[22793] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Extension - Market Niche
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tedd Cogar)
Tue Jul 16 23:38:03 2002
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 23:28:02 -0400
Reply-To: Tedd Cogar <tcogar@IUP.EDU>
From: Tedd Cogar <tcogar@IUP.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
I have to agree with Steve. Attempting to recruit high school students is
not a very wise move, unless done with extreme caution. I think it
completely appropriate to contact guidance offices in high schools for
special visitation days, or to make fraternity information available. I
think we should also contact clubs and organizations affiliated with Service
Learning programs that are active with high school students.
I want to pose a couple of rhetorical question: How many Alpha Phi Omega
Brothers are involved with Social Greeks through membership in a social
fraternity or sorority? How many of our APO Brothers are friends,
acquantances, or even have any connection to social greeks?
I ask this because my guess is that many of us have had no real experience
with social fraternities and sororitites. I have had some experience
through working with National Greek Consultants, through helping administer
Formal Sorority Rush, and by having consulted both fraternities and
sororities through outreach programming.
My suggestion is for us as a National organization to focus on our aspects
of leadership development and on our niche of service. We have an excellent
Leadership program, but our focus is on leadership within the fraternity. I
think that we should expand LD to have a focus on leadership development
outside, as well as inside of the fraternity. There are a few honorary
leadership fraternities and sororities, as well as other organizations on
campuses. Let's capitalize on this fairly unique aspect of our
organization. We also need to build upon our Service purpose. As Steve
referenced, most social greeks have a committment to Philanthropy.
Translation---most sororities and fraternities are beginning to (or are
being forced to) participate in community service. Isn't this our
territory? Is it possible for service and social greeks to live communally
on campuses? I think the answer is a resounding YES. Here is where we must
accept the fact that socials, in some form, will increasingly compete with
us.
So with this increased competition, how do we stay competetive? My thought
is that we emphasize our co-ed nature. We also need to appreciate our
uniqueness of having both co-ed and all-male chapters. I don't know of any
other organization that is similarly unique. Almost, if not all, social
greeks are single-gender.
Enough of my thoughts at the moment. I don't have all of the answers--but
believe that with our talented brothers, we can continue to be the premier
service fraternity.
In leadership, friendship and service,
Tedd Cogar
Section 62 Vice-Chair
Mu Chi--Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Sigma Xi--University of Maine
Alpha Epsilon Alpha--Alderson-Broaddus College
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Merrill" <samerrill@PREXAR.COM>
To: <APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 8:35 PM
Subject: [APO-L] Extension - Market Niche
> I wanted to enter into the discussion on extension, but also take it in a
> different direction.
>
> I am not certain that approaching high school students is a wise move for
> several reasons
>
> 1. Lack of focus. My high school year was more focused on the events
> leading up to and immediately post graduation.
> 2. High school students not knowing what they want yet (often same is true
> for first semester freshmen).
> 3. How is APO different from other groups (social greeks, Circle K, Spring
> Break service projects, etc.)
>
> The latter is my real focus here.
>
> For many years, APO was genuinely unique. We offered (and still do offer)
a
> Fraternal experience focused around providing community service, while
still
> maintaining a strong personal bond with the others in the chapter, and
> providing social opportunities as well. As the Social Greek system has
been
> looking for ways to evolve, and in some cases, survive, and redefine
> themselves, they have moved closer and closer to our model in Alpha Phi
> Omega.
>
> There are many Social Greeks that can now tout a service program that
rivals
> that in Alpha Phi Omega at many chapters. Just this past May, I attended
> the campus community service awards at U of Maine. Pi Kappa Alpha was
> recognized for the top campus community service award this year, with over
> 880 hours in a variety of different projects. Now, we in APO can likely
> tout many more hours than this, (the chapter at U of Maine certainly can),
> but I would hazard to say that 10 or 15 years ago, community service was
not
> as strong a focus for the Social Greeks as it is today. (For the record,
> APO swept these awards the previous year, and had high honors the year
> before that, so not getting the award this year was as much a case of
> "sharing the wealth", as anything else.) Sigma Phi Epsilon is touting
their
> "Balanced Man Program", which emphasizes such principles as service,
> scholarship, and leadership, and this is part of their up front recruiting
> process. Whether or not the chapter implements it in this case is
> irrelevant. The point is, in my observation, the Social Greeks have
> diversified by becoming more like Alpha Phi Omega, and we have not
changed.
>
> Now at most chapters of Alpha Phi Omega, one thing that can still be said
> over Social Greeks is the option of co-ed membership. Here we are also in
> direct competition with Circle K, other campus based community service
> groups, and the ever growing popularity of Service Spring Breaks.
>
> You know we are different than these groups, and I know it as well,
question
> here to me is, how do we present it effectively to prospectives, both in
> terms of new campuses, and on existing campuses. Our presentation has
> changed very little, if at all, since I pledged back in the Fall of 1988.
> It has served us well for many, many years, and most if not everyone who
> reads this post, will be a proud product of it. But truth be told, I
think
> we need to change it, both for extension efforts, and for existing
chapters.
> We need to not change what we do in terms of day to day chapter
operations,
> but how we market and present ourselves, and what we have to offer.
>
> When I started school, I had a typewriter, and computers were here, but
not
> widespread. The Internet? Cell Phones, only for the very wealthy, and
> heck, college students of today have cell phones on a regular basis. Our
> society has changed around us, and we have not changed our perception in
> society.
>
> Every campus is very different, and not all approaches will work the same
> everywhere, and I realize this. I learned this very well during my three
> years as Chair for Section 94, and any effort made on an individual
campus,
> needs to be reflective of that school's own personality. There are some
> schools where you want to mention APO's connection to the BSA, because it
> will attract quality new people, and other schools where it will attract
> protests (BSA used only as an example, not wanting to debate this.)
>
> Now, I am not going to spout off here without offering at least one area
> that we can market ourselves going forward. To me, Alpha Phi Omega has
been
> a top provider of real world experience which can be directly applied to
the
> business world. Managing people (service projects, project chairs, exec
> boards), conflict resolution, recruitment, fundraising, and interacting
with
> various groups on and off campus to name a few. What I just mentioned is
> not unique to one chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, it is present at every
single
> one. This is something we can market and offer people, and most other
> groups with whom we are in competition for people, don't present
themselves
> in this fashion.
>
> And in doing so, we have one other thing we can offer. Right after I
became
> a Brother, one of the graduating seniors made a great comment about APO
> which has stuck with me for many years. He said, "Alpha Phi Omega is a
> great group because it allows you to try new things, challenge yourself,
and
> step outside of your comfort zone, and know that if you make a mistake,
you
> have a safety net beneath you to catch you when you fall." To me, this is
> one of the most profound statements I have ever heard regarding APO, and
it
> sums up one way in which we can present ourselves to the right
individuals.
>
> I have ranted for way to long, and likely provided kindling for flames. I
> will ask however that we all would do well to try and define APO's market
> niche, and how we are unique from everyone else on campuses, trying to
> attract quality people.
>
> YiLFS,
> Steve Merrill
> Advisory Chair, Sigma Xi, U of Maine (Orono)
> Past Section 94 Chair
>
