The campus is busy and full of action. Gannon has many events students can take part in to bring a sense of community to this familial environment.
One of the popular traditions on campus is the recruitment of fraternity and sorority prospects. How are these timely traditions relevant to this column?
If, for a moment, we can think of the structure and mission statement of fraternities and sororities and compare it to that of the early Christian community, we can place our life right in the middle of the early Christian community and then see how that fits into this campus.
What is the goal of this fraternity? What will my participating bring to better others? Am I joining to find an identity?
Leaders are especially commissioned with the responsibility of the entire community. The board members need to possess the quality of what a bishop had in the early community of followers.
The letters to Timothy are an example of what qualities a leader should possess. The epistles or the letters sent from Paul, who is aged, to Timothy, a younger colleague, are full of counsel and instruction. These instructions include the responsibility of the leaders of the community. There is a guideline that is still relevant today.
The leaders of the Greek communities are bound by the very office they hold to secure a positive and a life-giving environment that will form the persons whom they lead to help them become responsible and prosperous members of the world.
If all I want out of a society is to be able to wear letters and drink, I really need to dig deeper.
I don’t live in a vacuum and I am not ignorant to the goings on in the “Greek world;” and it is likely that by the end of these next few weeks we will have examples of poor leadership. But lots of good can still come about in these societies.
What is it that we are going to accomplish in this society? What vision is it that we have and how will we accomplish it?
These questions are ones that need to be examined and answered and then mapped out for the entire organization.
Paul was well known throughout the towns and was responsible for bringing Timothy to the faith by Paul; he was Timothy’s mentor.
Paul gave Timothy instructions on how to address communities that were not so reputable and were less than desirable to live in. There was a way to better that community and Paul wanted that vision to be shared and then he gave Timothy the map on how to get there.
This applies for Gannon Greek life. There is a mission that is stated and then there are events and activities that accomplish it.
The road to better a reputation of a fraternity or sorority that has a less than desirable reputation lies in the hands of the leaders. The direction of the lives of those involved hinges on the instruction of the board members.
What happens after you find out that this particular society is not what you thought? The leaders are not fulfilling the mission statement and you are disappointed. Well, ask what have you really done to make it better. Ask how dedicated upi were to making the difference and changes that are in line with the mission.
The key to life, whether in a formal society or not, is accountability. Standards need to be met in every function we do. There needs to be honest accountability. When someone is not up to the task, find out why. If you are not doing your part, step up and get it done.
The hardest thing to do is to look at the laziness and shortcomings of our life and also that of the society we are in and then correct them. Correction and support are where the real meaning of the societies lies.
The time to show the compassion and love that Christ calls us to is the time when a member struggling with an issue asks – or doesn’t ask – for help.
Paul held the teachings of Christ as the standards to live by and he recruited Timothy, passed them on with a vision and instruction and encouraged the members of the community to be better people.
Being a member of a fraternity or sorority has many benefits and the biggest value is in being a positive role model and an active member who leads a community by living the example of Christ. Think before you act and ask important questions.
ROB LOPEZ
