Presidential Address

Acceptance Speech

This is quite an honor finally to be standing here and addressing you now in this capacity.

A way I used to start talking at Beta's Brotherhood meetings for the candidates was: Well it all started-up way back in nineteen ninety-five….. I used to get a bunch of groans with that because, YES - I was considered the wise/old man because I did serve Beta's Executive Board my entire time there, YES - I did take 6 years in undergrad, YES - I got involved Nationally, and YES - overall - I've been around for a fairly long time.

I've been around so long that I will be the oldest National President to serve since John Garner in the 1996 as I will serve from 27-29 years of age. Lind served with a hockey stick from 23-25. Blackstock served with boots and cowboy hat from 25-27 years of age. Twan served with a fist, but with a fist full of Kleenex, from 21-25 years of age. And no, Brother Manning or Brother Coomes, I won't be serving with a WOK - or a GONG - or whatever other Asian innuendo's you can think of. But like the others, I will be serving with my whole heart as I have these past few years.

I'll also be the most Nationally Experienced President serving 1 year as Student Rep., 1 year as Philanthropic Chair, and 4 consecutive years as Executive Vice President.

As a result of this, I have been involved in 3 different National Administrations before this one - and I have learned what I could from every one of them. I've seen, understood, and re-organized the inner workings of a Chapter Government and also this National Government. I've had the experience of one-on-one discussions and conversations with chapter members and Alumni from all over the country from Fraternity matters to personal difficulties. I'm excited to continue to use even more knowledge from my classes as I continue to pursue my MBA. I came to my first Convention in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale in the Summer of 1996 and now, 8 Conventions later - I return here and stand in front of you as your National President.

We're all attempting to live the American Dream in this great country of ours - and I guess its safe to say that I'm also trying to live the Alpha Delt Dream - a dream of where I see this National Fraternity headed in the future and what National should mean to our Chapters. And while it was never necessarily a goal of mine to be the National President, the fact that I am, is a great honor for me. This is enough thanks for these years I have been a member since the Fall of 1995 when I learned the Prayer and started to understand what it means and how this Fraternity fostered True Brotherhood.

"A Brother who is helped by a Brother is like a city walled." The stalwart phrase that is the basis of ADG Brotherhood. We see a vision to make this happen - we share this vision - and we inspire others to see it and to believe in it.

Locally, we want to inspire personal and professional growth of our Active members. Giving them grounds to an understanding that YOU HAVE BROTHERS BEHIND YOU. You have Brothers who will catch you if you fall and who will lift you on shoulders when you succeed. Our Chapters are families, in and of themselves. They need the understanding of operating successfully for future existence and they need the understanding of what it means to be a Brother to each other and to the world of people around us.

This Administration will focus our efforts more on Chapter programming and audit our Chapters to be sure that they are confident in making this True Brotherhood happen for themselves and for future members.

The goal of an audit will not be to undermine the current leadership a Chapter has, but as National we will continue to focus our goals as officers, to be the lending hand and the experienced advice-giver. We will not force our leadership unto the Chapters unless we are called on to do it.

Nationally, we have heard the words from our Actives that our Fraternity could be a little bigger. I would like to echo those words. I can't believe that our Brotherhood is left to just a few campuses around the Country, while other Corporate Social Groups who call themselves Fraternities are picking up more and more campuses for their portfolios simply by flashing money, power, and numbers.

This Administration will continue to capitalize on campuses that request our Brotherhood and Fraternalism. And we will continue to aggressively pursue expansion opportunities back onto campuses where we had existed and onto new campuses that match closely with our beliefs of how prepared a College student should be for life when they graduate and as they become an ADG Alum.

Much like every one of our actives, I cringe at the words National Dues and Semester National Insurance Fees. And aside from the fact that paying bills and paying a membership or insurance fee is a fact of life - a fact of life OUTSIDE this Fraternity - I understand how outstanding debts to this organization and our constant hounding is starting to take a toll on our relationship with individual active members.

And as much as an active hates hearing from National to pay monies, National is also tired asking beyond past-due invoices. This Administration has plans for monies that we are due to receive. We WANT to spend money on our Chapters. We WANT to offer monies for recruitment. We WANT to re-implement the Chapter Convention Travel Fund. We WANT to initiate a Chapter CONFERENCE Travel Fund. We WANT to pay for Chapter Presidents to fly into a designated city for a Presidents' Leadership Conference. We WANT to have enough funds to visit any Expansion opportunity we can. Hopefully we can reach these financial goals with a renewed sense of active responsibility to this organization coupled with collection methods that we are finalizing on from the incentive program passed last Convention.

Chapter Organization, Expansion, and greater returns to Chapters are going to be the main foci of this National Government. Expansion we can organize and handle with the help of only one or even two Chapters, but Chapter Organization and financial paperwork will require the help and cooperation of all Chapters when called upon.

My friends, in my time here, I have been around the corner and back with this Fraternity. I've been here in some of the highs and lows of the organization - in the best of times and in the worst of times, so to say. I've been congratulated and I've been ridiculed. But despite any lows or ridicule, despite any frustration or lack of response, my heart always holds true to the cause. And that is: To make Alpha Delta Gamma the best-organized group of young men, the best gentlemen and friends to all, and the best example of True Brotherhood any campus has the privilege to experience.

Thank you for being my Brothers. Thank God I'm an Alpha Delt. And thank you for allowing me to be your next National President.
 

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