[13105] in APO-L
*sigh* open membership
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jonathan T. Alloy)
Sat Oct 28 01:25:59 1995
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 15:13:55 EDT
Reply-To: "Jonathan T. Alloy" <c2mxall@FRE.FSU.UMD.EDU>
From: "Jonathan T. Alloy" <c2mxall@FRE.FSU.UMD.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
With trepidation and a fire extinguisher for those space-shuttle flames,
here goes on behalf of all those who "took the 5th".
To set a prolouge, I am a charter Brother of Alpha Gamma Chi chapter,
am currently Pledgemaster, was a voting delegate to Dallas and a petitioning
delegate to Boston, and have been involved with all 6 of our pledge classes.
I believe that Brotherhood (not simply "membership") in APO is a privalege,
not a right. "Chapters have the right to determine their own membership."
As long as no hazing is involved, those standards can be whatever the
chapter decides. As for myself and my silent fellows, we feel that subjective
criteria are as important as objective, and that pledges should be voted on
by the active brotherhood before being admitted as Brothers of APO.
My pledges here (I think of them as mine since I deal with them quite
extensively), are required to do a full page of objective stuff, from running
a service project to wearing their pledge pins, to electing class officers
to interviewing the active brotherhood. They have to take a weekly quiz and
a final exam and achieve an 85% or better.
However, they also are subject to 2 formal votes by the chapter. One is
the midpoint, which is this Sunday. Here we vote to see if they are measuring
up and doing a good job, and we want them to continue. All voting is done on
an individual, not class, basis. To facilitate this midpoint vote, we have
a "Midpoint Evaluation" sheet which lists their progress.
The final vote is done a few days after the end of pledging, and again we
have a "Final Evaluation". Everything required of them that was completed
is listed, as are those things required but not achieved.
The final determination of entrance is not those paper requirements, but
the official vote of the active brotherhood. A pledge may meet the paper
requirements but still not be voted on affirmatively. It is strictly up
to the chapter.
This determination by the brothers of who becomes a brother is what
separates APO as a Fraternity from the Jaycees as a Club. Neither is better
or worse than the other, but their missions are different, and this is
reflected in their membership requirements.
This is getting long, so I'll stop here. My point is that simply completing
a list of requirements, no matter how enlightened or beneficient, is not,
to me, in and of itself enought for me to vote aye. I need to see dedication,
desire, an upholding of our principles, genuine friendship extended, and a
clear understanding of what APO is about. I don't believe any of that can
truley be measured objectively.
This is my $2.00 (inflation), and I believe that of many others who have
chosen not to risk flames by speaking forth. Me, I'm graduating in 50 days,
so say what you like :-) Sectional staff, here I come!
In L,F,S,
Jonathan
Brother of Alpha Phi Omega
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Jonathan T. Alloy * c2mxall@fre.fsu.umd.edu * (301) 689-3602
