Writing a Chapter History

[Senusret I]

My undergraduate chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (Mu Alpha, Georgetown University) will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in May of 2006. The actual observance will be a gala weekend in March of 06. I have been appointed to the committee that will be writing our chapter history.



This document will most likely shape up to be a book-length manuscript! Our chapter has had pledge lines every semester since our inception (except the year 1994) and we’ve initiated a national APO president, Ambassador Maura Harty, and President Bill Clinton. This is an ambitious project that we have just over a year to prepare for.



Have you ever written or co-written a chapter history before? I mean a document more detailed than what might be found on a chapter website. If you have written one, what challenges did you face? What format was your chapter history presented in? Was it bound like a yearbook or more like a pamphlet?



Helpful to my chapter are active alumni from all generations, great records (photos, scrapbooks, yearbooks), an archives at the school library, and an office full of certificates, files, and miscellaneous data. Some obstacles may be narrowing down our scope and finding alumni from the initial chartering class. I can also foresee us having difficulty with finding one “voice” to write the history in.



Any thoughts?

[BSUPhiSig'92]

I wrote a history for my local chapter a few years ago. I conducted interviews with as many surviving members of our original local as I could, videotaped a few interviews etc. I also spent a considerable amount of time going through university archives, files at our national HQ, newspaper microfiche, etc. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, especially interviewing some of the oldest surviving brothers who actually met our founders. Our oldest brother I interviewed, (90 at the time) actually gave me his local pin, and other memorabillia he had from our years as a local (1926-1947). I had my work copied and spiral bound at Kinkos, and presented it to the chapter, national HQ, the University Archives, and any brothers who asked for it.

[honeybee77]

I am also writing our chapter history. What type of questions did you ask? I really don't where to start.

Thanks,
Milissa

[BSUPhiSig'92]

I asked a lot of questions about what the campus was like, what they did for fun, where did you meet, what was the chapter's reputation, etc. I also knew the names of specific founders and asked if he knew them, what they were like, etc. Once you get someone talking about their memories, it tends to flow from there as they recall more. I videotaped the whole thing so I wouldn't lose it.

[LightBulb]

Originally posted by Senusret I
I can also foresee us having difficulty with finding one “voice” to write the history in.

You could always have boxed-off sections (like in a textbook) where you have one member's story (an interview or something).

Good luck!

[Tom Earp]

I admire You for wanting to do this!

I get this question all of the time. I am not that Computor Savvy yet.

When You do as You say 50 Years, that is a long time as mine is with 40.

Asking questions is aeasy, finding Chapter Members can be a lot harder.

It takes a lot of work!

Good Luck, it is important for someone to do it.!

[emb021]

I would recommend you have two parts to your chapter history. One is a written history that gives, if you will, a story of your chapter. How it got founded, what happened to the chapter from year to year (interesting stories of events, notable service projects, trips to sections, hosting sections, going to regionals, nationals, etc.). Include copies of articles on the chapter from the T&T, school newspaper, local papers, etc. Include pictures of initated new Brothers, chapter doing stuff (service projects, fellowship events, awards banquets, etc). Might also want to include specific write ups of notable alumni Brothers.

The second part should be a factualy history of the chapter. List of advisors, presidents, number of members each year/semester. Awards given by the chapter, recieved by the chapter, received by the chapter membership from section/region/national.

I hope you will offer you're written history to others in the Fraternity. Would like to see a copy given to the National Archives, etc.

[Erik P Conard]

there were lots of fraternity and chapter histories written before,
say, 1920. They were limited editions but are found in many major college libraries. I used to browse the stacks at the U of IL
and found a great many, well done.
I wrote the 1950-60 section of TKE's hundredth (1999) as I entered high school in '50 and graduated BS in '60. What was passed on to me was simply AWFUL and incorrect. I re-wrote it
and came up with about 50 pages for that period, indeed a halcyon one, growth-wise. I worked as a field rep from 57-60 and
interviewed all but one of the national organizers, and sat with two of the founders of TKE, knew all living national presidents.
Yearbooks need be consulted, and interviews are paramount. I'd
guess a thousand hours, and depending on your your budget, you should realize that this'd only be done once, so put plenty of
love in it. Chapter histories might include some incidents, but as a
rule, local stories are of little value. Do not try to embellish or to
recall things that did not happen.
I wrote my PhD on "A History of Kansas' Closed Colleges" and I could have had 500 pages had not my Chairman told me to get it
done, revise it later, get the degree and get the hell out.
It is a labor of love, do it right, and you will never regret it.

[Greekopedia]

Originally posted by emb021
(interesting stories of events, notable service projects, trips to sections, hosting sections, going to regionals, nationals, etc.). Include copies of articles on the chapter from the T&T, school newspaper, local papers, etc. Include pictures of initated new Brothers, chapter doing stuff (service projects, fellowship events, awards banquets, etc).

This is what would interest me. Old photos mean a lot. And, if you could videotape old surviving members... that would be amazing to have in your archives.

[honeybee77]

All the information listed so far is great. Unfortunely, I am unable to make in person visits because of distance.

Has anyone had luck in researching by correspondence only.

Thanks

[Erik P Conard]

most of us self-styled erstwhile historians do not have the funds
to travel and be gadabouts collecting material by personal interviews, sorry to mislead you.
Phone calls are super cheap, cheapest ever, and will open many a
door to fruitful friendships and correspondence.
You can do it, I know you will. Good luck, it'll be fun and you will
leave tracks to inspire future chroniclers.

[macallan25]

I saw our complete history when I was at the SAE temple in Evanston, Ill. Pretty crazy.....very extensive piece of work, many volumes.

[Senusret I]

I just wanted to bump this thread because our fiftieth came and went and there are many updates....

Well, the person in charge of writing the history dropped the ball. Which, in retrospect, wasn't a great surprise. One thing I learned from that experience is that books can't be written by committee.

A year after the 50th, I was elected Alumni Association President. After spending a year strengthening our service program and beginning to "fix" some of our systems, I realized that I will probably have this office for a while. It's not exactly a coveted position.

But, I am hoping that the signature of my service as President will be that book-length history I mentioned back in 05. I must say that all of you contributed some very good advice!

Since that time, I have acquired (thanks to members of the National History and Archives Committee) PDFs of many old Torch and Trefoil national newsletters. I haven't even looked through them lately, but I am certain the period from 1956 to the present will be helpful.

The undergraduates have a strong chapter with a very strong historian (who is an APO legacy herself). I think I can create a research team with her leading the students.

I am prepared to write the whole thing on my own, giving myself until September of 2010 to finish it. That gives us a few months for edits and revisions and a few more months for printing.

A few days ago, I printed out every article from three online campus newspapers with significant references to my chapter.

I can send an undergrad to the library to photocopy the APO pages from yearbooks since 1956.

The alumni association records duplicate many of the items from the official university APO archives.

And through the magic of google, we are finding biographical information about our older alums.

I think my summer project will be to finish gathering the secondary sources, then by the fall determine the process for locating primary sources.

[oldu]

I wrote a history of my chapter about twenty years ago. I was able to find the minute books going all the way back to the beginning of the twentieth century--including the very first chapter meeting after the local organization joined the national. It was very interesting reading, including very poingnant remarks as the men were going off to World War II. Other good sources were the national magazine, the student yearbook and newspaper, available either at national headquarters or the library. As I worked through it word was announced in the chapter newsletter. I was inundated with stories, episodes and memorabilia which added rich character to the book. There have been many chapter histories written and I have about 50 of them in my personal library. They are hard to locate in rare book shops because the typical printing was so small. Good luck, you will enjoy every minute of it. If I remember correctly it took me about a year to put it together.

[Senusret I]

Thank you, sir!