Frequently Asked Questions
When could I get information regarding how to join?
Who can join Alpha Phi Omega?
What makes APO different from a club?
What are the types of services Alpha Phi Omega has to offer?
When does your chapter meet?
Why should I join, and what can it do for me?
How do I become a member?
I don’t go to CSULB. How can I join Alpha Phi Omega?
Is APO is for everyone?
What does it mean to be an APO "pledge?"
Do you have any service requirements?
How can you be a fraternity without a house?
How is the fraternity governed on campus?
Am I allowed to be in both Alpha Phi Omega and a social fraternity or sorority?
Can I still be involved in other extracurricular activities?
Alright, I'm sold. I want to join. What do I need to do?
What if I can't make it to the mandatory events?
If I still have questions, who can I contact?
When could I get information regarding how to join the APO Rho Gamma Chapter?
In the beginning of the semester, CSULB sponsors several events which allow various organizations to promote their group’s information.
Both in the beginning of the Fall (September) and Spring (February) academic semester (Wednesday and Thursday afternoon), the Rho Gamma Chapter tables at CSULB’s Week of Welcome (W.O.W.) where you may personally meet the members of the fraternity and obtain information on the spot. Only in the fall semester of WOW (Friday) does CSULB annually host an event called Smorgasport where you will be able to find the Alpha Phi Omega Rho Gamma chapter table as well as enjoy free food and activities provided by the school.
The week following W.O.W. is the Rho Gamma chapter’s Rush week (Fall and Spring rush). For more details regarding the pledging process, the Tuesday night following WOW is our Info (Information) Night. The chapter sponsors a week (Tuesday-Saturday) worth of events for potential members to obtain information about the pledging process, meet the members of the fraternity, and get answers to any individual questions. It gives you a chance to get to know members of Rho Gamma and see if it's something you'd like to be a part of. You do not necessarily have to go to all “rush” events to join. However, Friday of Rush Week and the Friday following Rush are MANDATORY events which is a must for any potential members. There are no obligations to go through our pledge process if you decide to rush. Alpha Phi Omega’s rush events are free and open for any CSULB student interested in joining.
Who can join Alpha Phi Omega?
Alpha Phi Omega values diversity and accepts people of different majors, genders (co-ed), interests, ages, ethnicities, leadership levels, years, community service background, etc. A person, however, has to be enrolled at CSULB and in good standing with a 2.0 GPA to join the Rho Gamma chapter. Members uphold our Fraternity’s principles as well as standards of our chapter’s programs.
What makes APO different from a club?
We have three cardinal principles: Leadership, Friendship, and Service. Our program pushes our member’s limits to grow and develop leaders into our community. No leadership experience is necessary. These skills we learn are practical inside and outside APO (classrooms, work, strangers, office, etc). Then, we provide our friendship to each other, the community, and when meeting new people. "Once a brother, always a brother!" Last, but not least is our Service. Service is our passion, and our passion is our service. Since we are not a club, we look for individuals who will be committed to our chapter’s programs in continuing to promote the Fraternity’s principles throughout the semesters.
What are the types of services Alpha Phi Omega has to offer?
APO focuses on four areas of service based on principles rooted from the Boy Scouts of America: Service to the Nation, Service to the community, service to the Fraternity, and service to the campus.
Our primary goal is to help people in need of service. Our skills serve this earth, nation, community, each other and strangers along the way.
Examples of national and community service projects include:
LB Rescue Mission (Soup kitchen for the homeless), Mercy House (Helping single mothers), AID’s Walk LA, LA Marathon, Long Beach Boys and Girl’s Club, Garden Grove Graffiti removal, American Red Cross, Arbor Day Tree Planting, Huntington Disease Walk, Lupus LA, beach clean ups, Paint Your Heart Out, and Drop In Center.
As a fraternity, we provide opportunities to develop friendships while helping each other develop leadership skills practical for everyday use. Both our members and pledges experience a program intended to enhance our abilities, push our limits, learn new things about ourselves and others, plan various projects, participate in committees, run for an office, build friendships and discover our history in an attempt to become well rounded people. Internally, our fraternity offers several leadership as well as mentoring programs (i.e. L.E.A.D.S.) which provide practical skills useful in the real world and in this fraternity.
The CSULB is our home, and we understand the importance for us to get involved when possible. Whether attending school hosted events, putting what we learn into action by joining other campus organizations or supporting other campus organizations, we try to give back to our campus as often as we can.
We offer traditional services and are always open to introduce new services to our members. Members have the flexibility to accommodate services to their own schedules as well as participate in a specific service of their liking. All are welcome to contact our Service Vice Presidents with any questions.
When does your chapter meet?
The chapter’s general meetings are Tuesday nights at 7PM. Pledges rushing for the semester should keep Tuesday nights open for weekly meetings.
Why should I join, and what can it do for me?
College should be more than the acquisition of facts and figures: it should also broaden your experiences, and expand and test your inherent abilities, and sharpen your social skills. Alpha Phi Omega, through its unique program of leadership, friendship and service, can add this necessary but often lacking aspect of college life—and at the same time enable you to help others while helping yourself.
How do I become a member?
As each semester begins, Alpha Phi Omega gets ready to initiate a new pledge class. We have a Rush Week every semester which includes an informational meeting providing details about our process and week worth of events to meet the members of the Rho Gamma Chapter. Then, there is a pledge process roughly a semester long where pledges learn about the history of APO and the standards that are expected of members. Pledges participate in various service projects and must fulfill pledge requirements.
I don’t go to CSULB. How can I join Alpha Phi Omega?
Alpha Phi Omega resides in 366+ chapters all over California, the United States, and in other countries. If you are not enrolled at CSULB, visit the apo.org website and type in the zip code of your area provided by the site to locate chapters. After a search, you will be able to find out if there is an active APO chapter at the college. In the event you are unable to locate an active chapter at the college or near the area, look through the website and research your way on starting a new chapter.
Is APO is for everyone?
We would love APO to be, but that is for each individual to discover. One can realize this by pledging for a semester. By pledging, a pledge will learn about APO and the chapter program. We try to provide a program which highlights the true ideals and opportunities we have to offer. There are no obligations to stay if one feels our values are not right for them.
What does it mean to be an APO "pledge?"
The pledging process is about a semester long which is a program intended to build campus and community leaders through service. Examples include participating in various services & projects, learning our chapter’s values, meeting our brothers, and developing leadership skills practical for the real world. Rho Gamma is a dry chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. We prohibit the presence of alcohol and drugs (substance abuse) at any chapter or fraternity affiliated events. Hazing is also against University and Alpha Phi Omega Membership policy. Examples include our membership recruitment “rush” and pledge education program. All of which are consistent with school policies for campus organizations recognized with the CSULB Student Life & Development Center & APO policies. We also never drink while in letters!
Do you have any service requirements?
We are a service international fraternity. Actives and pledges of this chapter have an obligation to fulfill a minimum service requirement of 26 hours covering all aspects of service. However, once an individual has become a member, we offer different memberships which can accommodate to a member’s level of commitment to our service program.
How can you be a fraternity without a house?
Our national bylaw forbids any chapter from having a house for its members. By not having a house, we avoid large payments, regular maintenance, and expensive dues (Convenient since most of us are broke college students). So the time spent not working to pay for expenses means more time towards service. Alpha Phi Omega is unique: it is a SERVICE fraternity. We use the concepts of fraternalism as a means of providing service, to ourselves as well as others. The fact that our meetings are held in campus meeting rooms does not decrease our sense of brotherhood. In addition, since we are unique, we have no conflict with social fraternities; independents; commuters; dorm dwellers and social fraternity members: all are welcome as members of Alpha Phi Omega.
How is the fraternity governed on campus?
Under the Chapter Articles of Association and National Bylaws, each chapter is its own self-governing organization, electing its own officers and establishing its own operating rules and programs. Each chapter also elects an Advisory committee consisting of three or more members of the faculty or administration and one or more scouting and community representatives. These advisors ensure continuity of operation as the student leaders change, and encourage the achievement of fraternal, scholastic and service goals. An executive committee helps ensure that different aspects of the A Phi O experience is properly carried out.
Am I allowed to be in both Alpha Phi Omega and a social fraternity or sorority?
Involvement in APO does not conflict with one’s interest to join our organization and remain a member in a Greek fraternity or sorority. Members of social fraternities and sororities are welcome as well as anyone else to seek membership into our organization. However, one should not pledge the same time of joining another fraternity or sorority.
Can I still be involved in other extracurricular activities?
Yes. Part of our mission statement is preparing campus leaders. At the beginning of each semester, brothers have an option to choose from the different memberships we have to offer to match their level of involvement. Brothers have to remain in good standing each semester as well as meet any specific membership criteria. Several members from our chapter participate in other campus organizations and have served as campus leaders in those organizations as well.
Alright, I'm sold. I want to join. What do I need to do?
You will need to free up your schedule to attend at least 1 rush event (Info Night, Service, Bonfire, etc.), and Getting To Know You. It's at these rush events you will get an opportunity to meet with some of the initiated brothers of the fraternity while doing some pretty cool things. These events are of no charge to you, and transportation will also provided.
"Getting To Know You" is the event where you meet with the Executive Committee, or Excomm, of our chapter. They run our programs, and they will take down your contact information and have a chance to speak with you in smaller groups. This is a mandatory event, and you MUST be ON TIME and DRESS BUSINESS ATTIRE. Consider how you would want to act for an important interview. Same deal.
After you've fulfilled your rush requirements, and have been found on good standing with CSULB, you will be contacted on the details on Pinning Ceremony.
What if I can't make it to the mandatory events?
For Getting To Know You, there are very limited opportunities to make this up with members of the Executive Committee. As soon as you discover you won't be able to attend, you should inform either the Public Relations Chair or the President so they can arrange a make-up event for you another time during the week. Space for make-ups is very limited (we're all still students afterall), so please try your best to come to the Friday event.
The Pinning Ceremony, the official start of the pledging process, is not a part of rush week and the details of which will only be shared with rushees who have fulfilled their rush requirements. Unfortunately, if you are unable to attend this event, you will not be permitted to pledge for the current semester. There are no makeups, and no exceptions.