9. Phi Beta Delta: Heat in the Kitchen

Phi Beta Delta trains leaders. The students that help with a model United Nations, an international fair, or a congress are getting practical experience that will stand them well in years ahead. A good university education is not only about the subject matter in class but about the kind of organizational and social skills that an active Phi Beta Delta chapter should teach.

Leadership sometimes means "telling it like it is". Often we hear about people skills and certainly the old parable about the donkey being motivated more by the carrot than the stick has much validity. But there is another maxim, President Harry Truman's famous remark about the duties of his office and the criticisms that he received for change and innovation: "If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen."

If your chapter is stuck in the mud like an old Model T, it won't go anywhere by just talking. We live in a world with all kinds of enormous changes happening. So leadership means taking decisions, moving ahead, and taking some heat.

Phi Beta Delta is for real leaders. Are you a leader in your chapter? Do you set an example in terms of commitment and work? Or do you just sit on your hands? Remember, leadership is a privilege and an honor, and having a medal means having a desire to do something and not just watch others work. Reflect honor on the medal that has honored you.

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