Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a national
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
service
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees of a government
* Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...
fraternity
A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
. It is the largest
collegiate fraternity in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,000 students, and over 500,000 alumni members. There are also 250 chapters in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, one in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and one in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. The 500,000th member was initiated in the ''Rho Pi chapter'' of Alpha Phi Omega at the
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
.
Alpha Phi Omega is a national co-ed service fraternity organized to provide community service, leadership development, and social opportunities for college students. The purpose of the fraternity is "to assemble college students in a National Service Fraternity in the fellowship of principles derived from the
Scout Oath and
Scout Law
Scout Law is a set of codes in the Scout movement. Since the publication of '' Scouting for Boys'' in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout Promise or oath to live up to the ideals of the movement and have subscribed to ...
of the
Boy Scouts of America
Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
; to develop Leadership, to promote Friendship, and to provide Service to humanity; and to further the freedom that is our national, educational, and intellectual heritage."
Alpha Phi Omega's primary focus is to provide volunteer service within four areas: service to the community, service to the campus, service to the fraternity, and service to the nation and world.
Being primarily a service organization, Alpha Phi Omega does not operate nor maintain a fraternity house as lodging quarters for members or any other persons. However, a chapter may maintain rooms for meetings at the discretion of its members. Alpha Phi Omega does not restrict its members from being members of any other organization.
History
Alpha Phi Omega was founded on the 2nd floor of Brainerd Hall, now Hogg Hall, at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
in
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...
on December 16, 1925,
by
Frank Reed Horton and thirteen other students who were former Boy Scouts or scouters. The fraternity's initial objective was to continue participating in the ideals of scouting at the college level.
In addition to Horton, other founding brothers were Everett William Probst, Ephraim Moyer Detwiler Jr., Thane Sanford Cooley, William Taylor Wood, Lewis Burnett Blair, Gordon Minnier Looney, Donald LeRoy Terwilliger, William Weber Highberger, Robert Jefferson Green, Donald H. Fritts, Ellsworth Stewart Dobson, George Axel Olsen, and Herbert Heinrich. Six advisors were also inducted: Lafayette President
John H. MacCracken, Dean Donald B. Prentice, Professors D. Arthur Hatch, and Harry T. Spengler; one local scouting official, Herbert G. Horton, and one national Scouting official, the national director of relationships for the
Boy Scouts of America
Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
,
Ray O. Wyland.
[Alpha Phi Omega. Alpha Chapter Records, 1925–]
" ''Lafayette College Special Collections & College Archives.'' Last updated on July 17, 2000. Retrieved on October 6, 2007. The founders insisted that all those gaining memberships must pledge to uphold the fraternity's three cardinal principles of
leadership
Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations.
"Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...
,
friendship
Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
Althoug ...
, and
service
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees of a government
* Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...
. Of these founding members, several made significant contributions to APO that are still recognized today. Everett Probst designed the pin and coat of arms, Thane S. Cooley suggested the hand clasp during the toast song, and Elsworth Dobson and Gordon M. Looney helped write the constitution and bylaws.
Alpha Phi Omega became a national fraternity on January 11, 1927, with the founding of the ''Beta chapter'' at
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
.
[ Horton served as supreme grand master from the founding of the fraternity until the 1931 convention. Eighteen chapters were founded during this period. At the 1931 convention, H. Roe Bartle was elected as supreme grand master (title changed to national president in 1934)] and served through World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, stepping down at the 1946 convention. During his time as president, the number of chapters grew to 109. Early in his term (October 1931), Alpha Phi Omega was formally recognized by the Boy Scouts of America.
Beginnings of an international fraternity
The most rapid growth of the fraternity was in the post-war years. By 1950, Alpha Phi Omega had 227 chapters in the United States. The first chapter outside the US was organized in the Philippines that year. Many Filipinos were active in the Boy Scouts. Sol Levy, an APO member from University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
and Professional Scouter, introduced the organization to Filipino Scouts. Librado I. Ureta, a graduate student at Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University (), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private research non-sectarian university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and ...
in Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, was among the audience. Inspired by Levy's words, he read the publications and shared them with fellow Eagle Scouts and students on the FEU campus. He asked their opinion about Levy's desire, and the response was good. On March 2, 1950, the Alpha Phi Omega International Service Fraternity was chartered on campus.[About Us APO History Alpha Phi Omega International College Service Fraternity & Sorority (Philippines)]
" ''Alpha Phi Omega (Philippines)''. Retrieved on March 28, 2007.
Alpha Phi Omega grew rapidly in the Philippines. By its third year, seven chapters had been chartered at Manila and Visayan schools, and it was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a nonstock, nonprofit, and non-dividend corporation. Alpha Phi Omega (Phil.) Inc. was the first branch of the fraternity to be chartered outside the United States.
Membership in Alpha Phi Omega-USA opened to women
The fraternity was opened fully to women in 1976. All members are called "Brothers," regardless of gender. The Fraternity views "Brothers" as a gender-neutral term. Before women were allowed to join, several smaller sororities
In North America, fraternities and sororities ( and ) are social clubs at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations, as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sorori ...
, parallel in ideals but independent in structure, were formed for women who had been Camp Fire Girls or Girl Scouts, including Gamma Sigma Sigma and Omega Phi Alpha. Several Alpha Phi Omega chapters started "little sister" groups, some of which formed separate organizations (e.g., Jewels of Tau, Phyettes, etc.).
The first step in paving the way for women to join Alpha Phi Omega was the Constitutional Convention in 1967, which removed the requirement that members have affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America.
Starting at the 1970 national convention, co-ed membership was sponsored by the ''Zeta chapter'' and co-sponsored by several other chapters but failed to reach the two-thirds majority at the national conventions, which was required to alter the organization's bylaws. Zeta went coed that year with B. Hesselmyer being the first official woman in the national fraternity with the knowledge and help of a past national president and a current board member. Some chapters (like ''Delta Rho'' at Rutgers University and ''Alpha Tau'' at Butler University) went co-ed before 1976, although the national by-laws did not allow it. They did so by registering women by using only the first letter of their first name. Many chapters that attempted to register women with the national office would receive the paperwork and fees back for women initiates. The ''Alpha Chi chapter'' at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
ran their own printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...
and thus was able to generate certificates and membership cards for their female initiates before 1976.
At the 1974 national convention, the fraternity allowed chapters to have women as affiliate members of the fraternity, and during the 1976 national convention in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, the decision was made to formally welcome females as full members of the fraternity. As with many major changes, this one caused a great deal of dismay, especially among several long-established chapters. Many of these chapters threatened to disassociate with the national fraternity if they were forced to become co-ed. To preserve the unity of the fraternity as a whole, the amendment was crafted such that it did not require existing chapters to admit women as members, although all new chapters were to be coed. It was felt that over time, all would go coed. This "gentleman's agreement" was formalized in a resolution at the 1998 national convention and includes the following points: "The fraternity continues to encourage all chapters and petitioning groups to open their membership to all students. All chapters and petitioning groups have the right to choose their members using objective and open policies that are consistent with the fraternity's governing documents, the rules of the host institutions that they serve, and the traditions of that chapter, if any. Single-gender chapters chartered before the 1976 national convention may remain single-gender unless they become inactive or coeducational. All petitioning groups seeking to charter or re-charter will be and remain co-educational. Allowing women members in 1976 reversed the continuing steep decline in membership of the Fraternity and started a growth cycle in the fraternity.
Requirement of open membership
At the July 2005 national Board of Directors meeting, a resolution was passed: "The actions of the 1976 and 1998 national conventions have attempted to clarify the Fraternity's open membership policy...The National Board is charged with...enforcing the membership policies of the Fraternity as well as ensuring compliance with applicable laws, and upon advice of legal counsel, all chapters must practice open membership without regard of gender". A decision by the 2006 national convention on December 30, 2006, has essentially upheld the Board's previous resolution, adding additional clarifications to the transitional process for the all-male chapters, including a timeline for completion of their transition to co-educational status by the 2008 national convention, and the establishment of a committee consisting of active members and alumni to assist with the process. In the spring of 2008, the ''Sigma Xi chapter'' at the University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...
formally disassociated from the national fraternity, forming a new fraternity: Alpha Delta. They cited that their action was due to an "ideological split", claiming that the national fraternity allowed female members to join and took away the student focus.[Southwick, Emily.]
He's not your average bear: Service fraternity responsible for bringing out UM mascot shares behind-the-scene look at being Bananas
." '' The Maine Campus.'' April 14, 2008. Retrieved on April 15, 2008. In addition, Brothers from the ''Zeta Theta chapter'' at Drexel University
Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...
, the ''Pi Chi chapter'' at Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( ; also known as Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a Private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of ...
, and the ''Psi Delta chapter'' at the University of Maine at Machias have joined this new fraternity.
On December 30, 2006, the 2006 national convention in Louisville, Kentucky, elected the first female National President of the organization, Maggie Katz. Brother Katz was re-elected, without contest, on December 30, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.
International Council
The International Council of Alpha Phi Omega (ICAPO) was created at the 1994 Dallas-Fort Worth Alpha Phi Omega (USA) national convention with the signing of the charter document. Meetings followed at the 1995 Alpha Phi Omega (Philippines) and the 1996 Phoenix Alpha Phi Omega – USA national convention. At the 1996 convention, a formal set of operating policies for the council was signed, and the first officers were elected. ICAPO meetings now occur in conjunction with Alpha Phi Omega national conventions in the US and the Philippines.
Symbols and traditions
Alpha Phi Omega's motto is "Be a Leader, Be a Friend, Be of Service". Its Cardinal principles or pillars are Leadership, Friendship, and Service. The fraternity's colors are royal blue and old gold. Its symbol is the golden eagle. Its flower is the forget-me-not, and its tree is the sturdy oak. The fraternity's jewel is the diamond.
Publications
The fraternity's official publication is the ''Torch & Trefoil.'' First published as the ''Lightbearer'' in February 1927, the name was changed to the ''Torch & Trefoil'' by the decision of the Fifth Alpha Phi Omega national convention in December 1934. The new name was from the Torch as the emblem of Education and the Trefoil as the emblem of Scouting. A version is published quarterly by the national organization of the United States, as well as a separate version by the national organization of the Republic of the Philippines.
The ''Lightbearer'' has been published since 1966 as a separate daily publication during Alpha Phi Omega national conventions and distributed to convention attendees.[Alpha Phi Omega 75 Years of History CD]
The monthly mailing from the fraternity to its chapters was the ''national convention Bulletin'' from 2004 to 2008.
Programs
The programs of the fraternity are centered around developing its three cardinal principles: Leadership, Friendship, and Service. Many chapters plan several local service projects throughout the year, including blood drives, tutoring, charity fundraising events, Scouting events, used book exchanges, Boy Scout Merit Badge days, campus escort initiatives, and housing construction/rehabilitation. Signature projects include the annual National Service Week in the first full week of November and the Global Spring Youth Service Day in April. Many of the operations of individual chapters are left to their discretion, though most chapters have membership requirements which require a certain number of hours of service each semester. In the United States, on April 14, 2003, the fraternity received Daily Point of Light Award #2397 in recognition of its members, who give unselfishly of their time and energy daily and who cumulative donate an average of over 300,000 hours of community service each semester.
APO Leads
APO Leads (stylized as APO LEADS) is a leadership development program organized by the national organization of Alpha Phi Omega in the United States. The APO Leads program consists of five individual modular components of leadership development. Each of these modular components focuses on skills that will help the participant be a successful leader and team member in Alpha Phi Omega and life. The five components of APO Leads are Launch, Explore, Achieve, Discover, and Serve. Launch is a pre-requisite for participation in any of the other four courses. After the series of courses, the participant will have a set of transferable skills that apply to Alpha Phi Omega, to the working world, as well as to leadership in other organizations. APO Leads has its roots in an earlier program, the Leadership Development Workshop (LDW). The LDW was an all-day, eight-hour leadership development course that was offered to members during the 1980s and 1990s. It was reorganized into the current APO Leads program, which was rolled out in 2002.
National Service Week
In the United States, Alpha Phi Omega organizes National Service Week (NSW), a project collaboration encompassing all chapters across the nation. The original concept of a "national service project" dates back to the 1948 national convention, in which delegates approved the rebuilding of the Scout Hut at Hallows Church in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
after World War II.["] There were several other national service efforts outside of NSW, including a recent international book drive in 2001, in which chapters collected approximately 100,000 books for schools in the Philippines.[BU's Zeta Upsilon chapter helps national book drive]
"
B.U. Bridge
'' Vol. V, No. 15. Week of November 30, 2001. Retrieved on November 13, 2007.
NSW began in 1987 as National Service Day and later expanded to National Service Week in 1997 to allow for greater flexibility and increased participation while retaining the sense of unity of the original concept. NSW is always held during the first full week of November.
A theme for NSW is selected by the delegates of each national convention. The first service week, in 1987, was themed around "Diabetes & Other Chronic Illnesses". The 2014 national convention determined that the National Service Week program of emphasis for 2015–2016 shall be "Literacy and Learning for all", with a specific focus on "Improving Literacy for Adults" in 2015 and "Improving Literacy in Youth" in 2016.
Spring Youth Service Day
Spring Youth Service Day is Alpha Phi Omega's effort to participate in the Global Youth Service Day project with its partner organization, Youth Service America
Youth Service America (YSA) is an international nonprofit organization promoting youth service, youth voice and youth volunteerism.
Summary
The purpose of the YSA is to support and promote youth voice, youth service, and service-learning t ...
. During one weekend in April, millions of youth participated in this project, which bills itself as the largest service event in the world. Projects include tutoring
Tutoring is private academic help, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects.
A tutor, formally also called an academic tutor, is a person who provides assis ...
young children, disaster relief
Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actu ...
, voter registration
In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise Suffrage, eligible to Voting, vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted ...
, nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemistry, biochemical and physiology, physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into Macronutrient, macro- ...
al awareness, distributing HIV/AIDS prevention materials, and more. Global Youth Service Day supports youth on a lifelong path of service and civic engagement and educates the public, the media, and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders.
Organization
International
The International Council of Alpha Phi Omega (ICAPO) is the coordinating council of the Alpha Phi Omega National Organizations. During the 1980s, contact between Alpha Phi Omega (USA) and Alpha Phi Omega (Philippines) increased. National presidents Earle Herbert (USA) and Carlos "Caloy" Caliwara (Philippines), as well as other leaders in the two organizations concluded there was a need for an international coordinating body to promote the ideals of the fraternity around the world.
As stated in the charter of ICAPO: "The purpose of the ICAPO is to promote the principles and ideals of Alpha Phi Omega, as originally exemplified by Frank Reed Horton, around the world. To this end, the Council aids in introducing and establishing collegiate-based Alpha Phi Omega organizations in countries where it is not yet located and assists in institutionalizing Alpha Phi Omega organizations in countries where it is currently introduced or established. It serves as an official link among the variously established independent national Alpha Phi Omega organizations and works to promote a deeper understanding and an increased working relationship among the independent national organizations."
While the ICAPO binds both Alpha Phi Omega (USA) and Alpha Phi Omega (Philippines) into one larger international organization, the respective national organizations operate as individual organizations with a high degree of autonomy. Alpha Phi Omega (USA) has committed to the establishment of Alpha Phi Omega in Canada, and Alpha Phi Omega (Philippines) has committed to the establishment of Alpha Phi Omega in Australia.
United States
In the United States, Alpha Phi Omega is organized into five levels.
* There are over 350 chapters and a number of Alumni Associations. Each chapter has student brothers who perform service and elect their officers, as well as faculty, scouting, and service advisors drawn from the college and local communities. Each chapter usually has a sectional representative appointed by the local sectional chair.
* There are around sixty sections consisting of geographically close chapters. Each is headed by a sectional chair, who is elected to a one-year term at each section's annual conference. Many sectional chairs have a group of volunteer sectional staff, usually consisting of alumni of various chapters.
* There are eighteen regions consisting of geographically close sections and chapters. Each is headed by an elected regional chair who is a member of the national operations council and heads a group of volunteer regional staff, usually consisting of alumni of various chapters. Each chair is elected by the chapters in that region.
* There is the national board of directors, comprising the elected national officers and others. These officers are elected at the biennial national convention to two-year terms by student and alumni delegates. The board includes the national president, national vice-president, national treasurer, six members-at-large, and four appointed members. Appointed officials include an additional at large director, legal counsel, immediate past national president, any past national president, and the National Executive Director.
* There is the national operations council, comprising the elected regional chairs and the appointed program chairs that include: Alumni Development, DEIAB+, Extension, International Relations Chair, Leadership Development, Membership, Risk Management, Service, and Volunteer Recruitment.
* The supreme authority is the national convention, which meets every two years. It consists of one or two voting delegates from each chapter, one alumni voting delegate from each region, and all the members of the national board of directors and operations council. These voting delegates consider changes to the fraternity's policies, bylaws, and articles of incorporation for the national board of directors to handle between conventions. All members of the fraternity are invited to attend to participate in leadership development seminars, service projects, and fellowship events.
Chapters
Alpha Phi Omega of the United States has 738 chartered chapters. It currently has 367 active chapters, fourteen petitioning groups, nineteen interest groups, and 343 that are inactive. (Petitioning and interest groups include both those at schools that have previously had active chapters and those that have not.) In addition, Alpha Phi Omega has sixteen charters at schools that have closed or merged with another school with an older charter.
National office
In the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, the fraternity is headquartered out of a national office located at 14901 East 42nd Street, Independence, Missouri 64055–7347. The building was dedicated on November 17, 1990, following a four-year fundraising campaign during the 1980s. Fundraising for the building continued during the early 1990s, through matching gifts and a national fundraising event entitled, "Burn the Mortgage", raising over $28,000. Thanks to these donations, the fraternity paid the ten-year mortgage in only four years, and national president Jerry Schroeder ceremonially burned the mortgage at the 1994 national convention in Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas.
The move to the Kansas City area was decided by the 1931 national convention. Past locations of the national office in the United States include:
Philippines
The national organization of Alpha Phi Omega in the Philippines maintains a four-layer administrative structure:[Organization]
"
Alpha Phi Omega – Philippines
'' Retrieved on November 13, 2007.
* Collegiate chapters
* Regional Development Directorates
* National Executive Board
* General Assembly
Chapters
Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines has charters (either fraternity, sorority or both) at 243 colleges and universities.
National Office
The National Office for Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines is at 301-A Two Seventy Midtower Condominium, 270 Ermin Garcia Street, Barangay Silangan, Cubao, Quezon City. Past locations of the Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines national office follow.
Australia
Alpha Phi Omega currently has a chapter at James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cair ...
.
Canada
Alpha Phi Omega has a chapter at University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
. The group at UBC became a Petitioning Group on July 18, 2015. They chartered on December 13, 2015. National conventions in Canada will remain an extension of Alpha Phi Omega USA until there is a presence on five campuses.[
]
Membership
Alpha Phi Omega of the United States offers active membership (brotherhood) to be granted to all students enrolled at colleges and universities with active chapters of Alpha Phi Omega. Individual chapters are granted flexibility in determining the level of activity of Graduate Students at their institution. Honorary membership may be granted by either active chapters or by the National Board of Directors.
Until the 1967 Constitutional Convention, current or former membership in Scouting
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
was a requirement to become an active brother. For example, in the Alpha Phi Omega National Constitution in 1957:
Members were never required to have been Boy Scouts. For example, Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
was a Cub Scout, but not a Scout while growing up and was able to join Alpha Phi Omega as a student. The bylaws also allowed for men to qualify by registering with their local council as a merit badge counselor in the College Scouter Reserve or other similar positions.
In 1976 the delegates at the national convention amended the bylaws allowing women to join the fraternity. At the time the changes allowed individual chapters to convert to allow men and women but the choice was not forced on chapters, any chapter that was chartered or rechartered at the time was required to be coeducational. In July 2005, a Board of Directors Resolution was adopted clarifying the National Fraternity's membership policies by mandating coeducational membership. The resolution was upheld at the 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
. Per this resolution, the all-male chapters would be required to comply with the mandate or lose national organizational recognition. This led to all active chapters becoming coeducational and a few leaving and forming Alpha Delta a fraternity still restricted to men.
In addition to being coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
, one thing that further differentiates Alpha Phi Omega from social fraternities is that its national bylaws restrict its chapters from maintaining fraternity houses to serve as residences for their members. This also encourages members of social fraternities and sororities that have houses to join APO as well.
Presidents
* Frank Reed Horton, 1925-1931
* H. Roe Bartle, 1931-1946
*Arno Nowotny, 1946-1950
*Daniel Den Uyl, 1950-1954
*M. R. Disborough, 1954-1958
*William S. Roth, 1958-1962
*Lester R. Steig, 1962-1964
*Tom T. Galt 1964-1966
*E. Ross Forman, 1966-1968
*Glen T. Nygreen, 1968-1970
*Audrey B. Hamilton, 1970-1972
*Lucius E. Young, 1972-1974
*Lawrence L. Hirsch, 1974-1978
*Lorin A. Jurvis, 1978-1980
*C. P. Zlatkovich, 1980-1982
*Earle M. Herbert, 1982-1986
*Stan Carpenter, 1986-1990
*Gerald A. Schroeder, 1990-1994
*Wilfred M. Krenek, 1994-1998
*Jack A. McKenzie, 1998-2002
*Bobby Hainline, 2002-2004
*Fred C. Heismeyer, III, 2004-2006
*Maggie Katz, 2006-2010
*Mark Allen Stratton, 2010-2014
*John K. Ottenad, 2014–2018
*Robert Coop, 2018–2021
*Melody Martin, 2021–present
National conventions
National conventions in Alpha Phi Omega are biennial gatherings of the respective national organization of the fraternity, in which official business is conducted, and brothers from the various chapters in the organization meet to share ideas, expanding leadership, friendship, and service. In the very early years, decisions of the National Fraternity were conducted by mail. The first actual assembly of delegates in a convention was held in St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, on March 1–2, 1931. Seven of the fraternity's eighteen chapters were represented at this convention by a total of 23 students and advisors.
Alpha Phi Omega of the United States hosts biennial national conventions during even-numbered years.[ Conventions were not held in 1942 and 1944 due to World War II, and a special Constitutional Convention was held in 1967. Alpha Phi Omega of the ]Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
conducts biennial national conventions in odd-numbered years.
In the US, national conventions are officially called to order by an opening ceremony in which the Eternal Flame of Service is brought forth by members of the Delta Omega chapter at the University of Houston
The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
. This tradition was started after the twenty-first national convention in Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. In the early hours of December 30, 1970, the delegates of the Delta Omega chapter met in a ceremony in the suite of H. Roe Bartle, with the newly elected members of the National Board of Directors and National President Aubrey B. Hamilton. Bartle lit a small blue candle that he, in turn, used to light a hurricane lamp, which was then passed from the blue candle to each of the board members' candles. He then joined the board members to light two four-foot candles. The flame was then taken to Houston and allowed to burn while awaiting the completion of the Eternal Flame site.[The Eternal Flame]
"
Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
'' Last Revised on January 11, 2005. Retrieved on October 6, 2007.
Convention attendance has grown considerably through the years. The largest convention attendance in the US to date has been 2,316 in New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, in 2002, and the largest number of chapters represented was 235 in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, in 2000.
See also
* Alpha Delta social fraternity
* Epsilon Tau Pi (Eagle Scouts)
* Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority
* Omega Phi Alpha service sorority
References
Further reading
* "The APO History" in "Alpha Phi Omega Torch and Trefoil" diamond jubilee program for the 13th National Biennial Convention, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Mt. Makiling, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines, December 1985.
*
* Lightbearers and Torch and Trefoil archive at www.apoarchive.org
External links
*
Alpha Phi Omega – Philippines website
Alpha Phi Omega Mu national convention records, 1927–2008, bulk 1988–2000
at the Indiana University Archives
Alpha Phi Omega records
at the University of Maryland Libraries
The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.–Baltimore area. The system includes eight libraries: six are located on the University of Maryland, College Park, College Park campus, while ...
{{Authority control
1925 establishments in Pennsylvania
Student societies in the United States
Service organizations based in the United States
Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States
Student societies in Australia
Associations related to the Boy Scouts of America
Lafayette College
Organizations based in Kansas City, Missouri
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Student organizations established in 1925
Professional Fraternity Association