The True Gentleman
The official creed of Sigma Alpha Epsilon

The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.

John Walter Wayland
Virginia, 1899

Definition of an SAE
composed by an Indiana Delta

Between the gawkiness of early adolescence and the dignity of full manhood, we find a creature known as the SAE. He comes in assorted sizes, weights, and ages, but all seem to have the same creed: to delay doing class assignments and term papers; to anticipate forthcoming weekends; to engage in all night bull sessions; to do the right thing at the wrong time and the wrong thing at the right time; to complain incessantly; and to work together as brothers.

An SAE is Truth with lipstick on his collar; Beauty adulterated only by a T-shirt and bermudas; Wisdom with a beer in his hand; Hope-for-the-future with a date on his arm. He is a composite - he has the energy of a pocketsize atomic bomb, the irresponsibility of an overnight guest, the lungs of a dictator, the enthusiasm of an evangelist, the fault-finding ability of a taxpayer, the friendliness of a salesman.

The SAE is a magical creature. He can make you laugh or cry. He can make your life miserable or elated. He can be concerned or indifferent. He can be serious or irresponsible. Nobody gets as much fun out of a joke or TV program. Nobody else can sleep as much, eat as much, drink as much, cram as much, date as much and enjoy life as much. Nobody else is quite so attractive or so unaware of it. But no matter what his moods, his intentions, or his actions are, there is a spot in your heart from which he cannot be locked out.

Mothers love them, fathers finance them, other boys envy them, girls glorify them, Heaven protects them, and the rest are divided on the subject.