First of all, apologies on the out of place post, my comment about directing you here was delayed until I finished getting dinner ready so I missed that you had already responded.

Some ideas, and I'll state that I don't know how many of these would be incindiary, how many would be useful and how many are duds. You and your brothers know the situation there much better than I.

1) First of all, I don't think a brawl on the yard is the best course of action, even if you do outnumber them. :)

2) Find out how many of the Zeta Phi brothers since the recharactering have actually done what he said. Went Alpha Phi Omega and then a Noble Nine. I don't think there is anything wrong with that if you stay active in both (Hi Rashid!), but if the numbers are small, you might want to use that in response.

3) You might want to mention brother Lucius Young by name, giving more particulars, I find the fact that they said that Brother Young simply was a member of an NPHC organization sort of strange since he is a brother of PBS.

4) Age, Alpha Phi Omega is only 3 years younger than SGR and certainly older than IPTh. And as best as I can tell, the first of the organizations that exist & pledge/intake at Howard is Kappa Kappa Psi (Band Frat) which predates APhiA (though not at Howard of course).

5) Ask whether Race matters... Does the fact that our founders were white make them any less as founders of a fraternity?


The answer may be to ignore, but I'm still throwing these out as ideas....

Randy

oh believe me
 

I made sure that it was taken care of... I didn't get my line name and alias for nothing....:cool: :mad: :cool: :mad:

i know some people may not agree with my idea, but it is something that i have turned over in my head for the past couple of days. i read this article over and over and the more i read it, the more ignorant that it became.

if you feel that you dont have to defend APO, then do nothing. if you really feel like it bothers you that much that something needs to be done, then do something constructive and not detrimental to your chapter.

i am by no means a passive brother, nor am i an inciteful, riotous brother, but i am a lil' crazy. my choice would be something that meaningfully "gets in their grill". simply challenge them to a debate or host a forum. you obviously already have an audience, and its something that will give both sides the opportunity to speak their mind, but more so gives you the opportunity to speak the truth.

i am a brother who also happens to be a member of Noble A Phi A, and from that perspective i can see a lot of ignorance in what PBS is saying. no one smiled when black greeks donned letters and colors and called themselves greeks, so how can you come from a black frat and persecute someone else in the same fashion that your founders were? thats disrespectful to them!

lastly, there was a statement made in regards to "giving you some insight to the nature of your org". how stupid is that?! well, im going too far. you get the picture. i hope you find a peacefull and meaningful resolution to the problem.

x

just to let your know i will be contacting the Alpha chapter of PBS to discuss these issues, i think this is an embarrassment of my organization and i can not stand for it

Setting the Record Straight (by another nasty number nine)
 

Edwina S. King

First, let me address the "mimicking" issue. Alpha Phi Omega NSF and its chapters mimics no organization. We do not accuse Pan-Hell of keeping us "down" because we never looked for any organization to "uplift" our fraternity. Each action performed by brothers of the Zeta Phi chapter are actions that brothers initiated into the chapter since its initial chartering have performed. If one would take a trip to the Moorland-Spingarn Center, you will find Zeta Phi, as my grandmother would say "marching to the beat of their own drum"

As apart of our rich history, for 56 years, brothers of the Zeta Phi chapter and (other chapters since their respective chartering) have had probate shows, paraphernalia, calls, spec's, numbers, sung on the yard at 1:00 pm, etc...(if you don't believe me, check old yearbooks and speak to old Howard University alumni from the 40's, 50's 60's and 70's). My organization has no desire to imitate or emulate what other organizations do. We do not "front" or "stunt" as if we are "Pan-Hell".

Alpha Phi Omega NSF prides itself on developing leaders who set the precedent not followers who replicate the actions of others. We simply have the desire to uphold our traditions that we hold near and dear to our hearts. So if that means that one of my brothers chooses to wear an Old Glory Gold and Royal Blue jacket with their line name, (The online version stops the paragraph there. :confused: )

Secondly, Alpha Phi Omega NSF has no intention or desire to join the National Panhellenic Council. Alpha Phi Omega, NSF refuses to be apart of a "council" because it was our founders' intention for Alpha Phi Omega to be an inclusive fraternity rather than exclusive. Many of the founders of my organization were members of other organizations and the trend has continued to date. Case in point, the only African-American president of my organization and a charter brother of my chapter, Hon. Lt. Lucius Young, was not just a member of an NPHC simultaneously, but he was a member of your organization, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. We encourage and support a brother's decision to join another organization whether it is Pan-Hell, music, honor, or create an organization of their own.

Third, my organization derives it principles from the Boy Scouts of America, not to be collegiate Boy Scouts. Through our principles, we develop leaders, promote friendship (with brothers and non-brothers alike) and provide service to all of humanity, not just White or Black people. Although my organization was founded by 20 men not 14 who so happened to be White, their message has transcended the lines of race, class, gender or creed. You may only see Zeta Phi brothers on campus calling, chanting and wearing 'naila, but we perform numerous acts of service annually, without being mentioned in the paper, without praise, and without complaint. So, before you question anyone in my fraternity's principles or objectives and what we do to uphold them, first look at yourself and see what you do to uphold your own. I had the chance to read your organization's mission statement and it clearly states,

* Encourage a closer and mutually beneficial working relationship with fellow Greek-letter organizations, other community service organizations, business and government.

Do you honestly think that you are upholding your organization's mission by disregarding other organizations? Think about it!

Every organization that exists on campus has a purpose and my organization is certainly no exception. If we had no purpose on campus then we would not continue to have initiates annually. If we had no purpose, then we would not have three campus building named after brothers in the organization, all Zeta Phi brothers. All organizations including Alpha Phi Omega have right to express themselves as they please without being accused of being something they are not.

If you have any further questions about what Alpha Phi Omega or Zeta Phi chapter does or does not do, then I encourage you to do one of two things: Go Online or Get Online!

Read your history book!
 

I love it when people want to start stuff and dont look back into their history books as to what REALLY happened. I dont understand why people feel the need to give their .02 Cents on something that they didnt even bother to research. Im am no where near this area (I wish I was I miss home....) but no matter the region people are forever spitting off at the mouth and not doing their research prior.

At my school since it is a PWI - no one really knows about APO b/c we keep a low profile and we do not have a large amount of black members in our organization. Once again people dont know enough. Im hoping in the next year while I am at ECU to educate people on what this organization is about so that the respect can be gained and earned and so hopefully that what is happening right now wont happen at my school!

Keep your head up bros (:D FINALLY!) You know that you have the support WORLDWIDE!

Re: Setting the Record Straight (by another nasty number nine)
 

You know that I had to say it:D

Nasty nine...and you know this man!

Thanks...
 

Cas

thanks a lot...you really didn't have to do it, but if you did thanks again...

Yeah they did a poor job of editing...because they said that the article was too long... the hilltop also neglected to state that it was my opinion and not that of the fraternity or chapter.

Re: Seems like Sigmas
 

Hope ya'll don't mind me stepping in. But what is Zeta Phi Beta Sigma??

Re: Setting the Record Straight (by another nasty number nine)
 

I can agree with you 100% about this statement Rashid. This reminds of the situation of my initiate chapter's name being discussed in a Pan-Hell meeting due to the fact that someone in the NPHC at Johnson C. Smith University felt as though it is not right that we wear line jackets and other tyes of paraphanelia. I will not mention the organization of the ignorramus. Just know that you too certainly have something in common. :)

If there are any questions, I do not have my own computer so if any brothers want to talk please contact me at 843-260-0789. Talk to you soon.

Re: Re: Seems like Sigmas
 

Zeta Phi Beta Sigma is a term I've heard used for the combined membership of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Since ZPhiB is all-women and PhiBS is all-male and they are legally bound, it seemed appropriate to compare them with the co-ed Alpha Phi Omega

Re: Re: Re: Seems like Sigmas
 

Hmmm...it's not appropriate to compare the membership of a co-ed organization with organizations that are single sexed. While we are bound we are seperate organizations and the term Zeta Phi Beta Sigma is not to be used since no such organization exists. Thanks! :D

Responded privately to Epitome1920.

I wanted to respond here so there is no future confusion:

Seeing that I'm a Zeta and have been for quite some time, I am well aware of the usage of the term on websites, t-shirts, etc. However, the place to start is with anyone I come in contact with who continues to use the term. When referring to the Blue Family, please refer to us by our proper names: Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma.

And since the article was supposedly about Sigma and Alpha Phi Omega, why was Zeta even brought into the conversation??

Sorry for the disruption but I will speak whenever I see "Zeta Phi Beta".

Because I assumed that Zeta Phi Beta would support Phi Beta Sigma in the event that this argument in the newspaper got uglier (or even physical), especially as the Alpha Phi Omega brothers who have been vocal on this have been female.

Did you find the mention due to a search on greekchat? I've found the search less than satisfying since it refuses to accept phi as a search term due to its length...

Randy