Trefoil Club
 

Please let me know if anyone has seen the term "Trefoil Club" used to describe Alpha Phi Omega pledge classes. This would almost certainly be at an HBCU in parallel to the Alpha Phi Alpha usage of Sphinx Club and Alpha Kappa Alpha usage of the Ivy Club.

(also for the GSS'ers reading, has GSS chapters at HBCU's used something similar)

Thank You.
Randy

From what I was told, Gamma Sigma Sigma's was called "The Omicron Pledge Club".

Presumably from the Omicron on the Active Pin symbolizing equality?

Randy

Zeta Phi uses the term Trefoil Club to describe pledges

Zeta Phi
 

Zeta Phi was the only place that I had seen it. Specifically in the rush posters in the 1993 timeframe...

Randy

Re: Trefoil Club
 

I have heard it from members at HBCUs and I've heard of it once again from some members at another institution....cannot put my finger on that one right at this moment; however, when I do I will inform you.

I second this statement

Re: Zeta Phi
 

It's in the yearbooks from the 1960's.

Cool, then a continued tradition by Jerry Brown (finally remembered his name)

Found at another school...
 

Chi Lambda Elizabeth City State University apparently also used "Trefoil Club".

There is a picture of those in the trefoil club in the 1972 and the 1975 Elizabeth City State University Viking yearbooks.

http://www.archive.org/stream/ecsu00001972eliz#page/58/
http://www.archive.org/stream/ecsu00001975eliz#page/60/

Note, that these yearbooks and the ones around that time (just change the 1972 or 1975 in the URL to logical values) are a good place to verify the pledge clubs of other various groups...
(from 1974 unless noted)

APhiA - Sphinx Club
AKA - Ivy Leaf Club
PBS - Crescent Club
ZPB - Archonian Club
OPP - Lampados Club
DST - Pyramid Club
KAPsi - Scrollers Club
SGR - Aurora Club (1975)
Xi Psi Chi - Pawns (note, not Pawns Club) (Not familiar with this group)
GSS - Omicron Club
GPhiG - Swanxmen
SPhiS - Ladybugs
IPhiT - Centaurs

(Note, unfortunately Chi Lambda at the time also illustrates how tough it may be to make *certain* that a chapter is inactive. Chi Lambda was declared inactive at the July 1987 APO Board meeting. There are Pictures and pages for Alpha Phi Omega all the way through the 1990 Viking yearbook.)

Innnnnteresting.

The other interesting piece of information there is that "Men of the Rising Sun" goes back to at least 1976.

I can date that phrase back to 1968 or so, or at whichever convention Zeta Phi was recorded singing the toast song and their other songs. (It's on the 75th Anniversary CD)

Three terms looking for first used dates on...
APhiQue (or close variety)
Men of the Rising Sun
Viking.

What I find interesting as well was that Gamma Sigma Sigma was even in there. We've never had a chartered chapter at Elizabeth City State (and I have all our chapters and charter dates, as National Membership Director, to prove it). They must have been a probationary group (what we call a colony now) and it failed.