Changed the Name

[filipinoAPO]

Originally Posted by emb021

As I understand it, APO-Phil as an organization is co-ed. However, the men are in fraternity chapters and the women in sorority chapters. At the same school you would have an APO Fraternity Chapter and an APO Sorority Chapter with the same chapter designation. So the individual chapters are NOT co-ed, but the overall organization is because both the Fraternity & Sorority chapters are part of the same org.

i know this thread was posted years ago but i would just like to enlighten my brothers in the USA why Alpha Phi Omega Philippines is named both a fraternity and sorority.

APO philippines initially started as a fraternity. A lot of women helped the fraternity and they were organized into auxillary sorority chapters. upon the approval of admission of women into AphiO, the "auxillary" was later dropped.

Alpha Phi Omega Philippines is co-ed. The fraternity and sorority are not separate organizations. Each school has one chapter with a designated chapter name. A chapter may be composed of males and females. All the males in APO-Phils are the "fraternity" while the females are the "sorority". In other words, the term "fraternity" refers to the male members while "sorority" refers to the female members. But in the end, we are still one: Alpha Phi Omega Philippines.

[Senusret I]

Functionally, are the women and men ever separated in APO-Phils?

[filipinoAPO]

Since the admission of women into APO until the early 90's, the fraternity and sorority had specific jurisdictions in the chapter especially in the handling of pledges. Only the fraternity can handle male pledges and only the sorority can handle female pledges. However, both groups coordinate in the leadership training, fellowships and service projects.

Today, that segregation is gone. The fraternity and sorority share common jurisdiction in the chapter and both parties are involved in all the activities of the either the fraternity or the sorority.

At the national level however, there are specific officers for the fraternity affairs and the sorority affairs though the officer usually are involved with each other's tasks.

Segregation is not at all an issue in APO-Phils. The fraternity and sorority are considered equal in all functions.

[Senusret I]

Thank you for the enlightenment.

I met the Director of Sorority Affairs at our national convention this summer.

[filipinoAPO]

[QUOTE=Senusret I;1430521]Thank you for the enlightenment.

You are very welcome brother!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by filipinoAPO

Since the admission of women into APO until the early 90's, the fraternity and sorority had specific jurisdictions in the chapter especially in the handling of pledges. Only the fraternity can handle male pledges and only the sorority can handle female pledges. However, both groups coordinate in the leadership training, fellowships and service projects.

Today, that segregation is gone. The fraternity and sorority share common jurisdiction in the chapter and both parties are involved in all the activities of the either the fraternity or the sorority.

At the national level however, there are specific officers for the fraternity affairs and the sorority affairs though the officer usually are involved with each other's tasks.

Segregation is not at all an issue in APO-Phils. The fraternity and sorority are considered equal in all functions.

In terms of non-segregation, are the following things true in APO-Phil today?

1) Sisters as well as Brothers vote on the admittance of male pledges (and vice versa)
2) Brothers (as well as sisters) vote on the Director of Sorority Affairs (and B & S both vote on Director of Fraternity Affairs)
3) Formation of a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega - Philippines requires a certain number of students without regards to gender, or conversely, do they require a certain number of men to start a fraternity chapter and a certain number of women to start a sorority chapter.
4) Are there schools with *only* fraternity or *only* sorority chapters?
5) Can a fraternity chapter be declared inactive (for hazing or other reasons) and still have a sorority chapter there?
(If there is no such thing as a separate fraternity and sorority chapters anymore then the answers to 4 and 5 are no).

YiLFS
Randolph Finder

[filipinoAPO]

Originally Posted by naraht

In terms of non-segregation, are the following things true in APO-Phil today?

1) Sisters as well as Brothers vote on the admittance of male pledges (and vice versa)
2) Brothers (as well as sisters) vote on the Director of Sorority Affairs (and B & S both vote on Director of Fraternity Affairs)
3) Formation of a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega - Philippines requires a certain number of students without regards to gender, or conversely, do they require a certain number of men to start a fraternity chapter and a certain number of women to start a sorority chapter.
4) Are there schools with *only* fraternity or *only* sorority chapters?
5) Can a fraternity chapter be declared inactive (for hazing or other reasons) and still have a sorority chapter there?
(If there is no such thing as a separate fraternity and sorority chapters anymore then the answers to 4 and 5 are no).

YiLFS
Randolph Finder

in reply to your questions brother:

1. Yes, brothers and sisters of a chapter are able to vote on the admittance of both male and female pledges.

2.Yes, brothers and sisters are able to vote for both directors of fraternity and sorority affairs. The elections are done during national conventions but only chapters with recognized fraternities and sororities may have brothers and sisters that can vote. (i think a chapter may send 4 voting delegates: 2 brothers and 2 sisters)

To expound on this would also answer your third question: A chapter needs to have a minimum of 15 initiated members (regardless of gender) to be chartered.

Once chartered, a chapter's fraternity needs a minimum of 15 active brothers to be recognized. (Same requirement for a chapter's sorority)

Should a brother attend a national convention yet his chapter fraternity is not recognized (because of lack of brothers) yet the sorority is recognized because there are more sisters, he would not be able to vote. Only the sisters of his chapter would be able to vote. But if both the chapter fraternity and sorority are recognized, brothers and sisters of that chapter may vote.

4. I think there are schools with chapters composed only of a fraternity or sorority because the school is an all-male or all-female school. However, such chapters may welcome students (regardless of gender) from other schools without existing chapters who want to pledge. The existing chapters "adopt" these pledges to be able to initiate enough members to have a new chapter started at a different school.

For example, Chapter X has a fraternity but no sorority (because the school is all-male) may have female members in their rosters (females from another school without a chapter who have pledged and have been initiated in Chapter X)

Only if the females of Chapter X reach the minimum number is the all-male school chapter's sorority recognized.

These sisters of Chapter X may then start their own chapter in their own school.

5.Today, a chapter's fraternity and sorority (recognized or unrecognized) share equal power and responsibility in the chapter. The chapter is recognized as one unit. All members of a chapter, regardless of gender are recognized as one. it's very unlikely that a only a chapter's fraternity (or sorority) would be suspended. It would be the entire chapter that would be suspended.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by filipinoAPO

in reply to your questions brother:

1. Yes, brothers and sisters of a chapter are able to vote on the admittance of both male and female pledges.

2.Yes, brothers and sisters are able to vote for both directors of fraternity and sorority affairs. The elections are done during national conventions but only chapters with recognized fraternities and sororities may have brothers and sisters that can vote. (i think a chapter may send 4 voting delegates: 2 brothers and 2 sisters)

To expound on this would also answer your third question: A chapter needs to have a minimum of 15 initiated members (regardless of gender) to be chartered.

Once chartered, a chapter's fraternity needs a minimum of 15 active brothers to be recognized. (Same requirement for a chapter's sorority)

Should a brother attend a national convention yet his chapter fraternity is not recognized (because of lack of brothers) yet the sorority is recognized because there are more sisters, he would not be able to vote. Only the sisters of his chapter would be able to vote. But if both the chapter fraternity and sorority are recognized, brothers and sisters of that chapter may vote.

4. I think there are schools with chapters composed only of a fraternity or sorority because the school is an all-male or all-female school. However, such chapters may welcome students (regardless of gender) from other schools without existing chapters who want to pledge. The existing chapters "adopt" these pledges to be able to initiate enough members to have a new chapter started at a different school.

For example, Chapter X has a fraternity but no sorority (because the school is all-male) may have female members in their rosters (females from another school without a chapter who have pledged and have been initiated in Chapter X)

Only if the females of Chapter X reach the minimum number is the all-male school chapter's sorority recognized.

These sisters of Chapter X may then start their own chapter in their own school.

5.Today, a chapter's fraternity and sorority (recognized or unrecognized) share equal power and responsibility in the chapter. The chapter is recognized as one unit. All members of a chapter, regardless of gender are recognized as one. it's very unlikely that a only a chapter's fraternity (or sorority) would be suspended. It would be the entire chapter that would be suspended.

OK, so a school with 20 brothers and 20 sisters is in better shape than one with 14 brothers and 100 sisters (or vice versa).

However a chapter with the 14 brothers and 100 sisters would be able to pledge both men and women and thus bring the fraternity back up to large enough to have recognition, right?


APO-USA had the concept of extension membership for some time in the 1990s, but it really didn't work that well (The reasons vary depending on who you ask)

Randy

[filipinoAPO]

Originally Posted by naraht

OK, so a school with 20 brothers and 20 sisters is in better shape than one with 14 brothers and 100 sisters (or vice versa).

However a chapter with the 14 brothers and 100 sisters would be able to pledge both men and women and thus bring the fraternity back up to large enough to have recognition, right?


APO-USA had the concept of extension membership for some time in the 1990s, but it really didn't work that well (The reasons vary depending on who you ask)

Randy

i think a school with 20 brothers and sisters and a school with 14 brothers and 100 sisters (or vice versa) are both in good shape. i even think the school with 100 sisters and 14 brothers (or vice versa) is in even better shape than a school with only 40 brothers and sisters in terms of chapter strength. The only drawback to not meeting the minimum number for a chapter's fraternity or sorority recognition is not being able to send voting delegates to represent a chapter's fraternity or sorority. From my point of view, it's more important to have more members regardless of gender than just meeting a voting requirement.

Yes, a chapter who lacks a number of brothers or sisters may both pledge men and women to meet the requirements for recognition and thus be granted voting privileges.


Can you expound more on APO-USA's concept of extension membership?