[17931] in APO-L
Open Membership Policy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jason Jones)
Fri Dec 12 14:02:43 1997
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 13:58:19 -0500
Reply-To: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
From: Jason Jones <jjones@CAPITAL.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Hello again, Brothers
I must say that the Bylaws that states that each chapter determines it's own membership and then saying that it must represent a cross-section of the colleges' membership sounds like a contradiction of terms. IMHO, if the chapter can determine it's membership, it should be able to do just that. That's just my opinion, though.
As far as the open membership policy goes, this is just my interpretation of what it is (I am NOT, repeat, NOT looking to see if my interpretation is correct, nor do I care if it is correct or not).
Open membership means that any student is free to attend rush/interest meetings and to meet the brothers and to receive literature and basic information on the organization, etc., etc. But the chapter ultimately decides who to extend a bid and/or who may cross into Alpha Phi Omega. The brothers DO NOT have to initiate anyone they do not wish to into the fraternity (They should have substancial reasons for such, however). In short, open membership means just that. An interested person wishing to become a brother is OPEN for CONSIDERATION by the active brothers, but it is by no means a GUARANTEE he/she will be initiated. Everyone is welcome to join the fraternity, but on the actives conditions.
To Jim Hahn: Regarding the chapter that was reactivated with one female student, I was a brother of that chapter. It was all black and all male when I joined. Would I have joined if the membership was otherwise. Probably not, but that's beside the point. You mentioned that the chapter is now co-ed. That is true, but don't know why. I was on the last line that crossed as an all-black male chapter at that school (Spr. '92). The brothers had two pledges that fall, but both dropped for academic reasons. The brothers graduated without any more recruiting efforts. A new group of students was initiated four years later (co-ed, of course). That's what happened.
To Bill Rugh: (Getting off the subject a bit), You have mentioned two things I would very much like to know more of. The first of which is the Alpha Phi Omega/IFC dispute. I was told that Alpha Phi Omega could not join IFC or have frat houses at Lafayette College in the '20s b/c membership was not restricted to one religion or one race. Is that true? The second of which is that some chapters of Alpha Phi Omega during the '60s banned blacks from joining their chapters. To what extent is that true and has barring blacks from Alpha Phi Omega on certain campuses been an ongoing problem for the fraternity during those times ('40, '50s, and '60s), the fact that chapters at HBCUs notwithstanding. I really would like an answer to this.
Peace.
Jason M. Jones
Efil4rebmem 2/11/97
Brothers of the Rising Sun!!
