Alpha Phi Omega offers several opportunities to you. We offer a series of creative situations in which to develop your leadership skills, a chance to build lasting friendships both to 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 FAQ will provide you with more information about our principals, 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 valuble part of you college experience. More than 275,000 students in 691 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.
What is Alpha Phi Omega?
Alpha Phi Omega is a National Service Fraternity college students gathered together in an organization based on faternalism and founded on the principals of Leadership, Friendship, and Service. Its aim is to further the freedom that is out national, educational and intellectual heritage.
Who can join?
Membership is open to any student enrolled on a campus where a chapter exists who is approved for membership by that chapter. This includes members of social and other Greek organizations. 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.
Why should I join? What can it do for me?
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.
How is the fraternity governed on the campus?
Under the Chapter Articles of Association and National Bylaws, each chapter is its own self-governing organization, electing its own officers and establishing is own operating rules and programs. Each chapter also elects an Advisory Committee consisting of three or more members of the faculty of 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.
How is the fraternity governed nationally?
Alpha Phi Omega is a student-based organization. The supreme authority of the fraternity os 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.
Who is on the National Board of Directors?
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, the following are ex-officio members: the International Relations Director, the National Archivist, the National Legal Counsel, the National Executive Director, and one representative of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
What is the official relationship between Alpha Phi Omega and Scouting?
Alpah Phi Omega was founded on Scouting principals. The Boy Scouts o 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 groups is not required to join our fraternity.
What is the role of alumni within Alpha Phi Omega?
"Once a member of Alpha Phi Omega...Always a member of Alpha Phi Omega!" Every National Oficer 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 relationship 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.
How can you be a fraternity if you don't have a house?
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.
How can I join?
There are several approaches.
Ask an Alpha Phi Omega member on your campus;
Contact the local chapter;
Ask the Student Activities Office for the name, address and telephone number of the Alpha Phi Omega president or the chapter office (many campuses provide Alpha Phi Omega office space);
Contact out Director of Chapter Services, Alpha Phi Omega, 14901 East 42nd Street, Independence, Missouri 64055-7347, 816-373-8667. Email: aponed@aol.com
Leadership in Alpha Phi Omega
If society were composed simply of things--books, machines, gadgets, then a college experience consisting of 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 out 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.
Friendship
With so many campus groups from which to choose, students carefully examine organizations on their local campuses. Since 1925 more than 275,000 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 college, long after friends move apart, 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.
Service: Our Middle Name
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 teh 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.
Material for this page taken from the Questions and Answers booklet, with minor revisions and additions for clarity.
