APO at my school?.......

PiratePrincess · #1 08-28-2006, 10:42 PM

Several of my friends and I are interested in starting a service co-ed frat. It turns out APO was at our campus years ago, but has since gone inactive. We are looking to reactivate it. I have some questions though...

I know APO is related to the boy scouts. I know they have several requirements for joining. Such as being of a certain sexuality or religion. Being that my school has students of many different backgrounds (myself included) I was wondering if this was the case with APO as well.

How many faculty members are needed to advise the organization. I think I remember reading that a member of the scouts has to be an advisor....but Im confused on that part.

How many hour are service are required per year/per semester?

Anything else you could tell me would be appreciated... I have a meeting this week with student activities and need to know as much as possiable.

c00kymonstr · #2 08-28-2006, 11:09 PM

Your best bet to gain information about starting a chapter is to contact our National Office. I've included a link to our information request form below. They will be able to answer any questions you have!

http://www.apo.org/pages/show/How_to...w_Chapter_Form

APO was founded on scouting principles. We maintain a partnership with the Boy Scouts, but are not governed by them. APO has an open membership policy that differs from the BSA membership policy.

We require a minimum of 4 advisors: 2 from faculty/staff of your university, 1 from a scouting or youth services field (i.e. teacher), and 1 community advisor.

Service hour requirements are determined by each individual chapter. APO nationally does encourage service projects twice a year; one week in the fall semester, and a day in the spring.

What university do you attend?

PiratePrincess · #3 08-29-2006, 01:46 PM

I attend Wagner College is Staten Island NY.
Thanks for the info.

naraht · #4 08-29-2006, 03:35 PM

The closest active chapters to Wagner are at NYU, Polytechnic and CUNY-Hunter.

Kappa Epsilon at Wagner was active from 1952 to 1977. Both men and women have been brothers of the chapter.

PiratePrincess · #5 08-30-2006, 06:40 PM

Hey everyone. Im a little sad now. School has only been in session 3 days now and I've already had 2 meetings with student activities about bringing APO to my campus. The school is for it and theres been a lot of interest from students. Heres the sad part. I was discussing with my friends the pledging process. I mentioned it was odd how we would be ones pledging new people but we would never had gone through pledging. Then I was infomed that we would probably have to go to the closest campus and go through their pledge process. Now the closest campus is NYU, which while in NYC, is still 1 1/2 hours away due to shuttle/ferry/subway....add in there are times I don't have $$ to even do my own laundry nevermind have $$ to take the subway everyweek. Plus I have several night classes this semester....so I would be in class while other schools are having their meeting. I'm bumbed cuz this whole thing was my idea and now it looks like I can't do it.

Senusret I · #6 08-30-2006, 07:20 PM

Did you contact the national office? Your concerns would be best addressed by someone there.

I would say more, but I don't think it's wise considering I am not in your region and I'm not aware of how they conduct expansion there.

naraht · #7 08-30-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiratePrincess

Hey everyone. Im a little sad now. School has only been in session 3 days now and I've already had 2 meetings with student activities about bringing APO to my campus. The school is for it and theres been a lot of interest from students. Heres the sad part. I was discussing with my friends the pledging process. I mentioned it was odd how we would be ones pledging new people but we would never had gone through pledging. Then I was infomed that we would probably have to go to the closest campus and go through their pledge process. Now the closest campus is NYU, which while in NYC, is still 1 1/2 hours away due to shuttle/ferry/subway....add in there are times I don't have $$ to even do my own laundry nevermind have $$ to take the subway everyweek. Plus I have several night classes this semester....so I would be in class while other schools are having their meeting. I'm bumbed cuz this whole thing was my idea and now it looks like I can't do it.

I'm very surprised at that. I'd like to know who informed you that you would have to go through the pledge process at another school first.

Please let us know the name of the person, there are alumni staffers here who know the staff around the country well enough to tell at what level the person who said it is and who would be the next person up the line to talk to about this.

And even if this does turn out to be correct, you would still be able to be part of the effort, even if delayed a bit. The group *will* run through a recruitment and adding new members phase (think of it as testing out pledging) before chartering, the fact that they can do so is one of the things that shows that it can continue to remain active. And *that* phase will be on campus.

I've got some other comments, but they depend too much on the name of the person who told you this...

YiLFS
Randy

Senusret I · #8 08-30-2006, 10:25 PM

Brothers and those who aspire to be Brothers.....it would be wise to take this conversation offline.

Private messages are helpful in matters such as these, as well as phone calls directly to the national office if there are concerns.

naraht · #9 08-30-2006, 10:35 PM

PiratePrincess,

Please drop me a personal message with the name of the person who told you this. I'll be happy to try to work with you on getting. You can also write me at randolphfinder@aol.com . I've been on staff for over 15 years, I ought be able to find at least one useful contact.

However, I'm not in your region/section, so I need to do this gently.

emb021 · #10 08-31-2006, 07:19 PM

Pirate Princess-

As a co-sponsor to a group re-establishing a chapter, I can tell you that whoever told you you had to go thru the pledge process of a another chapter as part of chartering was incorrect.

Check out APO's website and click on "How to Start a Chapter". The document "Chatering Requirements" covers briefly the process. If you haven't already, CALL the National Office and speak with our Director of Chapter Services. She can explain the whole process and get the ball rolling, including getting you connected with the APPROPRIATE local alumni staffers (Region Director, Section Chair) who can get you connected to an alumni to be a sponsor for you. While many of us here are knowledgable and can help you, your approved sponsor is your first line of communication with the Fraternity and what's official. This is what I tell the local chartering efforts in my area.

c00kymonstr answered most of your early questions, however, I have to disagree with one. A scouting/youth service advisor is not typically a teacher. They are someone who is involved with a scouting or youth service organization, such as Boy Scouts of America, Girls Scouts of the USA, Camp Fire USA, 4-H, FFA, YMCA/YWCA, etc, as either a volunteer or a professional. This helps your chapter have connections with a scouting or youth serving organization and do service with them. The number of advisors are MINIMUMS. You can have more, and in many cases its good to have a few more then those 4. Gives your chapter more connections, etc.

Most chapters have service hour requirements per semester. The number is up to YOUR Chapter and what works for you. Might be 5 hours, might be 100, but its what works for you all.

emb021 · #11 09-01-2006, 02:02 PM

All-

The chartering process is not secret, and it really shouldn't be different from Region to Region.

The following is a *high level* overview of the process. Its what I tell students interested in getting a chapter started/restarted.

Chartering a chapter is a several month process. Depending on how things work it can take about a year. Maybe a little less (doubtful) or a little longer (hopefully not). During this process the group will increase membership, do service projects, fellowship events, get their advisors, approvals, develop their pledge program, bylaws, etc. The Chartering Process document gives you the specifics as to what needs to be done when in the process.

First a group of students gets together, contacts the Fraternity, gets assigned a Sponsor (alumni who can guide them along the process) and probably a 'Big Brother' Chapter to assist as well. Once they meet certain requirements, they become an Interest Group (IG). Further along (more requirements), they become a Petitioning Group (PG). PG status is very important. Once a PG, the members go thru a special ceremony (similiar to our pledge ceremony), receive a special petitioner pin (which they may wear forever), and are considered Petitioning Members of APO. Once they met the other requirements they then get Chartered as a chapter, go thru a chartering ceremony and become APO Brothers.

In many ways, the chartering process is similiar to the pledge process, except its the whole group that goes thru it, as opposed to an individual. Being a Petitioner is similiar to a pledge, but different in other ways (one is usually a pledge during a 6-10 week period, but can be a petitioner for 2-3 semesters).

New people who come on board the group should be brought in as 'classes', and run thru the "pledge program" being developed by the group. Developing your own pledge program is part of the chartering process. Most groups are heavily influenced by their sponsor and big brother chapter as to their pledge program, but group are free to develop their own within our National Pledge Standards.

Hope this helps, but as I've (and others) have mentioned, GET IN CONTACT with our National Office.