Mission

Our mission statement is as follows,

Pi Kappa Alpha will set the standard of integrity, intellect, and achievement for our members, host institutions, and the communities in which we live.

I feel as if our chapter is on the rise.  We look for guys that possess these qualities and that strive to be the best.  I think that it is through fraternal life that leaders are shaped and influenced.  Through my own experience, I have noticed that not everyone has the same beliefs and opinions on things.  That happens in life, duh.  But because of that, I think we become better leaders because we have to talk through problems and create solutions.  If someone does something wrong, they hear about it, and they learn from the what they did.  Our members are held to a high standard of integrity because we want to be viewed as gentlemen.

In regards to intellect, I feel our fraternity is beginning to establish itself as a much stronger intellectual organization.  The definition of intellect is, capacity for thinking and acquiring knowledge, esp. of a high or complex order; mental capacity.  In regards to this definition, we have these things.  A large number of our members are engineers of different sorts.  We strive to make ourselves better and more knowledgeable in regards to our course of study.  Our GPA is not the best or the worst, but we as a chapter are working very hard to bring this "number" up.  I say number like that, because GPA is just a number.  Nowhere in the definition of intellect does it say high GPA, it says capacity for thinking and aquiring knowledge of a high or complex order.  To me, we as a chapter are doing that.  Society is crazy about numbers and figures, and that is why GPA is so important.

Achievement.  What a wonderful word!  We have won the fraternity cup, we have several leaders on campus, and we have moved to a place on campus where everyone can see us and where we're going.  I think that by our achievements we bring the greek community up.  If our fraternity is giving a good image, I think that does some good in speaking for the whole greek community.  A lot of people make first impressions, and don't give much thought to those impressions maybe being wrong.  If people can see our achievements, I feel as if it's much more difficult to make these negative first impressions of greek life. 

I think that we are being as congruent as possible to our mission.  There are always areas to improve on, in any organization, but we are working to make those improvements and set the bar for excellence.

That's all for now folks!
Zach

Ford Motor Company

A company that shows its values to me is Ford Motor company.  In 2009 Ford Motor Company turned down the federal bailout that was offered to them along with GM and Chrysler.  For was the only US car company that turned down the money.  Due to the decline to accept the bailout money from the government, sales of ford vehicles and stocks rose dramatically.  This is due to the perseverance of the hard working Americans emplyed by Ford and In charge of ford.  A value I admire of Ford is that they are starting to make their cars more fuel efficient to help the environment.  Currently ford has some of the top hybrid vehicles in production.  They are one of the top, if not the top in the automobile industry.  You can see by Ford's website that they are committed to a future with a carbon footprint as small as possible.

I picked Ford because I have read about their resiliency to accept the federal bailout dollars.  That showed me that Ford wanted to make it on their own, and show the world that Ford is still around and is still creating cutting edge vehicles, just like in the olden days of the Model T.  I value hard working companies that don't rely on the government to bail them out of a financial crisis.  Also, Ford is dedicated to fairness and accountability within the company.  This shows me that they mean business, and they're going to hold people in the company, including the big wigs accountable for their actions and performance.  Ford's values are visible on their website and by their actions regarding the auto bailout.

The following is a story on Ford and Ford's CEO:

Values

Growing up I was presented with a certain set of values and morals by my family, friends, and teachers.  From my family I learned what it takes to be apart of something.  For a family to function and to work, everyone has to have a place in it and feel apart of something bigger than themselves.  I learned to love and respect my family for putting up with me, the good and the bad.  I learned the basic stuff from my family, like respect your elders and help out your family members whenever possible.  Family values are the first that really affect how you behave as an individual.  One big thing my family instilled in me was treat others how you would want to be treated.  That is one value that has stuck with me all these years. 

Friendship has also had a lasting impact on my values.  Friendship has taught me commitment and trust.  So many times growing up, I would look to my friends for support and guidance and sometimes just a good laugh.  Friends would come and go, but there would always be those few people that you would always remember.  Looking back and reflecting on our friendships is a good way to learn about ourselves as people.

In regards to teachers and instructors and coaches, I think the main value I learned from them is to never give up.  Growing up I always was told that I could do whatever I wanted with my life as long as I worked hard for it and was dedication.  Hard work and dedication are two values that I hold very dearly.  I've had to work for everything I have.  Right now in college I balance 35 hours of work a week at wendy's and the union, a 3.4 cumulative GPA, and all the work I put in for my fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha.  Some people look at me and ask how I do it and why I do it.  I look back and tell them it's all about priorities, being responsible, paying your car bill, insurance, cell bill, and rent, going to class and getting your work done and being proactive with the people around you.  The only way I see myself getting through all of this is hard work and dedication.  Goalsetting is important to me and Staying the course and persevering through all of the bad things to get to the better, to get to my goal, to reach my degree, is why I do and believe what I do.  To me, they are the two most important values I have learned thus far. 
This short video gives a story of a young man who lives by the same values of hard work and dedication and determination that I do  By working hard and staying dedicated, it allows me to be responsible and trustworthy and all the things I want to be as a person, as a friend, as a brother, and as a son.  My values are important to me, and when I have kids I'll try to teach them the same concepts and make them better men and women than I could have dreamt of being.

A quote that I try to live by and also goes along with my values comes from Ben Franklin.  It is as follows, "Energy and Persistence conquer all things."  That one small quote means a lot to me,  and I think if more people read it, it would mean something to them as well. 

Respect women and your elders, help people less fortunate than yourself, be the difference in someones life around you.  These are just a few more "values of mine".

A good quote by Harriet Tubman that goes along with last week is "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  I looked at this and immedicately though of last week and changing the world.

Concludes Values Blog!  wooh, a lot of typing