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| Image Taken From APO Pledge Manual 2013-2014 |
SERVICE
(Excerpt From APO Pledge Manual 2013-2014)
Our chapter service program provides
many opportunities for the development of social awareness, friendships and leadership skills. Participation in
our service program helps make Alpha Phi Omega the unique fraternal organization that it is. The Fraternity
has established four fields of service in which chapters should be involved.
These are:
• SERVICE
TO THE CAMPUS: Each chapter should carry out projects
that benefit the campus and its students.
• SERVICE
TO THE COMMUNITY: Chapters should include projects, which
benefit the community and its residents. Service to youth — especially the
scouting movements — is a special area of consideration.
• SERVICE
TO THE NATION: Each chapter should develop projects
that have an impact beyond the campus and community.
•
SERVICE TO THE FRATERNITY: Service projects that directly benefit the members of the
chapter should be included. Through leadership workshops, conferences,
fellowship events, and academic support groups, brothers can challenge and help
each other. As a new brother, you have a responsibility to contribute ideas,
interest and desire to the planning of the service program. “We’ve always done
it that way” is not a reason to continue or drop a program or to refuse to add
innovative projects. The needs of your chapter and its members and of your
campus and the surrounding community are constantly changing. The chapter
program must reflect these changes. Balance is the key to any great chapter
service program. While service projects can provide both leadership development
and fellowship opportunities, the benefits vary with the size and duration of
the project.
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| Image Taken From APO Pledge Manual 2013-2014 |
As
you develop a service program, there are a variety of factors to consider:
LARGE
OR SMALL? Large projects, involving most of the chapter, provide a greater opportunity for your members
to work closely with each other. They may also present a chance to involve members
from other chapters or other organizations. Several small projects will increase
the chapter’s diversity and meet the interests of a greater number of your
brothers.
TRADITIONAL
OR NEW? Traditional
(repeated annually, quarterly, etc.) service projects give a chapter a sense of
continuity and history. They must be evaluated periodically to determine if
they still meet a real need. New projects often have a sense of challenge and
excitement, which strengthens the chapter’s morale.
“PEOPLE” OR “TASK-ORIENTED”?
Projects
involving direct contact with people (visiting patients in a convalescent
hospital or assisting a Girl Scout Troop) have a strong appeal to some members.
Others are more interested in activities, which have more tangible results, such
as creating a nature trail in a national park or constructing equipment for a community
playground.
CHAPTER
INITIATED OR ASSISTED? Service
projects suggested, planned or carried out by chapter members
provide a variety of leadership opportunities and
a way of using the individual talents and resources of
the brothers. Assisting the projects planned by other groups
is usually less challenging but does promote APO and
enhance opportunities for cooperation. In addition to the above, APO
encourages every
chapter to participate in several
national activities, which
are designed to enhance our impact on
the nation. Each national convention selects a program of emphasis for National
Service Week, which focuses service activities on a particular area.
The
2012 National Convention chose “APO Shows Respect to All” as the 2013-14 program
of
emphasis. Each chapter’s annual program should include
at least one project focused in this area.
The
Fraternity has designated the first week of November as “NATIONAL SERVICE WEEK”
to unify
chapters with a national theme and to inspire expansion
of chapter service programs. During this week
every chapter is encouraged to carry out a new,
high profile service project related to the program
of emphasis by involving other chapters and
the community. The 2012 National Convention specified, “Respect for Self ”
during November 3-9, 2013 and “Respect
for Others” during November 2-8, 2014. Each
year the Fraternity dedicates the fall pledge
class on a national level. In conjunction with
this dedication, the fall pledge class of every chapter
is asked to conduct a service project in an area
selected by the
Fall Pledge Class
Namesake Honoree.
In addition,
many chapters
select a
honoree for their
spring pledge
class who also
completes a project
in an area selected
by the local
honoree.
In developing and executing a chapter
service program,
both the brothers and those being served should benefit.
Brothers should feel good about the quality of
volunteer work they have done. They should feel challenged
and should have the opportunity to learn new skills
and strengthen friendships. There
will be many opportunities to exchange service project ideas at sectional and regional
conferences and National Conventions, in various Fraternity publications, and
through various websites.
Reference:
Alpha Phi Omega- Pledge Manual 2013-2014, Retrieved https://www.apo.org/Support,
Accessed 23August2013
N.B. : Blogger Do Not Claim Ownership of this Article. Ownership remain to the Author of APO Pledge Manual 2013-2014
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