T he Histor y and Language of Sigma Phi Epsilon
band of gold. The 1973 Conclave also authorized that official badges may be made with heavy-duty gold plate, “golklad,” in addition to white and yellow gold. The new Founders-size badge was designed by Past Grand President and Order of the Golden Heart recipient William A. MacDonough, Washington and Lee ’29.
narrow band of gold for the purple background. In the center of the flag, mounted upon the red bar, appears a gold star of five points. The 1955 Conclave authorized an alternative form for the official flag. In this form, the Greek letters ΣΦΕ are placed in the upper-right corner of the regulation flag, while the Greek letter A, B, Γ, or whatever the chapter designation, is placed in the lowerleft corner. The purpose is for clearer identification of the flag when it is used for display.
T h e C oat of A r m s : Nea rly all fraternities boast a coat of arms. A heritage from the old days of feudalism and knighthood, it is an emblem which can become very precious to a SigEp. For a long time, however, Sigma Phi Epsilon displayed a coat of arms which was not heraldically cor rect . The or ig i na l design was adopted in 1908 at the Chicago Conclave. F rederick M. Cutler from the Massachusetts Alpha Chapter at the University of Massachusetts called attention to the old emblem’s inaccuracies. In 1933, Mark D. Wilkins, then a Field Secretary for the Fraternity, consulted Arthur E. DuBois, in charge of the heraldic work of the United States Government, and the new and revised coat of arms was subsequently accepted.
The flag with letters is commonly ca l led t he “d isplay f lag ” a nd t he simplified flag is the “Ritual flag.” Every chapter should have a display flag and a Ritual flag. T h e B a l a nc e d M a n S y m b ol : Concu r rent w ith the F rater n ity ’s development of a strategy in 1989, the Balanced Man symbol was created as an expression of the values of our Greekletter heritage, “Sound Mind in a Sound Body.” The Balanced Man symbol was created by the international advertising firm, TBWA/Chiat-Day, whose former chief executive and chairman is Past Grand President and Order of the Golden Heart recipient Wi l l ia m G. T ragos, Washington in St. Louis ’5 6 . T he Ba la nced Ma n symbol is representative of the goals of each Sigma Phi Epsilon and each of our chapters.
The badge and coat of arms are the official insignias of the Fraternity; their esoteric meaning is contained in the Ritual of the Fraternity. They are trademarks owned by Sigma Phi Epsilon, used only with permission, or by undergraduate chapters and members. T he F lag : The Fraternity’s flag has a background of purple, with a red bar extending diagonally from the upperleft corner to the lower-right corner, this bar bordered on either side by a
The Balanced Man pin is presented to all new members in Balanced Man Program chapters during the Sigma Rite of Passage. The pin is worn on the
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