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Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity | ||||||||||||||||
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Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity | ||||||||||||||||
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Our House Built in the 70s by our own brothers, our main house located at 244 California Blvd. boasts 18 rooms and 6 suites. The chapter room (where chapter meetings are held) along with the dining room and kitchen are located on the first floor. You will also find our Active's room in the back of the house. This room allows for our brothers to relax and kickback. The volleyball court along with our hot tub deck are strategically located in the middle of all the suites. Our house has gotten numerous recognitions from the local newspaper as one of the best places to live near campus. With direct oversight of our Alumni, our house is always kept in the best possible shape. Since we own our own house, the rent collected is directly deposited into a bank account managed by our alumni. This money is used for repair and improvement of the property. During the summer of 2007, our alumni took over the lease for the apartment complex located at 1236 Monte Vista Place. Less than a 5 minute walk from campus, this property features 19 suites and over 30 rooms. At the complex, our brothers benefit from a basketball court as well as a courtyard in the center of all apartments for social gatherings. All appartments boast separate kitchens and newly renovated living rooms and appartments. Overall, Delta Sigma Phi can house over 55 brothers within a one block radius very close to campus. Having so many brothers in such close proximity builds comradery and allows for a productive environment for academics and leadership. Symbols & Insignia
The Badge 
The piece of jewelry that most people refer to as the "fraternity pin," is actually the badge of Delta Sigma Phi. The first Fraternity badge was depicted in an engraving in the 1905 Penn State Yearbook. The badge was diamond-shaped and featured the name of the Fraternity vertically written in Greek letters. It was depicted with jewels surrounding the outer edge.
The current badge, worn only by members, is a gold and black diamond shaped pin decorated with a tiny reproduction of the pledge emblem, the Sphinx, and the letters of Delta Sigma Phi. It is worn over the heart on a shirt or sweater and beneath a coat, but never on a coat lapel. It is properly positioned with the upper apex slanting toward the left shoulder and the lower apex toward the right hip. Badge guards are available indicating a member’s chapter. Undergraduates are not permitted to wear jeweled badges. Only alumni, wives, and sweethearts may wear jeweled badges. If a brother wishes to give a reproduction of the badge to his wife or sweetheart, he must give her a jeweled badge, as wives and sweethearts may never wear the plain, unjeweled badge. The plain, unjeweled badge may only be worn by brothers. The Pledge Pin 
The pledge pin is circular with a white enameled background and a gold border. An equilateral triangle in green is placed so that the points touch the gold border and from the points to the center of the triangle are three gold lines.
Chapters should furnish new members with a pledge pin at the formal pledging ceremony. It is worn on the left coat lapel or in a similar position on a sweater or shirt if no coat is worn. It should be worn at all times during the pledging period, except with informal attire such as a t-shirt. Although initiated brothers do not wear the actual pledge pin, the pledge emblem is worn by every brother of the Fraternity, as it is incorporated on the badge of Delta Sigma Phi. When you made your pledge to Delta Sigma Phi, it was for life. This is why the pledge emblem is a part of the badge: to always remind you of your lifetime pledge to our brotherhood. The Coat-of-Arms 
The present coat-of-arms is the second adopted by the Fraternity and was authorized at the 1921 Convention in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was designed by Robert Ashley, Washington & Lee ‘07, who served the Fraternity as National President and Editor of The Carnation.
The coat-of-arms consists of a shield bearing a field of green. The upper portion of the shield is charged with three smaller shields bearing, from left to right, a lute, a knot, and lamp. The lower portion of the shield contains a pyramid. The central portion of the shield bears a silver chevron with a small shield displaying a book and the year "1899". On each side of the shield are mantlings of purple. Beneath the shield is a streamer bearing the words "Delta Sigma Phi" in Greek. At the crest of the shield is the Sphinx. Affixed to the breast of the Sphinx, and outstretched over the shield, are scarabaeus wings. Coats-of-arms were originally emblems of families, but came to be used by cities, states, and institutions. The correct word is "coat-of-arms." The word "crest" describes only the part of the coat-of-arms that is at the top, above the shield. Technically, the crest on the Delta Sigma Phi coat-of-arms is the Sphinx. Fraternity Colors Nile Green and white, the colors of the Fraternity, are depicted in most of our insignia, emblems, and jewelry. The Fraternity’s colors were adopted in 1905. The Fraternity Flag 
The first official flag of Delta Sigma Phi was adopted in 1926. The current form of the flag was adopted in 1950. It consists of a Nile green field with white features depicting the pledge emblem in the field and the Greek letters Delta Sigma Phi running diagonally, top to bottom, on the outer half.
The Fraternity Seal The seal of Delta Sigma Phi is one of the earliest emblems of the Fraternity. It appeared on charters and official documents prior to 1912. The great seal of the Fraternity is a circle bearing a triangle. The triangle is divided into three smaller triangles in the same manner as the pledge emblem. Each of the three smaller triangles contains one of the emblems: the lamp, the lute, and the Gordian knot. Around the edge of the circle are the words "inc’pt Washington D.C. 1929." The circle bears the words "sigillum fraternitatis" which means "seal of the Fraternity," and the Greek-letters Delta Sigma Phi. The Fraternity Flower The flower of the Fraternity is the white carnation. Like our official colors, this flower has been used since 1905. The Use of Fraternity Symbols The emblems and insignia of Delta Sigma Phi represent our Fraternity in the eyes of all members and should be treated with dignity and respect. By law, the national Fraternity has exclusive right to reproduce the coat-of-arms and other insignia as registered trademarks of Delta Sigma Phi. As a result, all of the jewelry, stationary, and other effects depicting these emblems are supplied by specially authorized suppliers under license to the Fraternity. Copyright laws prevent the reproduction of these items by others without explicit approval of the Grand Council. It is the duty of each member to report any unauthorized use of the coat-of-arms or other insignia to the Fraternity Headquarters. Fraternal Publications a) The Carnation The Carnation, the Fraternity’s quarterly magazine, was first published by Meyer Boskey and appeared in April of 1907. Boskey felt that with the founding of chapters outside New York City, an official publication was necessary to keep the chapters in touch with one another. Due to the expense of publication, The Carnation was published irregularly until the Convention of 1915 authorized its regular publication as our official magazine. Currently The Carnation is published two times a year. As a brother, you will receive The Carnation for the rest of your life. Normally, since college students frequently move, you will begin receiving The Carnation at the address listed for your parents or legal guardians on your application for initiation, which you will fill out prior to initiation. When you graduate, it is imperative that you notify the Headquarters of your new address. You will want to receive The Carnation for the rest of your life because you join Delta Sigma Phi for life, not just while you are in college. b) The Sphinx The Sphinx, authorized by the 1923 Convention, is the official publication of the Fraternity for the purpose of conveying secret or private information to the chapters. It is currently issued after each Convention to inform the chapters of the official business carried out by the voting delegates. All brothers must remember that The Sphinx is a secret publication and that copies must not be permitted to lie about the chapter house or other places where outsiders may have an opportunity to read them. c) The Gordian Knot The Gordian Knot, the Fraternity’s pledge manual, was first issued in October 1925. It was one of the first pledge manuals ever issued by a fraternity and was originally based on a booklet first produced by the Epsilon chapter at Penn State. The Gordian Knot is currently in its eighth edition d) The Fraternity Manual The Fraternity Manual, first issued in 1928, was also one of the earliest manuals of its kind in the fraternity world. It is a comprehensive work dealing with Fraternity operations on the chapter, alumni, and national level. The manual outlines the responsibilities of each officer in the chapter and offers basic tips for each office. This manual is the product of years of experience in dealing with fraternal matters. It is not necessary to repeat the mistakes of the past. Members should read The Fraternity Manual. It is essential to a successful role of leadership within the chapter. e) Other publications There are many other publications available from the Fraternity Headquarters. Some of the more important are The Pyramid which is the Fraternity’s chapter development guide, The Recruitment Chairman’s Guide, and The Chapter Financial Management Manual. Contact the Fraternity Headquarters for a listing of additional publications. Traditions Delta Sigma Phi is rich in fraternity traditions. The greatest tradition of Delta Sigma Phi is a way of life, which you will learn upon initiation. However, we celebrate that way of life through several time-honored traditions, which are deeply rooted in fraternity custom and history. Carnation and Sailors Ball The major formal dance of the year is the Carnation Ball. The white carnation, the flower of the Fraternity, is traditionally used in decorations and corsages for this event. The Sailors Ball is an informal costume party with a nautical theme. It originally started as an Alpha Chi chapter (Stetson U.) event in 1926, but since has become popular throughout the Fraternity. Founders Day Founders Day, observed on December 10 of each year. |
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Copyright 2007 Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, San Luis Obispo.
