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Chapter 5: The Delta Upsilon Coat of Arms (Crest) |
The crest of our fraternity is our most precious symbol. Every aspect of our crest has a specific meaning.
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The Delta and The Upsilon: |
Also referred to as the badge of Delta Upsilon, this fusion of the two Greek letters are the first letters of our motto. This is used as the symbol for active members.
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1834: |
The inclusion of this date in history on the Crest is natural since it is the founding date of Delta Upsilon.
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1909: |
This is the date that Delta Upsilon was incorporated.
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The Convention Banner: |
This signifies the undergraduate members of the fraternity who exercise a legislative function. The five rings represent the first five provinces of our organization. The oak tree represents the relationship of all chapters to the international fraternity.
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The Assembly Banner: |
This signifies the graduate members of the fraternity who perform an executive function. The Chevron, or what appears to be an inverted gold V placed on a blue background, represents the fraternity’s landholding function. The five gold coronets, or crowns, represent the five officers of the fraternity designated at incorporation.
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The Open Visor: |
This stands for the non-secrecy policy that Delta Upsilon holds true along with democracy.
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The Shield or Shield of Arms: |
The entire shield represents that DU is an organization of men. Upon the shield are seven stars that represent the seven chapters that adopted the organizational articles of confederation. The first four stars also mean something by themselves. These stars are separated to signify the four original chapters that began the anti-secret confederation. The scales below the stars are symbolic of the principle of justice shared by all chapters of Delta Upsilon.
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The Motto: |
The motto was adopted in 1858 before the fraternity was even called Delta Upsilon. It is translated: ‘Justice Our Foundation’ and sums up the purpose for establishing our organization.
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The Torse and Mantling |
Also known as decking, this is an ornamental feature of our crest that represents parliamentary robes.
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