My colonization experience was fairly similar to the others that have been posted thus far. When the chapter was colonized, I was a new member, when we were chartered, I went through initiation.


This was the process for some of my guy friends who were founding fathers of their fraternity. They had a Fall pledge class, and a Spring pledge class during which time they were a colony and all of them were pledges. They all became the Alpha class when they were initiated in the end of the Spring when the chapter was chartered.

Interesting. With us, once the colonists have pledged (the beginning of Phase II that I described above), no other men can join the colony until after initiation/chartering. Again, though, that occurs 8 weeks after pledging.

For APO, our Chartering process (our requirements are on our website, btw) is basically this:

A group comes together at a school.

After meeting a certain number of requirements (minimum number of people, basic school approval, couple of other things), they officially become an Interest Group. (official designation is always as an IG at that school).

After meeting more requirments (more people, more approvals, certain number of activities), they can become a Petitioning Group. As part of the PG group status, they will go thru a PG ceremony, based on our Pledge Ceremony, and be given PG pins (similiar to having a pledge pin, expect that PG pins may be worn forever to show that you helped start a chapter).

After meeting even more requirements, the group will be Chartered as a chapter. They go thru a chartering ceremony, which is basically our initiation ceremony, and all are now Brothers of APO. At this point the Chapter will receive their greek name (or get it back if they are re-chartering a chapter).

We now have an 'after care' period of a couple of semesters, in which their sponsor (assigned APO alumni staff) will keep an eye on the new chapter to make sure they are stable, etc.

Some notes. Until they become APO Brothers, they can't wear letters. They CAN note that they are an Alpha Phi Omega IG or PG, etc. If rechartering a chapter, they don't get the original chapter name back until rechartering (so refering to themselves as 'Alpha Alpha Alpha PG of Alpha Phi Omega' is a no-no). Time period is not set, but its hoped that going from IG to Chartering would be about a calender year. In can take longer, but if it gettings longer then a couple of years, people will be concerned about the viability of the group.

Members of Interest Groups are allowed to use the words "Alpha Phi Omega Interest Group" to identify themselves, but are not allowed to use the greek letters.

Members of Petitioning Groups CAN use the greek letters, but they must clearly identify themselves as a Petitioning Group. This includes the wearing of lettered shirts, b/c at the ceremony they are also presented with a 2" button which identifies them as a member of a PG. (in addition to the flame pin) The button was standardized after the 2002 NatCon.

There is no time period set for IG to PG status, however, the time from PG to chartered chapter should be no longer than 22 weeks, no shorter than 14 weeks.

Michael, you can refer to Appendix F of the National Board of Directors Policy Manual for the exact verbage.