Council Connections – August 2015
By Erika McManus Bukva, Delta Rho, National Vice President
As new members of Alpha Sigma Tau, we each spent a lot of time memorizing our revered passages like Philippians, Peter, our Prayer for Sorority Meetings, etc. For a lot of us, in the excitement of joining the Sorority, meeting new Sisters, and maintaining our other commitments, the experience of becoming familiar with these words was simply an exercise in preparing for the New Member Exam.
I am a founding Sister of my chapter, and when we were a colony, we were all new members with no initiated members to guide us, and we were determined to ace the exam. One Sister wrote the passages on her mirror. We developed a silly mnemonic to remember Philippians. Ultimately, we all passed our Founders’ examination, and the Delta Rho Chapter was born at Chowan University in North Carolina. After that, no one wanted to be the Sister who couldn’t remember the words to the Creed or the Fraternity Hymn, but in general, the recitation of the words faded into the background of a lively collegiate experience.
Looking back, I can’t really fault myself or my chapter Sisters for not grasping the wisdom and timelessness of these passages. My appreciation for these verses has grown only with time (and age). They guide me to remember what is important. Philippians 4:8 encourages me to focus on the positive things in life. 1 Peter 3:10 urges me to keep unkind and unhelpful words to myself. Our core values have helped me to identify that unquantifiable “thing” that causes me to click with a new friend in the commotion of our busy lives. Footpath’s first line alone – “to be glad of life” – is a mantra for contentment, and it goes on to remind me to emulate positive role models. There are lines in these passages and in our Creed, Fraternity Hymn, Prayer, and Ritual that surely resonate with you, too. It is these values, and our vow to uphold them, that make AST different from every other organization you can join in college or in your adult life.
Studies have shown that members of fraternal organizations leave college and not only become highly engaged in their professional settings, but also thrive with a higher well-being in their personal lives. It’s not hard to understand the correlation of that outcome and our inspirational guiding principles – the words that define our Sorority. These values are a roadmap to being the best people we can be. As Sisters, you and I have read, memorized, recited, and contemplated these words, in many cases, since we were 18 or 19 years old. What an incredible advantage AΣT has given us to “live joyously and valiantly.”
As a National Vice President, I am fortunate to get the opportunity to see and hear our Ritual and passages frequently. Beyond signifying my connection with other Sisters in the room, it’s impossible not to be moved by the deep meaning and challenge within the words. Living the values of Alpha Sigma Tau seems like an intimidating, and possibly unattainable, goal. I’ve come to accept that it’s not something you will check off your to-do list one day. It happens every day, and some days we come closer than others, but in the trying (and the failing) comes the growth.
Long after college, the values of AΣT manifest differently in the lives of each member. Collectively, we are inspired to strive for excellence each day in everything we do. Think on these things that form the heart of our organization. We each have the “strength to practice the ideals of Alpha Sigma Tau in our daily lives.” Let us live the values with grace and excellence!