Introduction

Brod, what joy we had when we earned passage into our beloved fraternity! After this initial euphoria, did we not have a burning desire to prove ourselves as “tried and true” Upsilonians? But how does one accomplish this feat and when can you tell that you have done it? I believe the way to do it is to live the Upsilon Credo - and this is a lifetime endeavor. There is a guide at the end of this book to help us keep track of this task.

On November 29, 1999, I posted in the Upsilon Web an adaptation and annotation of the Upsilon Credo entitled, “The Tried and True Upsilonian”. The Credo is the Upsilon’s agenda. The mandates of the Credo can be grouped into four general spheres of action: the Individual Upsilonian, the University of the Philippines, the Republic of the Philippines, and the World. The Credo directs the Upsilonian to be pro-active with a sense of purpose rather than be a reactionary who acts haphazardly to stimuli from society. By living the Credo, you and I can become “tried and true” Upsilonians.

At my suggestion, Angel Fandialan ’60, USPNA President agreed on November 1, 2001 that the production of a Resource Book that concretizes the demands of our Credo would be a good educational project for the Archives Committee of the USPNA. He then appointed me to form and chair this Committee. The other members of the Committee were Mart Martell ’47, Rody Santiago ’65, Edwin Paña ’69, and Yari Miralao ’88. 

Our Committee came to the conclusion that the problems we perceive in the UP, the Country, and the World levels are merely symptoms of the fundamental problem of lack of formation at the individual level. Therefore, solutions to society’s problems must start at the individual level. Even group action can be effective only when a critical mass of like-minded and dedicated individuals work together in their common undertaking. Consequently, most of the materials in this Resource Book are focused on individual action.

The Resource Book was launched on August 17, 2002 at the USPNA Encuentro World Reunion in San Francisco, CA. This current expanded version is its third edition.

Brod, I have carefully gathered here some lights I deem worthy to scatter. The opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent any official stand of the Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity. With a spirit of mutual aid and affection, I hope this Resource Book can help you, wherever you are, in your endeavor to be a tried and true Upsilonian. If so, then the work in preparing it has been worthwhile. -Editor