| To my Gamman Brothers, As I lie on my hospital bed, I can not help but allow myself to be carried by my thoughts and be with you at the Final Rites for prospective members. I thus enjoin you on a task of measuring beyond strength and qualifications, but most importantly, the worthiness of the applicants to share our label of Noble Brotherhood.
The predicament that I have just gone through was not an easy one. It was also a thought-provoking one. And the more I realize how fragile our existence is, the more I find meaning and value in the idealism that has brought us together through the years – the search for the Good, the Beautiful and the Ethereal.
It also gladdens me to note that the spirit and the bond are very visible and felt throughout my time of trial.
To my would be fraternal brothers, let tonight be your meaningful passage to nobility. The measures and standards you must go through are not only a test of strength but of sincerity as well. And tonight will only be a beginning.
Our common aspiration remains our greatest bond. Pursuing our idealism, we must however be mindful that often the very obstacle is our humanity. Let our search then be such that we transcend the limitations of our humanity towards our Gamman Shangri-La.
Fraternally yours,
Dr. Jose Antonio S. Quiteves
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