Most Meaningful part of creed, mission, symphony, etc.

[NutBrnHair]

"...in a word, to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note."

[Katmandu]

All of the above posted are really beautiful and inspirational.

For my own KD, although I love the open motto--Let us strive for that which is honorable, beautiful, and highest, I have always really appreciated the ideals of the creed:

May We,
Sisters in Kappa Delta,
strive each day to seek more earnestly the honorable and beautiful things.
May We, each day, through love of those within our circle,
Learn to know and understand better those without our circle.
May the diamond shield that guards our love find us each day
Truer,
Wiser,
More Faithful,
More Loving,
and More Noble.

[lilzetakitten]

My favorite is the last line of our creed: "Remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was love, 'the greatest of all things.'"

[Cutie_Hootie]

I love our entire Symphony (in fact, the first time I heard it was at Pref--I got cold chills and just knew Chi-O was the place for me), but the part that speaks to me the most is in bold below:

To live constantly above snobbery of word or deed; to place scholarship before social obligations and character before appearances; to be, in the best sense, democratic rather than 'exclusive', and lovable rather than 'popular'; to work earnestly, to speak kindly, to act sincerely, to choose thoughtfully that course which occasion and conscience demand; to be womanly always; to be discouraged never; in a word, to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note.

Ethel Switzer Howard, Xi Chapter, Northwestern University, 1904

[flirt5721]

Symphony of Alpha Xi Delt

These things, do we earnestly desire:

A clear vision of life,
That with gracious and kindly hearts,
We may share both joy and sorrow,
And bring into living reality,
The sisterhood of women.

An appreciation of real merit and worth,
Steadfastness of soul,
That without bitterness or defeat,
We may encounter misfortune,
And with humility meet success.

These things, O Lord,
Help us to instill within our hearts,
That we may grow in
Courage, Graciousness and Peace


Vision
Inspiring women to realize their potential.

Mission
The mission of Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity is to enrich the life of every Alpha Xi Delta. We will:

* Nurture unity and cooperation.
* Foster intellectual, professional, and personal growth.
* Exemplify the highest ethical conduct.
* Instill community responsibility.
* Perpetuate fraternal growth.

[MaggieXi]

Originally Posted by flirt5721

Symphony of Alpha Xi Delt

These things, do we earnestly desire:

A clear vision of life,
That with gracious and kindly hearts,
We may share both joy and sorrow,
And bring into living reality,
The sisterhood of women.

An appreciation of real merit and worth,
Steadfastness of soul,
That without bitterness or defeat,
We may encounter misfortune,
And with humility meet success.

These things, O Lord,
Help us to instill within our hearts,
That we may grow in
Courage, Graciousness and Peace

I've always loved the parts in bold!

[JonoBN41]

I like the second part of ours the best.

May we have faith in Lambda Chi Alpha and passion for its welfare.
May we have hope for the future of Lambda Chi Alpha and strength to fight for its teachings.
May we have pure hearts that we may approach the ideal of perfect brotherly love.

Incredibly, our creed was not published in our pledge manual until 1995. I don't know when it was written.

[Hopeful_Bubbles]

"The Purpose of Delta Delta Delta shall be to establish a perpetual bond of friendship among its member, to develop a stronger and more womanly character, to broaden the moral and intellectual life, and to assist its members in every possible way"

Oh and...
"Let us steadfastly love one another"
What more can I say?

[AOII Angel]

So...my favorite AOII things are secret! We don't have a creed or a symphony...no open motto. Our founders liked to keep things quiet!
We do have a new mission statement that I like- "Women enriched by lifelong friendships." Like one of our international officers said to me, "Isn't that what it's all about?" We do have an "object" statement-
The object of the Fraternity shall be to encourage a spirit of Fraternity and love among its members; to stand at all times for character, dignity, scholarship, and college loyalty; to strive for and support the best interest of the colleges and universities in which chapters are installed, and in no way to disregard, injure, or sacrifice those interests for the sake of prestige or advancement of the Fraternity or any of its chapters.

I think that this sums up AOII fairly well. My favorite part is in bold. It keeps things in perspective.

[katybelle04]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

"...in a word, to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note."

THAT IS CRAZY!!!! There is a line in our creed JUST like that!!!


To realize that within our grasp, in Zeta Tau Alpha, lies the opportunity to learn those things which will ever enrich and ennoble our lives; to be true to ourselves, to those within and without our circle; to think in terms of all mankind and our service in the world; to be steadfast, strong, and clean of heart and mind, remembering that since the thought is father to the deed, only that which we would have manifested in our experience should be entertained in thought; to find satisfaction in being, rather than seeming, thus strengthening in us the higher qualities of the spirit; to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving, thereby earning the right to be served; to seek understanding that we might gain true wisdom; to look for the good in everyone; to see beauty, with its enriching influence; to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat; to have the welfare and harmony of the Fraternity at heart, striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, devotion to the Right, the Good, and the True, without a discordant note; remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was Love, “the greatest of all things.” -- Shirley Kreasan Strout

I think the entire thing is beautifully written, but more importantly, incredibly meaningful!

[Thetagirl218]

Kappa Alpha Theta's Fraternity Purpose and Mission Statement (I put in bold my favorite parts):

Fraternity Purpose:

The intellectual ambition of the Fraternity shall be the attainment of highest scholarship. The social aim of the Fraternity shall be to exercise the widest influence for good. The moral aim of the Fraternity shall be the standard of love.

Mission Statement:

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Kappa Alpha Theta exists to nurture each member throughout her college and alumnae experience and to offer a lifelong opportunity for social, intellectual, and moral growth as she meets the higher and broader demands of mature life.


Okay, so I love our mission statement!

[AlwaysSAI]

FAVORITES IN RED

Sigma Alpha Iota Purpose
- TO FORM chapters of women college students and alumnae who have a sincere interest in music.
- TO UPHOLD the highest standards of music.
- TO FURTHER the development of music in America and throughout the world.
- TO GIVE inspiration and encouragement to members.
- TO ORGANIZE the cultural life of Sigma Alpha Iota members as a contributing factor to their educational growth.
- TO SUPPORT the ideals and goals of the member's Alma Mater.
- TO ADHERE to the highest standards of citizenship in school, community and fraternity life.


Sigma Alpha Iota Symphony
* To study and practice the goodness of life, the beauty of art, the meaning of music.
* To sing the song of sincerity and universal peace.
* To speak the words that build, that bless and comfort.
* To play the harpstrings of loving kindness, tolerance, appreciation, and genuine gratitude.
* To strive for the joy of simplicity, for the noble, to be faithful over a few things.
* To listen, to be still and know the harmony from within.
* To falter never in seeking loving service, wisdom, and understanding.
* In a word, to be loyal to Sigma Alpha Iota and her teachings; to find joy, hope, inspiration; to remember that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" and "whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men."
* And again to practice.
* This is to be our Symphony.

-Esther Requarth, Nu

Sigma Alpha Iota Chorale
by - Margaret Blackburn, Alpha Mu

Daughters of a great and singing nation,
Let your voices rise in dedication,
Music tells unspoken noble creeds;
Music beautifies the simplest deeds;
Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota.

Sing the greatness of the soul and spirit,
Sing the joy of peace and friendship's merit,
Music is a kind and truthful speech;
In a language out of mere word's reach,
Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota.

Those are all my favorites for SAI. I'm still thinking about Phi Sig. I'll post that later.

[AnchorAlumna]

Forgive my ignorance. What is a symphony? I've never heard that word associated with anything but music.

[groovypq]

Originally Posted by katybelle04

To realize that within our grasp, in Zeta Tau Alpha, lies the opportunity to learn those things which will ever enrich and ennoble our lives; to be true to ourselves, to those within and without our circle; to think in terms of all mankind and our service in the world; to be steadfast, strong, and clean of heart and mind, remembering that since the thought is father to the deed, only that which we would have manifested in our experience should be entertained in thought; to find satisfaction in being, rather than seeming, thus strengthening in us the higher qualities of the spirit; to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving, thereby earning the right to be served; to seek understanding that we might gain true wisdom; to look for the good in everyone; to see beauty, with its enriching influence; to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat; to have the welfare and harmony of the Fraternity at heart, striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, devotion to the Right, the Good, and the True, without a discordant note; remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was Love, “the greatest of all things.” -- Shirley Kreasan Strout

I think the entire thing is beautifully written, but more importantly, incredibly meaningful!

I'm so glad someone bumped this thread! I'd never seen it before, but I enjoyed reading all the other creeds and members' feelings about them.

I love the ZTA creed (obviously I'm biased!) - and like most others, the last line is my favorite. I also like:
-to see beauty, with its enriching influence;
-to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat; (that's kind of the jock in me coming out )
-striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, devotion to the Right, the Good, and the True, without a discordant note; (I like the musicality of this notion)

[nhpgator]

AOII - One Motto, One Badge, One Bond and Singleness of Heart!

It just seems to sum it up and, well, be so "simple" and all inclusive. It ties us all together.