What is Brotherhood?

I know, I have been posting a lot on friendship and brotherhood lately, but it has been at the center of my feelings. My brothers, including at University of Michigan, are my purpose right now. So, with that, an essay on brotherhood by an unknown author. Read, share your thoughts. This sums things up for me. I love my brothers, even if I don’t always like what some do, I love them. In Hoc

What Is The Meaning Of True Brotherhood?
Brotherhood is that intangible feeling that is the core of a fraternity. There are many exterior signs of it. The pride of a victory or a job well done is an example. Having a drink with your brothers. Working your butt off building a float. Initiation of a pledge class. Studying together to pass this damn test. I could go on and on since the examples are endless.

Personally, brotherhood places upon me a great responsibility. I must faithfully discharge my duties to the Fraternity. Every man must do his best and he must be able to admit that he has done so.
Nobody could ask any more.

There is also a responsibility to your brothers. You must respect them for what they are. Each man is an individual and must be accepted as such. Perhaps this is very difficult sometimes. But you must look past the surface to the bond that makes a man your brother. You must never fail him.

Of course there is a great deal of personal responsibility. You also must be an individual. You must do your part and make your
contribution to the fraternity. A means to those ends is perhaps the difficult point. How do I contribute to the brotherhood? I feel the key is the giving of one’s self. Each man must contribute a portion of his entire being – mental, spiritual, physical, social. Only then may the group be stronger.

This is an extremely difficult step and requires an extreme faith in yourself and the Fraternity. It is this faith upon which the entire Fraternity is founded. When everything else is gone it will remain. Take it away and you have just another social club. I suppose this could all be summed up as the spirit of Sigma Chi. Add the Jordan Standard, my badge and the objectives and obligations of the Fraternity and you have also begun to hit on what I am trying to say. These are words symbolizing an ideal. They are only a representation of something much larger and much stronger. They are attempts (this essay included) to somehow define the undefinable.

The one thing which sums up brotherhood for me is love – and who has ever been able to define that word? I truly love each of my brothers. And, although I give of myself, I am much stronger for it. It’s just a very, very special feeling – and I’m damn glad this chapter has it!