The following is an html electronic copy of the Questions and Answers booklet published by the National Fraternity in the spring of 1995. For obvious reasons, the Roster of Chapters printed in that booklet has been left out as has the National Board of Directors listing.
Alpha Phi Omega offers several opportunities to you. We offer you a series of creative situations in which to develop your leadership skills, a chance to build lasting friendships both on your campus and across the country, and a way in which to give of yourself as an active participant in a meaningful service program designed to help others. Before joining any organization, you probably ask yourself "Is it worth my time?" and "What's in it for me?" This booklet [web page] will provide you with more information about our principles, purpose and program. We believe that you will find Alpha Phi Omega is worthwhile and that the opportunities Alpha Phi Omega offers will be a valuable part of your college experience. More than 256,000 students on 682 campuses across the nation have found Alpha Phi Omega to be a rewarding part of their lives. We hope you will agree that you should add your talent and energy to our Fraternity.
Ten Questions and Answers about Alpha Phi Omega |
Alpha Phi Omega is a National Service Fraternity -- college students gathered together in an organization based on fraternalism and founded on the principles of Leadership, Friendship and Service. Its aim is to further the freedom that is our national, educational and intellectual heritage.APO was founded in 1925 based on the principles of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting affiliation is not a requirement to join the fraternity. Membership is open to all enrolled students who are interested in joining APO.
Now for the three Cardinal Principles:
Leadership - Alpha Phi Omega develops the leadership skills of
its members. Members have the opportunity to serve as a chapter officer or to plan and execute any number of
service and social programs.
Friendship - Alpha Phi Omega is a fraternal organization. It
offers a variety of social programs that help build a strong feeling of fellowship. Activites range from
chapter parties to weekend gatherings of chapters from many campuses. From these activites new freindships are
formed and can last a lifetime.
Service - In Alpha Phi Omega, a member is involved in one of the
nations largest and most respected service fraternity. Our projects serve all humanity and to ourselves. Each
chapter decides its own service program, which gives each member an oppurtunity to offer their ideas.
Membership is open to any student enrolled on a campus where a chapter exists who is approved for membership by that chapter. If there is no chapter at your college, but there is a campus nearby with a chapter, contact that chapter. The chapter may be able to invite you to participate in their service program.
College should be more than the acquisition of facts and figures; it should also broaden your experiences, expand and test your inherent abilities, and sharpen your social skills. Alpha Phi Omega, through its unique program of leadership, friendship and service, can add this necessary but often lacking aspect of college life -- and at the same time enable you to help others while helping yourself.
Under the Chapter Articles of Association and National Bylaws, each chapter is its own self-governing organization, electing its own officers and establishing its own operating rules and programs. Each chapter also elects an Advisory Committee consisting of three or more members of the faculty or administration and one or more Scouting and community representatives. These advisors ensure continuity of operation as the student leaders change, and encourage the achievement of fraternal, scholastic and service goals.
Alpha Phi Omega is a student-based organization. The supreme authority of the fraternity is the National Convention, which meets every two years. It is composed of two voting delegates from each of the active chapters throughout the nation. Between Conventions, the National Board of Directors -- elected by the Convention delegates -- runs the fraternity within the framework of the Bylaws established by the chapter delegates. Only the National Convention may amend the Bylaws.
Almost all Board members are elected by the student delegates at the National Convention. The Board is composed of the National President, the National Vice President and six other members elected at large; ten Regional Directors elected by the chapter delegates in the respective regions; past National Presidents; Life Members of the Board; and the surviving Founders of the fraternity. In addition, there are five [four] ex-officio members: the National Archivist, the National Legal Counsel, the National Executive Director, and one representative of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Alpha Phi Omega was founded on Scouting principles. The Boy Scouts of America is represented on our National Board of Directors; however, BSA does not govern, control or finance Alpha Phi Omega in any way, and previous membership in a Scouting group is not required to join our fraternity.
"Once a member of Alpha Phi Omega... Always a member of Alpha Phi Omega!"
Every Nationial Officer and Regional Director of Alpha Phi Omega is an Alumnus. There are more than 36 local Alumni Associations active throughout the nation helping chapters and maintaining relationships to Alpha Phi Omega. These associations can be formed on either a chapter or geographical basis. Alumni, individually and collectively, are becoming more involved in supporting and expanding our fraternity.
Alpha Phi Omega is unique; it is a Service fraternity. We use the concepts of fraternalism as a means of providing service, to ourselves as well as to others. The fact that our meetings are held in campus meeting rooms or our members' apartments or dorm rooms does not decrease our sense of brotherhood. In addition, since we are unique, we have no conflict with social fraternities; independents, commuters, dorm dwellers, and social fraternity members: all are welcome as members of Alpha Phi Omega.
There are several approaches.
If society were composed simply of things -- books, machines, gadgets, then a college experience consisting solely of academics would adequately prepare you for life. But, society is people, and whenever people interact with each other, the need for leadership arises. So, Alpha Phi Omega offers a college student the opportunity to practice and develop leadership.
Each chapter is a microcosm of our republican form of democracy, with leadership selected by the majority of the membership. The advisors are just that, people who stand ready to assist your officers. Every chapter organization has many positions of differing responsibilities, allowing every member the opportunity to lead and allowing for increasing responsibilities as experience and performance merit.
As a stockholder in the National Fraternity, your chapter will select two members to serve as voting delegates to our National Convention, the highest governing body of the fraternity. These delegates have the unique opportunity to resolve the issues that affect our entire fraternity.
Leadership in Alpha Phi Omega goes beyond your graduation. Opportunities for service in the Sectional, Regional, National and Alumni spheres are possible and are a fine way to make and continue friendships with brothers across the nation.
Thus, Alpha Phi Omega offers you a great opportunity to grow in leadership as you give service to others.
With so many campus groups from which to choose, students carefully examine organizations on their local campuses. Since 1925 more than 256,000 students have chosen Alpha Phi Omega. Other organizations do service, and other organizations are inexpensive; but no one and no organization does these things the way Alpha Phi Omega does. That is why Alpha Phi Omega is now and continues to be the nation's largest Greek letter fraternity.
The relationships found and developed in the activities of Alpha Phi Omega are indescribably lasting and indeed something to treasure. They endure long after your career develops. The fellowship in Alpha Phi Omega is, plainly and simply, the quality which has made us the biggest and, we believe, the best collegiate organization in the world.
Alpha Phi Omega wants to share its activities and purpose with you. We want you to become a part of us so that together we can pursue leadership, friendship and service.
As a National Service Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega is the only national fraternity with service as its primary mission. While there is a great diversity in the types of service programs conducted from chapter to chapter, they all serve to make up a great national ministry to human need, conducted exclusively by college students.
Each Alpha Phi Omega National Convention adopts a Program of Emphasis for the next two years. All chapters are encouraged to develop service projects which will be beneficial to these groups.
The first Saturday in November is designated as National Service Day, when all chapters are encouraged to conduct service projects involving other service groups on the campus and in the community.
Alpha Phi Omega's program is directed to four areas:
Alpha Phi Omega chapters provided service to these and other organizations in both the volunteer and fund-raising areas. Here are just a few examples of their fund-raising projects:
HTML version transcribed by Reuben "Fuzz" Hochstedler <hochstrd@cs.rose-hulman.edu>, 15 March 1995.
Updated to Spring 1995 version on 1995 November 7.
Minor (and I mean MINOR) edits done by Mike Zuber <zube7270@fredonia.edu>,
26 July 1998