One authority says there are 3363 institutions of higher learning in the United States. A Unesco figure some years ago was that there were more than 29,000 universities in the world. Presumably those figures vary but the fact is that there are an awful lot of colleges and universities. Most of them have students from other countries. Canadian universities have Argentineans and British universities have Americans, and so on -- and on. The permutations are mind stretching. Moreover, we can safely say that having some people who are particularly tuned to the problems of international programs, the challenge facing foreign students, the trials and tribulations of students from the home campus going overseas, is all to the good. So we have to admit that Phi Beta Delta has a long way to go in chapter expansion.
You may think colonization is the job of your international officers, and it certainly is. However, it is also your job. Chapters should go out and start chapters at schools that are nearby, are connected by athletics or historical origins, or where chapter members have friends. Having some chapters near you will make your own activities more fun -- the doors are opened wider for the sociability and collegiality, which is part of the Phi Beta Delta experience.
Just think if there were 3363 chapters of Phi Beta Delta. What a mighty force that would be for international understanding! What a powerful force for good! That isn't going to happen tomorrow, but if each of us sees that our chapter works on expansion, we will see a lot more chapters in the future than now and all of us will be the gainers. Light a candle rather than curse the darkness.
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