Brothers Forever- Not just a 4 year thing

As a fraternity man, and especially a TAU, I am provided with an amazing group of men who have preceded me in the TAU experience. They are all unique in their own way and bring many different things to the table. They continue to be their for the organization that made their undergraduate career great, and the brothers that enriched their lives. I love to hear stories of the golden days of stAte. Past houses, past loves, past parties, and most importantly what makes being an ATO still important to them after so long. I can see from experience now the bonds that are being formed between me and my brothers. I have found the best man at my wedding, the grooms men, a couple who I will most likely be the godfather for their children, and friends for life. It may seem a little sentimental but I know that wherever I go in the world I will have a brother close at hand. Whether it is from my personal chapter or whether it is from the countless brothers I share at Troy, Union, etc. Its a network of guys who share the same beliefs you do any have had very similar if not the same things happen. This year we celebrate our 40th year at Arkansas State and you better believe my ears and eyes are going to be open to make some amazing memories. Not every year you get the chance to celebrate a milestone like 40. There is no better time than now to start your TAU experience.

Ruh Rah Rega I'm Proud to be a TAU!

-Secret Tau

No Hazing.....Period= Better...Best Brotherhood

What is Brotherhood? Is it Spring Break Trips in Panama? Is it weekly hang out sessions? Is it always having your brothers back?

Well its all of it and none of it at the same time. Its all of it, if you mean it, its none of it, if you don't. Brotherhood is a state of the heart/mind/soul, its a lifestyle. If it wasn't why do we need fraternity? Fraternities were created to be more than social clubs. They were founded to further ideals and goals. ATO was founded to further a better existence for man. Being a Tau, we do all of the things brotherhood consists of and we meant it. We genuinely care about each other and help push each other to greatness, and the one thing we do, is NOT HAZE.

Have you seen the news lately. I was sitting up one morning with my cereal watching CNN and what did I see? A Pike Chapter at Tulane University is suspended because they used boiling water and pepper spray on their pledges. (See below Link)

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/07/tulane.hazing/

Is this act bring together young men? Nope it doesn't. It breaks apart chapters from within and builds resentment. You see that chapters that haze have poor retention and create a barrier between pledge classes.

I can tell you from experience. That I was hazed at another Fraternity before I became a Tau, and it brought nothing but resentment and anger, and I imagine I didn't even have it that bad compared to others. But it still didn't reinforce the values of what I was being taught in pledge class.

Now, I'm a Tau, and our values strictly say hazing is negative and a detriment to good chapters. So you guess what.... We DON'T DO IT!

You are treated like a member from the time you walk through the doors, your house is our house. You will learn through those next weeks what it is to be a Tau, and you will be shown through the values we teach and follow. Real brotherhod means 100% no hazing. We won't make you do anything you don't feel comfortable doing in a tea room with your mom, your grandma, Jesus, and Dr. Potts, our chancellor( who is also our brother.) So when you pick up your bid, know that at ATO, we will show you True Brotherhood.

Ruh Rah Rega, I'm proud to be a TAU!

-Secret Tau

Who We Are....A Look at the Creed of Alpha Tau Omega....

The Creed, or our mission statement, was written in 1880 by founder Otis Allen Glazebrook. Glazebrook, a Civil War Sergeant Aggregate (Assistant to the Sergeant) saw the world through different eyes. Listed below is what he saw with families torn from the Civil War and the things vital for future generations to understand in order to preserve not only unity in the country but for human kind. Our Creed below, illustrates those beliefs, the ones we hold fast to daily.

The Creed of Alpha Tau Omega

“

To bind men together in a brotherhood based upon eternal and immutable principles, with a bond as strong as right itself and as lasting as humanity; to know no North, no South, no East, no West, but to know man as man, to teach that true men the world over should stand together and contend for supremacy of good over evil; to teach, not politics, but morals; to foster, not partisanship, but the recognition of true merit wherever found; to have no narrower limits within which to work together for the elevation of man than the outlines of the world: these were the thoughts and hopes uppermost in the minds of the founders of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

”

-Otis Allan Glazebrook 1880

To break a part our founding principles, Glazebrook and our other founders Marshall and Ross saw that True Merit should be the aim for all men regardless of "North, South, East, or West." He sought to bind men together upon "eternal and immutable principles." That they would know and use that bond to fight the evil in the world. He saw that in the future men should teach "morals" that bind instead of politics that divide, and that while "partisanship" achieves no goals, that the recognition of that True Merit would bring people together. He wanted to find a way to unite a broken nation and saw Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity as way of doing so. He succeeded, because today I have brothers across the nation that share a ambition to achieve True Merit. Won't you be one of those individuals who will set aside life's differences and see that good that people truly do.

A good Question to ask is that if you can be brothers and last through one of the bloodiest wars in history, can't your brotherhood survive anything. Isn't our brotherhood built on an amazing foundation.

What a legacy to be a part of. Since 1865, and going Strong!

Ruh Rah Rega, I'm Proud to be a Tau!

Won't You Be My Brother,

---Secret Tau

40th Year Anniversary Celebration Announced

ATO Eta Gamma will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. Below is a schedule for the events of 40th Anniversary/Founder's Day Weekend.

Tickets for the events will be sold and more information will be distributed through the alumni web chain.

Friday September 5th

7 p.m. to 9 p.m. BBQ at the ChapterHouses 1905 and 1907 Eldridge.
Tours of Chapter Houses and the Campus.

Saturday September 6th

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Founders Recognition Banquet at Western Sizzlin.

2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tailgating

6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Game against Texas Southern

Sunday September 7th

9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Attend Church with Actives

12 Noon Lunch

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Reaffirmation Ceremony for Founders.

As the School Year Ends...

This has been an amazing and changing year to Arkansas Eta Gamma. We would like thank our amazing Board of Trustees, mentors, and Exec Board for a great year. Everyone get ready for a fun summer and a jam packed fall semester. This is the 40th Anniversary for Eta Gamma, so prepare for a celebration. Check out the sidebar for upcoming events and rush trips. Theres no better time to be a TAU!

Congrats to Brothers...

This year Taus have been doing it big on ASU Campus, here are just a few of the many successes of Eta Gamma ATO's.

• Jonthon Cortright, ‘11, of Star City as the new ASU Spirit Character (Mascot), Red.
  

• Cameron Deem, ‘10, WM of Conway, recently won 3rd at the Deep South Region Surveying contest.
  

• Bryan Bristol, ‘10 of Greenbrier, was chosen as 2008-2009 Student Activities Board Vice President and Interfraternity Council Recruitment Director.
  

• Ashton Gilstrap, '11 of Little Rock, won several moot court competitions this year including being named second moot court contender in the region. He was also named Honor's College Association Secretary.
  

• Jeremy Willis, ‘09, of Hot Springs recently won 3rd at Drake University track meet in the pole vault.
  

New Sign

To mark the forty-year anniversary of the founding of Arkansas Eta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega at Arkansas State University, the Alumni Association has erected a new sign in the front yard of the Chapter houses on the corner of Eldridge and University Loop West. Inspecting the new are sign are from left to right Actives Ashton Gilstrap, Bryan Bristol,Chris Ishmael and Cameron Deem, WM. New landscaping around the sign will also be installed.