Alpha Phi Omega: New Service Fraternity

On Sept. 11, Alpha Phi Omega held its first interest meeting for potential new members.

Alpha Phi Omega is a service fraternity, which operates differently from traditional fraternities. Service fraternities are dedicated to promoting community work, volunteering, and other kinds of charitable acts.

Alpha Phi Omega’s mission is to help those in their community. They focus on developing leadership, promoting friendship, and providing services for others.

The origins of Alpha Phi Omega are stated on their official website: “Alpha Phi Omega was inspired by Frank Reed Horton after serving in World War I, and later founded by men from varying backgrounds bettering the world together. They set the foundation for the growth and success for one of the nation’s largest premier service-based organizations on college campuses today.”

Alpha Phi Omega was founded in 1925 and has since then amassed around half a million members. There are roughly 470,000 members in Alpha Phi Omega, and 25,000 of these members are college students. In 95 years, the fraternity has established 375 chapters around the country.

Alpha Phi Omega has a biennial “National Service Week” that takes place on the first week of November each year. Their official website states that a theme is decided for each National Service Week at each biennial National Convention. Each chapter is given the task to create a service project that corresponds to their given theme.

The theme of this year’s biennial National Service Week is Diabetes Awareness, with  a special focus on Education Awareness On Campus.

Every member of the fraternity will be able to play a part in spreading awareness not only through their chosen projects, but also by word of mouth throughout the community.

Senior Erin Rederscheid, the current president of Alpha Phi Omega, is optimistic about the arrival of new members for the service fraternity. Rederscheid believes the current group is ready for fresh ideas and to get out into the community to find other people’s passions.

Rederscheid is also excited to reach out to different communities in the future, such as Habitat for Humanity, which is a non-government, non-profit organization that shelters those who cannot afford housing.

The fraternity has an upcoming project in the works involving their partnership with Boy Scouts of America.

“They run an event called Badges for Brothers, in which members of Alpha Phi Omega become certified in teaching badges for boy scouts to aid them in their quest to move up the ranks,” said Redersheid.

Alpha Phi Omega typically meets as a chapter once a week on Tuesdays.

The fraternity also offers inactive memberships which pauses student’s memberships if decide to study abroad for the semester.