On Hazing

Prevention is better than cure as doctors say.

The APO Executive Council and the Board of Directors back in DY 2007-2009, invested substantial resources to conduct APO Pledge Program (APP) seminars in all of the local Administrative Regions with the creation of a task force to educate members on the relatively new policy in accepting members in which hazing is no longer a part of. Investing in the publication and distribution of APP Manuals so that collegiate chapter will have at least two copies each, including the training of more over 300 certified APP trainers all over the nation. This makes a 1:1 chapter to trainer ratio.

With the limited resources the organization have it was a successful campaign. It has always been said that traditional ways of pledgeship cannot be eradicated overnight, however there was an increase in the number of chapters that complied with APP. Though the APP process was new, peculiar and a challenge for most, there are chapters that instead of complaining the inapplicability of some parts of the program, they resort to creative ways that played a huge role in adopting the polices while keeping APO traditions that was shared by all, whatever modification that was made, the bottom line is, hazing should no longer be part of it.

With the success of the APP campaigns the programs of the incumbent collegiate officers are more focused on recruitment. Initial steps have already been taken, from recruitment videos to other marketing tools that would significantly help collegiate chapters in acquiring applicants to join.

However, reality strikes that majority of collegiate chapters are only informed about the Anti-hazing Law and the APP but are not implementing or at least tried to. A sad truth, the supposedly growth of APO hit major a setback when a death due hazing was widely publicized.

Moving forward to establish recruitment programs is a must, but APP information campaign should be backed up with APP implementation, policing ranks from alumni members to the newest chapter members. The recruitment program would heavily rely upon the ability of the local chapter to comply with the Anti-hazing law and deliver the

promises of the recruitment paraphernalia to the prospects.

APO is in a very significant position, with high ranking members in the roster, partnerships with other notable service organization, and learning from past mistakes will indeed secure the future of a continuous flow of new members.

In pursuance of the massive recruitment campaign, the prevention of hazing activities will be the primary concern. The recruitment tools that will be available for chapters will explicitly indicate that upon the hint of hazing activity, applicants are discouraged to continue the pledge process.

APP help desks are to be established to help chapters customize the pledge program that would fit its current situation and comply to with the resources available, alumni concerns, and most of all the laws of the republic.

The goals of multiplying the number of collegiate members may be more of a challenge with this approach, however, it is a bitter pill to take in order to save the organization from future untoward incidences.

Click here for more info on R.A. 8049 or Anti-hazing Law

Recruitment:

A Chapter’s Life Blood

After more than a month of hardship and sacrifice, I was finally admitted to Alpha Phi Omega on February 2005 at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas - Pi Chapter as a unritualized member, the following month many resident members graduated. Dismayed that there are few chapter residents left, we thought of recruitment strategies to increase the number of members.

Luckily, on June 2005, the university holds a recruitment drive. What better time to implement our plans and take advantage of our recognition as a student organization. A booth was provided for us to set up in. We included interesting features in our booth, among others was the "Wall of Fame", containing pictures of notable alumni members. Informative brochures at its cheapest photocopied form was distributed to passersby. Thinking that we will be able to get more recruits going classroom to classroom in promoting APO than just to wait for students to walk by. We took action, doing many kinds of promotional gimmicks, it was just hit or miss, but we were determined to reach our goal to increase membership, whatever it would take!

When the school year was over, we made a handful of members increase to 4 or 5 times our original number. Our initial accomplishments couldn't be possible without the support and help of the UST administration, the Pi Alumni and other chapters who were present. Since then, Recruitment 101* was a major annual activity and a regular source of new members for Pi Chapter.

5 Helpful Tips on Effective Recruitment

1. Quality and quantity.

The first batch of Recruitment 101 we had an astounding 24 new members! But there are over 300 students we persuade to sign up at the recruitment booth, 60+ were baptized as pledges before finally coming up with the 24 new members. Recruit as many as you can. Talk to as many students as possible and choose the best men and women.

2. If you want something done, do it yourself.

Don't be intimidated by your alumni and fellow residents. They are there to help you. Have the initiative to recruit. Involve brods or sis that are goal oriented and wants improvement. Be the hero and take action! And everything else will follow, the support and most importantly the results.

3. You can't recruit who you do not know.

During events and service projects we can invite non-APO students to join. Organize events that may entice students to take part of the activity. Mostly our activities are exclusive to members only. But there are chapter activities that may be avenues for recruitment. Feeling what its like to be an APO may create the need to join.

Sometimes, you don't even need to recruit them, they'll just knock on our doors. The important things are that we are able to get NAMES, and CONTACT DETAILS of potential applicants. After each event we can contact all students who attended the event and invite them for an orientation.

4. Be humble.

It has been APO's tradition that applicants must humble themselves. We should realize that the prospects don't know a thing about APO. Before demanding for them to bow down and call us Lords / Ladies it is our duty to inform them the principles, purpose and activities of APO, the rationale behind the pledgeship process and importance of humility and obedience. Proper orientation to prospects giving them the ideas of what to expect may reduce the chances of quitting.

5. 10th Jewel, be brave!

Inform your classmates, and friends in school about APO. You can also meet students outside your circle of friends, outside your college and tell them about APO. During the 2005 Recruitment 101 stint, we went from classroom to classroom just to check out pretty college girls and have recruitment as an excuse. Simplest spiels such as, "We are Alpha Phi Omega and we are accepting new applicants, so if you’re interested just contact us...". Then we leave them brochures. A couple of hours later, students are actually contacting us. We did not only have recruits, some brods got new girlfriends too.

Bonus # 6.

Invest in recruitment materials. We started out with cheap photocopied brochures that we distribute to students. It worked! Now we have all kinds of promotional items from bookmarks, paper fans, calendars, among others. Be creative and experiment on other promotional media. Also remember to put your contact numbers in your chosen media, so it would be easier for students to contact you.

But the best recruitment and promotional material is you. What you are and what you do is a mirror of what an APO is. So put yourself in your recruits’ shoes and ask, “Would you want yourself to be your brod / sis?” If yes, be a proud APO and share it to everyone!

Mahalin APOng Pinaghirapan!

Posted on 08/12/2008 by:

OJ Lopez

A

PO Pi Chapter,

2005-A

Batas 535

Grand Chancellor 2006-2007

*Recruitment 101 at UST is conducted once every school year on the month of June or July, other chapters are always welcome to participate and/or observe.