What is a Fraternity Paddle?

In the process of pledging for a fraternity during college, many fraternities requires its pledges to make fraternity paddles. Most of the time pledges will be asked to make several fraternity paddles that come in different shapes and sizes. The fraternity paddle project is so much fun and you and your friends will see how enjoyable the experience will be.

First it is important to know what exactly you are looking for to make a fraternity paddle. A paddle looks very similar to an oar used for canoeing or rowing. The fraternity paddle comes in various sizes and shapes. The biggest fraternity paddle I have seen is around 5 feet tall and the smallest one is about 2-3 feet tall. Not every hardware store sells paddles. The best store that will usually have this item is A.C. Moore which is a hardware store. You should check the hardware stores in your town or city if you need to make a paddle.

Basically on the paddle you want to make it look as nice as possible. You can spray paint it or use paint, markers, colored pencils, crayons; whatever material, fabric and arts supplies you choose. Each fraternity paddle is supposed to be unique in its own way so its alright if your paddle if different from your friends’. On the fraternity paddle you should include certain facts such as your name, semester, year, the purpose of the paddle, and whom the paddle is being given to as a gift.

The best materials and supplies I have found that work best in creating a fraternity paddle is little wood letter that can be glued onto the paddle. At the hardware store I found the word “Spring” in wood letters which I bought and pasted onto the paddle. You also might want to create a personalized message on the back or front of your fraternity paddle. The front of the fraternity paddle should also contain decorations that have some kind of symbolic meaning. If the person likes sports then maybe you should use some kind of sports design with that person’s favorite sports team on the front.

Fraternity paddles have all different kinds of meanings. Some may go to people whom have more power or prestige than others and may need to be done better or more effort may be needed to make that paddle.

The cost of making a fraternity paddle is not cheap. The smallest fraternity paddles start at around $22 and the biggest ones could cost over $100. Most of the time, especially with the really big paddles that cost a lot of money, your pledge brothers and sisters will split the cost of the items with you or you may be only required to make only a few of these very big paddles while the smaller paddles you may each individually need to buy one yourself to make. The bigger fraternity paddles you will also probably be doing collectively together as a group.

Making a fraternity paddle is a fun experience and I hope you enjoy it!