Development of Insignia
A symbol of belonging is important to Nabor House men just as it is to many individuals in other organizations, especially those of a fraternal nature. The various forms of insignia used by Nabor House have been officially approved by the Fraternity and included in its constitution. Some of the insignia, especially the membership pin, were derived and accepted through long, arduous planning and debate.
Membership Pin
The membership pin is the major and most important emblem of Nabor House Fraternity. It took the longest and most effort to develop. As noted and described in an earlier section, original discussion on the pin began early in the fall of 1938 and continued until April 17, 1939, when it was approved officially. A membership pin was referred to in the early version of the constitution as "shall be as copyrighted." Obviously the early members thought that the Fraternity's symbol should be copyrighted, but over time concluded that doing so was neither important nor necessary. The description of the pin was first made a part of the constitution in the revision approved at the Fourth Annual Meeting on Oct. 19, 1946.
Following WWII, several Fraternity members expressed a desire to change the pin and bring it more in line with the pins of other fraternities and organized houses. and organized houses by adding some precious or semi-precious stones. No change was implemented at that time, but the idea kept arising from time to time. Finally, the Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 19, 1961, the Illinois Chapter president told the board that several actives were interested in changing the pin. The Board recommended that the Chapter give further consideration to the proposed change and discuss it with the Board again. Prior to the 1961 annual meeting in October, a committee appointed by the Fraternity president worked out a proposal to change the pin. The proposal was to put five emeralds denoting the five founders on the pin. Ten pearls were to be placed between the emeralds denoting the seven charter members and the three honorary members. The new pin was to be reduced in size so that when the jewels were added, the pin would be no larger overall than the previous one. Cost of the new pin would be $20 to $22 compared to the 1961 cost of $9.75 for one of original design. It is interesting to note that the cost of the original pin in 1939 was $5. The currently used pin approached $100 in the 1970s, but in 1988 it cost just over $63, including an "I" guard. The Fraternity voted to have the Board formulate a constitutional amendment incorporating the proposed changes in symbolism and design and submit the proposed amendment to the Fraternity's members for a vote. At a special Fraternity meeting on Jan. 7, 1962, in which the votes were mostly by proxy, the current membership pin was adopted when the following constitutional amendment was approved: "The membership pin shall be of gold color and shall be the shape of a kernel of corn to denote agriculture; symbols upon the pin shall be an open book (for education) with the letters 'NH' (for Nabor House), clasped hands (for cooperation), and a winged foot (for recreation); immediately above the open book shall be a rising sun denoting a new era in agriculture through education, cooperation, and recreation. On the boarder around the pin shall be five green emeralds (for the founding members) and ten pearls (seven for the charter members and three for the honorary members)." As true with many changes, acceptance and approval of the new pin was not unanimous. Some of the founders objected to being represented by jewels on the pin. Some early members also shared the feeling that jewels did not reflect a need for economical living and edged the Fraternity more toward the Greek system. But, in the intended cooperative and neighborly manner, those who objected acceded to the change in the spirit of Nabor loyalty. Wearing house pins to class, on- and off-campus social affairs, and other dress-up events was an almost universal practice when Nabor House began. The practice continued for several decades, lessening in the 1960s and even more so through the 1970s. In the 1980s, pins were worn much less frequently. Similarly, the long-standing practice of "pinning" one's girlfriend to indicated forthcoming engagement or engagement itself is much less fashionable or "in" thing today. One could speculate that over time the cycle is likely to come full circle. An important use of the membership pin design has been to create an enlarged facsimile for display on the wall. The first one of these displays was made by Walter D. Parks. On 17'' x 12'' piece of plywood shaped like the pin, he drew and painted the symbols in gold on a black background. It hung over the fireplace in the dining room at 811 W. Oregon from the first year the group lived there in 1939-40 until it was replaced in 1958. It was replaced by a three-dimensional on Dale E. Ruckman, '59, sawed, carved, and painted in green and gold. Life Membership CardIn late 1956, when the life membership program was getting underway, the Board of Directors wanted some means to recognize life members. The idea of a plastic laminated billfold-size card was suggested and approved. The card, which has an image of the original fraternity pin and is printed in Fraternity colors, certifies that the member named on it has paid a lifetime membership. It is signed by the Fraternity's president and secretary, laminated in plastic to make it durable, and presented to the member.
ColorsGreen and gold were chosen as the Fraternity's colors in a house meeting on Nov. 20, 1939. Although they were selected for the purpose of green symbolizing growth and gold the harvest, the first reference in the constitution to the colors was in the April 8, 1940, revision stating only that the colors were green and gold. However, the 1942 and succeeding revisions state, "Colors shall be green and gold--green for the growth and gold for the harvest."
Chapter SealAlthough the Illinosi Chapter was incorporated and chartered by the state on July 1, 1947, its seal also bears the 1939 date. The chapter seal carries to words "Illinois Chapter Nabor House, Urbana, Illinois, Corporate Seal, 1939." It is not known whether the state used 1939 deliberately or erroneously. Neither Illinois Chapter nor the Fraternity felt that it was important to try to have it changed.
FlowerThe yellow rose, in keeping with the official colors, was chosen early in the organization's beginning as the Fraternity's flower. Records to not indicate any background on the choice, but all revisions of the constitution starting with the one of April 8, 1940, state, "The flower shall be the yellow rose."
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Crest
In the 1960s, wearing dark-colored blazers -- navy blue was the favorite -- with the wearer's organizational crest on them became a very popular fashion trend among men on campus. Nabors wanted to be a part of it. So in 1965, representatives of the active chapter asked the Fraternity's Board of Directors to consider designing a crest to be used on blazers, jackets, car decals, mementos, and simlar items. The Board responded by asking the actives to provide them an artist's conception of the crest for their consideration. On April 2, 1967, a committee representing the active chapter presented their ideas, including several drawings and an explanation of the symbols. No action was taken then, but on Oct. 14, 1967, the Fraternity, in its 25th Annual Meeting, approved a crest for use.
A description of the crest was made a part of the sixth revision to the constitution adopted November 1969. It is, "The crest shall be the shape of a shield, bearing the words Nabor House 1939 and the following symbols: five rings forming a chain to recognize the five founders and denote cooperation; a rising sun symbolizing a new era in agriculture with seven rays to honor the seven charter members; lamp of learning symbolic of education; the cross standing for united Christian Fellowship; and a laurel wreath denoting recreation. The crest shall be in the Fraternity's colors." Adoption of the crest was not without objections. Some of the members, particularly among those already out of school before the crest was designed, were not supportive of it. Some felt that the image of the membership pin was satisfactory and sufficient for the uses proposed for the crest. It is evident that the crest means less to the men who graduated prior to 1967 and did not have first-hand experience with it.Whether it is due to the widespread use of the crest on so many items or for other reasons, some men, particularly the younger ones, have come to believe that the crest is the major official emblem of Nabor House. However, it must be noted that the distinction belongs to the membership pin. Donald L. Moffitt, '69, a leading spokesman for the adoption of the crest, said when it was being considered, "We like to think of the crest as a more informal symbol than the membership pins." As it turned out, the blazer fad was short-lived, and use of the crest for that purpose was soon over. No doubt, the changing values and lifestyles of the 1960s and 1970s took its toll on the blazers and similar fashion trends on campuses everywhere. But as the proponents of the crest had suggested, it was used on a number of other items. Crests were soon observed on wind breakers, sweat shirts, T-shirts, printed programs, stationary, and decals for souvenir paddles and other mementos. Recognition PinIn the early years of the Fraternity, a need for a "house" recognition pin was expressed. Since it was not considered proper to wear a house pin except on one's shirt, vest, or sweater, some other type of pin was desired for display on a suit coat to identify affiliation with the Fraternity. The recognition pin, which was worn on the coat lapel, was first included in the April 8, 1940, revision of the constitution but was not described in it. However, the pin, which is no longer in use, was described in the Nov. 10, 1951, revision of the constitution as follows: "Recognition pins shall be in the form of a gold 'NH.'"
Guard PinWhen Nabor House was created, it was a campus custom for active members of houses to wear a guard pin attached by a short, fine chain to the organization's pin. Nabors began to wear guard pins before they were made official by the Fraternity. It is not known just when the practice began in Nabor House, but "I guards" - the I being for Illinois Chapter -- as they are called in Nabor House, became quite popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Official Fraternity recognition was first given by an amendment to the constitution on Jan. 7, 1962, which stated: "Chapter guard pins shall be as proposed by each active chapter and approved by the Fraternity's Board of Directors." The same authorization continues in force today. The I-Guard has varied from plain gold to one with two pearls down and three across. The latter one was adopted by the Illinois Chapter on May 28, 1962, but apparently official recognition by the Fraternity's Board was never requested.
Pledge PinWith the acceptance of the first formal pledge class in the fall of 1939, the need for pledge pins arose. Work leading to the selection of one began on Sept. 16, 1939, and as pointed out elsewhere, one was chosen in a chapter meeting on Nov. 20, 1939. At that time, a decision was made to require a pledge to deposit $1 for the pledge pin with the provision that it would be refunded when he returned the pin upon either completion or termination of the pledge period. If he chose to keep the pin, the $1 deposit became payment for the pin. The first constitutional description of the pledge pin appeared in the Oct. 19, 1946, revision of the constitution and is the same in the current constitution. It says, "Pledge pins shall be of triple hexagonal outline in organization colors with a star on each hexagon to represent education, cooperation, and recreation."
Membership CertificateThe "shingle," as the membership certificates were popularly known, was not issued until the Fraternity had been in existence almost a decade. Shortly after WWII, when the Fraternity was re-activated and accelerating its organizational progress, the Board of Directors discussed the possibility of issuing a certificate to every member. So one was designed with the Board approving it on July 22, 1947. All men initiated prior to that time received a certificate, and since then one has been issued to each new member shortly after his initiation.
Fraternity SealWhen the State of Illinois issued a charter to Nabor House on April 29, 1939, it also issued a corporate seal. The seal is required on certain state and federal reports and is also used on membership certificates and other official papers. The first reference to the seal in the constitution appears in the revision approved April 8, 1940. The seal bears the words "Nabor House Fraternity, Corporate Seal, 1939, Urbana, Ill."
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