How big should a fraternity paddle be?

Greek paddles can range in size from small key chains to 2 1/2 feet tall. In general, your paddle should be four times as long as it is wide. If your design is 4 inches wide, the paddle should be 16 inches long. The length includes the handle.

Do fraternities use paddles?

Pledges often purchase a blank wooden paddle to decorate commemorating their membership into the Greek Organization or to give as a gift to their “big brother” or “big sister” within the fraternity or sorority. To most sorority alumnae today, paddles represent sisterhood, pride, and tradition.

Why do fraternities give paddles?

The Paddle's Place in the Greek Community

To show their appreciation, little brothers and sisters present their mentor with a paddle as a sign of gratitude, loyalty and respect. Also, many fraternities give paddles to newly pledged members as a welcoming sign of inclusion into the chapter.

What do you put in a fraternity paddle?

Decorating ideas

Fraternity paddles are traditionally very plain. Whereas sororities will use bright colors, pictures and glitter to decorate theirs, fraternities only use the most basic supplies on their paddles. It is important to have the fraternity's Greek letters, your name and the recipient's name.

What goes on a fraternity paddle?

Commonly, a paddle will have the greek letters of your sorority on it somewhere. It is important to give recognition to the sorority that brought you and your big sister together.

Fraternity Paddle Wall Decoration

When did hazing start in fraternities?

The Origins of Hazing

The term hazing regularly became used in 1684 after a student at Harvard was the first to be expelled for hitting students and having them perform acts of servitude. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, social fraternities started hazing.

How do you seal a painted paddle?

Sealing Your Painted Paddle

Sealing your new decorative paddle can be done using either a spray-on sealer or brush-on sealer. Sanding in between multiple coats offers the best results and a finish that will protect your paddle for many years to come.

How do you seal a wooden paddle?

Touch Up: seal any exposed wood with varnish on a regular basis. Lightly sand area, apply a diluted (by 10%) coat of finish and let dry. Lightly sand area again and apply a full strength coat of varnish. Complete Refinish: strip all finish off the paddle using sand paper.

Why do frats and sororities use paddles?

The fraternity and sorority paddle is most commonly used today as a decorative keepsake representing brotherhood or sisterhood and is given as a gift according to a local chapter's traditions. The history of the paddle, however, is rooted in violence and remains both a tool and symbol of hazing in Greek organizations.

How long is a sorority paddle?

Fraternity Sorority Paddles 14 inch, Pack of 1 Unfinished Greek Wooden Paddle, Smooth Birch for Decorating and Painting, by Woodpeckers.

Do frats still haze?

Hazing, as practiced in most places, is wrong. It is unethical, it is dangerous, and it is a crime in 44 states and Washington, DC. Yet 73 percent of Greeks are hazed, according to the most recent large-scale hazing study, which, granted, was published in 2008.

What is an elephant walk fraternity?

The email said Delta Chi fraternity participants simulated an “elephant walk,” which is described in the letter as “a form of known hazing in fraternities.” The hazing practice usually requires members to walk naked in a single-file line while holding the genitals of the person behind them.

What do frats do to pledges?

A pledge can expect to make early morning house calls to the fraternity house. This could be to clean up after the actives threw a party, to have meetings or to even be quizzed. The duties of a pledge include anything from cleaning the fraternity house to driving actives to and from classes.

What is fraternity hazing?

Hazing is any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them, regardless of a person's willingness to participate. There are three components that define hazing: It occurs in a group context. Humiliating, degrading, or endangering behavior.

Why do sororities paint paddles?

These paddles aren't meant to be used for hazing. They are meant as a genuine present for a new sister and are just another way of showing your pride for your sorority.

Does hazing still happen?

Indeed, hazing is not only banned by most colleges and universities but also violates laws in nearly every U.S. state, but these incidents continue to occur. A recent NBC News report noted that, from 2000 to 2021, at least 50 college students died from hazing incidents.

What wood is best for paddles?

Hardwoods such as ash, walnut, cherry, maple provide stiffness and strength and durability, while softwoods such as cedar, fir, pine, basswood offer lightweight and flex. There's no prescribed or universal formula to building a laminated paddle. Makers will often use locally available woods.

What oil do you use on a paddle?

We do recommend Badger Wood Oil for maintaining your solid wood paddles, but you can use a fine quality Tung or Teak Oil Finish product or even boiled linseed oil instead. For an extra smooth finish, “wet sand” the paddle while oiling using a fine wet proof sandpaper, a 320 grit will do.

Is tung oil good for wood?

Originating from China and South America, tung oil—an extract from tung-tree nuts—is a natural drying oil that coats your fine wood furnishings with a transparent, wet finish. It enhances the color of your wood, offers excellent protection and is eco-friendly.

How do you paint an old paddle?