Omega Phi Alpha national service sorority

Infobox Fraternity
letters = ΩΦΑ
name = Omega Phi Alpha
motto = "Today's Friends, Tomorrow's Leaders, Forever in Service"
crest =
founded = June 15, 1967
scope = National
address = PO Box 955
symbol = The chevron
type = Service
city = East Lyme
state = CT, 06333
country = USA
chapters = 21 active chapters, 8 alumnae chapters | colors = Dark blue, baby blue and gold
free_label = Cardinal Principles
free = Friendship, Leadership and Service
homepage = http://www.omegaphialpha.org
birthplace = Bowling Green State University
flower = The yellow rose
free_label = Mascot
free = Ophia (Raggedy Ann)

Omega Phi Alpha (OPA, O-Phi-A, or 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-one active chapters in the United States.

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. Brothers of Zeta Kappa formed interest groups for a new organization, and many of the attendees at these interest groups were female. The need for a women's 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 1971. Currently, there are twenty-one chapters of Omega Phi Alpha.

ervice 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 food 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. For the 2005-2006 school year, the President's Project is education. The 2006-2007 President's Project is women's health. The 2007-2008 President's Project is domestic violence awareness. Past projects include the Girl Scouts of the USA, 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

* Alpha - Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
* Gamma - Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
* Delta - Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
* Epsilon - Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN
* Mu - Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
* Nu - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
* Omicron - Auburn University, Auburn, AL
* Rho - Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
* Sigma - University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN
* Tau - University of Texas, Austin, TX
* Upsilon - University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA
* Phi - Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
* Chi - University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
* Psi - Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX
* Alpha Alpha - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
* Alpha Beta - University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
* Alpha Gamma - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
* Alpha Delta - Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
* Alpha Theta - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
* Alpha Epsilon - Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA
* Alpha Zeta - Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Inactive Chapters

* Beta - University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT
* Zeta - Wayland Baptist College, Plainview, TX
* Eta - Amarillo College, Amarillo, TX
* Theta - West Virginia Institute of Technology, Montgomery, WV
* Iota - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
* Kappa - Capital University, Columbus, OH
* Lambda University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
* Xi - University of North Alabama, Florence, AL
* Pi - Teikyo Post University, Waterbury, CT
* Omega - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

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. Each Omega Phi Alpha district sends one alumnae delegate to represent the alumnae that live within its borders. There are two at-large alumnae delegates who vote on behalf of all OPA alumnae.

OPA national convention locations include: [ [http://www.omegaphialpha.org/News_Events/Conventions/past_conventions.html Past Conventions] ]
* 2008 - Denver, Colorado
* 2007 - Jacksonville, Florida
* 2006 - Hartford, Connecticut
* 2005 - Phoenix, Arizona
* 2004 - Nashville, Tennessee
* 2003 - Atlanta, Georgia
* 2002 - Chicago, Illinois
* 2001 - San Antonio, Texas
* 2000 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* 1999 - Columbus, Ohio
* 1998 - College Station, Texas - Hosted by Delta Chapter
* 1997 - Cookeville, Tennessee - Hosted by Epsilon Chapter
* 1996 - Chattanooga, Tennessee - Hosted by Sigma Chapter
* 1995 - Atlanta, Georgia - Hosted by Nu Chapter
* 1994 - Auburn, Alabama - Hosted by Omicron Chapter
* June, 1967 - Bowling Green, Ohio - Hosted by Alpha Chapter [ [http://www.cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/opa/about.php About Omega Phi Alpha] ]

Districts

Omega Phi Alpha has eight districts. Omega Phi Alpha districts are reviewed every ten years so that the districts properly reflect the membership of Omega Phi Alpha. Each district sends an alumna representative to convention.

* District 1
** Location: Northeast and countries other than America
** Active Chapter: none

* District 2
** Location: Mid Central
** Active Chapters: Epsilon, Mu, Rho

* District 3
** Location: Southeast
** Active Chapters: Nu, Sigma, Omicron, Alpha Zeta

* District 4
** Location: South Central
** Active Chapters: Upsilon, Alpha Beta, Alpha Epsilon

* District 5
** Location: Midwest
** Active Chapters: Delta, Tau, Psi, Alpha Gamma

* District 6
** Location: West Coast
** Active Chapters: Phi, Alpha Alpha

* District 7
** Location: North Central
** Active Chapters: Alpha, Gamma, Alpha Theta

* District 8
** Location: Southeast Coastal
** Active Chapters: Chi, Alpha Delta

References

External links

* [http://www.omegaphialpha.org/ Omega Phi Alpha National website]