[21161] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] [[APO-L] What is our Bread abd Butter?]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Chris Stromberg)
Tue Sep 12 12:57:36 2000
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Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.20000912094343.0099ac40@cstrombe.pobox.stanford.edu>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 09:57:28 -0700
Reply-To: Chris Stromberg <cstrombe@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU>
From: Chris Stromberg <cstrombe@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
In-Reply-To: <20000912023232.22024.qmail@nwcst268.netaddress.usa.net>
JayBEE and the rest of my Brothers,
I had to correct one thing about your last note to APO-L. A big part of
the push behind the fraternity becoming co-ed was led by a chapter. Zeta
Chapter (Stanford University), where I am currently a brother, had opposed
the all-male policy for some time. They initiated a female brother in 1974
(name of B. Hesselmeyer). The B. stands for Beth. Some at Nationals even
knew this. We also had a female advisor as far back as the 1950's, I believe.
The fraternity's policy just before we went co-ed said something along the
lines that some leeway on the all-male rule would be given to chapters
whose administrations said that they must be co-ed. Well, the members of
our chapter went to the administration and ASKED them to make that a
policy. They also went to the professors in the law school and were
getting ready to sue the national fraternity over the all-male
policy. Nationals had even been building a massive legal defense fund to
fight it. When the fraternity went co-ed, yes, the National Membership
Extension Committee did support it, but it was not something that came only
from them. And, keep in mind, it had to be approved by 3/4 of the
delegates at a National Convention in order for it to be approved. This
was NOT something that just came from Nationals.
I will make one more point here, as it is related. Nearly every decision
of importance is made at a National Convention by the delegates. something
like 90% of these delegates are active members of chapters, not alumni, and
not National Board members. There is no such thing as the national APO
parenting us. Nearly every rule put into place is done by the active
members of APO, not some nameless, faceless national ruling council. I
know that it is sometimes easier or more convenient to try to blame all of
our problems on this type of entity, but it does not exist. We (the
actives) make the rules for this fraternity. We get a lot of input from
alumni, and that is a good thing. They have been around long enough to see
where changes need to be made. But, in the end, it is the actives who vote
to pass legislation or not.
Chris Stromberg
Zeta Chapter
