[22794] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Extension - Market Niche
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Grossi)
Wed Jul 17 08:23:57 2002
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 12:23:53 +0000
Reply-To: jgrossi@ATTBI.COM
From: John Grossi <jgrossi@ATTBI.COM>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
I have to agree with Steve and Tedd, but then again I
know both of them well, so agreement isn't hard to
acheive. Let me strike out on a different track with
some comments.
What is our way forward? What is the path to acheiving
these goals we talk of?
Firstly it would be to phrase things into a concrete
goal. Is our concrete goal to "extend Alpha Phi Omega
to 50 new campuses by 2005?"
Once a goal is agreed to, what is our project plan for
that? What tasks need to be done in what time frame to
acheive those goals? Once you have that defined you then
have your resource needs defined. If attacked in a
logical and progressive manner the goal is indeed
possible, provided the resources can be secured. We just
need to take the planning and goal setting lessons we
teach in the CPW and actually apply them.
I'll make the observation that assigning it as an
additional task to the current staff structure is not
likely to be very successful; in my opinion, because
that organizations goals and accountability are focused
on concrete rewards that if anything detract and
distract from this goal.
Oh and one closing comment... if you add the
prepositional phrase ",in Canada" to the end of that
goal and it is exactly what I have been charged with.
-John Grossi
Advisory Chair Theta Zeta - UNH
> 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
> >
