Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority at Winthrop University || History

	5 Pointed Crown
	The five-pointed Crown is an official symbol of the Fraternity. The significance of the five points is revealed to each member upon her Initiation
	Badge
	The badge of the Fraternity is a small, black, enameled shield super-imposed upon a gold shield, bearing a five pointed crown with the letters ZTA arranged around it, and below it the word “Themis” in Greek.
	Coat of Arms (Crest)
	The ritualistic meaning of the Coat of Arms is secret and is revealed to each member at the time of her Initiation. Only initiated members may use this in any manner, which is dignified and in good taste.
	White Violet
	The flower of the Fraternity, chosen by Founder Ruby Leigh Orgain, is the white violet. Its symbolic meaning is explained in the Initiation Service.
	Strawberry
	In the late 1800s, an admirer of one of ZTA’s Founders, Mary Campbell Jones (Batte), sent her a gift of strawberries. The scrumptious present prompted the group of nine friends to host their first purely social gathering and to become officially recognized as a campus organization.
	Patron Goddess
	The Founders chose Themis to represent the Fraternity. Themis is, in Greek mythology, one of the Titans, daughter of Gaea (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven), and the mother of the three Fates and the Seasons. The goddess of divine justice and law, Themis was the constant companion of the god Zeus and sat beside him on Olympus. In ancient art she is represented holding aloft a pair of scales on which she weighs the claims of opposing parties.