Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a
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 t ...
service fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, 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 (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, one in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and one in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. 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 or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...
.
Alpha Phi Omega is a national
co-ed
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 fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
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
The Scout Promise (or Oath) is a spoken statement made by a child joining the Scout movement. Since the publication of ''Scouting for Boys'' in 1908, all Scouts and Girl Guides around the world have taken a Scout (or Guide) promise or oath to li ...
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 ideals of the movement, and subscribed to the Sco ...
of the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
; 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 nor for 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 December 16, 1925, at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
, on the 2nd floor of Brainerd Hall (known as Hogg Hall since 1944), located 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, a river tha ...
.
APO was founded by
Frank Reed Horton
Frank Reed Horton (July 17, 1896 in Sewickley, Pennsylvania – August 28, 1966 in Easton, Pennsylvania), was a United States educator. He is best known as the founder and first national president of Alpha Phi Omega, an international service frater ...
and 13 other students who were former Boy Scouts and scouters, as a way to continue participating in the ideals of Scouting at the college level. These founding brothers were Frank Reed Horton, 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,
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 membership must pledge to uphold the fraternity's three cardinal principles of
Leadership
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...
,
Friendship
Friendship is a 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.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
, and
Service. 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 Beta chapter at
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
.
[ Horton served as Supreme Grand Master from the founding of the fraternity until the 1931 convention. A total of 18 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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, 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, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
and Professional Scouter
The Boy Scouts of America is an organization run by volunteers, however the day-to-day administration is performed by a staff of professional (or career) Scouters. The organization has professional staffing at every level—district, council, reg ...
introduced the organization to Filipino Scouts. Librado I. Ureta, a graduate student at Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private non-sectarian Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines ...
in Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, was among the audience. Inspired by Levy's words, he read the publications and shared them with fellow Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...
s 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
Visayans ( Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group ...
schools and it was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a nonstock, nonprofit, and nondividend corporation. Alpha Phi Omega (Phil.) Inc. was the first branch of the fraternity to be chartered outside the USA.
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
Fraternities and sororities are Club (organization), social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an Undergraduate education, undergraduate student, but conti ...
, parallel in ideals but independent in structure, were formed for women who had been Camp Fire Girls
Camp Fire, formerly Camp Fire USA and originally Camp Fire Girls of America, is a co-ed youth development organization. Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It is gender inclusive, and its prog ...
or Girl Scouts, including Gamma Sigma Sigma
Gamma Sigma Sigma () is a national service sorority founded on October 12, 1952, at Beekman Tower in New York City. It partners with other organizations such as March of Dimes, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, American Cancer Society, an ...
and Omega Phi Alpha
Omega Phi Alpha () is an American national service sorority. It was founded in at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Omega Phi Alpha, also known as OPhiA, currently has twenty nine active chapters in the United States, as ...
. Several Alpha Phi Omega chapters also had 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 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 prior to 1976, despite the fact that 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 land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
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 wh ...
, and thus was able to generate certificates and membership cards for their own female initiates prior to 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 capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, 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. In order 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 albeit all new chapters had to. It was felt that with the course of time, all would go coed. This "gentleman's agreement" was formalized in a resolution at the 1998 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 own 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 or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
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
''The Maine Campus'' is a weekly newspaper produced by the students of the University of Maine in the United States. It covers university and Town of Orono events, and has four sections: News, Opinion, Culture and Sports. It serves the 20,000 stu ...
.'' April 14, 2008. Retrieved on April 15, 2008. In addition, Brothers from Zeta Theta chapter at Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
, Pi Chi Chapter at Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened as the Pittsbu ...
, and 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.
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.
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 own 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 on a daily basis, 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 focus on skills that will help the participant be a successful leader and team member in Alpha Phi Omega and in 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. At the completion of the series of courses, the participant will have a set of transferable skills that are applicable 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 and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
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 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 in participating in the Global Youth Service Day
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), originally launched and known as National Youth Service Day in the United States, is a coordinated annual event which voluntary gathers young people around the world in conducting community service, service learni ...
project with its partner organization, Youth Service America
Youth Service America, or YSA, is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally.< ...
. During one weekend in April, millions of youth participate in this project, which bills itself as the largest service event in the world. Projects include tutoring
Tutoring is private academic support, 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 ...
young children, disaster relief, voter registration
In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote.
The ru ...
, nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...
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 now 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 and include the National President, National Vice-President, seven Members at Large, and 3 appointed members. Appointed officials include the Legal Counsel and others.
* There is the ''National Operations Council'', comprising the elected Regional Chairs and the appointed Program Chairs.
* 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 chapters that are active, 14 Petitioning Groups, 19 Interest Groups, and 343 that are inactive. (Petitioning and Interest groups include both those at schools which have previously had active chapters and those that have not.) In addition Alpha Phi Omega has 16 charters at schools which have closed or merged with another school with an older charter.
National Office
In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, the fraternity is headquartered out of a National Office located at 14901 E. 42nd St., 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 10 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
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
Past locations of the Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines office include:
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 Cairn ...
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 Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
The group at UBC became a Petitioning Group on July 18, 2015 They chartered on December 13, 2015. Chapters in Canada will remain an extension of Alpha Phi Omega USA until there is a presence on 5 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, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
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 who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
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 addition to being a 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 t ...
, one thing that further differentiates Alpha Phi Omega from social fraternities is that its national bylaws restricts 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
Frank Reed Horton (July 17, 1896 in Sewickley, Pennsylvania – August 28, 1966 in Easton, Pennsylvania), was a United States educator. He is best known as the founder and first national president of Alpha Phi Omega, an international service frater ...
, 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, 2019–2021
*Melody Martin, 2022–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, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, 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.[ , Alpha Phi Omega has conducted forty-five national conventions, the most recent in Austin, Texas. 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 (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
conducts biennial national conventions in odd-numbered years, and , twenty-four conventions have been held.
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 (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
. This tradition was started after the twenty-first national convention in Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. 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 , Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, in 2002, and the largest number of chapters represented was 235 in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, in 2000.
Publications
The official publication of the fraternity 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 ''Chapter Bulletin'' from 2004 to 2008.[
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See also
* Alpha Delta National Fraternity
* Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
* Epsilon Tau Pi (Eagle Scouts)
* Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
* Omega Phi Alpha (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
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Alpha Phi Omega – Philippines website
Alpha Phi Omega Mu Chapter 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 in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...
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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
Fraternities and sororities in the Philippines
Student societies in Australia
Associations related to the Boy Scouts of America
Lafayette College
Independence, Missouri
Fraternities and sororities in Canada
Student organizations established in 1925
Professional Fraternity Association