CONCLAVE REVIEW CLOSED BANQUET
coalitions to protect children. As he told one station, platforms “should be working with parents to ensure that protections are in place … and that allow children to be children.” For undergraduates, the lesson is twofold, seek clarity of purpose—and measure yourself by outcomes that uplift others. BROTHERHOOD IN ACTION Ford’s keynote at Conclave wasn’t a cameo; it fit a pattern of engagement with our bond. He demonstrated what it looks like to prepare (informed), to participate (involved), and to pour into others (invested). His own formation underscores the point; upward bound, scholarship grind, teaching math before practicing law, then legislative leadership and statewide service. Being informed means reading about your community’s needs as well as your coursework. Being involved means showing up on campus, in the chapter, and in civic life. Being invested means taking ownership of your goals and of the people entrusted to you. Ford’s example is equally compel- ling at home. He speaks openly about parenting with presence and purpose, and his children testify to it. One son recalled their long drives as “a judge- free zone,” where they could simply talk. Ford’s own words tie the bow, “I want my kids to see what a real man looks like.” WHAT UNDERGRADUATES CAN LEARN That brotherhood extended is leader- ship with empathy, authority tempered by listening, and discipline grounded in love. It’s the everyday choice to be there, consistently.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford with Grand Polemarch Jimmy McMikle.
“ THE LESSON IS TWOFOLD, SEEK CLARITY OF PURPOSE—AND MEASURE YOURSELF BY OUTCOMES THAT UPLIFT OTHERS.”
• Own your origin story. Hard chapters don’t disqualify you; they differ- entiate you. Ford’s early struggles sharpened his sense of duty rather than souring it. • Choose a creed—and live it. A clear mission (“Our Job Is Justice”) kept his work focused and his outcomes tangible. • Do hard things that help people. From criminal-justice reforms to bil- lion-dollar opioid recoveries, impact is the point. • Lead at home, too. Excellence in public without investment in family is a hollow victory.
CLOSING ARGUMENT Attorney Gen- eral Aaron D. Ford’s life doesn’t merely illustrate being informed, involved, and invested—it proves it. He studied relentlessly, served visibly, fought for vulnerable communities, and fathered intentionally. The call to undergrad- uate brothers is clear: write a life that reads like a pledge kept—eyes open, hands busy, heart engaged. And when your moment comes—at the mic, in the meeting, or around the dinner table—do as he has done show up prepared, step in with purpose, and pour into the people who are counting on you. ♦
42 THE JOURNAL ♦ SUMMER 2025
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