Is it explicit that the standard of manhood was intended to be internal, among the members, or external, to the youth of the community?

I tend to believe that the standard of manhood was meant to be external and that women can contribute to that in equivalent ways to men.

This is what I've never understood - why this all wasn't resolved 30 years ago when the fraternity went co-ed nationally instead instead of now. I can understand why the all male chapters feel jerked around at this juncture, but you have to look at the other point of view.

It's one thing to say "every chapter is different" and understandably, every brother will not feel comfy in every chapter. But when you are a female at school A, join what you're told is a nationally co-ed fraternity, and then transfer to school B and feel put out before you even meet any of the brothers simply because of your sex - that's just not right.

Yes

We didn't accept transfer brothers period. It did not matter if your female or male.

Because it was never anticipated that the vote to go co-ed would steamroll into the contentious issue that it would became over years subsequent to 1976 into today.

Based on firsthand accounts of the '76 Convention attendees, contrary to popular opinion, the vote to go co-ed was motivated by one primary driving factor: SURVIVAL AND CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF ALPHA PHI OMEGA, period! Not political correctness, not equality of women/women's lib, not because the male members finally "saw the light" (though these are factors which the fraternity at large would like for people to believe). Yes, these matters played into the ultimate vote to go co-ed, but it wasn't THE deciding factor overall.

So in short, why wasn't this issue resolved at the '76 Convention? Because the law of unintended consequences was in full effect.

'Nuff said.

Coming Attractions...
 

I had about a 3page document I was writing on history of gender in APO going all the way back to the beginning when I accidently hit the left arrow key while not inside the edit window causing it to return to the previous page. I'll attempt to rewrite it tonight but interesting points from after 1970 (There is a lot prior to 1970 in what I wrote as well)

There were both *internal* and *external* reasons that the fraternity went co-ed. At the 1974 convention, before the ruling on Alpha Phi Omega and Title IX at the HEW, the vote to allow women as full brothers got a majority, just not the 2/3 needed.

The National Fraternity was still working to get an exemption from the HEW ruling on Title IX as of 1981.

The National Fraternity did not allow all male extension efforts after 1986.

Randy

Personally, I'm not disputing that there were other reasons behind APO going co-ed, I'm just saying what appeared to be the primary catalyst for APO being co-ed (the 1976 HEW Title IX ruling). Based on the wording of the decision to go co-ed from an original APO document, it said something to the effect of (I'm paraphrasing based on memory): "If an APO chapter needs to go co-ed, it may do so."

As I said earlier, this was one of the unintended consequences that the '76 Convention could not anticipate occuring.

The survival to, wasn't due because the national fraternity was having major membership problems or suffering from poor extension efforts by the way. A large number of very liberal colleges were telling single gendered organizations to either go coeducational or be kicked off campus.

uhmmmm....
 

I have a few questions, but I'll start with a HELLO...

1) Who is this "prominent" Brother you speak of at Howard? (Zeta Phi is my chapter, which is why I'm curious) Did this brother say he/she went to Boston?

2) I receive ALL emails for the chapter and we did not receive an email about doing a tribute for Big Brother LTC (Ret.) Lucius E. Young. What are you speaking of? There was a posting on Facebook, but this was after we had already done the Memorial Ritual.

3) When you say cookout in Atlanta do you mean 25/52? I heard it was canceled this year, but I'm not sure.

Uhmmmm...that's all...thanks!

The Cookout this year is not canceled.
It's July 23-26, 2009 in Atlanta.

Sorry I don't have anything meaningful to add to the conversation, LOL

oh okay...THANKS!!:)

[QUOTE=ques26;1788165]...with the Prime Minister of Bermuda, A Brother and Howard alumni Brother. [QUOTE]

Membership of Ewart Frederick Brown, current Premier* of Bermuda, has been confirmed with the APO National Office. He was initiated by Zeta Phi chapter at Howard in April 1965.

To answer the question that might spring to mind, Bermuda only has post-secondary institution, and that is a two year college called Bermuda College which has no greek letter organizations. :)

*Note, while Bermuda has a parlimentary system, and many countries with similar systems call their head of government Prime Minister, Bermuda calls its leader Premier. See http://www.elections.gov.bm/evolution-franchise.html for more information.

The Duquesne Situation
 

I was a student at Duquesne in the late 1970s and even back then, the A-Phi-O acted like a social fraternity. In many ways, Pi Chi was extention of Duquesne ROTC.

I know of at least two men who didn't receive bids to join Pi Chi, even though both became student leaders on campus.

I sincerely hope that in a couple of years, the national A-Phi-O would considering re-establishing the Duquesne chapter. Pi Chi was very active service-wise when I was on campus