[7064] in APO-L
Re: Omega Phi Alpha and other interesting stuff
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Randy Finder)
Thu Oct 28 12:47:12 1993
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 12:03:00 EDT
Reply-To: Randy Finder <NARAHT@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu>
From: Randy Finder <NARAHT@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
>Just some info on this thread--
I own a copy of the 20th edition of Bairds. I also sometimes read it for
relaxation, go figure.
>Omega Phi Alpha does not have an entry in Baird's Manual of American
>College Fraternities. APO and Gamma Sigma Sigma <are>, in addition
>to a service fraternity called the Intercollegiate Knights and a sophomore
>women's service recognition sorority called The National Spurs.
Both of which are strong in the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West.
These are both areas that APO has relatively few chapters, there might
be some connection.
>I'm not saying that Omega Phi Alpha doesn't exist--it just isn't listed
>in the "bible" of American fraternities and sororities.
The 20th edition of Bairds is inferior to most previous editions. It
is no longer an independent source. It is now primarily funded by
the National Inter Fraternity Council. As such it doesn't consider
local fraternities worth mentioning.
>One caveat even so: Baird's lists all APO chapters through Alpha Gamma
>Zeta as ACTIVE (that's 657 chapters, folks!) and repeats the 19th edition
>info in the 20th edition because NO CURRENT INFO WAS PROVIDED. Hello,
>National Office....?
I have no idea what they mean by no current info. The description includes
things like the the fact that we are co-ed, They have the correctg address
for the National Office and the statement is that we have over 300 active
chapters which I don't think was true in 1976. As for the fact that they have
all 657 chapters as active is probably just a screw-up by the authors. Don't
blame the National Office for this.
>Also, Baird's shows a chapter called Minnesota Alpha, chartered in 1902
>(excuse me?) at the University of Minnesota. It notes that December 16
>is observed as National Founders' Day each year but fails to say anything
>about the first Saturday in November....
Probably a local social greek at Minnesota. There are a lot of errors
in this book, as a reference work this 20th edition is definitely a cut
below the previous efforts. I await a 21st edition before the end of
the century.
>Also, Baird's has no listing of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, another service
>organization with collegiate chapters...strange...
Not strange neccesarily, just may not have enough chapters to interest them
>BTW, personal for Scott Begin: The APO chapter at Lee College was at the
>Lee College in Cleveland, TN (Chi Tau) and was chartered in 1971, in
>case you haven't been able to update that item yet.
Scott not only has the pages from the 20th Baird, but also other sources.
All of the other sources that we could locate, including APO documents
have Chi Tau at Lea(not Lee) College which is in Minnesota. We are not
using Bairds as a diffinitive(sp?) reference, there are several other
times that they put a chapter in the college section under a school that
looks close in name.
As you have probably already figured out, I have some significant problems
with the 20th edition of Bairds. I sent a letter with some of the more
obvious problems with the edition to the Authors c/o the National IFC.
It is however MUCH better than nothing.
For instance I have used it to check on potentional schools for extension.
If Bairds says that that school has 6 National Social Greeks on campus
it is probably large enough to have a chapter.
YiLFS,
Randy Finder
Section 84 staff.
