[20239] in APO-L
APO- Philippines News
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Grossi)
Tue Mar 2 08:02:02 1999
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 12:47:09 -0500
Reply-To: jgrossi@bbnplanet.com
From: John Grossi <jgrossi@BBNPLANET.COM>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Brothers--
In a continued effort to spread information about Alpha Phi
Omega in both directions across the Pacific. This piece of history
was posted by Mel Gonzalez on today the 49th anniverssary of the
founding of Alpha Phi Omega - Philippines. It is very interesting
and educational reading for those of us who've never heard...
-John Grossi
Section 94 Chairman - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quibec
Member International Relations Committee / Canadian Extension
Alumni Omicron Iota Chapter - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Alumni Phi Epsilon Chapter - Maine Maritime
**********************************************************************
Tue, 2 Mar 1999 05:55:38 EST
From: MAXIMILIO@aol.com
Hi, Brods and Sis
In December 1975, when I was a newly appointed national editor, I wrote
a
piece for Alpha Phi Omega's 50th anniversary issue of the Torch and
Trefoil of
the Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines. That one-page article was based
on
archival information. As we celebrate the 49th year of APO-Philippines,
please
allow me to revisit the historical account and include data from
interviews
and additional research by other brods and sis.
I'd appreciate your feedback. The hope is, by March 2, 2000, as APO-
Philippines turns 50, we'll have our facts straight.
Alpha Phi Omega of the Philippines
In "the Story Behind the Founding," Alpha Phi Omega founder, Dr. Frank
Reed
Horton, wrote: "As Scouting is worldwide, so should Alpha Phi Omega be
worldwide, gradually in the colleges and universities of all the
nations."
Sir Robert Baden-Powell started the Boy Scout movement in 1907. Scouting
reached the United States in 1912 and the Philippines in 1923.
Introduced to
Scouting after the first world war, Dr. Horton formed Alpha Phi Omega at
Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 1925, as "an
organization for college men who cooperated with all youth movements,
especially Scouting."
Sometime after World War II, Sol Levy, a Scouter and an APO alumnus from
the
state of Washington, went to the Philippines. At a conference, Levy
shared the
idea of a Scouting-based fraternity and left APO publications with the
Filipinos in attendance, among them Dr. Librado I. Ureta, who liked the
idea.
Starting in 1947, Dr. Ureta organized Alpha Phi Omega at Far Eastern
University in Manila where he was a graduate student. The response from
fellow
Eagle Scouts was good.
By the year 1950, APO already had more than 200 American chapters coast
to
coast, and the Filipinos were ready for official recognition by the
school
administration. On March 2, 1950, at Room 214 of the Nicanor Reyes Sr.
Memorial Hall, the first organization of APO outside of the United
States was
established by Dr. Ureta's group of over 20 Scouts and advisors. Far
Eastern
University became the Alpha chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega of the
Republic of
the Philippines.
Later in the same year, with the participation of other Scouts in
Manila,
including those from the nearby National University (named the Beta
chapter on
March 24, 1951), the Alpha Phi Omega International Service Fraternity
became a
national organization and elected the following officers:
National president: Dr. Librado I. Ureta of Far Eastern University (FEU)
National first vice president: Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr. of National
University (NU)
National second vice president: Dr. Romeo Y. Atienza of NU
National third vice president: Dr. Guillermo R. Padolina of NU
National secretary: Godofredo P. Neric of FEU
National treasurer: Leonardo R. Osorio of the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines
(BSP)
National editor and historian: Ralph G. Hawkins of NU
National director of relationship: Alfredo de los Reyes of NU
National executive board members: Lamberto T. Dominguez of BSP; Dr.
Bonifacio
V. Lazcano of BSP; and Max M. Velasco of NU
On September 13, 1953, APO of the Philippines held its first national
convention in Manila. The 20th convention is scheduled for May 7-9,
1999, in
Davao City on the southern island of Mindanao, the third largest of the
7,107-island nation.
YEAR CONVENTION SITE NATIONAL PRESIDENT
I. 1953 Ermita, Manila Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr. (Deceased)
II. 1955 Ermita, Manila Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr. (Deceased)
III. 1958 Diliman, Quezon City Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr.
(Deceased)
IV. 1960 Los Banos, Laguna Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr.
(Deceased)
V. 1962 Sampaloc, Manila Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr.
(Deceased)
VI. 1965 Intramuros, Manila Col. Ignacio J. Sevilla Sr.
(Deceased)
VII. 1968 Sampaloc, Manila Dr. Librado I. Ureta (Deceased)
VIII. 1971 Los Banos, Laguna Dr. Librado I. Ureta (Deceased)
Note: There was no convention in 1973, the year after the declaration of
Martial Law
IX. 1976 Mariveles, Bataan Dr. Librado I. Ureta (1976-77)
(Deceased)
Dr. Melchizedek Y. Maquiso (1977-79)
X. 1979 Minglanilla, Cebu Dr. Melchizedek Y. Maquiso
XI. 1981 Cagayan de Oro City Dr. Francisco P. Brosas Jr.
XII. 1983 Bamban, Tarlac Engr. Mama S. Lalanto
XIII. 1985 Los Banos, Laguna Col. Oscar V. Lazo Jr. (1985-86)
Geoffrey A. Pungutan, Al-Haj (1986-87)
XIV. 1987 Tacloban City Atty. Carlos M.E. Caliwara
XV. 1989 Davao City Arch. Jose Antonio L. Dimaano
XVI. 1991 Santa Mesa, Manila Engr. Rolando B. Baluyut
(Deceased)
XVII. 1993 Miag-ao, Iloilo Atty. Felix J. Marinas Jr.
XVIII. 1995 Zamboanga City Ismail Michael A. Abantas (1995-96)
Agaton C. Labrador Jr. (1996-97)
XVIX. 1997 Baguio City Engr. Mariano R. Alquiza
XX. 1999 Davao City
Two past national presidents have been honored as national president
emeritus
for life: Dr. Librado I. Ureta (deceased), 1979-91, and Dr. Melchizedek
Y.
Maquiso, 1991 to date.
A Philippine college or university may become an APO chapter on the
petition
of at least 15 students -- all-male or all-female -- of the school. As
of
January 10, 1999, 255 fraternity charters and 104 sorority charters have
been
granted: from Alpha through Kappa Omicron. Whichever organization by
gender is
established on campus first, the fraternity brothers and sorority
sisters
share the same chapter name.
In the past, sisters belonged to sororities of different names. Women
were
first admitted into the APO ranks on September 17, 1968, when the first
sorority chapter was given official recognition at Alpha Eta, Philippine
College of Business Administration in Manila. On December 18, 1971,
Alpha Phi
Omega Auxiliary Sorority took legal form ("Auxiliary" was later
dropped). It
was during the 1976 convention that women were formally accepted as
full-
fledged brothers of the fraternity in the United States.
On October 13, 1976, the APO national executive board started to grant
recognition to alumni associations on the petition of 10 life members
from the
fraternity or sorority. To date (March 2, 1999), 95 AAs based on
location,
region, profession, or chapter are official APO service resources
throughout
the Philippine archipelago and abroad. Among countries with active
alumni
groups are: Australia, England, Italy, Japan, and the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
In North America, local chapters may contact these Filipino groups:
1. APO-AA of British Columbia
2. APO-AA of Delaware Valley
3. APO-AA of Delta Chapter in the US and Canada
4. APO-AA of the East Coast
5. APO-AA of Florida
6. APO-AA of Greater Los Angeles
7. APO-AA of the Midwest
8. APO-AA of New Jersey
9. APO-AA of Northern California
10. APO-AA of Houston, Texas
11. APO-AA of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
12. APO-AA of Saipan
13. APO-AA of San Diego, California
14. APO-AA of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area
15. APO-AA of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
16. APO-AA of Washington State
17. APO-AA of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
18. APO-Eta of North America
19. Latte APO-AA of Guam
Many of these alumni associations are members of the Alpha Phi Omega
Alumni
Council of North America with Eugenio O. Licauco as president.
The National Office in the Philippines is currently located at the V.V.
Soliven Complex, 2nd Floor, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, San Juan,
Metropolitan Manila, Tel. No. 632 724-0808. It is staffed by volunteer
brothers and sisters. Recently, the national executive board bought into
a
condominium unit. On March 27, 1999, the National Office will move to
its
permanent headquarters at Suite 3-A, Residencia Braganza, Ermin St.,
Cubao,
Quezon City, Metropolitan Manila. The purchase is in line with the
long-time
dream of an APO building similar to APO-USA's National Office in
Independence,
Missouri. Throughout these 49 years, APO-Philippines has been
headquartered
at:
1. Boy Scout of the Philippines building in Ermita, Manila
2. Residence of Dr. Librado I. Ureta in Taytay, Rizal
3. Residence of Mel S. Gonzales Jr. in Tondo, Manila
4. Office of Jose V. Cutaran in Cubao, Quezon City
5. Office of Efren Neri at Comfoods building in Buendia, Makati City
6. Office of Col. Oscar V. Lazo Jr. at Borres building in Cubao, Quezon
City
7. Office of Geoffrey A. Pungutan, Al-Haj, at Usman building in Malate,
Manila
8. Leased office at Don Calvo building in Escolta, Manila
9. Leased office at V.V. Soliven Complex in San Juan
10. Purchased to own a condominium suite at Residencia Braganza, Cubao,
Quezon
City
On October 21, 1953, APO was registered with the Philippine securities
and
exchange commission as a nonstock, nonprofit, and nondividend
corporation. The
corporation was renewed for another 50 years on June 8, 1981. The Alpha
Phi
Omega International (Philippines), Incorporated, Service Fraternity and
Sorority, is recognized in its current legal form until 2031.
The United States and the Philippines have maintained a close
relationship
from the start. Dr. Guillermo R. Padolina attended the 1952 convention
in Des
Moines, Iowa. Dr. Roy P. Villasor gave a speech at Long Beach,
California, in
1956. Dr. Horton wrote later, "At the convention, I met a brother from
the
Philippines. Alpha Phi Omega is international, I concluded."
In the 1980 convention in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Ureta and head
delegate
Mel S. Gonzales Jr. said a few words at the opening banquet and were
received
with standing ovations. Erle M. Herbert, national president, went with
Dr.
Ureta to the Philippines to attend the 1985 convention. The following
year,
Dr. Ureta and head delegate Atty. Carlos M.E. Caliwara thrilled the
Houston,
Texas, conventioneers. Atty. Caliwara was warmly welcomed back at the
1988
convention in Denver, Colorado. In 1989, Past national president Herbert
went
back to the Philippines with Dr. Stan Carpenter, national president. The
convention was held in Davao City, this year's convention site.
In the 1990s, the alternate attendance at conventions continued: Atty.
Felix
J. Marinas Jr., national president, and Atty. Gerald A. Schroeder,
national
president, formalized the organization of the International Council of
Alpha
Phi Omega at the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, convention in 1994. The
following
year, an American delegation headed by Wilfred M. Krenek, national
president,
went to the Zamboanga City convention. Jose Policarpio, one of the
national
vice presidents, signed the ICAPO operating policies with David A.
Emery,
international relations director, at the Phoenix, Arizona, 1996
convention. In
1997, the biggest American delegation, again led by National President
Krenek,
went to the Baguio City convention. There was no official Philippine
delegation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last December 1998; however, a
number of
Filipinos from American and Canadian cities participated in the
convention.
While APO through the years has acquired an identity separate from the
Boy
Scouts, and native culture has influenced the biggest fraternity and
sorority
in the Southeast Asian country, the Philippine Alpha Phi Omega always
adheres
to Dr. Horton's cardinal principles of Leadership, Friendship, and
Service. If
there is one difference, it is the handclasp based not on the original
APO
member Thane J. Cooley's but on the Boy Scout handshake.
In Alpha Phi Omega Leadership, Friendship, and Service
Submitted by Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr, APO-Eta, Zodiac 1973D
National Editor/National Public Relations Director, APO-Philippines,
1975-1981
Alumnus, Gamma Beta Chapter at San Jose State University
Member, International Relations Committee, APO-USA, 1994-2000
Member, 75th Anniversary Committee, 1996-2000
mel@maximilio.com
maximilio@aol.com
www.maximilio.com
