- Omega Phi Alpha
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This article is about the national service sorority. For other uses, see Omega Phi Alpha (disambiguation).
Omega Phi Alpha ΩΦΑ
Founded June 15, 1967
Bowling Green State UniversityType Service Scope National Motto Today's Friends, Tomorrow's Leaders, Forever in Service Colors Dark Blue Baby Blue
GoldSymbol Chevron Flower Yellow Rose Publication The Chevron Chapters 26 Mascot Ophia (Raggedy Ann) Headquarters East Lyme, CT, 06333, USA Homepage http://www.omegaphialpha.org Omega Phi Alpha (ΩΦΑ) is an American national service sorority. It was founded in 1967 at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. OPA currently has twenty six active chapters in the United States.
Contents
Purpose
The purpose of Omega Phi Alpha reads as follows:
- The purpose and goals of this sorority shall be to assemble its members in the fellowship of Omega Phi Alpha, to develop friendship, leadership and cooperation by promoting service to the university community, to the community-at-large, to the members of the sorority, and to the nations of the world.
History
In 1953, the Zeta Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, expressed interest in forming a group much like theirs to help them in their service endeavors. The brothers of Zeta Kappa formed interest groups for a new organization, and many of the attendees at these interest groups were women. The need for a female service sorority then became evident.
The two groups were to be alike in objectives—friendship, leadership, and service. A similar name—Omega Phi Alpha—was chosen for the new organization.
Two more Omega Phi Alpha groups were formed at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Bridgeport in 1958 and 1962, respectively. All three groups had the intention of becoming a national sorority together; however, it would be five more years before national status was reached.
In 1966, plans for a national convention, at which the three chapters could meet, were made. In the summer of 1967, the three groups met in Bowling Green for the first time and laid the foundations for what is currently Omega Phi Alpha. The Bowling Green group was given the title of Alpha Chapter, University of Bridgeport became the Beta Chapter, and Eastern Michigan was named the Gamma Chapter.
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma chapters continued for several years as a national sorority until women at Texas A&M University formed the Delta chapter in 1970. Currently, there are twenty-six active chapters of Omega Phi Alpha.
Service Program
Omega Phi Alpha has a diverse, flexible service program which allows each member to contribute to the world around her. Many chapters have ongoing projects that they have worked with for years.
Six areas of service:
1. Permanent Project: The permanent project is mental health. Mental health service projects are defined as any project that improves the well being of others, and these projects are typically hands on projects such as playing with kids in an afterschool program, playing Bingo at a nursing home, or serving meals at a soup kitchen.
2. President's Project: Each year at Omega Phi Alpha National Convention, the National President of Omega Phi Alpha presents the cause she feels is worthy of being the focus of OPA service nationwide.
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- 1968-1969: Mental health[1]
- 1970-1971: Ecology[2]
- 1973-1974: Elderly[3]
- 1974-1975: Muscular Dystrophy[4]
- 1977-1978: Heart Disease[5]
- 1979-1980: International Year of the Child[6]
- 1980-1981: Hands Across the Ages- Working with the Elderly[7]
- 1982-1983: Girl Scouts of the USA[8][9]
- 1983-1984: National Head Injury Foundation[10]
- 1984-1985: Alcohol Awareness[11]
- 1990-1991: Environment[2]
- 1991-1992: Cultural Diversity[12]
- 1993-1994: AIDS education[13][14]
- 1995-1996: Breast Cancer
- 1996-1997: Ronald McDonald House
- 2002-2003: Girl Scouts of the USA[15]
- 2003-2004: Alcohol abuse prevention[16]/Alcohol Awareness[17]
- 2004-2005: Support your sisterhood[16]
- 2005-2006: Education[18]
- 2006-2007: Women's health[19]
- 2007-2008: Domestic violence awareness[20]
- 2008-2009: Women's cancer awareness[20]
- 2009-2010: Literacy
- 2010-2011: Money Management[21]
- 2011-2012: Archiving OPA
- Past President's projects prior to 2002 include the environment[18], terminal illness[18], AIDS awareness and education[18], domestic violence[18], "Just Say No To Drugs"[18], handicapped children[18], nursing[22], ecology[22], heart disease[22], children[22], the elderly[22], head injury prevention[22], Literacy, and internal organization keypoints.
3. Service to the University Community: Volunteering to help at a school event, holding stress relief classes, random acts of kindness
4. Service to the Community at Large: Local park clean ups, food banks, tutoring at a local school, Humane Society volunteering
5. Service to the members of the sorority: Alumnae, internal strengthening
6. Service to the nations of the world: UNICEF, AIDS Awareness, diabetes awareness (American Diabetes Association), breast cancer awareness (Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, among others)
Through these six areas of service, active and alumnae chapters plan a variety of service projects year each to carry out and make a difference.
Active Chapters
These are the current active chapters of Omega Phi Alpha.[23][24] Generally, chapters of Omega Phi Alpha are named in Greek alphabetical order. The only exception to this is the Penn State chapter, which was founded from a local sorority named Theta Alpha Pi. This chapter was named Alpha Theta as a tribute to their founding organization.
- Alpha - Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH (1953, 1967 as part of the National Sorority)
- Gamma - Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (1962, 1967 as part of the National Sorority)
- Delta - Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (1970)
- Epsilon - Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN (1973)
- Mu - Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN (1983)
- Nu - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (1988)
- Omicron - Auburn University, Auburn, AL (1992)
- Rho - Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY (1993)
- Sigma - University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN (1993)
- Tau - University of Texas, Austin, TX (1994)
- Upsilon - University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA (1997)
- Phi - Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (1998)
- Chi - University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (1998)
- Psi - Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX (1998)
- Alpha Alpha - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (2000)
- Alpha Beta - University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS (2003)
- Alpha Gamma - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK (2004)
- Alpha Delta - Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA (2006)
- Alpha Theta - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (2006)
- Alpha Epsilon - Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA (2006)
- Alpha Zeta - Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA (2006)
- Alpha Eta - University of South Carolina, Aiken, SC (2009)
- Alpha Iota - College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (May 2009)[25]
- Alpha Kappa - University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (2010)
- Alpha Lambda - North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2010)
- Alpha Mu - Boston University, Boston, MA (2011)
Inactive Chapters
These are the current inactive chapters of Omega Phi Alpha[24]
- Beta - University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT (1958)
- Zeta - Wayland Baptist College, Plainview, TX (1974)
- Eta - Amarillo College, Amarillo, TX (1974)
- Theta - West Virginia Institute of Technology, Montgomery, WV (1975)
- Iota - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI (1978)
- Kappa - Capital University, Columbus, OH (1978)
- Lambda - University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (1981)
- Xi - University of North Alabama, Florence, AL (1990)
- Pi - Teikyo Post University, Waterbury, CT (1993)
- Omega - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (2000)
Alumnae Chapters
- Omega Alpha - Connecticut Area Alumnae Chapter
- Omega Beta - Michigan Alumnae Association
- Omega Gamma - Greater Atlanta Alumnae Association
- Omega Delta - Greater Nashville Area Alumnae Chapter
- Omega Epsilon - Chattanooga Area Alumnae Council
- Omega Zeta - Austin Area Alumnae Chapter (inactive)
- Omega Eta - Knoxville Alumnae chapter (inactive)
- Omega Theta - Louisiana Alumnae Chapter
Convention
Omega Phi Alpha holds one national convention each year. The national conventions provide a forum for making sorority-wide decisions like aligning on a budget, electing national officers, or changing the national policies reflected in the constitution and by-laws. Each active chapter in good standing has two votes to use in deciding sorority issues. Active chapters who are not in good standing have only one vote. There are also alumnae delegates who represent each of OPA's four districts. For every three active votes, alumnae get one vote.
OPA national convention locations include:[26][27]
Year Location Theme Dates Refs 1967 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter June 12, 1967– June 15, 1967 [28][29] 1968 Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter July 11, 1968– July 14, 1968 [30] 1969 Ypsilanti, Michigan hosted by Gamma Chapter June 16, 1969– June 19, 1969 [31] 1970 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter 1970 1971 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter June 1971 [32][33] 1972 Ypsilanti, Michigan hosted by Gamma Chapter June 30, 1972– July 2, 1972 [34] 1973 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter June 1973 [35] 1974 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter June 25, 1974– June 28, 1974 [36] 1975 Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter June 18, 1975– June 22, 1975 [37] 1976 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter June 17, 1976– June 20, 1976 [38] 1977 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter Happy Tenth Birthday June 15, 1977– June 19, 1977 [39] 1978 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter Raggedy Ann Goes South June 21, 1978– June 25, 1978 [40] 1979 Amarillo, Texas & Plainview, Texas hosted by Zeta Chapter & Eta Chapter July 10, 1979– July 15, 1979 [41] 1980 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter The Yellow Rose of Texas June 18, 1980– June 22, 1980 [42] 1981 Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter – June 20, 1981– [43] 1982 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter All of Tomorrow Depends On Today...Upon You June 16, 1982– June 20, 1982 [44] 1983 Columbus, Ohio hosted by Kappa Chapter Create!......Relate!.......Motivate! August 3, 1983– August 7, 1983 [9] 1984 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter Hit the Trail for the "The Wild Wild West" August 1, 1984– August 5, 1984 [45] 1985 Murfreesboro, Tennessee hosted by Mu Chapter OPA in for A Dixieland Delight August 6, 1985– August 10, 1985 [11][46] 1986 Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter August 11, 1986– August 17, 1986 [47] 1987 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter 20th anniversary August 4, 1987– August 8, 1987 [48] 1988 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter 1988 1989 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter 1989 1990 Atlanta, Georgia hosted by Nu Chapter 1990 [2] 1991 Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter Convention '91 – Barnum and Beta Circus July 29, 1991– August 4, 1991 [49] 1992 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter Omega Phi Alpha 25 Years of Excellence July 29, 1992– August 2, 1992 [50] 1993 Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter Celebrate Cardinal Principles July 29, 1993– August 1, 1993 [51] 1994 Auburn, Alabama hosted by Omicron Chapter Sisterhood in the Heart of Dixie July 27, 1994– July 31, 1994 [52][14] 1995 Atlanta, Georgia hosted by Nu Chapter 1995 1996 Chattanooga, Tennessee hosted by Sigma Chapter 1996 1997 Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter 1997 1998 College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter 1998 1999 Columbus, Ohio 1999 2000 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 2000 2001 San Antonio, Texas July 18, 2001– July 22, 2001 [53] 2002 Radisson Hotel & Suites, Chicago, Illinois July 17, 2002– July 21, 2002 [54][55][56] 2003 Renaissance Waverly Hotel Atlanta, Georgia July 30, 2003– August 2, 2003 [57] 2004 Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee July 14, 2004– July 18, 2004 [58] 2005 Embassy Suites Biltmore Hotel Phoenix, Arizona Service at the Oasis July 20, 2005– July 24, 2005 [59] 2006 Hilton Hartford Hotel Hartford, Connecticut Service in the City July 19, 2006– July 23, 2006 [60] 2007 Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Jacksonville, Florida Service is our Greatest Treasure July 25, 2007– July 29, 2007 [61] 2008 Doubletree North Denver Denver, Colorado Rockin' in the Rockies July 16, 2008– July 20, 2008 [62] 2009 Crowne Plaza Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City of Sisterly Love July 22, 2009– July 26, 2009 [63][64] 2010 Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch St. Louis, Missouri Destination O-Phi-A July 21, 2010– July 25, 2010 [65] 2011 Holiday Inn, Charlotte, North Carolina Queens of Service in the Queen City. July 20, 2011– July 24, 2011 [66][67] 2012 Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah Abuzz about OPhiA July 11, 2012– July 15, 2011 [68] Districts
Omega Phi Alpha has eight districts of active chapters. Each district meets at least once a year to hold a rally, which includes service projects, workshops, and sisterhood activities. Alumnae ties were removed from districts and changed to regions at Convention 2009 in Philadelphia, PA.
- District 1
- Active Chapters: Alpha Theta, Alpha Iota
- District 2
- Active Chapters: Epsilon, Mu, Rho, Sigma
- District 3
- Active Chapters: Nu, Omicron, Alpha Zeta, Alpha Delta
- District 4
- Active Chapters: Upsilon, Alpha Beta, Alpha Epsilon
- District 5
- Active Chapters: Delta, Tau, Psi
- District 6
- Active Chapters: Phi, Alpha Alpha
- District 7
- Active Chapters: Alpha, Gamma
- District 8
- Active Chapters: Chi, Alpha Lambda, Alpha Eta
- District 9
- Active Chapters: Alpha Gamma, Alpha Kappa
Regions
Omega Phi Alpha has four regions of alumnae. Alumnae regions are drawn on state lines and are based on population distribution of OPA alumnae. Each alumnae region sends a specific number of delegates to OPA's National Convention every year; this number is based on the number of active votes possible at that year's Convention. Alumnae representation makes up 25% of the total representation at any given Convention.
- Region A
- States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, International locations
- Region B
- States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Region C
- States: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee
- Region D
- States: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
References
- ^ Fall 1968 (V2N1) Chevron
- ^ a b c Fall 1990 (V23N1) Chevron
- ^ Fall 1973 (V6N1) Chevron
- ^ Winter 1975 (V7N4) Chevron
- ^ May 1978 (V10N5) Chevron
- ^ September 1979 (V12N1) Chevron
- ^ September 1980 (V13N1) Chevron
- ^ September 1982 (V15N1) Chevron
- ^ a b April/May 1983 (V15N3) Chevron
- ^ Winter 1984 (V16N2) Chevron
- ^ a b Winter 1985 (V17N2) Chevron
- ^ Fall 1991 (V24N1) Chevron
- ^ Fall 1993 (V26N1) Chevron
- ^ a b Summer 1994 (V26N4) Chevron
- ^ 2002 Convention minutes
- ^ a b Past Nu Service Projects
- ^ Mu chapter Service
- ^ a b c d e f g 2006 Service Manual p12
- ^ Omega Phi Alpha Convention 2007 Registration Info
- ^ a b Student Organization of the Week: Omega Phi Alpha
- ^ Omega Phi Alpha Service
- ^ a b c d e f Alpha Chapter Service
- ^ Active Chapters
- ^ a b Handbook
- ^ Summer 2009 Chevron
- ^ Past Conventions
- ^ [1]
- ^ National History
- ^ Fall 1967 (V1N1) Chevron
- ^ October 1968 (V2N1) Chevron
- ^ April 1969 (V2N5) Chevron
- ^ Omega Phi Alpha - Alpha chapter
- ^ May 1973 Chevron
- ^ April 1972 Chevron
- ^ March 1973 Chevron
- ^ Spring 1974 (V6N2) Chevron
- ^ Spring 1975 (V7N5) Chevron
- ^ November 1975 (V8N2) Chevron
- ^ May 1977 (V9N5) Chevron
- ^ March 1978 (V10N4) Chevron
- ^ March 1979 (V11N4) Chevron
- ^ May 1980 (V12N5) Chevron
- ^ September 1981 (V14N1) Chevron
- ^ Spring 1982 (V14N5) Chevron
- ^ Summer 1984 (V16N4) Chevron
- ^ Summer 1985 (V17N4) Chevron
- ^ Winter 1986 (V18N2) Chevron
- ^ Spring/Summer 1987 (V19N3) Chevron
- ^ Summer 1991 (V23N4) Chevron
- ^ Summer 1992 (V24N4) Chevron
- ^ Spring 1993 (V25N3) Chevron
- ^ Spring 1994 (V26N3) Chevron
- ^ Convention 2001
- ^ Convention 2002
- ^ Convention 2002 Minutes
- ^ Fall 2001 (N35N1) Chevron
- ^ Convention 2003
- ^ Convention 2004
- ^ Convention 2005
- ^ Convention 2006
- ^ Convention 2007
- ^ Convention 2008
- ^ Convention 2009
- ^ Registration
- ^ Omega Phi Alpha Convention 2010
- ^ Convention
- ^ Register Online
- ^ Convention
External links
Categories:- Student societies in the United States
- Fraternities and sororities
- Service organizations based in the United States
- 1967 establishments
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