The Truth Is Uncomfortable
Does he remain honest or say whatever protects his image?
BLACK ACE SOCIETY VALUES
The Values of Black Ace Society
Black Ace Society is built on Christian values and a clear standard of conduct.
Those values are not intended to create the appearance of perfect men.
They exist to give imperfect men a standard worth continually trying to live up to.
A man who wears the Black Ace Society crest represents more than himself. His conduct affects his brothers, his local charter and the standard of the Society.
THE FOUNDATION
God First, Standard Always
Black Ace Society is built on Christian values.
Faith should influence more than the words a man uses to describe himself.
It should influence his character, his responsibilities, his relationships, the way he handles power and the way he treats other people.
Strength without values can become pride.
Discipline without humility can become arrogance.
Brotherhood without responsibility becomes empty language.
Black Ace Society therefore places Christian faith above status, image or personal ego.
The aim is not to create men who claim perfection. The aim is to create a community of men who accept that they are accountable to a higher standard.
Christian Values Should Be Visible in Behaviour
Values matter most when they affect ordinary decisions.
It is easy to talk about honour, discipline, courage or brotherhood when none of those qualities are being tested.
Character becomes visible when a man has to choose how he will behave.
He Makes a Mistake
Does he take responsibility or immediately search for somebody else to blame?
A Brother Is Struggling
Does he show genuine concern or disappear when the relationship requires effort?
Nobody Is Watching
Does his conduct still reflect the standards he claims to believe?
Black Ace Society values are therefore intended to be practised, not simply displayed.
CORE VALUES
The Core Values of Black Ace Society
These values provide an accessible public introduction to the standards expected within Black Ace Society.
God First
Black Ace Society is built on Christian values. Faith should shape character, responsibility, humility, service and the way a man treats other people.
Brotherhood
A brother should be treated as a valued member of the community. Brotherhood means loyalty, encouragement, honesty, responsibility and a willingness to help another man move forward.
Truth
Trust cannot grow where deception becomes normal. Members should value honesty even when the truth is uncomfortable.
Humility
Strength without humility can become pride. A man should remain willing to listen, learn, admit mistakes and recognise that he does not know everything.
Discipline
Discipline means learning to do what should be done consistently rather than depending entirely on motivation.
Responsibility
A man should take responsibility for his decisions, commitments and conduct rather than making excuses his default response.
Courage
Courage is the willingness to act properly when something is difficult, uncomfortable or uncertain.
Respect
Members are expected to treat other people with dignity. Strength and brotherhood do not excuse bullying, humiliation, intimidation or disregard for boundaries.
Service
Brotherhood should produce something beyond the group itself. Members should look for meaningful ways to contribute to the people and communities around them.
Accountability
Members should be willing to state what they are working towards, report back honestly and accept appropriate challenge from men they trust.
Brotherhood Means Responsibility
Calling another man a brother should mean something.
Brotherhood is not merely friendship with more dramatic language.
It carries the idea that another man matters enough for you to take an interest in his wellbeing, progress and conduct.
Encourage Him
Recognise progress and encourage a brother when he is moving in the right direction.
Support Him
Where reasonably possible, help a brother when he genuinely needs support.
Tell Him the Truth
Brotherhood should not require pretending a bad decision is a good one.
Respect Him
Difficult truths can be spoken without humiliation, cruelty or contempt.
Brotherhood does not mean blind agreement. Loyalty and honesty should exist together.
Learn more about brotherhood for menTruth
A dependable brotherhood cannot be built on habitual dishonesty.
Men need to be able to take one another seriously.
That means honesty about commitments, mistakes, progress and the things that matter.
Do not invent progress to look impressive.
Do not hide every mistake to protect pride.
Do not give your word casually.
Do not use honesty as an excuse for cruelty.
Truth should strengthen trust rather than become a weapon for humiliating somebody.
Humility
A man can be confident without believing he is beyond correction.
Humility means recognising that you can still learn, improve and be wrong.
Within a brotherhood, humility matters because every member will sometimes need to give advice and sometimes need to receive it.
A community where everybody wants to teach but nobody is willing to learn will eventually become a contest of egos.
Discipline
Motivation changes.
Discipline is the ability to continue acting on worthwhile commitments even when enthusiasm is lower than it was at the beginning.
Black Ace Society does not define discipline as endless punishment, exhaustion or theatrical toughness.
It means becoming more consistent and dependable.
Responsibility
Responsibility begins with recognising that your choices belong to you.
Circumstances matter. Other people can affect your life. Genuine obstacles exist.
But a man still has to distinguish between understanding a problem and using that problem as permission to stop taking responsibility for everything he can control.
Own your decisions.
Keep your commitments where reasonably possible.
Admit mistakes.
Correct what can be corrected.
Learn from what cannot be changed.
Take responsibility for your own growth.
Courage
Courage is not the absence of fear.
A man can feel nervous, uncertain or uncomfortable and still act courageously.
Courage may sometimes be dramatic, but it is often ordinary.
Starting Something DifficultAdmitting You Were WrongSpeaking HonestlyAsking for Appropriate HelpStanding Up for SomeoneTaking Responsibility
Courage means allowing the right action to matter more than the desire to remain comfortable.
Respect
Black Ace Society values strength, but strength should operate beneath standards.
Members are expected to respect the dignity and reasonable boundaries of other people.
Brotherhood is not permission for intimidation.
Discipline is not permission for humiliation.
Confidence is not permission for arrogance.
Respect Privacy
Personal information should not be treated casually.
Respect Boundaries
Brotherhood does not remove another person’s right to reasonable personal boundaries.
Reject Bullying
Humiliating or intimidating another member is not a sign of strength.
Respect Other People
Black Ace Society standards apply to conduct towards people inside and outside the Society.
Service
Brotherhood should not exist only for the benefit of the men inside it.
Black Ace Society expects its communities to look outward as well as inward.
Service gives members an opportunity to use their time, ability and cooperation for something beyond themselves.
Helping a BrotherSupporting FamilyHelping a ChurchCommunity VolunteeringHelping a NeighbourUseful Local Service
The purpose of service is not to manufacture praise for Black Ace Society. The purpose is to become useful.
Accountability
Accountability gives men a practical way to put responsibility into action.
A member can state what he intends to work on and report back honestly at a later meeting.
Say what you intend to do.
Take action.
Report what actually happened.
Learn from success or failure.
Choose the next step.
Accountability should never become permission for another member to control, bully or humiliate somebody.
Learn how accountability for men worksTHE TWELVE TRADITIONS
The Twelve Traditions of Black Ace Society
The core values above provide a public introduction to Black Ace Society standards.
Within the Society, those principles are developed more deeply through the approved Twelve Traditions of Black Ace Society.
The Traditions address the responsibilities a man carries towards God, his brothers, the Society and the people around him.
God First, Standard Always
Black Ace Society is built on Christian values.
A Black Ace Society man should live with discipline, humility, truth, service, brotherhood, courage and respect.
We are not perfect men, but we are men under a higher standard.
Strength without values becomes pride. Pride destroys brotherhood.
A man who wears the Black Ace Society crest must remember that he is not only representing himself. He is representing his brothers, his battalion, his charter and the standard of the Society.
Your Brother Is Cherished Family
A Black Ace Society man must treat his brother like a cherished family member.
That does not mean weakness.
That does not mean avoiding hard truths.
Brotherhood should combine genuine care with the courage to be honest when honesty is needed.
Important
The full Twelve Traditions have their own approved wording. This page does not invent, replace or substantially rewrite Traditions 3–12. Their approved text should be added only from the definitive Black Ace Society source.
Values Need Standards
Values describe what Black Ace Society wants members to move towards.
Standards establish boundaries for behaviour that should not be accepted within the community.
Those standards cover matters such as:
RespectPrivacyPersonal BoundariesBullyingMember ConductResponsible LeadershipWomen and ChildrenReporting ConcernsCommunity Service
READ SAFETY, RESPECT AND STANDARDSValues Have to Be Practised With Other People
It is easier to imagine yourself disciplined, loyal, courageous or humble when those qualities are never tested.
Community creates opportunities to practise them.
Show Up
Practise dependability.
Listen
Practise humility and respect.
Follow Through
Practise discipline and responsibility.
Speak Honestly
Practise truth and courage.
Help
Practise brotherhood and service.
Accept Correction
Practise accountability and humility.
Explore the Black Ace Society Standard
Safety, Respect and StandardsRead the conduct and safety expectations that protect the quality of Black Ace Society communities.How Black Ace Society WorksSee how Christian values, meetings, accountability and brotherhood work in practice.BrotherhoodLearn how trust, loyalty and shared responsibility develop between men.AccountabilityLearn how men can encourage responsibility without humiliation or control.Christian MenExplore faith, character, responsibility and Christian community.About Black Ace SocietyUnderstand why the Society exists and what it is designed to build.
FAITH INTO ACTION
A Standard Is Worth Little if Nobody Tries to Live by It
Black Ace Society brings men together so Christian faith, brotherhood, discipline, accountability and service can become part of ordinary life rather than remaining abstract ideas.
The aim is not perfection. It is continued movement towards better character and greater responsibility alongside other men doing the same.