One Man is No Man

A few weeks ago I went to a Phi Delta Theta Fraternity Convention.  Although it has its official reasons for convening regularly, it is also a chance to meet other like-minded guys who really want to do something good for the Fraternity.  When one goes as an undergraduate or as a very recent alumnus, I would be neither by the way, it is easy to get all fired up, inspired, and motivated to go back to your chapter or locale and really make things happen.  But then one gets back to where they came from only to find that they are all alone in their great ambition.  Nobody else from their chapter or locale was at Convention.  For the rest it was just the same old routine, as usual.  Some places might have a few guys at Convention but not very many and they would be the exception rather than the rule anyway.  In other words, the population at one of these Conventions is very skewed.

As someone who's pretty solidly a member of the alumni ranks these days, I fully understand that most people in my locale are not all that excited about fellowship with their Brother Phis.  They are not going to be like the super-skewed population that one finds at Convention.  It's much like being a very enthusiastic undergraduate amongst a majority of people who are more interested in "what's in it for me?"  The alumni population is generally more interested in networking than in fellowship.  People really do not change much with age.

If you're trying to start a local alumni club, trying to be a good Chapter Advisory Board member according to the Fraternity's standards and expectations, or trying to implement or revamp a program in your undergraduate chapter, it can seem overwhelming if you feel like you're alone in this effort.  What you have to offer just does not seem like nearly enough.  Our Fraternity's open motto is "One Man is No Man."  It means "we enjoy life by the help and society of others."  You don't need to win over the majority of people in your chapter or locale or even a very large number of them.  You only need a few hands to help you along.  It is amazing what you can accomplish if you just do your small part and a few other people do the same.  Suddenly things no longer seem so overwhelming.  What little you have to offer actually gets a lot done, just as long as you offer it.  Robert Morrison, one of our founders, said "To do what ought to be done but would not have been done unless I did it, I thought to be my duty."

John 6: 1-15