Toast Song

[emb021]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

I'd love to get onto the Facebook group.....how is it listed? I thought I'd found all the A Phi O groups, but I could be wrong.

Which APO Facebook group are you refering to?? I'm on several. If you search for "alpha phi omega" you'll find a lot. (there's one for National Convention, several for regions and sections, etc).

The one I mentioned recently is one devoted to APO history call "Alpha Phi Omega History Nutz". http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6799907567

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by emb021

Which APO Facebook group are you refering to?? I'm on several. If you search for "alpha phi omega" you'll find a lot. (there's one for National Convention, several for regions and sections, etc).

The one I mentioned recently is one devoted to APO history call "Alpha Phi Omega History Nutz". http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6799907567

This is a GREAT facebook group. I'm down for joining this.

How come no one wants to join me and write a history book on Alpha Phi Omega. I'm not talking about putting together a compilation of archived photos and documents like the 1993 history book (though it had a lot of great info within), but an actual history book that talks about in detail the trials, tribulations, and challenges the Fraternity underwent, such as its co-existence with other Greek groups (which the Founders underwent firsthand), its inclusion of women, the trials and challenges of chapters at HBCUs, even with regards to Scouting and how in some respects APO and the BSA experienced some tension between the two entities.

I think this would be a great labor of love for those involved and would also help set the record straight on a number of rumors that has been prevalent with the Fraternity (the Gentlemen's Agreement comes to mind).

Just my 25 cents.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

How come no one wants to join me and write a history book on Alpha Phi Omega.

Yeah, how 'bout that.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Yeah, how 'bout that.

*smh*

[emb021]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

This is a GREAT facebook group. I'm down for joining this.

How come no one wants to join me and write a history book on Alpha Phi Omega. I'm not talking about putting together a compilation of archived photos and documents like the 1993 history book (though it had a lot of great info within), but an actual history book that talks about in detail the trials, tribulations, and challenges the Fraternity underwent, such as its co-existence with other Greek groups (which the Founders underwent firsthand), its inclusion of women, the trials and challenges of chapters at HBCUs, even with regards to Scouting and how in some respects APO and the BSA experienced some tension between the two entities.

I think this would be a great labor of love for those involved and would also help set the record straight on a number of rumors that has been prevalent with the Fraternity (the Gentlemen's Agreement comes to mind).

Just my 25 cents.

Who says no one wants to help make this happen?

I know that there are several of us into APO history, who are trying to dig into the lesser known areas of our history and make it more accessible. Many of the things you list here are some of the things several of us are trying to find.

While, yes, an 'official' history may come from our National Archivist (that's the closest we have to a 'National Historian'), and we've already had one (which sadly I've never really seen. I ordered one of the last ones the National Office had, but it disappeared in the mail...), what I want would be a more objective history, giving the good and bad things that happened. (trials & tribulations). Too often your 'official histories' are sanitized and gloss over or ignore the bad things that happen.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by emb021

Too often your 'official histories' are sanitized and gloss over or ignore the bad things that happen.

I can't agree with that, at least not in the works I've already cited.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by emb021

Too often your 'official histories' are sanitized and gloss over or ignore the bad things that happen.

Well, in terms of source material, the Torch and Trefoils are pretty good and as best as I can tell the main reason that the National Office hasn't posted the ones they have is time and a fairly frustrating situation with their webpage hoster.

The things that spring to mind as *interesting* things that happened that I'd be interested in finding out more about than is in the Pledge Manual history.

1) Changeover from FRH to HRB.
2) Expansion to Community Colleges in the late 1960s and 1970s relative to the few ones which have stayed inactive
3) Votes on going co-ed, which conventions had them and what was the vote.
4) More information on why the National Fraternity continued to try to get an exemption to Title IX for at least 5 years after the National Fraternity had gone co-ed.
5) What happened to cause APO-USA and APO-Phil to lose touch for those many years.
6) The removal of Masonic titles. etal from the majority of the Fraternity concepts and ceremonies.
7) Longer list of Female unofficial affiliate groups beyond Gamma Sigma Sigma, Omega Phi Alpha, Jewels of Tau and the Phyettes (not even counting the single school ones like Kappa Alpha Kappa).
8) Efforts to expand to Canada. (Since the 1930s!)
9) The degree to which Alpha Phi Omega was viewed as a subsidiary of BSA in the 1930s...
10) When APhiQ became a common term for Alpha Phi Omega at HBCUs, how long after the Q as a term for Omega Psi Phi did it come into existance.
11) Where and when the term Viking started use.
12) When was Trefoil Club first used as the name for the Alpha Phi Omega Pledge Club at HBCUs.


Just throwing out somethings...

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by emb021

Who says no one wants to help make this happen?

I posed this question to brothers numerous times over the years, and based on the responses I received, interest in such an area seem to be lukewarm at best.

I know that there are several of us into APO history, who are trying to dig into the lesser known areas of our history and make it more accessible. Many of the things you list here are some of the things several of us are trying to find.

Personally, I think that a good deal of information needed to pull off a history book of the magnitude that we are seeking will need to come from word of mouth from individuals who were directly involved with such events. Hopefully we can still get a sufficient amount of information from those who are still living and in decent health/memory to discuss the information we're seeking.

While, yes, an 'official' history may come from our National Archivist (that's the closest we have to a 'National Historian')...

Based on our last history book, I have always interpreted an Archivist keeping more of a pictorial/visual history, vs. a historian keeping more a written one.

...and we've already had one (which sadly I've never really seen. I ordered one of the last ones the National Office had, but it disappeared in the mail...), what I want would be a more objective history, giving the good and bad things that happened. (trials & tribulations).

While it's a shame that you didn't get your history book in the mail as ordered, from a written history standpoint, you really didn't miss much (though there was a abundance of interesting historical pics). The "In The Beginning" chapter was the best chapter of the book, IMO. The second chapter had very brief discussions on APO's history through the decades. Other chapters included our past presidents, past Nat's Exec Directors, sections, regions, chapters, the '67 Con-Con, etc. In short, from an archivist standpoint, it was a very good history book. From a historian standpoint, it really didn't say much, hence our collective desire to put together a more written in-depth history book.

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Personally, I say, "Get to writing, gentlemen!!"

I'd be up for helping. Didn't spend all this time in college as an English major for nothing, so if you need editing or re-writing ideas, count me in!

[Senusret I]

A National History Book needs to be written by the National Historian or someone who is commissioned to do so by the National Board of Directors. In my opinion, that person needs to demonstrate that he or she has the skills necessary to write such a book.

I look the work of people like Charles Harris Wesley (Alpha Phi Alpha), Marjorie Holloman Parker and Earnestine McNealey (Alpha Kappa Alpha) and see just how much work it takes to write a GREAT history book. I realize that I am not that person, not at this stage in life. I would be more than willing to serve as a research assistant to a highly qualified brother that the Board of Directors selects, if it is to be.

For what it's worth, I think the author/editor of our history book should at least hold an advanced degree in history, sociology, or anthropology.

[Senusret I]

I have learned more in this thread than I have in any other thread on this entire message board.

[nittanyalum]

*crash*

I've learned more on this PAGE than on any other thread on this board!

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Wow....I hope I haven't overloaded everyone's circuits.

As you might have noticed, Deaf History is one of my favorite subjects, so linking my favorite subject with A Phi O, which I am also very passionate about, made me very giddy!

And, by the same notion, if I've overloaded everyone on this subject, feel free to tell me and my hands to hush.......

[Senusret I]

If Georgetown was in that neighborhood, I'd demand a fence too.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

If Georgetown was in that neighborhood, I'd demand a fence too.

Yeah and real whiplash too. Trinidad just to it's east and southeast is gentrifying, but Ivy City to its north had all of the strip clubs displaced by the building of the new Nationals Baseball Station move there... (I visited Ivy City once dropping a woman off, that area is scary!)