"It shall be the purpose of this fraternity to promote a spirit of brotherhood; to develop the social, moral, intellectual, and spiritual life; to build the personality; to inspire greater determination and sincerity among the members; and to contribute in every possible way to the best interest and progress of Bethel University.”
The question of ethics can be simplified to the question: “Do our actions individually and as a group cultivate a spirit of brotherhood?” The spirit of brotherhood is more important than any rituals, passwords or pledging hurdles. Do our words and actions build each other up or tear each other down?
There are various cultural ideas about fraternities that have nothing to do with real brotherhood. To counteract these destructive ideas, we must be intentional about cultivating a caring, nurturing spirit of brotherhood where each brother finds both challenge and affirmation. We have not always lived up to our high ideals. That is why it is so important that we work on speaking the truth in love, treating each person with respect and challenging each other, when needed, to live up to our ideals.