non-Greek?
 

I was looking at my school's newspaper today, and they were quite a few classies encouraging students to go out for APhiO. But this one surprised me:

Alpha Phi Omega: co-ed, non-greek community service fraternity. home.cwru.edu/apo

Specifically, the "non-greek" bit. I didn't think that was how most APhiOs, especially on this site, would describe themselves.

???

Hrrmmmm. . .I personally detest the term "non-Greek". . .but several chapters out there equate the term "non-Greek" with "non-social."

I personally prefer stating what we ARE (Service Fraternity) instead of saying "non" something or other.

A different ad did say "service fraternity."

This is a tactic that's sometimes used by chapters to play on antigreek sentiment that might be on a campus. When they say they are "not Greek" they are implying that they don't have any of the negative stereotypes some unenlightened people equate with social fraternities and sororities.

Like dardenr, I prefer to say what we ARE instead of what we ARE NOT. It is, after all, all about the service.

Re: non-Greek?
 

Because of the Greek atomsphere created by the social organizations, being "non-greek" Automatically gives neutral students a feeling as though Alpha Phi Omega is a special interest club. This is the same feeling that was portrayed on Title VI. The attempt was to distance social organizations from all else.
Non-Greek gives a way for a group to identify you as not them. It is condesending but only subconscienously for them.

I know some groups within Alpha Phi Omega doesn't even use the word Fraternity.

I like the term "Service Greek" Because it keeps the fraternal aspect of our organization alive in the minds of neutral students. It lets them know that, yes we are not them, and also, we are no less than them either.

I know our school doesn't consider us a Greek sorority - a fact that has several of the Greek groups (even the ones I have several friends in) treating us rudely or shunning us on campus. Kinda sucks - I would like to see more unity between organizations - but I love my sisters, and as much as I love girls in some of the other groups, I wouldn't be in a different sorority to save my life! :) I think the term service Greek is very appropriate.

An OPA!
 

Wassup MTSUGURL!

I'm glad to see you. We need to see you more often. I'm impressed with OPA sorority and how you've been able to maintain. I know title IX made it hard for single gender service enitities to remain single gender. Do you have any male members besides that unassociation OPA campus fraternity on the west coast?

Re: non-Greek?
 

As many on this thread have pointed out, in the minds of many (students & schools and members of the Social GLO) "Greek" means ONLY "Social Greek Letter Organizations". Since APO is not a "SGLO", we're "Not Greek". At many schools, APO is put in with all the other 'non Socials' groups in some kind of 'inter organization council' which will also inclue other non-SGLO such as the honor GLO, recognition GLO, professional GLO, etc.

Some chapters make a joke of this ("we're greek, sort of") and the like.

Since many students are turned off by what they see as the negatives of the Socials, its important to make sure they understand APO is different from them, but you have to do it in such a way as to not put down the Socials.

We ARE Greek!!!!!!!!!!
 

We are Greek. There's no way around that. As long as we have Greek letters and rituals, we're Greek. I think it is important to stress the uniqueness of our organization though.

I agree with Jaybee (I never thought I'd say that), I like the term Service Greek. It provides a very important distinction without taking away from the fact that we ARE a fraternity and Greek.

No service fraternities on our campus. :( We're trying to grow - we've got actives, 4 pledges, and 3 pnm's. Any ideas??? I think it would be awesome to have a service fraternity on our campus. Give us someone to do stuff with. ;)

add on....
 

Here's the only thing about being considered "nonGreek" - we're shunned by the other sororities on our campus, ( not by every member, and I don't mean for this to be insulting, but it's true), and I've heard the comment several times, "Why did you join them? Don't you know they're not a real sorority?" What exactly is a "real sorority"? :rolleyes: Can you only have sisterhood if you're strictly a social organization? (Once again, I'm not intending this to insult all girls in NPC sororities. These are things I've heard from individual girls. I realize that not all groups necessarily share the same thoughts.)

Thanks JayBee!!!! No male members.

Re: We ARE Greek!!!!!!!!!!
 

Again, to the Socials, we are not. Having Greek letters etc., to them isn't enough.

But, yes, we do need to stress how we are unique from the socials.

If I can walk across the Quad and get called "Frat Boy" then I am GREEK.

It doesn't matter what other people think we are as long as we are fulfilling our mission and live up to our principles.

Re: Re: We ARE Greek!!!!!!!!!!
 

It actually doesn't matter what the socials think. It matters what the campus individuals think. The problem is that there is more social members on campus than there are service members. That's why it is always good to have another service GLO on campus. Especially a sister org. Because then you help separate your organization from just the special interest organizations. When other organizations shun you, the campus sees that. And if you have another organization that will be in your corner regardless, you have the potential of drawing greater interest.

I think preception matters only when it is with the students of the campus. And if they think that you only do service and your a special interest group then you are going to get people not dedicated to your cause. Individuals that only have a need for service hours.

MTSUGURL! You are right to want to do things with other organizations. It doesn't neccessarily have to be a service organization, but it will help if it is a GLO. And even more so if it is a fraternity of men. And still even greater if is a fraternity of men from a different campus.

Fortunately, we have one fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, that are really sweet to us. One problem we have is, we are extremely small. We have 14 women at the moment. Any ideas on how to grow? My personal goal is to help us grow any way we can. I didn't even know that Omega Phi Alpha existed until I stumbled on the website this summer, and I'm a junior. How do we go about changing campus' perception of OPA?

Dont go for the advice in on theee msg brds. Get to know your campus. investigate, then see where that leads you. Utilize these boards as a last resort.

Re: Re: Re: We ARE Greek!!!!!!!!!!
 

What I've seen on many campuses is that all the social fraternities and sororities are organized into an inter-fraternity council of some sort. Thus all the social are lumped into a group and refered to as "the Greeks". Everyone else, including APO and all non-social GLO, are organized into a "non-Greek" inter-organization council.

Adding to this, the social GLOs will have an assigned time when they do rush (ie "the Greek Rush"). As APO chapters are not (and cannot) be part of these 'social greek inter-fraternity councils', they usually can't have their Rush at the same time.

All of this adds to people's perceptions that the term "Greek" only applies to the social GLO. And this is true to many inside and outside social GLO.

Emory APO
 

The way it was explained to me at Emory, APO is not an "official" Greek organization. However, because we're not recognized, it also means you can join a social GLO.

Anyway, I just got a bid, and I'm really excited. Everyone is so sweet, and there are so many service opportunities.

I have a question, though...
How do you get Greek letters in your signature? :D

Re: Re: Re: Re: We ARE Greek!!!!!!!!!!
 

But all you are saying is echoing my points that what is preceive to be non-greek, is what ths social organizations are describing as not-them. They have created their label and any associated organization as being "Greek". They have given themselves a name, and created the mystique that all else is not-them, there term "not-Greek". However this is: (The labeling of others in a condesending way.) So you can choose to be labeled and accept your title or you can label yourself.

We should care less what the mystique of the campus has generated and take pride in being a name not a non-name. I choose "Service Greek". Because it gives the individuals the best understanding of who we really are. Not some term that social desire us to be.

This simple-grouping is can be demeaning. The socials have many people in many places within the administrative structure. It is much easier to get an explaination like these are "the Greeks" and these are everybody else. When it should be disseminated into Social GLO's, Service GLO's and Professional Org's. It is so bad now that the Socials are calling themselves Service Orgs. Why, Because some are and to others it gives them a greater purpose. Almost every GLO is doing some service now.

We have to pull out of the simple-grouping arena, even if it looks like we stand alone. Some schools don't even call Alpha Phi Omega a fraternity and have us listed under Organizations. Which gives an individual the belief that our organization is a campus club who adopted greek letters. We have to persistently request a new group call "other fraternities" if they have us not included in the fraternity section and "Service Greeks" if we are not included in the GLO section. We don't just have to except where they place us. And most campuses will go the distance to label you correctly. But you will not know until you ask.

Here is some ideas:

Develop more fraternal aspects of a sorority.
Songs, shouts, and special days, etc.

Be seen on campus with parapernalia on. Nobody can tell you the power of uniformity. You can have a 2002 shirt that every body wears once a month. Nalia shows pride in your organization. And when you show pride in your organization, it is the simple most assertive thing you can do to recruite.

Develop campus service project that people would love to assist in. On my campus we coordinated a melting pot festival that actually got press coverage. And it gave others the chance to see the foreign students on campus displaying their culture.

Go to games and sit together. The appearance of your girls together does wonders for your recruiting efforts.

Doing things with other greek lettered organizations always help.

Inviting other chapters to visit you during campus-wide events. The other chapter will love it, and the display of other members on your campus automatically places your organization in the minds of others.

That's all I can think of. Maybe somebody else may have some ideas.

JayBEE - You are awesome! Thank you so much for the advice. I think our girls have been kind of discouraged, so they've been excited to hear my ideas and ideas I get from ya'll.
My pledge class started with 4 girls, and this Sunday we're adding another 4, and getting one active back that has been LOA for a semester. We're growing! :)

Sara - I pm'ed you about the signature.

Re: Emory APO
 

And who determines who is "officially" Greek???

The social fraternity/sororities are organized into about 3 national inter-fraternity organizations (sorry, don't recall their names). Because of this you may join only one social GLO. APO is not and never will be part of any of these groups. This does not affect our 'status' as being 'officially' greek, unless someone out there thinks that being part of one of the intra-fraternity orgs conveys officalness...

None of the 'non-social' GLOs are part of these inter-fraternity orgs. That includes APO, as well as the recognition, honor, professional, etc GLOs. This is why there is no issue with joining as many of the non-social GLOs as you wish. (found out my dad is a member of one social GLO (Beta something) and 2-3 non-social GLOs).

Re: Re: Emory APO
 

Some points to make on your statements:

1. Being in a council does determine whether or not you are social. For example: Delta Sigma Theta is considered a social organization. However it is difinitely a Service Organization. If the sorority decided not to be apart of the NPHC council it would lose it's social status. Then this organization would be on the level as any other service organization, Independent. Simply because the national charter of Delta Sigma Theta states Delta Sigma Public Service Sorority.

2. So what then is a "non-social" organization. Does it mean that your organization that is not part of a council, it is a "non-social" organization. No. Look at Groove Phi Groove. And obvious Social organization, however it is not apart of a council that I'm aware of. So you can't classify organizations in that manner. You have to say Counciled Organizations, Independent Organizations and Professional Organizations.

3. There's that condesending reference again. I'm really don't consider myself apart of a non-anything. It's all apart of a perspective. If you are apart of something and you have others that are not you say that they are not you. As if I were saying that the counciled organizations are "non-service organizations".
But we can't say that can we? (Refer #3) Or "Non-alpha Phi Omega" Organizations. If you accept a "non" title then it's like you don't need to exist, or you are so insignificant no ones bother to identify you. And that is a transferrable feeling. "Are they Greek?" "No, they are just non-greek" I'm sorry, I can't accept someone else giving me a title. I would rather hear "No, they are Service Greeks." than "No they are just not us."

at TSU
 

On our campus, we are only referred to as an Independent Greek Letter Fraternity. Nothing more, and nothing less. They wouldn't dare refer to us as non-greek.

simmer down
 

you sound a bit aggressive. Are you ANgry? MAd at the world? Pissed of to be something or something else what?

Just putting and pasting from earlier in this discussion:

It actually doesn't matter what the socials think. It matters what the campus individuals think. The problem is that there is more social members on campus than there are service members.

They have created their label and any associated organization as being "Greek". They have given themselves a name, and created the mystique that all else is not-them, there term "not-Greek". However this is: (The labeling of others in a condesending way.) So you can choose to be labeled and accept your title or you can label yourself.

"Here's the only thing about being considered "nonGreek" - we're shunned by the other sororities on our campus, ( not by every member, and I don't mean for this to be insulting, but it's true), and I've heard the comment several times, "Why did you join them? Don't you know they're not a real sorority?"



As a greek and a service/independent greek you may not understand what a person who is only a service/independent greek goes through. We only care about the comments about us going to other potential members. And when it is of a negative nature it does affect your ability to recruit.

I think when someone mentions the other social organization they are in within an Alpha Phi Omega function or meduim it is just like recruiting internally. Like your location statement being Alpha Xi Delta. If you are supporting both equally then you would have both of them mentioned or none at all.

I wish we had another service group here. :(

They ran an ad this week with even more confusing terminology:

Join Alpha Phi Omega, national co-educational community service fraternity! (non-greek affiliated)

I knew a lot of A Phi Os in college and they were great people. And a lot of them were also in social GLOs, so most of them weren't anti-social-GLO - but I understand they want to differentiate themselves from social GLOs. But what does "non Greek affiliated" mean?

Re: JayBEE....
 

1) APO has Alumni Associations, not Alumnae.

2) APO doesn't have to disappear after college. There are materials now available on the National Website that guide you through the creation process of an alumni association. You can make chapter and geographic alumni associations.

Re: Re: JayBEE....
 

True.

Also, all the APO people at the Section, Regional, and National levels are alumni members of APO. get involved!! You can also be a chapter advisor. And it up to the alumni to establish alumni associations. See the above noted documents.