I remember the first time I saw someone wearing their sorority badge. It was during my own recruitment process as a potential new member (PNM), and I was delightfully confused. The badge was beautiful. It was shaped like a triangle and shining on the dress of the member I was talking to at Alpha Gamma Delta. It was adorned with pearls and had a little chain with a squiggly Greek letter that looked a bit like a wishbone (I later learned was an “upsilon”).
As someone who didn’t have the first clue about sorority life, I was intrigued. The more I talked to her, the more she told me about her organization, why she joined and why she stayed. I remember her gold pin shining on her black dress and asking what it meant. She told me it was a symbol of her sorority membership and that you receive your badge after you are initiated. I wanted to know what all the pieces of her badge stood for and why it meant so much to her. She told me I could learn all the details about the badge meaning and symbolism if I decided to join a chapter because the true meanings are only known to initiated members.
Even with my extremely limited sorority knowledge, I was hooked immediately. I’m a sucker for symbolism and I loved the idea of an outward symbol that only members know the true meaning of. I couldn’t wait to learn more.
After the wild ride of recruitment, I found myself joining Alpha Gamma Delta and looking forward to learning about our badge and its history. A new member education process and an initiation ceremony later, I never thought I would feel so connected to an organization because of the symbolism tied into a tiny piece of jewelry.
What does my badge mean to me?
Wearing my sorority badge is a real privilege for me. It is a reminder of all the women who came before me and what they worked to build. One of the most special parts of sorority life for me is the idea of legacy and togetherness. I love the idea that women who came before me, women who I’ve had a chance to get to spend time with in college and the women who came after us, all have this tremendous impact on our organization. Even though the way we do things might change, the reason we were brought together, the pillars of our organization and the meaning behind our badge remains the same.
As an alumnae member, I love breaking out my badge every chance I get! It’s now affixed to a necklace (hooray for no more tiny holes in my clothing!). Seeing the badge helps remind me of my own initiation ceremony, of the reasons I joined my organization and more importantly, the reasons I still try to find ways to serve today. This fall will be my 10-year anniversary as a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and my badge is a constant reminder of all those fun memories and the many more memories to come. I’ll continue to wear my badge with pride as a symbol of my commitment to my organization and the sorority experience. I hope you do, too!
