Meeting Brothers in random places
 

(Shamelessly stolen from a couple other GLO fora.)

In this thread, we talk about meeting other Brothers in unexpected places and ways. I'll start it off:

Today I was at Whole Foods in Wheaton when I saw a woman in an APO shirt, carrying an APO tote! Turns out she's a Brother of Eta chapter. Of course I had to tell her I'm a Mu Brother! :D

I was in the hospital(my niece was being born) and I was walking around w/my APO tote and another brother came up to me. We hugged, talked for a minute and exchanged numbers. She's actually one of my closest friends now!

I was the 2006 CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, NC and one of the radio stations was on stage at the Convention Center having live prize giveaways. Anyway, the announcer was giving a prize package to the first person to come to the stage who had on a t-shirt with their nalia on. Since I was so close to the stage, people pointed at me and I went up there and shouted out the name of my organization. Afters, I met some old heads who came up to me. One was from Barber Scotia College (Alpha Alpha Iota) Chapter and the other was from FAMU (Kappa Delta) Chapter.

A long time ago in a tutoring session, one of the students came in wearing his A Phi O letters. I did not know him because he was an alumnus who had just returned to school. And the tutor was an A Phi O brother as well...plus a member of my church group, plus someone I had sold a newspaper subscription to a long time before that.

Also, I don't know if this really counts.

But one of my pledge brothers works for my library system. I did not know she was a librarian- much less working here. I had not seen her in 6 years. I was thrilled to see her. The next time I ran into her, we did the secret handshake.

Another brother from a later pledge class recognized me at school. She is now in our system as well. And again, we did the secret handshake.

At a job interview about 3 years ago, I was sitting down with the President of the College who was looking to hire me, and he asked about my faith in action. I told him that I tried to live my faith through my community service, which was through my community service organization, Alpha Phi Omega. He looks at me, and says, "APO?" I ask him if he'd heard of it before - and then he tells me that he was an active member as an undergrad! I get up, give him the handclasp, and say, "greetings, my Brother."

I got the job.

Now THAT'S what's up! ;) :)

Random
 

Every year TSU has this blue and white football game with food, prizes, fun for the family...the whole 9. Well this year I just happened to stop by to get something to eat when I saw the facepainters. I got Attractive airbrushed on my face. I had an Alpha Phi Omega shirt and a gentlemen walked up to me and said you are in APO? I pledged a long time ago. ('81) Come to find out he was one of my chapter brothers. We talked. He gave me his business card *he does catering and he's a minister*and I gave him my email address and promised to invite him to some chapter events. He got APO the greek letters airbrushed on his arm from the design on my shirt. He sent me the nicest email, which ended in

It was truly a joy taking to you and knowing that the fraternity is still alive and well. I hope in the days to come that I will have some spare time to get to know you and the other frat members better. Until we talk again may GOD bless the Royal Blue
and Gold men and women of Alpha Phi Omega!

Wasn't that so nice? So n e way I invited him to our end of the year picnic and the other chapter brothers go to meet him and he brought some old pics with him...only i got there late and he was gone by the time i got there :(

Come to find out...he works at the same school as one our chapter brothers and they never knew that the other was frat. He said leave it to "my name here" to find some frat somewhere LOL

One brother from another pledge class of my A Phi O chapter found me through the A Phi O community. Not so unexpected, but it is glad to run into an old friend. We were not close back then or anything, but we are reconnecting. He has been quite supportive in his comments.

Jobs and brothers
 

My current job ended up *way* too APO involved for words.

My normal resume does not include anything about Alpha Phi Omega (and I'd advise against those who have been out for more than 2 years to include any college activities), but I'd also registered on monster.com and that has a section where it asks what you do in your spare time. I included my family and Alpha Phi Omega in that listing.

I get to the job interview based on the monster.com resume and it turns out the lead programmer, Sam, is also an Alpha Phi Omega brother, we spent about 10-15 minutes (of 1.5 hours) in the interview talking about APO, which he definitely remembers from Washington U of StL. I comment on the oddity when I get home but think it is a good sign. I end up getting the offer which I accept.

I start the job and try to contain any mention of APO to my boss, the lead programmer mostly because I don't want to exclude the other programmer, Margaret (I'm now the third programmer including the lead). Still, she overhears one of our conversations and it turns out she is from the first co-ed pledge class at Georgetown in 1977! She and the lead programmer had been working with each other for 3 years and hadn't realized they were both APO brothers!

Also, it turns out her officemate, Anthony, is an Honorary brother and is the husband of a brother, Lee Avery who my wife ended up voting against when she ran for sectional chair of the section that I was on staff in!

Bizarre, huh?

YiLFS
Randy Finder

:eek:

That's hot.

brother deputy?
 

3 years ago, at a gas station in NC, I was wearing an old APO rush shirt and a deputy sheriff who was doing security there spotted me and whispered our secret motto in my ear! I turned around and he greeted me with the APO handshake. I was suprised because you doun't normally find brothers who greet you like this.

Well, that's a little better then how I was greeted one night at a gas station in FL will wearing one of my letter shirts. A couple of blacks saw me and one pulled up his sleeve to show me his APO brand. Shook hands. They were alum from Bethune-Cookman college in FL.

Not that the Brother's race matters in the first place, but in the future try saying "black people" or "African Americans" instead of just "blacks."

I don't know why.....
 

.... but comments like this still get to me. I would hope that my BROTHERS would be able to use more PC language especially referring to other BROTHERS.:mad: :mad: :mad: :(

I was not trying to offend anyone.

However, I am not a believer in PC (other then personal computers).

Shades of Brown.
 

I have met a couple of people whose skin color really was White and Black. One of my little brothers at Kappa is an albino and I had the change to meet DC Police Chief (at the time) Isaac Fulwood once. Other than those two, most people I've met have skin some shade of brown.

Negro (as a noun or adjective), I used to say that as long as the United Negro College Fund used it, I wouldn't see anything wrong with it, but I think they've changed to College Fund/UNCF. My eighty year old neighbor still uses it, and his girlfriend (who is African-American and about 60) doesn't have a problem with it.

Black is an adjective as far as I'm concerned. It's handy but still when you get to people who skin that is light mocha, you start wondering. Though in this country it still seems that we are at the one drop method of determining it.

Having said all that, seeing a brand of Alpha Phi Omega would *completely* freak me out. I have enough problem imagining getting an Omega (for an Omega Psi Phi) clear with scar tissue, I have no idea on how much of the arm you would have to cover for that...

Randy

I had to reply to this...
 

I wouldn't consider myself active in APO by any means (anymore at least), but I have met brothers in some of the most random places/settings.

1. I attended a conference in ATL this summer and I shared the same hotel with the 25/52 conference...I ran into my prophyte while checking in...it was weird because he thought I was there for the picnic but I was there for my scholarship program (but don't think I didn't enjoy my fraternity);)

2. I just started law school and I so happen talk to one of my classmates more frequently than the others. Well, since we both arrived to class at the same time, we sat next to each other. Well, the only piece of naila that I keep with me is my keychain...he looked at it and yelled, you're a brother!!! So we had a brother moment right there in class!

3. I went to a "caberet" for FAMU and met some brothers who sat at my table. I didn't know they were brothers until they threw up the sign...me (I was a neo at the time, yelled out...You're a brother...we talked the rest of the night about APO)

4. One of my neighbors is a brother! We had Beautification day and he wore his naila to the event...needless to say, that was a whole day conversation!

5. Met a brother on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii-my biological brother ran into a friend of his when we were on the strip...my brother introduced me to the guy who was a brother at my brother's school.

What I enjoy most about meeting brothers is the genuine excitement! It's almost like getting a gift when you least expect it! Also, I love sharing my APO experience and listening to theirs. Moments like that make me appreciate APO and want to join an alumni chapter.

I'm pretty sure that I will have some more stories since I attend law school in the US and Canada...I hope to meet some of our Canadian brothers!

I have seen many tattoos/brands including ones for Alpha Phi Omega:( :rolleyes: I absolutely hate them. For one, it is barbaric. Two, it is too reminicent of slavery for my liking...Three, every person I know regrets them later in life. Four, it is unsanitary as hell!!! IMHO, anyone who comtemplates getting one needs a head exam!

I met a Brother from Sigma Sigma (UIC) while I was at Portillo's getting dinner yesterday. (She had an APO tote bag) :)

This summer I worked at a camp and our dining hall was out of commission for the week of training, so we ate at a neighboring camp that was kind enough to let us eat there. Anyway, I was eating there one day wearing a shirt with the coat of arms on it and one of the girls working at the other camp came up to me and asked what chapter I was with. We talked about APO for a few minutes, which was pretty cool. Later in the summer I was wearing another shirt that had "Alpha Phi Omega" written out on it and one of the guys working at my camp thought I was an AXO! I guess there's only one letter difference, but I had to explain that APO is nothing like a social sorority.

Also, a couple of years ago, when I was a New Active, I went to New York with my roommate for fall break. We were just doing sightseeing and touristy things, but about a block away from Times Square I saw a guy walk past wearing letters. I nudged my roommate and said "Look, he's in APO. My fraternity." and he heard me and turned around and smiled and waved, but we were heading opposite directions so we didn't talk.

Went on a deployment to way-out-in-the-jungle Belize in 1994 to provide weather support for a joint US-British humanitarian operation that was building brick structures in various villages that didn't have anything like that. When I arrived, the LtCol that showed up there to work with me was an APO brother. Thankfully, he was also a forgetful Turtle, which came in handy at the base pub.....

Forgetful Turtles are the best ;)

Haven't met any brothers on the job, although I do get puzzled looks when people notice my lavaliere and ask what sorority I joined. :rolleyes: So I just straighten them out!

Bumping because I just found out last night that a girl I've known through Jaycees for years is a brother. :D

I was in Tuskegee, AL for my cousin's HS graduation a few weeks ago and I had my crossing shirt on. Before I could even go into my aunt's house, there was a guy who screams out "ALPHA PHI OMEGA". I looked at him puzzled because I was like how did he know the letters. So he got into his car and stopped. I asked if he was a brother and sure enough, he was a brother from Miles College who pledged in 1996. We got into conversation while I was standing in 90+ degree weather and gave each other the handclasp. He recognized the fact that I am a brother and not just a "female with APO on my chest" and it was all love. :-)

^^^Are you still coming to meet this Brother in a random place? :)

Some of the brothers that I was coming with are broke so I decided that I am going to stay home this weekend and plan to come up later. :(

Awww I am sorry. :(

Next time!

Oh most definitely.. Have fun! :)

Umm. I can't find any sign that Miles College had (or has) a chapter....

Now that's what's up, 'cause I'm not PC either!

*gives emb021 the APO handshake*

I sincerely appreciate your honesty and candidness.

brotherly love
 

Over the summer I found out that two of my very close friends were both brothers of APO and I had no idea!

I was cleaning out my chapters office and found a notebook with memories from several years ago. In it, I found my friend Sonja's name. She had gone to a neighboring school in Troy, NY. I called her up and was like "Are you in Alpha Phi Omega??!" and she said Yes. It felt so awesome to find out someone I thought of as a sister, was also my brother!

Then a month later I was at a spiritual festival in Ohio and I was walking around in my APOooh Yeah! shirt. This woman Charlene who I knew fairly well came over and gave me a hug and said she was a brother too. It was the last place I'd ever expect to run into a brother, and low and behold.. I did.

Its amazing finding brothers everywhere you go. :o)
See you all in Boston for Nationals!! :D

Since I am now President of my local alumni association, our section chair emailed me a list from nationals of alumni living in the area. I found out that two of my high school friends are Brothers!

(And Michelle Obama is also on that list, but she'll have an address change in the next few months. ;) )

I'm late to the party, but this is still an interesting topic.

I once was leaving a gas station in Highland Park, Michigan with an APO shirt on when a guy stopped me and said "is that Alpha Phi Omega?" I'm like, umm yes.lol. He then said, "man, it is rare to see a brother of APO these days. I didn't know that the frat was still alive." We talked for a while, and I learned that he was from "________" chapter. I gave him my contact info, and we've been in touch ever since.

The most interesting meeting happened at a gathering of friends and family at a relative house about 6 years ago. I happen to have on a shirt , as did a chapter brother whom I had invited over, and a guy came and approached us both about it. He begin to "quiz" us about the fraternity, and then proceeded to give us the national grip. Believe it or not, that individual was my UNCLE, a man whom I've known all my life! He actually pledged at Kappa Delta in the 60s.

Frat how have you been? I have been out of the loop for some time now. What is going on?

I'm good bruh! Definately can't complain. Good to see you're still around the frat!