[22797] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Extension - Market Niche
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Michael Francis)
Wed Jul 17 10:12:14 2002
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 10:12:10 -0400
Reply-To: mfranci@mindspring.com
From: Michael Francis <mfranci@mindspring.com>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
50 by 2005, as suggested in 2000, breaks down to about 10 per year. For both
last year and this (if my math is right) we've had 9 new chapters per year.
This past year, of the nine new chapters, 7 have been recharters and 2 have
been new charters, so we're starting to creep back on to the campuses where we
previously had a presence. So, we're a little behind, but not by much. We're
more on pace for 45, figuring 9 ch. * 5 yrs.
The problem seems to be more that existing chapters fade away rather than
extending to new campuses. Any gains that come with establishing new chapters
can easily be offset by losing a chapter somewhere else, esp. depending on how
strong the now-defunct chapter once was. It's been harder to keep some
chapters going in some cases as opposed to starting new groups.
A lot of time, we can be pigeonholed into "that service group on campus" when
we offer so much more, esp. in leadership development as Steve mentioned. This
perception can hurt us where we already have chapters with problems in
retaining members and bringing in new ones as well, whether due to
competition, stereotypes, etc. Focusing on our other areas, i.e. LD, can make
us further attractive to other students.
Perhaps, in the next couple of years, we can work more towards retaining
members as well as extending to new campuses. Retention with regards to both
retaining active members, and in keeping more alumni involved in some form
(advising, staff, sponsor w/extension grp., alumni association, etc.) If we
work more towards developing that on a sectional, regional, and national
level, and retaining more of the graduates that leave school each year, we
might be able to eventually build up the resources needed to undertake such
massive expansion as we would like to see, whether that's 375 chapters, 18,000
members, or whatever goals we set in the future.
-Michael Francis
Section 72 Chair
Texas CPW Co-Director
DK #700
On Wed, 17 Jul 2002 09:25:38 -0400 Rachel Marie Kuhn <kuhnrm@MUOHIO.EDU>
wrote:
50 new campuses by 2005? Although that would be great, is it really a
possibility? I think quality of the chapters being installed is far
more important than quality and I would much rather see 25 chapters
that develop strongly and stick around forever, rather than a ton of
these fly-by-night chapters that get off to a good start but then
plumet in membership and lose thier charters within a few years. What
about going back to chapters that at one time existed and for one
reason or another did not last, have been gone a few years to where all
or most of the former members are gone, and trying to get those started
again? I'm sure alumni of those chapters would like to see that and
may even be willing to help. Or chapters in areas where there are
alraedy several chapters at nearby colleges that would be willing to
help get things started?
Rachel Kuhn
VP Community Service
Zeta Delta Chapter
Miami University; Oxford, Ohio
John Grossi wrote:
>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
>> >
