[15288] in APO-L
Re: As an Eagle must fly, so must we.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Smith)
Wed Nov 6 16:24:00 1996
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 09:52:18 -0500
Reply-To: Bill Smith <bsmith@VOICENET.COM>
From: Bill Smith <bsmith@VOICENET.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199611050803.DAA13115@mail2.voicenet.com>
> APO has lasted so long because of the incorporation of women in
> 1976. Don't even get me started with that because I think the provision
> that still allows for all male chapters should be done away with. I a
> time when most chapters are predominately female, I think the emphasis
> needs to be changed from the male only attitude to a more tolerant
> attitude that accepts anyone who believes in our ideals: Leadership,
> Friendship, and Service.
There are good reasons why all male chapters shouldn't go be
forced to go co-ed. One of the first is tradition, which is the case at
my chapter at least. Since we were founded, a number of traditions were
started. If forced to go co-ed, I personally know that some traditions
at my chapter would either have to be discontinued or changed in some way
which no one should have to do. I'm not sure if this is the case at all
all-male chapters, but I'm sure it is for a good deal of them at least.
Secondly, at my school, we also have Gamma Sigma Sigma, a National
Service Sorority. Should our APO chapter be forced to go co-ed, it would
in turn probably kill GSS as most if not all would come to us.
There might not seem to be a problem here as some of you may say, why
not pledge both. Here's the rationale for that. What has happened on
several campuses is that both organizations exist, but share many of
their members(ie. a person is both a brother & sister). At Drexel
however, the poll of potential students is relatively small in
comparison to where this occurs. Furthermore, Drexel is 70% male. The
30% female range either don't join a sorority or join a social one if one
at all. Very few join GSS. What I and many of the brothers at my
chapter believe would happen is that our going co-ed would lead to a time
when with our resources & connections, we would better suit the needs of
just enough females as to make it very difficult for Gamma Sigma Sigma to
remain service oriented and possibly force them to turn social, which
they don't want. What could also happen is that GSS would go co-ed and
likewise offer a better organization to join so that APO folds. In the
short amount of time that I and many others brothers have been in APO,
both GSS & us have had numbers under 10 and both have been strongly
swayed by social elements. The ability to rely on each other in low
times has benefited both organizations(something that could not be
accomplished if we were rivals). In short our going co-ed, would
eventually lead to the demis of GSS or APO(which would probably be
re-chartered eventually) or both(with APO returning eventually). In any
case, why should another organization's status be put in jeopardy when
all can be avoided by keeping us as we are now. As it stands, there are
roughly 30 all-male chapters, accounting for 5% if that of the whole
fraternity. Why not just leave those chapters alone? If an all-male
chapter is destined to go co-ed, it will happen sooner or later by
choice of the chapter or because the chapter folds and has to come back
as co-ed. While most chapters that are co-ed are predominantly female,
APO would still be able to exist without them. Granted the fraternity
would be no where as large as it is, APO was able to survice for 51
years until it was decided in 1976 to allow females in if they wished
to join at co-ed chapters. As with Mark, I have no problems with females
in APO. In fact, I think it is great to have them. If our ideals and
what we are attract them and they wish to join, it only makes us not much
bigger and better. However, a chapter which has decided to stay all-male
should be respected for their decision and left alone. Just as a side
note, Zeta Theta did at one point vote to go co-ed, but was asked by GSS
to re-consider as they feared the ramifications of the decision.
YILFS,
Bill
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Bill Smith Drexel University
Alpha Phi Omega Philadelphia, PA
Zeta Theta Chapter - #685 IS & T Major
Life Member - #16428 Class Of 1998
Nationals Member - #260949
Immediate Past President
Pledged - Winter 1995
st9339za@post.drexel.edu bsmith@voicenet.com
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"The Things That Come To Those Who Wait, May Be The Things Left
By Those Who Were There First" - Steven Tyler
