Regents Message for NHPW
By Regent Maury Gaston (Auburn)
“To win in the fresh morning of our youth the loyal love of faithful friends …”
You recognize that from the preamble to our Creed of Sigma Nu.
This is National Hazing Prevention Week.
You don’t win loyal love by hazing. Hazing actually produces the opposite. You win loyal love by loving. Our Creed’s preamble also says, “To try bravely to do unto our fellow men as would they do unto us.”
Hazing divides, demeans, and destroys. It has no place in a fraternity. You would not go to work for a company that hazes new employees. Why should someone join a fraternity that hazes new members?
New members should be embraced, mentored, guided, supported, and encouraged. We should treat new members as we’d like our younger sibling brothers to be treated. We should treat young women as we’d like our younger sisters to be treated. This is known as the Golden Rule, and it’s golden as a guide for behavior and relationships.
Big Brothers, Dads, Pops, whatever your chapter nomenclature, guard with jealous care the nurturing and development of your new members. By doing so, you will create a Sigma Nu who loves his chapter, his fraternity, and his brotherhood. I spoke at Grand Chapter when sworn in as Regent about the ongoing relationship with my Big Brother and how he continues to inspire and encourage me. See a clip of this portion of my speech on the Fraternity’s YouTube channel.
I also said at that time that I aspire for Sigma Nu to provide the best collegiate and alumni fraternity experience in America. Hazing has no part in that. The best collegiate fraternity experience in America is one in which no hazing occurs, and intentional support and encouragement are part of the chapter culture. Let’s not simply avoid hazing. Let’s embrace mentoring, support, and encouragement. That will grow and develop into the best alumni Fraternity experience in America.
I’ll be forever grateful for the encouraging and supportive environment in which I began my Fraternal career. I hope every Sigma Nu Brother will aspire for it to be said of him, “He ever bore, without abuse, the grand ole name of gentleman.”
If we do that, we fulfill the purposes of National Hazing Prevention Week, and more importantly, we fulfill the values of Sigma Nu – Love, Honor, and Truth.