APO - AFW?
 

Pardon my ingorance, brothers, but how does AFW stand for Alpha Phi Omega? I was just curious, because I didn't know if it had something to do with the way the letters are sounded...? (I'm deaf!) Much appreciated if there was a explaination behind it. If it's ritual-related, I can ask my brothers in my chapter if they know. =)

Sorry for the crash, but when you use the Symbol font, that's what you'd type to get the Greek letters for Alpha Phi Omega :)

Ooooohs, that makes sense, now! Thanks. I didn't know how to do greek letters on the computer. =)

Symbol Font - ick.
 

The letters in the Latin Alphabet that Symbol takes to the Greek Alphabet in order are
ABGDEZHQIKLMNXOPRSTUFCYW

Of these the ones that are the worst fit are Q for Theta, Y for Phi and W for Omega, they are done from shape (of either Cap or lower case) rather than anything relating to sound. But give that the letters they don't use are J & V, I'm not sure either would make a better substitute.

Abbreviations I've heard.
 

APO - most common
APhiO - significant minority, mostly in Region V, but some elsewhere
APhiQ or AyPhiQue - almost entirely at chapters at the Historically Black schools.

I might start using APhiO, since my school has two APO orgs, one is a Phi (us), and the other is Psi. I'm not too sure how to differnate between the two other than the Phi/Psi. I'm actually trying to recruit them for APO, and they mentioned that they could say "I belong to TWO APOs!!!".

(APsiO is the theatre honor frat at school...not sure if it's national honor or local honor.)

It's national, I've heard of it before.

Differentiating...
 

Most of the time, I haven't run into any problems. The universities generally don't care since they tend to use full names. I've run into a few people who do belong to both, but I guess each has their own personal system.

Alpha Psi Omega is National and has used the name Alpha Psi Omega for about 4 months longer than we have been using Alpha Phi Omega (see www.alphapsiomega.org)

At least we haven't had to deal much with confusion with Alpha Pi Omega, which is a American Indian ethnic Sorority with chapters with a few schools in North Carolina.

oooh, that's interesting.

I wouldn't think there would be a problem of being part of botha honor frat, and a service frat. They're trying to recruit me for their APO, too. It does get confusing when we have a club meeting, since I mention APO, and they mention APO, and others assume we're in the same APOs, but we have to explain that we're actually in different frats. We even confuse each other sometimes! =)

Limitations on cross-membership.
 

Although Alpha Phi Omega doesn't have any limitations on cross-membership, I do periodically see it caveatted with "the other group may have a problem". I've just never see any such group.

I know the NPC (hist White Sororities) have strict and exacting rules on internal cross-membership and pretty sure that NIC (HWF) and NPHC (HBF&S) have them as well. Theoretically you could cross groups (say AKA sorority in the NPHC and Delta Delta Delta in the NPC, but I'd want to know the rules in exacting detail first.)

I think there are some cross-membership limitations in the Music Professional/Honoraries like Delta Omicron, but I'm not sure.

But the only Greek Letter Organizations that get grouped with APO normally are Gamma Sigma Sigma, Omega Phi Alpha and Intercollegiate Knights (all currently much smaller) and I know of a woman who is both an APO brother and a GSS Sister (and in Circle K :) )

Now I do know of chapters that have unwritten rules regarding pledging both Alpha Phi Omega and a Social Fraternity/Sorority in the same semester, but that strikes me as efforts to save people's sanity, not a competition with the Social.

Well, I would understand NOT pledging to two in the same semester, but the friends I were talking about already are members. They just pledged this past semester, and had their initation ceremonies as brothers.

I talked to the APsiO friend, and he is currently unaware of any rules that are in their consitution about cross-membership. I would assume it's largely up to each chapter, and as a result, not illegal at my school.

I know a Brother who, when she was still in school, was a Brother of both Alpha Phi Omega and Alpha Psi Omega. She loved saying she was "APO-squared"!

There's no problem being in both.

I've never heard Alpha Psi Omega referred to as APO - the members at my campus always called it Alpha Psi.

Well, it may even be beyond that, it may be like Alpha Phi Omega where APsiO chapters *can't* use Alpha Phi Omega membership as a criteria in determining membership in APsiO anymore than an Alpha Phi Omega chapter can use membership in the club field hockey team...

Randy

Most rules regarding limits of 'cross-membership' are usually of the form:

* you may only join ONE social/general GLO.
* you may only join ONE type of professional/honorary GLO. (ie, you can only join one Business GLO, etc)

Because APO is not part of either category, such rules don't affect us. While we are a service GLO, none of the service GLOs have any rules that I am aware of about being members of one another. (that is, I am not aware of any rule by GSS that would prevent a GSS member from joining APO).