Pledging Information

Please read the National Pledging Standards (PDF) at the national website.
You may browse the Pledge Manual (PDF) there as well.

Click here for our chapter's current pledging requirements. Detailed descriptions of the pledging activities are listed below.

Why would I want to join anyway?
Who can rush?
Will I be hazed?
Where do I get info about Alpha Omicron?
What if I decide to join?
Dues, huh? How much will this cost me?
What do I have to do once I'm in?
Awesome, I'm a brother now. What can I do?
You obviously wrote this page at 3:00 in the morning. I have more questions. Who can I ask?
Pledging Questions? Contact Catherine Garrett at cgarrett@smu.edu

Event	Day & Time	Contact
Active/Pledge Retreat	September 22        6:45pm	Catherine Garrett

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Why would I want to join anyway?

Good question. Alpha Phi Omega is a national fraternity, with chapters in universities all over the country. You're joining more than just a campus club. You're joining a family, a brotherhood of young men and women committed to doing their part to help others and living lives guided by the principles of Leadership, Friendship, and Service. Originally founded to be a way for Eagle Scouts to continue their service in college, APO has grown to accommodate students from every background who are interested in service. Alpha Omicron, at Southern Methodist University, is the oldest chapter of the fraternity in Texas, with a proud tradition of service under its belt.

With seven exec positions, four or five appointed positions, and three pledge positions, there are a bunch of different ways to be a leader within the chapter. We've had members who have served in every Exec position during their time in the chapter. How many other organizations on campus can boast that, and how good does that look on a résumé?

APO is much less expensive than social Greek fraternities and sororities on campus. We believe that the quality of experience of being a member of APO is equal to that of being in a fraternity or sorority. While these groups do "philanthropies" infrequently, APO is proud of the regularity and worthwhileness of its scheduled service projects. We also believe that the club feel encourages you to participate more often. You won't get that atmosphere with other volunteering groups on campus.

APO members still have fun! Our second cardinal principle is Friendship, after all. The job of one our exec members is to find ways to make you come back for more. We want you to have fun doing what we do because enthusiastic participation is what keeps our chapter strong.

Alpha Omicron is proud of its diversity, whether you're talking about religion, sex, skin color, nationality, sexual orientation, or physical ability. All we look for in members is a willingness to help. Remember, you choose us. We don't choose you.
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Who can Rush?

From the Alpha Omicron Chapter Constitution, Article V, Section 1:
"Active membership in Alpha Phi Omega shall be open to all students, irrespective of their course of study, their greek affiliation, or affiliation with any other organization, upon the approval of the respective collegiate chapter and after fulfilling the membership requirements prescribed by the National Fraternity and by the chapter. The students to be eligible for membership must be duly enrolled with the University and in good standing."

Alpha Omicron encourages students--male and female alike--from all of SMU's undergraduate schools to join. We rush every long semester. One of the Rush foundations we like to repeat is this: You choose us. We don't choose you. Basically, we won't turn you away if you meet the requirements listed above. Hey, we want everyone who's enthusiastic about service to be a part of the group!
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Will I be hazed?

The National Office's Standard Risk Management Policy sets a zero-tolerance for the hazing of new members. This no-hazing policy is a point of pride for our chapter and fraternity.
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Where do I get info about Alpha Omicron?

Every semester during Rush, AO hosts information sessions. These sessions are a chance for students interested in joining to come meet with a lot of the active members of the fraternity and ask any questions they might have. The sessions are informal and low-pressure.

Although the sessions are a great official way to find about the chapter, the best source of info is probably friends who already in it. Every semester, word of mouth is our most successful advertising method. Find someone you know in the club and express an interest. He or she will be happy to tell you all about it.

And of course you can always email the PR/Rush Chair or the Pledge Trainer for more information.
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What if I decide to join?

Congratulations! You're about to become a member of one of the most recognized fraternities in the country. Once you decide to join, we'll send you a message about Initiation. At Initiation, you and your fellow potential members will be inducted into Alpha Omicron as pledges. Initiation is a ritual that we follow straight from the national handbooks. Again, there is no hazing. Joining is quick and painless, we promise. Dress comfortably and be sure to bring $20 with you as the first installment of your semester dues.
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Dues, huh? How much will this cost me?

Dues for a semester are $70 for pledges and $50 for actives. The first $20 is due at Initiation, but the rest can be paid in installments during the semester. If you compare this amount to the cost of joining, say, a social fraternity or sorority, you'll see that you're getting all this fun at quite a bargain. (And we have lower dues than most other chapters!)
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What do I have to do once I'm in?

Now that you've been initiated, you are a pledge. During this period, you're trying the fraternity on for size. We hope that you'll stick with us through your pledging period and decide to activate at the end of the semester. You can even go to sectionals and conferences and meet members of chapters at other universities. In the meantime, you have a few responsibilities to attend to. Don't worry: it's a lot easier than you may think.

Given below are descriptions of pledging activities. Click here for the specific requirements for this semester.

Initiation:To start pledging, you must be initiated.

Pledge Meetings: Pledges will decide as a group on the best time to have weekly Pledge Meetings. In these meetings, the Pledge Trainer will introduce you to Alpha Phi Omega and Alpha Omicron. You'll learn the history of the fraternity and the chapter, the symbols, the purpose, the officers, and lots of other important stuff. Pledges must come to all pledge meetings. At each meeting there will be a short quiz over the material covered in the last meeting. Pledges make a Pledge Board during the last meeting. There is also a cumulative final. Please discuss conflicts with the Pledge Trainer.

General Meetings: In addition to the Pledge Meetings, pledges must attend a certain number of the general meetings. The time for this semester's general meetings is posted on the calendar page. At the meetings, you'll see how the chapter runs and what roles the exec members and active members play within the chapter. Pledges may not vote on any chapter business. Obviously we can't make you come if you have a class during this time, but we hope you'll make it to as much of the meeting as possible.

Chapter Fellowships: The chapter's Membership Vice President and Fellowship Chair work together to plan fellowships for the fraternity. These are non-service events where the members can get together and have fun. Examples in the past included going to on-campus events such as Meadows Brown Bag or an SMU Football game, having a potluck dinner, playing mini golf, going to the Dallas Museum of Art, and grabbing coffee during Finals.

Pledge Retreat: Usually an overnight event, the Pledge Retreat is a time for the pledges to get to know one another. This is a lot of fun. All the members of APO are great, but you and the others in your pledge class have a special bond. Attendance at Pledge Retreat is mandatory.

Victory: A few weeks into the pledging process, pledges in Alpha Omicron get Bigs--active members who serve as mentors to the new members. Pledges receive a list of interested members and choose their three favorite members. The potential Bigs also choose their three favorite Littles. The Pledge Trainer will match the Bigs and Littles up secretly. The pairs are announced during Victory. Victory is a required pledge event. After the announcement, there's the traditional get-to-know-your-Big/Little game that you definitely don't want to miss.

Pledge Class Project: The pledge class elects three of its members to the positions of Pledge Leadership Chair, Pledge Friendship Chair, and Pledge Service Chair. The Pledge Service Chair is in charge of organizing a service project for the fraternity. Attendance at the Pledge Class Project is required for all Pledges and their Bigs. The chapter's Service Vice President and the Pledge Trainer will assist the Pledge Service Chair in organizing the project. Attendance at the Pledge Class Project is mandatory for pledges.

Pledge Fellowship: The Pledge Friendship Chair is in charge of organizing a fellowship event solely for the pledges. Attendance at this event is required for all the pledges, but since it's a great way to get to know your fellow pledge brothers, we think you'll agree that you definitely want to be in on this. Attendance is mandatory for pledges. This counts as one of the three required fellowship events.

Alumni and Interchapter Letters: To encourage enduring contact with the chapter, pledges must write letters to Alpha Omicron alumni. The Pledge Trainer will provide you with the addresses. These are basically letters introducing yourself as a pledge, telling a little about yourself, and asking what AO was like when the alum was there. Not difficult, and you may even learn some interesting history. Letters to other chapters strengthen bonds between us and the rest of the fraternity and let you know about differences in APO across the country.

Interviews: These are times for pledges to sit down with Active members and find out more about them. Typically you ask where they're from, what their major is, when they pledged, what their favorite project is, etc. But feel free to have fun with it! If you were a tree, what tree would you be?

Service Hours: Ah, here's the part everyone asks: How much service do I have to do? Hopefully, as much as you can. But we recognize that you have other commitments, being at college and all. All members--pledges and actives alike--must complete at least 24 hours of community service each semester to be considered active in the fraternity. It sounds like a lot, but honestly, the service hour requirement is probably the easiest part of the process. We strive to provide many opportunities for you to finish your requirement with weekend projects, weekday projects, can drives, working information tables, helping with the campus blood drive, etc. One of the best ways to knock out a chunk of the requirement is to help run SMU RIDES one or two nights. Up to 10 hours can come from SMU Rides. In addition, up to 5 hours of the requirement can be met with hours completed doing service outside of APO-sponsored events, including work done in the summers before fall semesters and work done during winter breaks before spring semesters (just bring documentation).

Project Chair: Pledges are usually required to serve as the chair or co-chair of at least one project during the semester. Project chairs are in charge of getting people to sign up to attend the project, printing maps and organizing drivers, doing wake-up calls on the day of (some members really depend on these), acting as the point person for communication between the chapter and the person in charge of us volunteers at the project site, keeping an accurate list of who showed up to the project and how long the project lasted, taking pictures with the Project Camera, and writing a short paragraph afterwards about the project for the newsletter.

Committee Work: Pledges are usually required to serve on one committee during their pledge semester. Examples of committees include PR/Rush committee, Budget Committee, Awards Committee, and committees formed to help plan conferences.

Mid-semester Check:To make sure you are on track to finish, you will meet with the Pledge Trainer halfway through the semester to discuss your progress and your plan for the second half of pledging. This meeting is mandatory.

Dues: Pledge dues are $70. The first $20 of that is due when you start pledging, at your initiation ceremony. The rest may be paid in installments through the pledging period. All dues must be paid by Activation.

Activation: If you've done everything else, there's only one thing left to do, and that's be activated! Activation is the ceremony in which you are officially accepted as a full brother of the fraternity. This is another ritual conducted from the national handbook. After it's done, we'll all shake hands (with the secret handshake) and sing the toast song. If you've got a cool Big, you may even get an Activation present! All pledges must attend Activation to become full Brothers of the fraternity.
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Awesome, I'm a brother now. What can I do?

You are now called a Junior Initiate, or JI. You are a JI for the remainder of the semester in which you pledged AND the semester after that. As a JI, you can make motions and vote on chapter business. You can also hold an appointed position. These are not elected positions, and you will not be considered a member of Exec. Appointed positions include

• SMU RIDES Chair (organizes volunteer groups to run RIDES each time)
• Fellowship Chair (helps organize fellowship events for the chapter)
• Publishing Secretary (writes the newsletter and distributes it to the chapter and makes the scrapbook)
• Internet Coordinator and Listserv Administrator (maintains the email listserv and the Alpha Omicron website)
• Historian (takes pictures of projects for the scrapbook and maintains a history of AO's accomplishments and changes)
• Sergeant-at-Arms (maintains order during meetings)

JI's interested in taking on appointed positions express their interest to the chapter president.

At the end of your full JI semester, you may be elected to an Exec position within the fraternity. Exec positions are

• President (runs meetings, represents fraternity on and off campus)
• Service Vice President (organizes weekly service projects for the chapter)
• Membership Vice President (works to retain members and maintain morale and enthusiasm)
• Pledge Trainer (teaches pledges about the fraternity, acts as the bridge between pledges and actives)
• PR/Rush (advertising for the fraternity and its events, brings in new members, runs the blood drive)
• Treasurer (in charge of the fraternity's finances)
• Secretary (maintains the roster, takes minutes, sells jerseys)

In addition, only active members can serve as voting delegates. These key members of the fraternity are our voice in the process of making new APO legislation at the sectional, regional, even national levels.
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You obviously wrote this page at 3:00 in the morning. I have more questions. Who can I ask?

Yes, I admit it. It's actually 4:36 AM right now.

If you have questions about the fraternity in general, ask your friends who are in it, or click on over to our Officers page and email any of the Exec members. If you have questions specifically about pledging, get in touch with the PR/Rush Chair or the Pledge Trainer for more info. Try to come to one of the info sessions at the beginning of the semester or sit in on one of our meetings (check the time on the calendar page). You can even come to one of our service projects and help out to see if you like the group vibe. For more information about the fraternity in general, you can go to the Alpha Phi Omega National Website. The bottom line is: don't be afraid to get more information about us.
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