Delta (chapter)
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Delta chapter is the fourth chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, and the oldest, continually active chapter. Delta Chapter was established in 1927 at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Delta was also the caretakers of the War Eagle program from 1960 to 2000 at Auburn.
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Founding
Delta chapter, the fourth chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, was founded on October 31st, 1927. At the time, it was the only chapter outside of the Northeast, with the other chapters being in New York and Pennsylvania.
Delta Chapter's heritage is closely associated with the ideals of the Boy Scout movement. All of the charter members were Eagle Scouts, and a Scout Executive from Montgomery conducted the installation ceremonies for the Supreme Council of Alpha Phi Omega, as the National Executive Board was then called.
The idea of assembling a group of men in the fellowship and spirit of the Scout Oath and Law at Auburn first occurred in 1926 after Paul Brake had come to Auburn. After passing the general entrance examination and being admitted to college, Brake earned enough money to pay his tuition by playing in the summer orchestra, delivering papers, and repairing radios. In what little spare time he had, Brake helped the local Scoutmaster.
A short time later he met Clayton Welden and Frank Lull. Together, they started looking around for other Eagle Scouts to form an Eagle Scout club which was to meet in the Scout hut. Welden and Lull told Brake of their Scout Executive in Montgomery who was familiar with a regular college Scouting fraternity.
On his next visit to Montgomery, Brake visited Colonel Millard Wescott to tell him of the group's ideas and to inquire about the fraternity. By the fall of 1927, the founders were ready to receive their charter. On October 31, 1927, Col. Wescott journeyed to Auburn over the primitive dirt roads of the day to install the Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. The installation ceremony was conducted in a classroom on the second floor of the old Broun Hall (near the present site of the RBD Library) over the auditorium facing Ross Hall. Eleven students received membership and thus became the founders of Delta Chapter.
Service Tradition
In addition to the many service projects Delta runs on campus and throughout the Auburn community every year, Delta has also participated in some large projects that run over several generations.
War Eagle Program
Perhaps Delta's most famous service project is the 40-year history of caring for Auburn University's Eagles. From 1960 until 2000, Delta Chapter was responsible for all maintenance, care, feeding, and training of the eagles. Brothers traveled to sporting events, scout jamborees, and many other events with the birds (all of which were nicknamed Tiger, officially named War Eagle with a corresponding roman numeral to indicate their succession to the original eagle).
In 1973, when the existing enclosure was deemed too small, Delta brothers raised the money necessary to build the eagle program a new home. Famed naturalist Jim Fowler was brought in to assist with the site selection and design, and the enclosure was built entirely with volunteer labor and donations. The new aviary held the record for being the second largest single-bird aviary in the country for many years to come, surpassed only by the San Diego Zoo during this period. The new facility was dedicated prior to the Auburn vs. Tennessee home football game on Saturday, September 28, 1974, in memoriam to A. E. Hamer, Jr., a long time trainer for War Eagle III, and the first trainer for War Eagle IV.
In 1976, partially due to Delta's well-publicized involvement with the eagle program, the Golden Eagle was selected as the Official Bird of Alpha Phi Omega, placing it on the same level as the jewel, flower, tree and colors.
In 2000, the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center took over the eagle program, ending 40 years of Delta's involvement. With the eagle's move to the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center, the A.E. Hamer Aviary is slated to be razed to make way for the new Student Union building.
Book Exchange
Delta's other long-running service project was the Book Exchange. From 1951 until 2003, Delta chapter operated a non-profit consignment bookstore on Auburn's campus which offered students the ability to buy books cheaply and sell their books at a significant profit above what the bookstores would pay. While the location of this office has varied widely over the years (from under the steps of Langdon Hall to the former hut in the Hamer Aviary), the bookstore was an invaluable resource for many students. Often, the children of parents who went to Auburn would shop for the same books in the Book Exchange that their parents had purchased years before.
With Auburn's transition to the semester system in 2000 and general changes in traffic flow and student needs, the decision was made to close the book exchange in 2003. The remaining inventory was donated to charity.
Fellowship
Delta is a smaller chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, with an average membership roll of 15-30 active brothers a semester. Because of it's small size and long tradition of emphasizing brotherhood, Delta's bonds among brothers are tight-knit. Throughout the year, that bond is celebrate not just in service but in fellowship as well. These events include parties, eating out together, studying together, and more. There are some larger events worth noting.
Fall semester is dominated by football, as with everything around Auburn. Weekends during the fall mean the traditional car parking service project and tailgating before the football games. Also during fall comes the annual Halloween/Founding celebration. Delta's annual Homecoming Formal and celebration occurs the weekend of the Auburn Homecoming game and lasts the whole weekend. The next day after the formal, at high noon, the pledges battle the brothers in the annual Pledge/Brother Football Game.
Spring semester is usually a bit quieter without football, but brothers still manage to have fun. Spring brings the annual Sweetheart Ball, where Delta announces the selection of the new chapter sweetheart from among a field of contestants. Luau occurs once it begins to warm up in the spring, with a large party and often a full pig to boot! Spring Banquet occurs near the end of the year when awards are given out and the years' events are remembered.
References
- Delta Chapter Offical Homepage (http://www.aphio.auburn.edu/chapter/)
- Auburn University Homepage (http://www.auburn.edu/)
- Alpha Phi Omega Homepage (http://www.apo.org/)
