Women Behind the Badge

Women Behind the Badge

About Our Badge

About Our Badge Early keys On display Standard dimensions Official Jewelers

Herff Jones Badge Making Video

About Our Badge Eight styles of the badge including Plain Jeweled With or without Enamel Sapphire and pearl badge continues to be the favorite choice of collegians Official order forms are available from the chapter Corresponding Secretary or a member may contact Herff Jones - Greek Division directly to place an order (all personal orders are verified with Fraternity Headquarters).

Current Badge Styles

About Our Badge Disposal of badges Inform family members of importance Disposal of Badge Form

Fraternity Bylaws Regarding Insignia Section 1. Insignia. The designs of the insignia belong to the Fraternity. The insignia shall be: A. The Badge. The badge of the Fraternity shall be a golden key one-inch in length, with the Greek letters ΚΚΓ (Kappa Kappa Gamma) on the stem and ΑΩΟ (Alpha Omega Omicron) on the ward. A badge may either be plain or jeweled. 1. The badge shall be worn only by persons duly initiated. 2. The badge shall be secured only from firms authorized by the Fraternity Council and only upon presentation of an official badge order issued by the Fraternity Headquarters. 3. The badge is the emblem of membership. When membership is terminated or the member voluntarily resigns, the badge shall be returned to the Fraternity Headquarters. The badge shall not be sold or transferred to a nonmember. 4. Members shall be urged to obtain genuine badges found in the possession of nonmembers and send the badges to the Fraternity Headquarters. 5. Each member shall make provision for the disposition of her badge upon her death. The badge shall be returned to Fraternity Headquarters, left to another member of the Fraternity, chapter or alumnae association or buried with the member.

Our Mission The mission of The Golden Key Alumnae Association is to foster respect and appreciation for the badge and symbol of membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, the golden key Through education and communication, we seek to inspire in every sister a desire to proudly wear and cherish her Kappa badge throughout her lifetime

Preservation How Do We Fulfill Our Mission? Rescue Reunite Adoption Special Projects (Catalogue Headquarters badge collection) Outreach Badge Protection Canadian Badge Project Communication (member and non-member) Celebrate Heritage The Woman Behind The Badge Historical Research Support Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation

Preservation Rescue: Keepers of the Key monitor online auction sites Coordinates bidding efforts

Preservation Reunite: Attempt to contact original owners of rescued badge Maintain a database of lost/stolen badges Virginia Frances Blue MacDonald, GB 1940

An email from Mary A Reunion Story

Preservation Adopt: Any member is offered the opportunity to replace a missing badge with a rescued badge Members have the opportunity to adopt additional rescued badges

Special Projects GKAA Homebound ~ October 2010

Outreach Badge Protection Bubble Guards Badge Disposition Form Canadian Badge Project Communication Awareness for members Cooperation with non-members

Don t Let Your Badge End Up in a Non-Member s Hands: KKG membership badges are often found in estate sales, pawn shops, online auction sites many from resigned/dismissed members Relatives of deceased sisters very often don t know what to do with a membership badge, it can easily get overlooked, donated or sold. Badges are worn as an emblem of membership. When membership is terminated, for any reason, the badge is to be returned to Fraternity Headquarters. The badges of deceased members should be returned to Fraternity Headquarters unless provision in keeping with the tradition of the Fraternity for the disposition of the badge has been made by the member. It s never too early to prevent your badge from ending up on ebay, a pawn shop, or a non-kappa s badge collection someday. Consider the following options, check one, and keep this sheet near your badge or in your badge box. I wish to have my ΚΚΓ membership badge buried with me when I pass away. I wish to have my ΚΚΓ membership badge given to, who was initiated at Chapter on. I wish to have my ΚΚΓ membership badge returned to Chapter to be used as. I wish to have my ΚΚΓ membership badge returned to ΚΚΓ Fraternity Headquarters at 530 East Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215. Signature Date

What Do We Know About Catherine Wood? Who was The Woman Behind The Badge? Epsilon (Illinois Wesleyan) 4/16/1927

Celebrate Heritage The Woman Behind The Badge Project Identify and highlight the original owners of all award and special honor badges held by chapters and associations Research the connection, post to Kappapedia, request that the information gathered subsequently be shared each Founders Day (locally) to better appreciate and commemorate the meaning behind that badge s placement Sesquicentennial Display for Convention 2020

Dear Keepers, I have two antique KKG pins for sale and wish to offer them to your group first. The first pin has been worn by my family for three generations. It was first worn by my maternal great grandmother, Ludella Belle Long. Next my grandmother, Mary Josephine Robinson, wore it at Akron University around 1920. Lastly my mother, Mary Josephine Swanston, wore it in 1949 at Ohio State. The pin is about 3/4" in length and engraved "Ludie 1881." It is yellow gold with pearls and is in its original state. The second pin was given to my mother in 1949 by an elderly neighbor in Hudson, Ohio. All that is known is her married name of Bess Fitch. She would have worn it around 1880-1890. This pin is also about 3/4" long, yellow gold with sapphires and diamonds.

Celebrate Heritage Historical Research Supporting the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and the museums Donating ephemerae to the archives

What Can You Do? Instill respect and appreciation for our heritage. Educate members to use the Badge Disposition Form. Advisers assure that resigned/dismissed members surrender their badges, as required. If compensation is an issue, The Golden Key can help; keep the badge off of ebay! Use a safety clutch, earring stop or bubble guard and always store your badge in a secure place. If you find a Kappa badge or other historical memorabilia, purchase it if possible, then contact The Golden Key, they will reimburse the expense and initiate return to the original owner (if possible) or placement of the badge with a loyal Kappa. Adopt a vintage badge from The Golden Key to replace your own missing badge or as a gift to a Kappa sister, reimbursing the Kappa who rescued it for her purchase price. All adoptions include reimbursement plus a 10% donation to the KKG Foundation to further its goals and objectives Kappas helping Kappas. Consider donating to The Golden Key to help defray expenses incurred. If you hope to purchase a badge you discover on ebay, please coordinate with us, it makes no sense for Kappas to bid against one another.