Celebrating Women’s History through Delta Zeta

Women’s History Month had its start in 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.”  Since that time, Presidents Clinton and Obama have proclaimed March as Women’s History Month. The purpose of this month is to pay “tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet have proved invaluable to society.” (http://womenshistorymonth.gov).

We certainly know quite a few Delta Zeta Women of Achievement who fit into this category. Like the first line of the Delta Zeta Creed states, “To the world, I promise temperance, insight and courage, to crusade for justice, seek the truth and defend it always,” these members have provided invaluable contributions not only to our own Sorority, but to the world. 

Finding out more about the women we are honored to call sisters is an amazing privilege we have as members of Delta Zeta. Whether you surf on over to Pinterest and read the Women of the Year board or if you have taken some time to walk through the Virtual Tour of Delta Zeta’s National Historical Museum and spent some time in the Florida Room, which highlights our Women of Achievement, you will certainly learn something new about our Delta Zeta heritage to celebrate during Women’s History Month.

Do you have a story about a Delta Zeta to share? Tell us by submitting a story online and she might just find herself in this storied group.

The Delta Zeta Badge

Delta Zeta members everywhere learn during their new member education that our badge is considered one of the most beautiful and meaningful in the Greek world. The badge is described in the Delta Zeta Constitution.

It shall be the Roman lamp in gold, resting upon an Ionic column and having upon each side three wings of Mercury. The official jeweling shall be a diamond in the flame, and four pearls at the base of the lamp. The lamp shall bear the Greek letters ΔΖ in black enamel. Article XVI, Section 1.

From our founding to the present, the design of our badge has changed very little. This is a direct tie to our Founders as they had the general idea for the badge but the design is credited to a Miami art student, Arthur Bairnsfather, who was a friend of Alfa Lloyd. In the Spring 1957 issue of The LAMP, Jaunita Kelly Bednar (Nu – Knox College), interviewed Mr. Bairnsfather while he was living in Birmingham, Alabama. Without knowing each other, he immediately recognized her as a Delta Zeta when he saw her badge.

The original badge in the Sorority archives had no pearls in the base of the column. A badge of a Beta (Cornell) charter member shows a variation on the size of the column and the location of the pearls. The first badge was created by the Newman Jewelry Company who became the first official jewelers.

Today, the Delta Zeta badge continues to identify members to each other, much as it did in our early days. The moment that a member has her new member pin removed and receives the badge is significant and memorable. As you wear your Delta Zeta badge remember the connection it brings to our Founders and the ideals they set forth for this sisterhood.

This blog post begins our celebration of the National Panhellenic Conference’s International Badge Day, which will be celebrated on Monday, March 7, 2016 For more information on International Badge Day, please follow #BadgeDay16  or visit the NPC website. As Delta Zeta members participate in Badge Day, send us your photos using the hashtag #DZBadge to @DeltaZetaNatl on Instagram or Twitter or post them on our Facebook page on March 7.