I believe in the American college fraternity. I believe in Sigma
Phi Epsilon. I believe in this fraternity because it would have
me strive in every way to live up to the high principles for which
it stands. These are VIRTUE, DILIGENCE, AND BROTHERLY LOVE.
I believe that the word Virtue is an inclusive term; that it
is not enough that I be merely passively virtuous: I must be positive
on virtue's behalf. Therefore, I will stand aggressively for honesty
in all walks of life, and I will speak cleanly, play cleanly,
and live cleanly. Whenever I can, I will oppose lawlessness and
vice.
I believe that unless I succeed in being Diligent, I cannot be
a good fraternity member. Believing that my Fraternity can be
no greater than any of its members, I shall strive to make it
so high and so worthy that men will consider it an honor and privilege
to belong to it and will strive to be admitted to it. I will not
offer concessions to an individual to secure his affiliation,
for thus making concessions makes the man more noteworthy than
the Fraternity and hence only succeeds in lowering it in his estimation
as well as mine.
I believe that Brotherly Love must be given in order to be received,
and that it cannot exist without triumph of the principles of
Virtue and Diligence, for these are essential parts of it.
I believe that a man will be made better for having been a member
of my Fraternity. I know that I cannot expect the neophyte to
be a finished product. Rather I will try to discover whether or
not the environment and contact with men of high ideals will make
of him a good fraternity man.
I believe that as a good fraternity member I must share a rich
kinship of spirit with my brothers. Yet I realize that the members
must be men of diversified abilities and talents. Among them are
to be found the scholar, the athlete, the builder and craftsman,
and the organization leader. But the scholar cannot make a fraternity.
Nor can the athlete. Nor the craftsman. The good fraternity member
must be par excellent in manhood.
I believe that to be a good member I must be loyal to my Fraternity.
In order to be loyal to it, I must love it. In order to love it,
I must strive constantly to make it worthy of my love. To be loyal
to my Fraternity, I must gain a knowledge of it so that I may
understand it. I have an obligation to understand what brotherhood
means.
I believe that in any organized society group rights and privileges
are based on individual rights and privileges; that in my Fraternity
I possess the same rights and privileges and have the same duties
as my fellow members. Therefore, I shall at all times respect
duly the rights of others.
I believe that obedience to the laws of my community and my country
is essential to good citizenship; that the laws and rules of my
Fraternity and my chapter are intended to regulate the actions
of its members, one with another, and that without fidelity to
those laws and rules I cannot be a good citizen and a worthy member
of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
I believe I should be generous with the faults of a brother,
as I should wish him to be with mine.