To the New Initiates
 

IF


If you can wear the Pi Phi arrow
And not forget there are kites and keys,
If you can show your love and not be narrow
Rememb'ring that there are other things than these,
If you can laugh and dance for pleasure
Rememb'ring when the needs arise
Your arrow asks of you unstinting measure
Of sacrifice and love for all Pi Phis.

If you can dance and yet remember ever
The finer things for which your arrow stands,
A character and womanhood that never
By unclean word or deed soils lips and hands,
If Pi Phi love is always thus abiding
Yet for the lonesome girl you have a smile,
Why then I'll know 'neath your arrow's hiding
A heart that holds all lovely things worthwhile.

I've loved that poem since the first time I heard it.

:) I have too--at prefs they read it to us and there wasn't a dry eye in the house! At our initiation, we were given beautiful wine-and blue-ribboned scrolls with "If". When visiting several chapters, I found out that it's a song that many chapters use regularly but not ours. I just bought an old Pi Phi song book that has the music and I hope to learn it soon.:)

It says it all, doesn't it?

It truly does. But I had no idea it was a song!

At my pref, we were given small envelopes and told to open them after we had left the room, but before we signed our bid cards. Inside was a card that read: "Let the arrow guide your heart." So I did. Of course, by then I had cried at pref, so I knew where I wanted to go.

We have a song called "If". Is this the same one? It has different lyrics.

Carnation, I think it's a beautiful poem. I'm tempted to talk to our Rush Chair and see if we can read it for next rush!