Gentlemen,

 

Becoming a Beta might be one of the greatest decisions of your life. Since 1839 our values, missions, and traditions have remained strong and adamant. It’s our commitment to support you, strengthen you, and mentor you through brotherhood.  We look to take a good man and make him better. True leaders in the modern world learn to strengthen not only themselves but those that they associate with also.  We at Beta hold brothers to the highest standards so that we may influence those around us to hold themselves to that same level of performance.

 

The brothers of the Delta Kappa Chapter of Beta Theta Pi stand out amongst the other fraternities at the University of Tennessee. Our missions are and always will be excellence in academia, service to the community, and strengthening one another through brotherhood and mentorship. The Delta Kappa chapter also has a large diversity consisting of great men with all different backgrounds. We will open our doors and our brotherhood to any man who is willing to work for the betterment of his community. Some will say, "Why do I need to join a fraternity to all that? Can't I just do it on my own?" That is a valid point. My counter is, a real man understands that the greatest undertakings are more than himself, more than his wants, even more than his needs.  His morality alone cannot carry out what is necessary alone.  He needs the support of others like himself.  That is what Beta Theta Pi has to offer.

 

These facts are what brought me to Beta. I came to the University of Tennessee from the small town of Decatur, TN from a graduating class of 114.  Out of those 114 2010 graduates, one other person, a female that I did not have much contact with, came to the University of Tennessee. I am not ashamed to say that a jump in size from less than 600 people in the school to a community of students that numbers in the tens of thousands was quite frightening.  The first couple weeks of school, I tried to find my fit in the campus's many venues for involvement, but nothing seemed to fit me very well.  I remember vividly walking back from a function and calling my girlfriend and telling her I felt alone. I know what you're thinking; how can you feel alone with so many people around you? I tell you from experience that it is in the largest crowds that you feel the most alone.  One evening as I was sitting at my desk on the verge of giving up on being social at this amazing university, an email crossed my screen.  The Men of Principle Scholarship from Beta Theta Pi. It automatically caught my eye because someone was wanting to give me money for school which was always welcome, and because it was based on the principles I was raised on. So I went down to the Beta House for my interview and met some of the guys. There were no facades trying to win you over with pompousness or acting, it was genuine moves toward friendship. What finally won me over, because I had vowed through high school that I would never join a fraternity, was the answer to the question: "So are you guys anything like the American Pie movie Beta House?"  The answer was: we're not nearly that crazy, no fraternity really is; if the women want to dance, we dance; if the women want us to work, we work; and when the world calls for greatness, we perform. That was all I had to hear, I asked for a bid the next day and didn't even go through the normal rush program. Beta was the place for me, and I've never looked back. 

 

Ever since I’ve been a Beta, I’ve been introduced to amazing traditions, incredible friends, and never ending support. Helping the community, raising money for charity, becoming socially involved on campus, and learning from some of the worlds greatest leaders are only a few activities I’ve taken part of with Beta. We truly care for one another, whether we disagree with one another or not. Once you're a Beta, you're a Beta for life.  You may have had friends in high school that you thought you would never lose touch with; with Beta that same brotherhood overcomes generational gaps, state lines, family fueds, and school rivalries.  Any Beta, anywhere will give the shirt of his back and his bottom dollar for any brother in need.

 

As the chapter’s recruitment director, it’s my job to find great men to join an even greater brotherhood. I will extend a pledge that I will inform you to the best of my abilities anything you wish to know about Beta, and I will watch over and protect any man who pledges this fraternity from any harm, and I ensure that once that man is a brother, that he will never regret joining our crew. I look forward to meeting each and every one of you in the future and hopefully one day I’ll be able to call you, “brother.”

 

"Don't stand in front of me and call me follower;"

"Don't stand behind me and call me a leader;"

"Stand beside me and call me a Brother." - The most basic value of Beta Theta Pi.

 

Sincerely,

 

Gabriel B. Sneed

Recruitment Director

Beta Theta Pi Fraternity

Delta Kappa Chapter

Role DK498

Pre-Med & Kinesiology Major

The Univeristy of Tennessee, Knoxville '14