Integrity
"The very last thing that an intelligent and self-respecting member of a democratic community should do is to reward any public man because that public man says he will get the private citizen something to which this private citizen is not entitled, or will gratify some emotion or animosity which this private citizen ought not to possess.
Excerpt From "Citizenship in a Republic," 1910
BROTHER THEODORE ROOSEVELT ON INTEGRITY
Let me illustrate this by one anecdote from my own experience. A number of years ago I was engaged in cattle-ranching on the great plains of the western United States. There were no fences. The cattle wandered free, the ownership of each being determined by the brand; the calves were branded with the brand of the cows they followed. If on the round-up an animal was passed by, the following year it would appear as an unbranded yearling, and was then called a maverick. By the custom of the country these mavericks were branded with the brand of the man on whose range they were found. One day I was riding the range with a newly hired cowboy, and we came upon a maverick. We roped and threw it; then we built a little fire, took out a cinch-ring, heated it at the fire; and the cowboy started to put on the brand. I said to him, “It is So-and-so’s brand,” naming the man on whose range we happened to be. He answered: “That’s all right, boss; I know my business.” In another moment I said to him: “Hold on, you are putting on my brand!” To which he answered: “That’s all right; I always put on the boss’s brand.” I answered: “Oh, very well. Now you go straight back to the ranch and get what is owing to you; I don’t need you any longer.” He jumped up and said: “Why, what’s the matter? I was putting on your brand.” And I answered: “Yes, my friend, and if you will steal for me you will steal from me.”
Now, the same principle which applies in private life applies also in public life. If a public man tries to get your vote by saying that he will do something wrong in your interest, you can be absolutely certain that if ever it becomes worth his while he will do something wrong against your interest."
Br. Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
"The Eliot Chapter is the closest, of what I've seen, to what an ideal chapter of the Alpha Delta Phi should be: a strong literary program, brotherhood, and a focus on morals of the men you accept."
-Br. Liam Tripp, International Consultant
INTEGRITY IS INTEGRAL.
We were the first new fraternity founded in over half a century at Washington University. That puts a lot of pressure on us to succeed, and to follow up on every thing we say we will do.
Everything we do, we have to do with integrity. We felt that fraternities should be organizations that better their members. If a member makes a mistake, they should be held accountable for it, but also helped so that they understand what they did wrong. It is all too common to see people blame each other, blame circumstances outside of their control, rather than take ownership and responsibility. And that is a problem we are trying to fix.
The above quote by our brother, Theodore Roosevelt, exemplifies this problem. If you feel similarly to him, and to us, we recommend you come to one of our many literary events or rush.
