Our Values
Core Values
At Phi Gamma Delta we have a core set of values, which influence our every action. We pride ourselves on these values as they are the source of our success and reputation at DePauw. Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality, and Excellence -- These are our values. By embracing them we believe that we can become gentlemen of quality, and we hope that by upholding these values, our actions will influence others to do likewise.
Friendship
The very word “fraternity” means brother, and how can one be a brother without first being a friend. As such, friendship is the centerpiece of fraternity. We are a group of men each of whom is a friend to the other. All people are welcome at FIJI. We foster friendship through various brotherhood events, such as bowling or movies. Additionally, we have more casual events, such as the occasional bonfire in the backyard, or a pickup game of four-square after dinner. By living with a constant group of men, it is possible for such spontaneous events to occur, which in turn fosters friendship.
Knowledge
We here at FIJI place scholarship above all else. The sole purpose of attending DePauw is to increase our knowledge in order to better prepare ourselves for the workforce. As such, we aim for the best academically. We have achieved numerous awards — both as a chapter and as individuals — for our scholarship, which is a strong testament to our pursuit of knowledge. Every semester we hold a scholarship dinner in which faculty dine with us and share in recognition of the individual achievements of the brothers in the house.
Service
Service, the act of giving one’s time, money or resources to aid another. This selfless gesture comes readily to the members of Phi Gamma Delta. Each semester, FIJI holds numerous philanthropic events to better others. For example, in the fall, we hold our annual Bark-B-Q with Kappa Alpha Theta, our sister sorority, in order to raise money for the local Humane Society. Through these group projects, as well as many individual projects, we humbly seek to share our fortunes with others.
Morality
The gentlemen of Phi Gamma Delta pride themselves on their character, which is built upon a strong moral foundation. We strive to treat all people with equal respect and accord to them that which is their due. The strongest testament of our moral character is the diversity of our members. We accept all people as they are and pride ourselves on our differences. For this reason we have brothers involved in music, theater, sports, academic clubs and more. Finally, we are proud to call several international students our brothers. In contrast to our open minds is our closed tolerance toward hazing. We believe that all brothers are equal from the instant they become new members. We abhor all forms of degrading behavior and pride ourselves on promoting brotherhood through positive interactions.
Excellence
Friendship, knowledge, service and morality — these are lofty values, but that we strive for excellence as it enriches each value tenfold. We do not strive for mediocrity, for that comes easily. Instead, we shoot for the moon, knowing that should we fail, we will land among the stars. It is this drive for excellence that defines FIJI. We challenge ourselves and each other to be all that we can. This is evident in our brothers’ leadership and involvement on campus. At Phi Gamma Delta we strive for excellence.