The clamor for change has never been louder as it is today. Change entails becoming different in a particular way of life. Change can come in many forms in our lives. It may come forcefully like a tidal wave, or creep along slowly like a glacier. It might come in the form of a devastating tragedy, difficult if choices, broken relationships or even new opportunities.
If we are not ready to embrace change then we should be ready to embrace extinction. Change is an imperative aspect of life. Elbert Kim Hubbard once said “the greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fearing you can make one.” Never doubt that a small group og thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has. If you can change nothing, nothing changes.
APO United must take the lead in heeding the call. It recognizes that change must start from everyone’s heart, a heart that is willing to embrace what it takes to consider the welfare of the greater good over and above one’s self. It feels the need for a sweeping reform action revisiting the core value of the institution and finding out when and where it failed in moral decency and decorum. APO United looked for a missing puzzle that must have led to the failure in molding and producing decent and honorable men and women with a strong moral fiber. Thus a CHAMPIONS CODE of Conduct must evolve where everyone in the association must embrace it as a way of life both as an individual ans as a member of APO United. This Code of Conduct embodies the core values, emergent values, redirected practices and traditions, new attitudes and mindsets necessary to bring about change in the alumni value system.
Commitment to the APO Principles
APO needs to be relevant and we need to understand how things are taking shape so we will be able to make ourselves more relevant to the communities and to our association with the idea of pushing advocacies, encouraging the members to step up in making a difference not just as individuals but as a collective organization.
Let us once again commit ourselves to the Fraternity, to the spirit of LEADERSHIP, FRIENDSHIP and SERVICE, to the spirit of the Four-Fold Program of Service, to the Twelve Jewels, and to the APO Prologue. Let us meet the challenge of change.
Humility
It is the quality of being humble the feeling that you have no special importance that makes you better than others. Simply, it is the lack of pride. Humility is the quality of being humble. Humility is self-confidence without arrogance. Humility is modesty and restraint without the destructive effects of out-sized hubris. Humility is courage. It is the willingness to admit mistakes and seek out guidance. Humility is self-respect without excessive self-promotion. Humility is triumph of competence over bravados.
Active Involvement
Everyone has God-given gifts, talents, and skills to share. These gifts are meant to be shared for the growth and development of the institution and our community. The spirit of cooperation and teamwork are essential In attaining the goals of the institution. Every member is expected to participate in all activities and become a contributor for development. And, in all the activities that the member participate in, he is expected to give his best.
Management Resources
Everyone should be a faithful steward of things taken under one’s care. Human resource is the best assets of the institution. Efforts should be extended in drawing out the best in the members to maximize their talents and skill for the benefit of the institution and of our community. It is also the process of using our resources in the most efficient way possible. Property of the institution should be protected, properly maintained, and utilized faithfully and judiciously. It is frugality, the mental approach we take when allocating money. It is a way of life.
Professionalism
It is the natural respect for ones worth and dignity as person that makes working relationship more harmonious. Genuine virtue consists of being charitable, loving one’s fellowmen and being judicial in behavior, speech, and deed. Ethical standards in one’s profession should be faithfully observed. Mastering one’s knowledge and skill: compliance with rules and regulations: loyalty to the cause of one institution and of the principles it stands for; standing by one another, being happy for the success of others and helping create a positive image for the institution are values that are to live by and modeled.
Integrity
Integrity means being true to ourselves and being honest, upright and decent in our dealings with others. When we are guided by integrity our thoughts and words are in line with each other, our action align with our principles. Our conduct speaks for us more eloquently than words ever could. It becomes basis for both reputation and self-respect. Integrity demands courage but delivers untroubled sleep. Developing integrity requires internal honesty, because we can’t be honest with others if we can’t be honest with ourselves. It requires self-awareness since we cannot accurately communicate what we do not know.
People with integrity can be counted on to stand up for what is right, even if it is unpopular and to behave with honor even when there is no one around to see. Integrity allows other people to trust us because we value our commitment and seek to live by them. It is one of the cornerstones of loving relationships and shared endeavors.
Organization Excellence
Excellence is when we demand more of ourselves than our members do. It is something i that happens when you make right choices over and over again. Excellence in the little things always add up to excellence in the big things. We get to choose where we live in the bell curve of excellence.
The key to organizational excellence is excellent leadership and at the heart of excellent leadership lie the foundational values. However, positive values, though necessary, are not sufficient. In order to achieve remarkable results, these values must be translated into congruent behavior. To do so requires new leadership strategies and skills – strategies and skills that will enable leaders to rise above the status quo and create high performance organizations,
Our Mission for Excellence
We will persistently create better ways of doing the things we do. We will not rest on our accomplishments. but will rather build on them in our personal and professional journey to be the best we can be and set new standards in our institution. We will endeavor to exceed expectations in every pro rent. Excellence is the confident pursuit of highest quality when you believe in what you are doing and that its value warrants your persistent commitment. When there is a question of time and/or quality, people can forget how fast you completed a project, but the quality of your work they never forget – it speaks your character.
Nobility
This is the quality of being noble in character, mind, birth, or rank. If is virtue, goodness, honor, decency, integrity. magnanimity. generosity, selflessness. Life spent in action is life wells pent. William Shakespeare rightly observed that life should be measured by deeds not years. Age is no criterion for meaning of life. It is the actions, good deeds which give meaning to life and make man immortal. Long life is desired by all. One may even live for hundred years or more. But if one does not do any noble deed, then such life has no worth. He is not remembered by people after his death. He is soon forgotten because he lived in years not deeds, A man lives a true. life if he fulfills a noble mission.
Selfless Service
One of the most virtues of all time is selfless service to others. Without selflessness, society would e left without the foundation of our morals. The blessedness of giving rather than receiving is one of the most popular and most pouted verses in the Bible. John F. Kennedy’s call for service is one of the most recognized lines. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do to your country”. Selfless service is servant-hood anchored on humility. Serving in a service institution is a mission, a commitment. It is serving with a heart relegating one’s interest for the welfare of others. The CHAMPIONS Code of Conduct will work, It will need the heart to make it doable, and APO United will continue to be an effective agent of change, to build lives who will be assets to society, honorable and respectable men and women of the world who will lead significant lives. Be among us APO United, be among us CHAMPIONS!
Originally published on The Home of the Lambs and the Lions 2019