What if we told you what you believed to be the true nature of searching and striving in Sigma Chi wasn’t … uh … quite right? Further, what if we told you that your aspirations for yourself, your brothers and their behavior were often anchored to the minimum Standard for admission in Sigma Chi? It’s a lot to consider. But it happens frequently. For far too long, Sigma Chi has failed to provide formal guidance and education to our brothers regarding the difference between Sigma Chi’s standards, virtues and ideals. As a result, The Jordan Standard became (for many) the standard and came to be viewed as the highest echelon of enlightenment and striving in the Fraternity. We were the same way. Both of us are products of 1990s-era pledge education programming. We were made to learn and memorize The Jordan Standard which, we were told by other well-intended brothers, was what we must strive to emulate. After initiation, little time and attention was spent learning our Fraternity’s virtues or ideals. They remained elusive and given passing deference in our chapter meetings. In essence, we unlocked the secrets of Sigma Chi but failed to unpack their meaning. 

Maybe the same is true for you. Or maybe you had a fantastic pledge experience and great mentors. Whichever your experience, we think we can agree that we’re better when we have a shared language and common understanding of our terms. It is not enough to simply care about such things. Success is found in the understanding and application of these terms in our daily lives. As Sigma Chis, we know words have the power to transform and inspire. Words can move us from lives of quiet desperation to lives of deep meaning and purpose.  With that in mind, let’s fix this! We know how much you care about Sigma Chi. We know you believe our standards, virtues and ideals are too sacred to be muddied and misunderstood. To build a common understanding, we’ll take a brief look at the origins of our standards, virtues and ideals and spend a moment examining what they look like in action. Understanding this will make us a better Fraternity today and leave a clearer, brighter path for those who come tomorrow. 

Sigma Chi’s standards come to us from the address Founder Isaac M. Jordan, MIAMI (OHIO) 1857, gave in 1884 to the members of the Grand Chapter assembled in Cincinnati, Ohio. During this address, Founder Jordan said that it had been the practice of the Fraternity, since the beginning, of admitting no man to membership who is not believed to be (not one who aspires or hopes to be) a man of good character, a student of fair ability with ambitious purposes, possessed of good morals, who has a high sense of honor and possesses a deep sense of personal responsibility. It is clear here that Founder Jordan believes each man entering Sigma Chi should already possess these standards if we are to succeed. If you still doubt this, let us continue reading Founder Jordan’s 1884 address: 

“And let me here give a word of advice and admonition to the members of every chapter. Whenever you find an unworthy member of your society, expel him at once and without hesitation. Evil communications corrupt good morals, and one dishonorable man will bring reproach and dishonor upon your chapter and upon the whole Fraternity.”   

What would, in the minds of the Founders, make someone “an unworthy member”? Clearly it is one who no longer possesses the standard they believed him to possess upon inviting him to join. According to Founder Jordan, whose very name we invoke when we speak about the Founder’s standard for admission, our members either possess these standards, and they’re welcome in our order, or they don’t and must be expelled – even after initiation. The Founders not only believed this, they behaved it. Writing to the Gamma chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1857, Founder William Lewis Lockwood, MIAMI (OHIO) 1858, wrote: 

“About a week ago we expelled a member. He was a boy possessed of more than ordinary genius, but he perverted his talent, and sought his company in whiskey shops, and delighted in the caress of depraved women. He forgot what was due to the Sigma Chi, and the Sigma brothers considered him no longer worthy of membership. Better a few of those pure and strong hearted, than a host of degraded and sensual men … we are determined to take none who are not talented gentlemen. Though few in numbers, we are very strong in spirit.” 

When thinking about what standards look like in our day-to-day existence, we want you to imagine that you and a group of friends are attempting an extensive, multi-day quest in the mountains. As each of you plan for what you might need on the journey, the packing lists contain a lot of similarities: sleeping bag, tent, ample food supplies, adequate water supply, a map, a compass, a flashlight, a first-aid kit and other essentials. These are the standards for your journey. You shouldn’t endeavor this hike without these items. Without these minimal essentials, a hiker won’t be able to complete the journey. Furthermore, and as important, if you bring someone on the journey who isn’t adequately equipped, they’ll not only derail their own journey, but they’ll become a liability for the group and a drain on the resources of others who are properly equipped for the quest. No lack in these standard resources can be compensated for by a “striving” or “wishing” for such resources. The entire mission is jeopardized when we invite men on the journey who fail to pack the standards.  

Our virtues became part of Sigma Chi’s culture in 1909 when a major revision of our Fraternity’s education was adopted by the Grand Chapter. After 54 years of existence, the timing felt appropriate to pay tribute to our Founders. As such, a specific virtue was associated with each man. In its simplest form, a virtue is a behavior showing high moral standard. In Sigma Chi, we have a set of virtues by which we agree to abide. Once again, we see these are not behaviors for which we’re striving. Rather these virtues are our non-negotiable behaviors we practice and demonstrate on the daily walk of our journey. If someone were to describe every Sigma Chi they’ve ever met, our expectation is that they’d use our virtues to describe each of us. In like manner, we should always expect our brothers to conduct themselves with these virtues as a foundation of their character. Scotty Hendricks, contributing writer to Big Think, wrote:  

“Aristotle urges us to ask, “What kind of person should I be?” Aristotle sees virtues as character traits and tendencies to act in a particular way. We gain them through practice and by copying ‘moral exemplars' until we manage to internalize the virtue. We become temperate by practicing temperance, courageous by practicing courage, and so on. Eventually, the virtue becomes a habit.” 

Continuing with our analogy of a quest in the mountains, we encourage you to think of our virtues as guideposts along the trail. The guideposts provide direction and govern our steps. Walk the way long enough and we can feel the well-worn path beneath our feet, even when we can’t see the guideposts. When we first set out on our journey, we may only have a few habits, behaviors or experiences we would describe as proven or wise. But as we walk the path for three, 13 or 30 years we become wiser about the way and what the environment holds. We can see and sense the signals and know when it’s going to rain and how to protect ourselves from the elements. We know when and where the sun will rise and set. We instinctively know what the best plant sources are for food. We become so seasoned and experienced that we learn to see God and goodness in all things and appreciate the beauty and opportunity that abounds around us. The same is true for our virtues. Walk with and practice virtue long enough and it becomes habit. Habit becomes learning. Learning ripens into wisdom. 

This brings us to the matter of ideals. Article 2 of Sigma Chi’s Governing Laws state: “The purpose of this Fraternity shall be to cultivate and maintain the high ideals of friendship, justice and learning upon which Sigma Chi was founded.” Ideals, whether an object or principle, represent a standard of perfection. Think about that: “perfection.” Rarely does our organization speak of perfection. We routinely speak of the work but not of perfection. Here we can learn from the sentiments expressed in Robert Browning’s poem Andrea del Sarto that ideals are worthy of emulation, though only worthy so long as they remain just beyond our grasp. It’s the pursuit and unattainable nature of ideals which make them valuable. Here is where we strive. No matter how great your relationship with your brother is, for example, it deserves more. You walked a mile with him in his suffering? Walk another mile more. He asked to borrow your jacket, offer him your scarf and gloves as well. And while you may never achieve that ideal of perfect friendship with him, how much better would it be if we strove for that idyllic version of friendship where each acted and felt as if he was bound to the other by the most sacred ties of friendship and love? Would these friendships ever be perfect? Likely not. Brothers disagree. Brothers fight. But when we fail and have disagreements in that striving, we fall back to the guideposts of our virtues and look for ways to act with integrity and courtesy and, if we’re lucky, self-control. We’re called to strive for justice in all things as well. This too is challenging and requires striving. Few of our decisions will be perfectly just but, in the striving, they would be absent personal ambition and bias. And what a better Fraternity we would inhabit if every man was bent on justice. We would never have to expel a member or chapter for conduct as the offenders would hold themselves accountable and remove themselves from the order. This is the ideal, and while tough to imagine, it shouldn’t keep us from striving toward it. Learning is its own lifelong journey, driven by curiosity and critical thinking. There is no end to the knowledge you can acquire about any given subject. In fact, often, the more we learn the more we understand how little we truly know. We are both long-time students of Sigma Chi’s history and Ritual and don’t exaggerate when we share we’re learning new things all the time. We hope you, too, are striving to do the same about the topics you are passionate about and the world you inhabit. 

In the context of our mountain quest, the ideal is the aspiration that motivated us to embark on the journey and what inspires us to persist. And while we may never reach that idyllic state we keep striving for, we are rewarded for the effort. Along the way we experience the profound beauty of genuine friendship. We learn to make decisions with integrity, prioritizing and protecting the well-being of the group. We learn to make hard choices, staying true to our virtues and staying on the path when temptations and shortcuts emerge. Finally, we will have followed the guideposts so well for so long, we’re able to effortlessly and intuitively move along the path whether the way is bathed in sunlight or shrouded in darkness. We’re so wise to the trail’s curves and ascents that we can assist other hikers who might have grown weary or frustrated. All the while we’re being called, as C.S. Lewis wrote, “further up and further in,” toward the serene shelter of our great White Cross in the land of eternal peace and beauty. 

Brothers, the ask is this: Join us on the quest in pursuit of the ideals of Sigma Chi: friendship, justice and learning. Encourage others to do the same. Your bag is already packed with the standard items you’ll need to succeed. The guideposts are along the trail pointing the way. The most beautiful idyllic vista is just over the horizon. We look forward to seeing you on the path, further up and further in.