[11652] in APO-L
Beta Sigma Alpha
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jason Jones)
Sun Mar 5 18:23:31 1995
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 18:12:19 +0500
Reply-To: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
From: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Hello, fellow Brothers,
Believe it or not, I have received a lot of mail regarding the topic
"Blacks and Alpha Phi Omega (or a related topic thereof). I appreciate it
from the bottom of my heart. And despite all I said, I have only received
three, yes, three flames. I am surprised; I thought I was going to get more.
But now, I want to bring to you a new topic to toss in the air:
Some of you know that the original name of this fraternity was called
Beta Sigma Alpha (I feel this is a very sacred topic, and since there are non-
brothers on the APO-L, I will be as discreet as I can, and if you respond to me
via the APO-L, I ask that you do the same). Now, what I want to do, and hope-
fully, get other brothers who feel the same way as I do, is to, in addition to
wearing our Greek letters Alpha Phi Omega, is to also wear the letters Beta
Sigma Alpha as a supplement. Why? Because (I'm now going into discreet mode)
I feel that it's just as important a part of our history as why we got the name
Alpha Phi Omega. Considering that many APO brothers don't know this fact, I
feel that it should not be regarded as just another trivia question (for
brothers that know this fact about BSA). BTW, I know what Beta Sigma Alpha
stands for and why we are not addressed as such today. I have no problem with
that. The letters Beta Sigma Alpha also highlights a part of our purpose
(assuming that previous Conventions have not modified the purpose of our Frater-
nity) while the letters Alpha Phi Omega highlight a more obvious part of our
purpose. In short, BSA if you think about it, gives our organization a more
esoteric look (a topic that was debated on the APO-L the week of Feb. 13).
In my opinion, I think that APO could use a little more secrecy, to let outsi-
siders know that some of APO's roots go deeper that what most people credit
them for. A little esoterica never hurts.
Now I know that many people will have a problem with wearing the letters
BSA for one reason or another. I have been prepared for that. First of all, I
must say, to keep the peace and to avoid flames, wearing the BSA letters must
strictly be a matter of personal preference. If a brother has a problem with
wearing those letters and wishes to stick with APO letter, fine, no problem.
I also want to say that brothers who wear BSA are no more or no less priviledged
than one who only wears APO letters. The only purpose of this..., this
promotion of Beta Sigma Alpha letter wearing is to bring back a part of our
history that has been lost for so long, and thus, should be held sacred, par-
ticularly since a good 40 years of Alpha Phi Omega's history hinges on the BSA,
so to speak, for those of you who know what I mean, and much more importantly,
this makes up 50% of what Frank Reed Horton founding Alpha Phi Omega on, the
other 50% being (say/type it with me now) Leadership, Friendship, and Service.
Right.
Well, this is all I can say on the APO-L without letting a cat out of th
e b
the bag. E-mail me privately for questions, and I can talk freely with no swea
sweat. I really want to do this, but I need support from my fellow brothers
or it becomes meaningless (the wearing of BSA letters). So basically, I'm
looking for feedback, and maybe, others to follow my lead(ership).
Whaddya think sirs?
Peace.
Jason M. Jones
Epsilon Psi 5-7-92 (Just the Two of Us)
Brothers of the Rising Sun!
