Last night, I attended many of my pledge brothers’ final chapter.  Just to make it clear, a pledge brother is a brother of the fraternity who is a part of your pledging class.  Chapter is the time the fraternity meets to conduct the fraternal business. Many of my pledge brothers are graduating and we have one last chapter dedicated to these seniors. 

Final chapter is the time for the seniors to share stories of their college career, say good bye to good friends and tell how Phi Delta Theta has made an impact on their life.   Last night, I shared laughs with my fraternity brothers and tears while we said our good byes to each other.  I cannot even imagine how emotional I will get during my final chapter.  However, this is what fraternity life is truly about. It is about developing bonds with friends that will last a life time.

I know through my fraternity experience I have developed a group of friends who will always be there for me.  I know that no matter how hard life may get that I will always have a friend to help pick me up.  When I rushed, I was told that my pledge brothers would become my best friends for life.  However, I never really understood how true that statement was until I said my goodbyes to many of pledge brothers.   

The mark of excellence for any community organization is not what it can take from its community, rather what it can give back. The Men of Phi Delta Theta are firm believers in providing time and energy which directly benefits our University and the ctiy of Stillwater. During any given year, Phi Delta Theta takes part in more than 20 philanthropic activities.  We take pride in supporting our community and take it seriously.

With many different events we take participation, our annual House of Treats is an annual favorite.  On Halloween night, the chapter house doors are open to the community providing a fun, safe and friendly place for more than 500 families to enjoy Halloween.  The event has grown over the last four years making a significant and positive impact on our community and its children. 

Also, Phi Delta Theta hosts a camp sponsored by Big Brothers and Big Sisters, sponsors a local elementary class, and raises money for cause like “Relay for Life.”  Our philanthorpy involvement is a simple indication of our commitment to build an organization that our university, community and our members can be proud of.

Besides fraternity and community activities, Phi Delta Theta members are passionate about being active with the University.  In addition to individual service and accomplishments, we participate in a variety of campus wide activies.  These activities include OSU’s nationally renowned Homecoming, Freshman Follies, Spring Sing, and Greek Week, among others.  These acitivities require 100 percent member participation and support.

When we decide to take part in an activity, we don’t accept mediocrity.  This drive and determination to succeed is largely responsible for the fact that the director of Orange Peel (the nation’s 2nd largest student run organization) for the past two years was A Phi Delts. Also, the executive directors for Camp Cowboy for 2005 were Phi Delts.

The fact that the directors of two of the largest organizations on campus are members of Phi Delta Theta says a lot about what direction we are going in.  These honors exemplify what we strive for as a fraternity. Excellence.

Please feel free to learn more about the organizations our leaders run:

1. 2005 Executive Director of ORANGE PEEL
2. 2005 Exectuive Director of CAMP COWBOY

Phi Delta Theta has been awarded the Dean Trolel Sports Award for back to back years.  Intramural athletics is one of the largest campus wide competitions each year and an integral part of our environment.  Intramurals offer members a chance to take part in a variety of contest, sports and activities. 

From billiards to football, there is definitely something for everyone and Phi Delta Theta takes part in every competition.  Along with the All-Mens competition, we are also a dominate force in the Co-Rec competitions.  We have placed top three, in the All-mens competition, for the last seven years.  As Phi Delts, we like to give our 110 percent and will always remain fiercely competitive.  Intramurals are team spirited competitions and our members consistently step up to bring home pride, achievements and trophies.

Feel free to lean more about INTRAMURAL ATHLETICS.

Being a part of a fraternity offers so many things.  One of these is brotherhood.  It is not a tangible object, it has no exact definition, and it cannot be mapped in a flowchart.  However, brotherhood does exist and it can be found in the members of Phi Delta Theta.

One of the greatest parts of being in a fraternity is the relationships developed between  members.  At Phi Delta Theta, our bond is strong. We share joy and sadness, victory and defeat, opportunities and adversity, but above all, we share our brother hood.  This brother hood has been built upon a foundation of more than 150 years and continues to grow each day.  Phi Delta Theta is about growth, personal development and being apart of a unique family.

Phi Delta Theta has been a huge part of my life. In this fraternity, I have developed bonds with my fraternity brothers that will last a life time. These are the guys who are going to be the ones I call if I ever need help or the guys who will be my best men in my weeding. 

I almost did not sign a fraternity when I came up to school at Oklahoma State University. Today, I look at signing my fraternity as one of the smartest decision that I have ever made in life.  In my fraternity, I have shared the good times and the bad times with my brothers. I have celebrated with my brothers when they accomplished something great and I have cried with them when times were rough. My fraternity brothers are my best friends. 

I am going to take the next few blogs to tell a little about my fraternity as if you were a rushee.  Please feel free to learn more about PHI DELTA THETA.