So what is an Oath and why did we take them?

Thinking 3 years back when I pledged myself to Kappa Delta I know I did not really understand what was going on when we signed our oath. I knew what I envisioned that my experience would be like making new friends that I would one day call my sisters and opportunities to serve my community as well as serve as a leader. Yet, an oath? What was that back then? To me, I think I just thought I was becoming a member. Yes, I knew it was for life, but what it meant to me then has changed so much over time. Still, I have a life commitment to Kappa Delta, but it is a commitment that means so much to me. My sisters in Kappa Delta are just like my family. They mean so much to me. Coming back from my tangent, what is an oath?

An oath is a promise, it is a commitment, it is in essence a contract as we discussed in class. After our discussion, I do believe that the oath that we all made does distinguish us from all organizations. Even today, at AFLV the gentleman speaking spoke about our Ritual and how that separates us from other organizations. The Oath that we made to our organization consists of all of the ideals that encompass our Ritual. For me, I made an Oath to Kappa Delta that I would be a member for life and that I would commit to our ideals of sisterhood, service, scholarship, leadership, and reaching our potential. I made an Oath to "honorable, beauty, and highest" Now at first I used to misinterpret the beauty part of the promise that we made, but I get it know. It is not beauty in the physical sense but beauty from within--the beauty of one's heart and that beauty can be seen through one's actions.

So in sum the Oath that I made meant that I would be a Kappa Delta for life who committed myself to obtaining to the best of my ability our ideals each and every day. To me, an Oath is a challenge. Yes, once you sign it you can just forget about it, or you can accept that challenge and strive each day to obtain these ideals. Though we are not perfect, by holding ourselves accountable to these ideals we will become better people, and as better people, we can lead the change that we are striving to achieve.