Omega Phi Alpha
Omega Phi Alpha | |
---|---|
ΩΦΑ | |
Founded |
June 15, 1967 Bowling Green State University |
Type | Service |
Scope | National |
Motto | Today's Friends, Tomorrow's Leaders, Forever in Service |
Colors | Gold[1] |
Symbol | Chevron, Bee |
Flower | Yellow Rose |
Publication | The Chevron |
Chapters | 30 |
Mascot | Ophia (Raggedy Ann) |
Headquarters |
PO Box 955 East Lyme, Connecticut, 06333 US |
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. Omega Phi Alpha, also known as OPhiA or OPA, currently has thirty 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. 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. Just as the Alpha Phi Omega chapter was limited to former Boy Scouts, the Omega Phi Alpha chapter was originally limited to former Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls.[2] This limitation continued until 1958.
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.
The 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 thirty-one active chapters of Omega Phi Alpha. Additionally, there are ten inactive chapters and eight alumnae chapters.
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.
- 1968-1969: Mental health[3]
- 1970-1971: Ecology[4]
- 1973-1974: Elderly[5]
- 1974-1975: Muscular Dystrophy[6]
- 1977-1978: Heart Disease[7]
- 1979-1980: International Year of the Child[8]
- 1980-1981: Hands Across the Ages- Working with the Elderly[9]
- 1982-1983: Girl Scouts of the USA[10][11]
- 1983-1984: National Head Injury Foundation[12]
- 1984-1985: Alcohol Awareness[13]
- 1990-1991: Environment[4]
- 1991-1992: Cultural Diversity[14]
- 1993-1994: AIDS education[15][16]
- 1995-1996: Breast Cancer
- 1996-1997: Ronald McDonald House
- 2002-2003: Girl Scouts of the USA[17]
- 2003-2004: Alcohol abuse prevention[18]/Alcohol Awareness[19]
- 2004-2005: Support your sisterhood[18]
- 2005-2006: Education[20]
- 2006-2007: Women's health[21]
- 2007-2008: Domestic violence awareness[22]
- 2008-2009: Women's cancer awareness[22]
- 2009-2010: Literacy
- 2010-2011: Money Management[23]
- 2011-2012: Archiving OPA[24]
- 2012-2013: Community Inclusion[25]
- 2013-2014: Empowering Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
- 2014-2015: Physical Fitness and Healthy Living
- 2015-2016: Mental Health Matters
- Past President's projects prior to 2002 include the environment,[20] terminal illness,[20] AIDS awareness and education,[20] domestic violence,[20] "Just Say No To Drugs",[20] handicapped children,[20] nursing,[26] ecology,[26] heart disease,[26] children,[26] the elderly,[26] head injury prevention,[26] 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.[27][28] 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, Ohio (1953)
- Gamma - Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan (1962, 1967 (formation of the national org) - 1974, rechartered in 1993)
- Delta - Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (1970)
- Epsilon - Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee (1973)
- Mu - Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (1983)
- Nu - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia (1988)
- Omicron - Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama (1992)
- Rho - Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky (1993)
- Sigma - University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee (1993)
- Tau - University of Texas, Austin, Texas (1994)
- Upsilon - University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana (1997)
- Phi - Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (1998)
- Chi - University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina (1998)
- Psi - Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas (1998)
- Omega - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (2000, rechartered in 2015)
- Alpha Alpha - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona (2000)
- Alpha Beta - University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi (2003)
- Alpha Gamma - Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma (2004)
- Alpha Delta - Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia (2006)
- Alpha Theta - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania (2006)
- Chapter letters given out of order to honor the name of the local which joined, Theta Alpha Pi[29]
- Alpha Epsilon - Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana (2006)
- Alpha Zeta - Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia (2006)
- Alpha Iota - Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, Maryland (May 2009)[30]
- Alpha Kappa - University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas (2010)
- Alpha Lambda - North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (2010)
- Alpha Mu - Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (2011)
- Alpha Nu - Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas (2013)
- Alpha Xi - University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (2014)
- Alpha Omicron - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2014)
- Alpha Pi - West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (2014)
Inactive chapters
These are the current inactive chapters of Omega Phi Alpha[28]
- Beta - University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut (1958 - )
- Zeta - Wayland Baptist College, Plainview, Texas (1974 - 1992)
- Eta - Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas (1974 - 1983)
- Theta - West Virginia Institute of Technology, Montgomery, West Virginia (1975 - 1978)
- Iota - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan (1978 - 1983)
- Kappa - Capital University, Columbus, Ohio (1978 - )
- Lambda - University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (1981 - 1988)
- Xi - University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama (1990 - 1996(?))
- Pi - Teikyo Post University, Waterbury, Connecticut (1993 - )
- Alpha Eta - University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, South Carolina (2009-2015)[31]
Alumnae chapters
- Omega Alpha - Connecticut (inactive)
- Omega Beta - Michigan (inactive) (Provisional group reactivating)
- Omega Gamma - Greater Atlanta
- Omega Delta - Greater Nashville
- Omega Epsilon - Chattanooga (restarting)
- Omega Zeta - Austin
- Omega Eta - Knoxville (inactive)
- Omega Theta - Acadiana Louisiana
- Omega Tau - Houston Area (Name assigned out of order to honor this long-running group, previously named the Texas Alumnae Chapter.)
- Omega Iota - Phoenix
- Dallas / Fort Worth Provisional 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:[32][33]
Year | Location | Theme | Dates | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | June 12, 1967–June 15, 1967 | [34][35] | |
1968 | Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter | July 11, 1968–July 14, 1968 | [36] | |
1969 | Ypsilanti, Michigan hosted by Gamma Chapter | June 16, 1969–June 19, 1969 | [37] | |
1970 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | 1970 | ||
1971 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | June 1971 | [38][39] | |
1972 | Ypsilanti, Michigan hosted by Gamma Chapter | June 30, 1972–July 2, 1972 | [40] | |
1973 | College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter | June 1973 | [41] | |
1974 | Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter | June 25, 1974–June 28, 1974 | [42] | |
1975 | Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter | June 18, 1975–June 22, 1975 | [43] | |
1976 | College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter | June 17, 1976–June 20, 1976 | [44] | |
1977 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | Happy Tenth Birthday | June 15, 1977–June 19, 1977 | [45] |
1978 | Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter | Raggedy Ann Goes South | June 21, 1978–June 25, 1978 | [46] |
1979 | Amarillo, Texas & Plainview, Texas hosted by Zeta Chapter & Eta Chapter | July 10, 1979–July 15, 1979 | [47] | |
1980 | College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter | The Yellow Rose of Texas | June 18, 1980–June 22, 1980 | [48] |
1981 | Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter | –June 20, 1981– | [49] | |
1982 | Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter | All of Tomorrow Depends On Today...Upon You | June 16, 1982–June 20, 1982 | [50] |
1983 | Columbus, Ohio hosted by Kappa Chapter | Create!......Relate!.......Motivate! | August 3, 1983–August 7, 1983 | [11] |
1984 | College Station, Texas hosted by Delta Chapter | Hit the Trail for the "The Wild Wild West" | August 1, 1984–August 5, 1984 | [51] |
1985 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee hosted by Mu Chapter | OPA in for A Dixieland Delight | August 6, 1985–August 10, 1985 | [13][52] |
1986 | Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter | August 11, 1986–August 17, 1986 | [53] | |
1987 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | 20th anniversary | August 4, 1987–August 8, 1987 | [54] |
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 | [4] | |
1991 | Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted by Beta Chapter | Convention '91 – Barnum and Beta Circus | July 29, 1991–August 4, 1991 | [55] |
1992 | Cookeville, Tennessee hosted by Epsilon Chapter | Omega Phi Alpha 25 Years of Excellence | July 29, 1992–August 2, 1992 | [56] |
1993 | Bowling Green, Ohio hosted by Alpha Chapter | Celebrate Cardinal Principles | July 29, 1993–August 1, 1993 | [57] |
1994 | Auburn, Alabama hosted by Omicron Chapter | Sisterhood in the Heart of Dixie | July 27, 1994–July 31, 1994 | [16][58] |
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 | [59] | |
2002 | Radisson Hotel & Suites, Chicago, Illinois | July 17, 2002–July 21, 2002 | [60][61][62] | |
2003 | Renaissance Waverly Hotel Atlanta, Georgia | July 30, 2003–August 2, 2003 | [63] | |
2004 | Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee | July 14, 2004–July 18, 2004 | [64] | |
2005 | Embassy Suites Biltmore Hotel Phoenix, Arizona | Service at the Oasis | July 20, 2005–July 24, 2005 | [65] |
2006 | Hilton Hartford Hotel Hartford, Connecticut | Service in the City | July 19, 2006–July 23, 2006 | [66] |
2007 | Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Jacksonville, Florida | Service is our Greatest Treasure | July 25, 2007–July 29, 2007 | [67] |
2008 | Doubletree North Denver Denver, Colorado | Rockin' in the Rockies | July 16, 2008–July 20, 2008 | [68] |
2009 | Crowne Plaza Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | City of Sisterly Love | July 22, 2009–July 26, 2009 | [69][70] |
2010 | Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch St. Louis, Missouri | Destination O-Phi-A | July 21, 2010–July 25, 2010 | [71] |
2011 | Holiday Inn, Charlotte, North Carolina | Queens of Service in the Queen City. | July 20, 2011–July 24, 2011 | [72][73] |
2012 | Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah | Abuzz about OPhiA | July 11, 2012–July 15, 2012 | [72] |
2013 | DoubleTree Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Women of Steel | July 18, 2013–July 21, 2013 | [72] |
2014 | Hilton Indianapolis Downtown, Indianapolis, Indiana | Taking the Lead in Service | July 16, 2014–July 20, 2014 | [72] |
2015 | DoubleTree Hotel, Chattanooga, Tennessee | TBD | July 15, 2015–July 19, 2015 | [72] |
Districts
Omega Phi Alpha has eleven districts of active chapters. Each district meets at least once a year to hold a district summit, which includes service projects, workshops, and sisterhood activities. Alumnae ties were removed from districts and changed to regions at Convention 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[74]
- D1 - Liberty District
- Alpha Theta (Penn State)
- Alpha Iota (Notre Dame of Maryland)
- Alpha Pi (West Virginia University)
- D2 - Bluegrass District
- Epsilon (Tennessee Tech)
- Mu (Middle Tennessee State)
- Rho (Western Kentucky)
- Sigma (University Tennessee Chattanooga)
- D3 - Azalea District
- Nu (Georgia Tech)
- Omicron (Auburn)
- Alpha Zeta (Kennesaw State)
- D4 - Cajun Country District
- Upsilon (Louisiana at Lafayette)
- Alpha Beta (Ole Miss)
- Alpha Epsilon (Southeastern Louisiana)
- D5 - Lonestar District
- Delta (Texas A&M)
- Tau (Texas at Austin)
- Psi (Texas A&M Corpus Christi)
- Alpha Nu (Texas State)
- D6 - Cactus Pine District
- Phi (Arizona State)
- Alpha Alpha (Northern Arizona)
- D7 - Founding District
- Alpha (Bowling Green State)
- Gamma (Eastern Michigan)
- D8 - Carolina District
- Chi (South Carolina)
- Alpha Lambda (North Carolina State)
- D9 - Heartland District
- Alpha Gamma (Oklahoma State)
- Alpha Kappa (Kansas)
- D10 - Peaches and Beaches
- Alpha Delta (Georgia Southern)
- Alpha Xi (University of Central Florida)
- Alpha Omicron (University of Florida)
- D11 - Colonial
- Alpha Mu (Boston University)
- Omega (Rutgers University)
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.
- West Region
- States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, International locations
- Midwest Region
- States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- South Region
- States: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee
- East Region
- 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
- ↑ Insignia & symbols
- ↑ Spring 2006 Chevron p4
- ↑ Fall 1968 (V2N1) Chevron
- 1 2 3 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
- 1 2 April/May 1983 (V15N3) Chevron
- ↑ Winter 1984 (V16N2) Chevron
- 1 2 Winter 1985 (V17N2) Chevron
- ↑ Fall 1991 (V24N1) Chevron
- ↑ Fall 1993 (V26N1) Chevron
- 1 2 Summer 1994 (V26N4) Chevron
- ↑ 2002 Convention minutes
- 1 2 Past Nu Service Projects
- ↑ Mu chapter Service
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2006 Service Manual p12
- ↑ Omega Phi Alpha Convention 2007 Registration Info
- 1 2 Student Organization of the Week: Omega Phi Alpha
- ↑ Omega Phi Alpha Service
- ↑ Winter 2012 Chevron
- ↑ Winter 2013 Chevron
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alpha Chapter Service
- ↑ Active Chapters
- 1 2 Handbook
- ↑ Penn State Omega Phi Alpha
- ↑ Summer 2009 Chevron
- ↑ Woo Woo Chattanooga (2015 convention)
- ↑ Past Conventions
- ↑
- ↑ 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
- 1 2 3 4 5 Convention
- ↑ Register Online
- ↑ Districts