[19305] in APO-L
Re: Gentleman's Agreement
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jrhmdtraum@AOL.COM)
Wed Oct 7 12:42:31 1998
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 12:42:13 EDT
Reply-To: Jrhmdtraum@AOL.COM
From: Jrhmdtraum@AOL.COM
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
From the bylaws:
APO articles of membership III, 1. "open to all
students", the policy statement on membership: 3. Other policies state:
" 2.Because all people have the potential to be of service and to be
leaders and friends, active membership is open to all students and
should represent a cross section of the student body. Chapters have
the right to determine their own membership. Active membership
shall be granted only within the context of the National Bylaws, the
Standard Chapter Articles of Association, and the rules and
regulations of the school involved"
History per Bill Rugh:
Sender: Alpha Phi Omega Discussion List <APO-L@vm.cc.purdue.edu>
>From: "William B. Rugh" <wbrugh@BRIGHT.NET>
>Subject: The 1976 Agreement
>
>
>As there has been a lot of talk about the "1976 Gentlemen's Agreement" I
>have been digging in my files to find a copy. I have a copy of the
>proposed doscument (but not all the changes made to it on the floor) and
>I have what was printed in T&T.
>
>The so-called gentlemen's agreement was actually a resolution (or series
>of resolutions) voted on accepted by the chapters in attendance. As
>such it is !not! a gentlemen's agreement; it has the full force and
>power of any Convention Resolution.
>
>Much of it is not germane to the discussion as it concerns continuing
>efforts to secure Exemption from Title IX, funding of that effort, etc.
>The pertinent part is:
>
>"Nothing in the National By-Laws or Articles of Incorporation shall be
>construed to require any chapter to accept any student as a pledge or
>active member of its chapter." (T&T, Vol 52, No 3, pg 8)
>
>The intent of this statement was to protect the right of all-male
>chapters to so remain. After all 3/4 of the then all-male chapters had
>to vote in favor of allowing chapters to determine their own mebership
>as freqards women. Had this not been passed, many of our chapters were
>prepared to leave us and form a new fraternity. There are good resons
>not to put such a statement in the By-Laws and theose resons were
>recognized at the time, even though a resolution only needs a majority
>vote to be overturned. The all-male chapters concerned WERE given an
>open-ended promise by the fraternity.
>
>Does this agreement bind us forever? No, obviously, it can be changed.
>However, we should have a COMPELLING reason to go back on our word. Is
>there such a compelling reason?
>
>Bill Rugh
>Former Member of the National Board
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 18:03:46 -0500
Reply-To: "William B. Rugh" <wbrugh@BRIGHT.NET>
Sender: Alpha Phi Omega Discussion List <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
From: "William B. Rugh" <wbrugh@BRIGHT.NET>
Subject: Re: Just some ruminations from an old lister...
PLEASE!!!!!!! Never metion "Gentlemen's Agreement" again. I hoped we put
this tpo rest last year. There was a full Convention Resolution. The idea
of a "gentlemen's agreement" was concocted by people who were not there and
did not bother to check anything out. This BOGUS story has gotten out and
won't die. Again: The Convention VOTED on the issue (unless you want to
call all Conventions votes gentlemen's agreements).
Again check out old T&Ts.
Bill Rugh
A member of the National Board who was there!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 17:58:15 -0500
Reply-To: "William B. Rugh" <wbrugh@BRIGHT.NET>
Sender: Alpha Phi Omega Discussion List <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
From: "William B. Rugh" <wbrugh@BRIGHT.NET>
Subject: Re: Just some ruminations from an old lister...
-----Original Message-----
> 1) We, as in the Fraternity of Alpha Phi Omega, gave to the brothers of
> the all-male
> chapters our agreement that they were grandfathered, and if they wish to
> remain All-Male,
> such is their right.
Your sources aren't very reliable! This was a Convention resolution passed
by the 1976 National Convention in Atlanta, and reported as such in T&T.
This was also pointed out on APO-L last year and presented to the proper
Reference Committee at Nationals.
Bill Rugh
Member of the Board at that Convention
Let's not fotget that when APO was founded, Lafayette was an all-male campus.
Bill Rugh
