
Quote:
Originally Posted by naraht View Post
For Alpha Phi Omega, the hand sign is official, it is the same as the Boy Scout sign (right hand, thumb joined to pinky, other fingers straight.)
In what context would you use that?

I think there may be various things that can be meant by "handsigns." It seems to me that handsigns can be broken down into three different kinds of signs:
  1. Handsigns made in photos or similar situations that serve simply to say "we are members of ΑΒΓ";
  2. Signs made only in a ritual context with ritual meaning; and
  3. Recognition signs used to quietly identify other members, similar to a challenge and response.
It seems to me that in this thread we've mainly been talking about the first category. Obviously we wouldn't know about the second category for any GLO but our own, and the third category would also likely be secret (if still used). I'm guessing that whistles also originally functioned like the third category of handsign. (You can see in the chart above that some whistles actually have challenges and answers.)

I wouldn't be surprised of lots of GLOs have signs of the second and third kind, though in these days when it's easier to identify members in other ways, those of the third kind may have fallen out of use. It's those of the first kind that I think have only fairly recently been appearing outside the Divine Nine, and I would guess it is a Divine Nine influence that has given rise to them elsewhere.
__________________
AMONG MEN HARMONY
1898
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 09-05-2012, 01:31 PM
ADPiEE ADPiEE is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 297
I love the whistles--i've never seen that!
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 09-05-2012, 01:33 PM
honeychile's Avatar
honeychile honeychile is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Counting my blessings!
Posts: 30,468
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADPiEE View Post
I love the whistles--i've never seen that!
It was in one of our publications - maybe Sisters? Did you note the "Alpha Delta Phi"?!
__________________
~ *~"ADPi"~*~
Proud to be a Macon Magnolia
"He who is not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hand Signs/Symbols twinkle555 Greek Life 89 08-02-2009 06:17 PM
hand signs shudphie Delta Phi Epsilon 12 06-28-2009 03:27 AM
hand signs etc... JJ SPE Deuce Sigma Phi Epsilon 7 11-16-2008 05:05 AM
hand signs? TrueBlueKappa Kappa Kappa Gamma 7 11-06-2007 08:03 PM
Hand signs? ufdale Phi Gamma Delta 0 10-19-2006 03:18 PM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:47 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.