FOUNDERS’ DAY MESSAGE 2004
Fraternal Living According to the Buddhists In the hearts and minds of every Delta Chi, October 13, 1890 is a date to be remembered, and on behalf of the Board of Regents of The Delta Chi Fraternity, I am pleased to send along good wishes for the 114th Founders’ Day to Delta Chis all over North America and the world. On August 8th, I had the privilege of being sworn in as the 49th “AA” of The Delta Chi Fraternity. For me, that event was the culmination of a goal I set for myself as a junior at Kent State University in 1988. People who knew me then knew that one day I wanted to lead this great organization. That resolve only got stronger as the years went by, as I met the outstanding young men and alumni who make up this fraternity and as I continued to see every day how Delta Chi can change your life if you will provide it the opportunity to do so. Please accept my sincere thanks for the confidence you have placed in me. I wanted to share something personal about me with my first Founders’ Day Message. My closest friends know that you can learn a lot about me by looking in my wallet. I carry
some personal things with me at all times. One of those things is a small article titled Robert’s Rules of Order. It was written by Robert Dedman, who grew up in poverty but always had pride and optimism. He was the founder and chairman of ClubCorp in Dallas, Texas. Dedman had ten rules by which he lived his fabulously successful life: 1. A sense of balance must apply to all areas of your life, not just your livelihood. 2. It is so important in life to have a life plan. Planning is a prelude to balance. 3. The more you learn, the more you earn. Even more importantly, the more you learn, the more you live. 4. A positive mental attitude is a key ingredient to a balanced, long and happy life. 5. Humor is one of the best ways to get and keep a positive mental attitude. When times get tough, humor helps… even sick humor. 6. It’s nice to be important, but even more important to be nice. 7. Setting up win-win relationships is the ultimate measure of success in life.
8. Be a giver, not a taker. They don’t put luggage racks on hearses for good reason. 9. Integrity, good health, family and friends are worth more than money can buy. 10.Don’t forget to have fun. The more fun you have, the more money you make. It works both ways, the more money you make, the more fun you have. I have carried that article with me for a number of years now, and it has become a driving force in how I try to live my life. I share it with you because I believe it is applicable across all levels of Delta Chi membership. It applies to college students. It applies to alumni. It applies to chapters. Balance, planning, positive mental attitude, humor, fun, relationships, being nice – all things that can lead to success for a person or a chapter as a whole. On this Founders’ Day, I hope all Delta Chis, alumni and undergraduates alike, will commit to improving the quality of their lives as well as
that of those around them. Using any of Robert’s Rules can help you achieve that goal. I also want to focus this Founders’ Day on the importance of Fraternity. Our future may not be entirely within our control, but most of what we become is within our power to create. And what we seek to create, whether in a fraternity chapter, a family,
Volume 101 No. 3
Founders’ Day Message Convention Review Convention Attendees Fraternity Donors Tribute to George Obear
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or in our business relationships, is a state of fraternity – of fraternal living. I read an article recently that highlighted the Six Steps for Fraternal Living from the Buddhist faith. It is highly appropriate to our mission to promote friendship, develop character, advance justice, and assist in the acquisition of a sound education. I paraphrase it for you here.
“Our future may not be entirely within our control, but most of what we become is within our power to create.”
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Steven P. Bossart, “AA”
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tional Headquarters, P.O. Box 1817, Iowa City, IA 52244-1817. Phone: (319) 337-4811; FAX: (319) 337-5529; e-mail: DChiHQ@deltachi.org Editor: Raymond D. Galbreth, MO ’69. Please visit us at: www.deltachi.org!
To accomplish fraternity, we need goodwill. We must first have actions based on goodwill. These actions will help to create a feeling of togetherness and, as such, add to the stability of our communities and provide the basic structure within which people can constructively express their full potential. We must have speech based on goodwill: this is important in meetings and discussions. When we speak with goodwill, we are motivated by a sincere desire for understanding and harmony, and we speak constructively. Without goodwill, problems become causes for argument and eventually lead to aggression. We must also have thoughts based on goodwill: when goodwill is incorporated into our reasoning it helps to counteract the negative forces of greed, hatred and delusion. Instead we consider things with a clear intention for mutual
