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Originally Posted by MysticCat
dnall, it seems to me that ATO has held on to this particular aspect of its heritage/history more than most if not almost all other GLOs with a similar background, at least of the NIC/IFC variety. By that, I mean that while many groups acknowledge that they are founded on and espouse Judeo-Christian values, ATO seems to take it further with more stress on its spiritual dimensions. (I know there was discussion here at one point about ATO publishing a devotional book and having a prayer "room" on its national website -- don't know if either of these are still around.)
Do you think that this religious dimension has, in fact, remained more a part of ATO's national identity than is the case in other GLOs? And if you do, can you say why? (Understood if you can't.) I just find it very interesting and informative.
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Yeah we have all that & a little more.
We used to have a spiritual consultant that toured around. He wasn't there for the dog & pony show. He wasn't supposed to report bad stuff unless it happened in front of him. He was there to see what was really going on in your chapter and help you get back to the fundamentals. He did a session with movie clips to reinforce the ritual/creed & used that as a basis to get the chaplain running continuing education for actives. That was badass, but it got discontinued due to cost.
We still do a spiritual leadership retreat hiking through the Rockies for a week. Never been, but hear it's real cool.
But anyway, to your question... I can give you a really simple answer you won't understand, or I can take a minute to explain it in more detail so you get it.
I would say XYZ can be based on whatever judeo-christian values, fine. But why does it exist?
If that answer is a social club, mutually supporting each other, standing up for the rights of people like us (ie make my own life better), &/or self-improvement then I don't understand why they still exist.
I can see the short term by the founders. I can see a chapter operating as a social club. I can see some alumni caring about their past experience and the friends they had it with. I cannot see a national org & involved alumni without purpose. All that would leave behind is taking money off chapters to pay the staff and spray around a few scholarships. That would be tragic.
ATO chapters exist ONLY to recruit men of quality and train them to accomplish our mission as alumni. They do a lot of other stuff like any fraternity, but that's just bonus. If only the bonus existed, we'd dissolve the org.
The simple answer is that is who ATO is. That's our lives & we've sworn our soul before God to execute it forever and be judged by him on our performance of this calling.
Without the mission, it's just some dumb letters on the front of a house full of drunk assholes trying hook up & pissing off the neighbors. That's not a fraternity and cannot be allowed to exist, at least not with my letters on it.
I mean I can talk to you a lot about the mission and purpose. I can explain the principles just using synonyms for the actual words. I can tell you the 50 something bible versus in our ritual. I can tell you almost everything about my fraternity with the exception of the actual secret stuff. We're not supposed to hide that stuff. We're supposed to be finding rushees that believe & buy into that concept, and we're supposed to be spreading that message to the world, so not at all secret. The handshake and password and stuff are the only real secrets.
I couldn't comment on other orgs. I've seen some where I don't see the purpose and I have an very hard time understanding them. But I've also seen others where I can very clearly understand they have very important mission & members are deeply committed to it.
All I can say is I hope all orgs have a purpose and commitment on par with my org. If they don't I feel sorry for them and it effects my respect for their org. If they've lost their way, I think it's vitally important the reexamine who they are and get back to those roots. If they never had a serious purpose, which I hope has never in history been the case, then I would hope they'd either remake their org or dissolve cause that's a waste of space making us all look bad.
Anyway, I'm sure that's long. Clearly passionate about my org, and always difficult to explain your passions to get across your feelings and why you have them (maybe girls are better at this?
). But, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.