
The
five pointed crown, which represents the nobler woman, is one of four symbols
of the fraternity. The wife of the former CEO of Hallmark is a Zeta and gave
Hallmark the idea of a five pointed crown for a company symbol. Hallmark accepted
her idea and as a result the five pointed crown has been printed on each card
representing the high standards of the Hallmark company.
Before
the fraternity's official founding and long before the name Zeta Tau Alpha
was selected, an admirer of Mary Jones "Cammie" Batte sent her a
gift of strawberries. The delicious treat prompted the group to host their
first purely social gathering and to become officially recognized as an organization.
They wrote, "I don't know what there was in the occasion or the delicious
berries to bolster up our courage but then and there we decided, with out
a dissenting note, to become recognized."
Our
local mascots are bunnies and butterflies - when Alpha Sigma Kappa became
the Delta Omicron chapter of ZTA, some of the mascots were
adopted as well.
- Our flower is the white violet.
The
pledge pin of ZTA is a sliver carpenter's square enameled in turquoise. It is
worn by all duly pledged to the Fraternity. The chapter presents the pin at
the time of pledging, but when lost, it is the responsibility of the individual
to purchase another. When a new member is initiated, leaves college, or ceases
to be a pledge, she returns her pledge pin to the chapter, even if she has purchased
it herself. Under no circumstances is a pledge pin ever kept as a charm or a
keepsake.
The
Coat-of-Arms may be used by members only in any manner which is dignified and
tasteful. Many attractive Coat-of-Arms plaques have been designed to hang in
the chapter house or in a member's home. The ritualistic meaning of the Coat-of-Arms
is reserved for those who are initiated into the Fraternity.
The
badge of the Fraternity is a small, black enameled shield superimposed upon
a gold shield, bearing a five pointed crown with the letters ZTA arranged around
it and the word Themis in Greek below it. It is correct to wear the badge on
all occasions except when informal athletic clothes are worn. The badge may
be plain or jeweled, depending on the member's preference. The border of the
badge may be composed of one kind of stone or a combination of two kinds of
stones.
- Themis, the goddess of divine justice and law, embodies the virtue of equality shared by all ZTAs. The national quarterly ZTA magazine, Themis, is a well-balanced publication that showcases pictures and news of ZTA collegiate and alumnae chapters, as well as individual achievement.
We
honor our mothers in a ceremony in which we give them a special mother's pin
during a service following our graduation.
The
honor ring is awarded to alumnae who have devoted extensive volunteer work to
the Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity.