[emb021]

Ok, I'll bite.

I have a similiar background to you. Was a scout (now a scouter), and a member of the OA (Vigil Honor now). Growing up, my scout handbook (and OA handbook) listed APO in it. I thought that was interesting that it was the ONLY college fraternity listed in scouting literature.

My first college didn't have APO. Sadly, I never even considered trying to start a chapter. I saw the social fraternities in action on my campus (all local, fwiw). They didn't impress me, and I had no desire to join them.

At another college, I was pretty busy and other then the student chapter of a professional org, didn't get involved in any groups. But when I heard a chapter was forming, I dropped by. Sadly, it was my last semester so I wasn't able to join.

When I was going back to grad school, I was at NOAC. Discovered the APO Booth there. Asked if there was a chapter at the school I was going to. There was. All my classes would be done on-line, so I contacted the chapter thru their website. I joined and eventually became one of their advisors, which I still am.

I have to admit when I joined I wasn't super gung-ho. It wasn't until I went to a CPW that summer after joining that I really got into APO. Since then I've gone to every Section, Regional, and National Convention, been involved as an alumni volunteer, etc.

I should say that the scouting connection is what brought me to APO, and its the scouting connection that has kept me (am a member of the National Scouting & Youth Services Commitee, I do a lot of work promoting APO within the scouting community, etc).