|
Home > Documents > Newspaper Articles > RPI Chapter Of APO Honored By Two Awards Published in Schenectady Gazette on February 1985.TROY - Alpha Phi Omega, the national service-oriented fraternity, has honored the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chapter of APO with two awards. For the second time in four years, RPI's Epsilon Zeta chapter of the fraternity has received the Arno Nowotny Award, presented to the one chapter in the United States with the most comprehensive service program. Named in memory of a deceased national past president of APO, the honor has been awared every other year for 22 years. The RPI chapter also has received the first M.R. Disborough Award, established last year to recognize the chapter with the best overall program in scouting. Named in memory of another deceased national past president, the award recognizes the heritage of APO, established in 1925 as an extension of the Boy Scouts of America's organization for college-bound students. RPI officials will conduct a reception for student APO members on Tuesday, March 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the faculty-staff dining hall. Established in 1947, the Epsilon Zeta chapter at RPI has served as a model for many other campus chapters, RPI spokesmen said. The organization's activities include blood drives; parties and activities for underprivileged, disabled and young people; food drives; and transportation for the clothe-a-child program each Christmas. APO holds a major fund-raising effort every two years with its "Meanest Man on Campus" contest. When the contest was last held in 1983, the chapter raised more than $3,500, which was donated to Joseph's House, a shelter for the homeless in downtown Troy. The next contest will take place this spring. On-campus projects include a used book exchange, lost-and-found service, staff assistance during student "check-in" procedures, and bus chaters at Thanksgiving and spring break to provide students with low-cost transportation throughout the northeast. Every year, the Epsilon Zeta chapter also runs a number of scouting-oriented events. Last year, a "camporee" called "Gathering of Natoins" was held on the grounds of the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush. More than 400 scouts attended. Other annual scouting events include a swimming competition, winter derbies and an overnight trip to an area scout camp, where APO members help with construction projects. |
