Why did you join?

[Brother Joseph]

Last week this forum saw a fairly nasty debate regarding selectivity and the role of all male chapters within the fraternity. There is obviously an unresolved tension there and so it was no surprise when that discussion ended poorly in my opinion. However, we somehow still all agree that in some way we are brothers. So I went back last night and looked for a thread like this and though there were similar ones I couldn't find anything exactly like this. What I'm asking is what are the reasons you joined APO in the first place. Hoepfully, we get better responses than "I just really liked service". That's great but there had to be something deeper that made our organization appeal to you over others. (If there is another thread like this please redirect this there).

I'll start since I have two or three reasons why I joined.

1) First was my scouting background. I am an eagle scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow. I clearly remember my ordeal (initiation into the OA). I remember getting the membership book and flipping through it finding the section entitled "further opportunities for arrowmen". The page had a very nice picture of the National Eagle Scout Association badge and the APO coat of Arms as well as a small description. This definitely got me thinking since I loved the OA and was always looking for similar things to do.

It wasn't until later in my college search that I discovered two of my dearest scoutmasters were members of APO from back in the 60's. These were men I respected and so when they suggested to me I join up when I got to school I took them seriously.

2) The other reason is the people I met on campus. I got to my school (a small lib-arts school in the Northeast) and I have to admit I was pretty shy. Coming from a small rural high school didn't give the opportunity for much of a social life. I was recruited and ran NCAA cross country and track in college so when I got to campus for preseason I already had something to do and a very close group of men that I belonged to and in many ways my team took on the role of a traditional fraternity.

However, I soon found that many of the team members were members of APO as well. Not quite sure why except that it really didn't conflict with our team responsibilities. Anyway, as a young freshman trying to impress his team captains and make a name for himself on campus I got the dispensation from the administration and pledged APO during my fall semester. (Freshman were not allowed to pledge social fraternities during the first year and APO only with permission). Maybe this wasn't the greatest motivation to join but it did bind me to my teammates in a new way and did provide a unique perspective to my college career.

Okay, that's my story. ANd though I'm not always happy with where I see the fraternity going I'm still very proud that I was (am) a member and wouldn't change that decision lightly. Now it's your turn. What was it that made you join?

[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).

[Senusret I]

I joined to be further connected to the history and culture of my school, and to step outside of my shell of African American cultural activities like the Black Student Alliance or NAACP chapter. Basically, to feel more like part of Georgetown instead of apart from it.

[naraht]

I spent my last two years of scouting on Taiwan, and was in a BSA troop there. One thing that the troop did my first year there was to help at a Catholic orphanage for the severly mentally handicapped. The staff who weren't nuns had gone home for Chinese New Years and we were helping to fill in. We helped to feed them and in some cases change them (I'm quite sure that BSA councils in the USA would have kittens over the involvement we had). That fed into a Counselor at the Council Scout Camp who talked about APO and later that summer to visiting the APO booth at the 1985 Jamboree.

I walked into the chapter office at Carnegie-Mellon during Freshman prep week and indicated that I wanted to join. I'd have probably done the same thing at just about any other school with an APO chapter.

[Midwest]

I joined because I wanted to do more volunteer/service projects within my college community and to meet new people. I had a high school friend who wanted to pledge with him, and to add to the fact it was co-ed, I decided to check it out. I went to informationals and prospective pledge events in which I decided to go through the process. I wasn't "tight" with most of my pledge group or even some of the actives since it was such a large chapter. Little groups were formed and seemed like it was high school 2.0. Not cool. Even though I never felt the "brotherhood" I still praise APO, as an organization, for what it stands for and the values it instills for those who are lucky enough to understand and live them. I just wish my experience with my old chapter was better.

[CG4]

Brothers,

I became a member of Alpha Phi Omega for very similar reasons. I am an Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow initiate as well. When I came to Florida A&M University and saw that I would have the opportunity to become a member after reading about it as a youth, I did not hesitate. My pledge class from spring 2002 had two other Eagle Scout/ OA Members, one member from my home troop!

But ultimately, my desire to be a member was based on the service aspect. I am forever grateful to APO for its perpetuation of scouting principles.

[Pingyang]

I was looking for a distraction from an abusive boyfriend. He had recently moved out-of-state, but he was sending me threatening messages and calling at random hours to make sure I hadn't met any other guys. Best thing that ever happened to me was him moving away. I didn't tell anyone about it until years later, and I think the number of people who know is still in the single-digits. I didn't want to think about him at all, or have other people thinking about him. I wanted a distraction.

I'd been looking for a distraction on the ground while I was walking to and from class, apparently. We use chalk markings as a way of advertising at Berkeley, and there were five sets between my house and the RSF (campus gym). I went to the events, and they seemed like a fun group of people. A large group. A safe group. I also really liked having the chance to meet people from other schools. My first service event was an IC, so I guess it set the tone for the rest of my time as an active. I didn't have any experience with volunteering or service other than helping at a local music venue in exchange for free entry to shows, but APO made it seem fun, so I kept going to service projects with them.

No one told me about the link to Scouting before the pledge ritual. I likely would not have joined if I knew about it earlier. I don't like BSA policies on religion and sexuality, and didn't want to be associated with them at the time, but I decided to give APO a chance since it seemed separate enough. Over the years I've become more comfortable with the distance.

I broke off contact with the abusive guy completely around the time I crossed. He still harasses me occasionally, seven years later, but someday he'll get the point. APO was also helpful in that it kept me from thinking that all men were jerks. I saw lots of guys who weren't almost every day while pledging.

Were someone to ask me in person why I pledged, I would say, "I was bored and there were some chalk markings on the ground telling me about APO, so I went." I don't like to talk about it, but I think it's important to recognize some of the more unusual motivations behind joining. I stayed involved because it's an awesome organization that does a lot of good things, but that's not why I joined.

[naraht]

Wow, I'd be hard pressed to find two stories more different in all of my years in the Fraternity...

[Explicit]

I think I put this information up here somewhere on this forum, but I'll place it here also.

Why I joined... it's a bit of a long story. I'll try to shorten it as much as possible.

Two years before I actually pledged, a pledge from that semester's pledge class approached me and asked me to fill out a survey about what type of service the campus needs most. From then on, I was interested in APO, but I never pledged or did anything about it. Fast forward 2 years later, and I'm in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) preparing to be baptized. There was a weekly bible study and I had been unable to go all semester until this one particular day. I rushed down to the chapel, and no one is there, because it was Club Fair day. So my priest put me in his car and we went over there. Near the Chapel table was the APO table and I saw a friend there. The rest is history.

I honestly feel that it was God's influence in getting me to join. I knew a lot of the brothers, though I didn't realize they were in APO, and I really liked what the organization stood for, but I don't think that without that push from God, that I would have actually joined.

Just wanted to put yet another perspective out there. I usually don't talk about it, because many people are very sensitive when it comes to religion, but I really believe this with all my heart.