Alpha Phi Omega 2006 National Convention Blog

Convention Thank You

2007-01-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

Brothers,

On behalf of the 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention Planning Committee, I would like to thank each and every one of you for making convention such a rousing success. Each and every one of you brought something unique to the convention that made it the great experience that it was. Congratulations to the newly elected Board of Directors and to Boston for successfully bidding to host the 2008 National Convention. There is now a facebook group for anyone interested named, “I Went to APhiO Nat'l Convention 2006 in Louisville!!!” Again, thank you all for making Nationals such an amazing experience. See you all in Boston in 2008!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Convention What to Bring List and Roll Call

2006-12-13T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Convention is less than two weeks away, and I’m sure many of you are wondering what exactly to bring for the various events at convention. In addition to the traditional things that one will need for many days of travel, the following is a list of what you should bring for the various events at Convention:

Comfortable clothing (no jeans! Ex: sweat pants and t-shirt) for Fitness Classes;
Digital camera, USB cord, and Louisville map for Scavenger Hunt;
Favorite Games to play for Game/Movie night;
Business casual apparel and $8/hr for Lucky Strike Bowling;
Wedding attire for the Wedding and Reception;
Favorite outfit for the opposite sex for Mr. & Mrs. APO;
T-Shirt for the T-Shirt Signing Party;
Comfortable clothing and tennis shoes for Dodge ball;
Baseball attire for the fellowship banquet;
Derby attire (think prom for the girls and suits for the guys);
Derby hat (can make at a workshop for $2) or top hat;
Alumni ONLY- Oldest APO convention t-shirt for a competition at the T-Shirt Signing Party

Additionally, the following are the rules for the Roll Call Contest at Convention. Chapters will be able to sign up during convention registration pick-up to participate.

Chapters will have ONE minute to get on deck
Chapters will have 30 seconds to display their call once they are announced on stage
Chapter order will be determined randomly.
Chapters must register before Roll Call begins
No recorded music
No props (use of props results in a penalty point deduction)
No fowl language or inappropriate content, this will result in an automatic disqualification
The Roll Call does not have to include the whole chapter

Scoring:

5 categories, 10 points each:
Originality
Clarity
Team Presentation
Energy
Identification

Five judges will evaluate each chapter. The total score from those five judges will determine the final score for the Roll Call. Prop penalty is a five point deduction.

As always if you have any additional questions let me know. See you all in less than two weeks at convention!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Events Details

2006-12-13T16:03:00.001-05:00

Hi all! Hope everyone's getting as excited as I am for convention! My committee and I have been working really hard to make sure that the Social Events are sure to rock your socks off! We've penciled YOU in, so I thought I'd get you excited about some of our events!

We're starting the convention right off the bat, and have three separate times for YOU to participate in our Digital Scavenger Hunt! Head out and explore the town of Louisville with your fellow brothers, all while taking some GREAT pics that you'll want to see again and again! Be sure to be at the Scavenger Hunt station (located near the registration tables) at one of the three start times--10 a.m., 12 p.m., or 2 p.m. bring your digital camera and USB cord, your brothers, and your ENERGY!

What else should you be excited about? How about our first night event--"You've Been Served", Karaoke-style! It's karaoke, with a twist! The person singing chooses the person or group to sing next, AND what genre their song must be from! Got a friend from another chapter you've always wanted to see sing an oldie? This will be the night to do it! This is sure to be a night of embarrassing fun! Starts at 11 p.m., and is taking place in the A/C Ballroom.

An important thing to remember for one of our day events: The 5 D's of Dodge ball! Dodge, Dip, Dive, Duck, and Dodge! We know you've always wanted to participate in a Dodgeball Tournament, and this is your chance. On Thursday, meet in the lobby of the East Tower at 2:30 p.m. We will be walking over to the YMCA (so be sure to dress warm!), and the tournament will begin at approximately 3 p.m. Why should you be there? Because we're sure you can dodge a wrench… And if you can dodge a wrench, you can DODGE a BALL!

The last event I'll mention here today will be the exciting and prestigious Mr. and Mrs. APO Contest! Life's a DRAG? Earn your right to brag!! That's right everyone, we'll be holding a pageant done completely in drag! The contest will begin around 11 p.m., in the Carroll/Ford room. Guys: be sure to bring your dresses and heels. Ladies: don't forget your suit and tie! Not interested in competing? Come anyways for some laughs and a good time; your brothers need your support in this one! WE'LL determine who wears the pants, and the winners will be crowned Mr. and Mrs. APO of the 2006 Convention! Note: If you want to sign up in advance, you can do so by sending me an email (listed below).

I hope this got you just a little more excited about our awesome social events! These aren't all of our events; we've got even more! From Fitness Classes every morning, to Bowling At Lucky Strike, and a Wedding Reception Ready For The Crashing, there's something for everyone! Like I said, we've penciled YOU in and can't wait to see you at all of our events! Have a happy holidays, and see you in Louisville!!

In LFS,

Kiley O'Laughlin

Social Events Chair

ko274904@ohio.edu

Nationals Housing Issues and Registration Deadline

2006-12-06T16:25:00.001-05:00

Brothers,

It has been brought to the convention committee's attention that a number of you have been having trouble obtaining a room at the Galt House through the National Convention housing block. We have looked into the issue and it seems to be resolved. If you have held off on registering for a hotel room because of this fact, please register as soon as possible. If you have registered for a hotel room and have not received the convention rate please contact the Convention Chair at convention.chair@apo.org.

As you may or may not already be aware, the last day for online registration for convention is the 20th of December, so don't forget to register for the convention as soon as possible, if you haven't already done so.

If you would like to attend one of the banquets and did not register for it when you initially registered for convention, it is still possible to attend. Please e-mail the national office at convention.admin@apo.org to change your banquet registration. Please provide your name, registration confirmation number and a description of the change you would like to make, along with a day time phone number.

As always, if you have any additional questions please let me know, and remember to check the convention website for regular updates.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Registration and Hotel Room Reminder

2006-11-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

Brothers,

This is just a reminder that the deadline for registering for National Convention at the reduced rate is tomorrow, November 15^th. After tomorrow the price for Active registration rate goes from 65 dollars to 85 dollars, so be sure to register by tomorrow to receive the reduced rate.

Additionally, the hotel will only be holding rooms for the National Convention until November 26^th. After this date, the block of hotel rooms that have been reserved for National Convention will be released to the general public. If you register for a hotel room after this date you will still be able to get the convention rate of 69 dollars per night plus tax, but there is no guarantee that hotel rooms will remain after this date. This information is especially important to consider to those who are planning on staying through New Year’s. So remember to book your hotel room as soon as possible to ensure that you will be able to stay in the Galt House with all of your brothers.

As always if you have any questions regarding anything involving convention please send an e-mail to sgoldman@alumni.purdue.edu.

See you all in a few weeks at convention!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Events at Convention

2006-11-06T12:22:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to fill you on some exciting details about the events at convention. First we are having an APO Carnival on the 27th. This is a place where you can buy carnival type foods and enjoy carnival games. At the APO Carnival, we are giving you an opprtunity to socialize with other brothers, a chance to play games, and time to sign up for different projects going on throughout the convention.

Opening ceremonies will be a great way to kickoff convention. There will be a fireworks display, activation ceremony, and time for role call. So bring all your brothers and check out all the chapter's role calls and the president's state of the fraternity.

The fellowhip banquet will be a time to hang out in the ball field. With this baseball themed banquet, we will be having 9 innings of fun. Come dressed in your best baseball outfit and take a swing at the night's festivities with an all star line-up at the plate.

We have thirteen socials at convention. From a fitness class every morning to karoke and games at night. We have a time to meet your brothers with speed fellowship and a time to relax with brothers and watch movies. We even have a chance to crash a wedding that will be happening on December 29th.

Close your convention experience with a night at the races. Join all your brothers for some derby action on the track. There will be good food, great speakers, and a night of awards in the winners circle.

Ashleigh Lawrence
Events Chair

Note to Alumni

2006-10-26T21:16:00.000-04:00

A Special Note for Alumni:

Brothers,

Hello one and all! My name is Adam Rone, and I am the Alumni Committee Chair for the National Convention Planning Committee. I am excited to tell you more about the many opportunities that you will find in Louisville during the National Convention in December. I am uniquely qualified for this task, since I am a native of the state of Kentucky and a resident of the wonderful city of Louisville. I believe that the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky have many great things to offer you during Convention. I will tell you about some things that you may experience while in Louisville, especially for our alumni who will be attending the convention.

First, let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Morgantown, Kentucky, which is located in Butler County. It is a rural area of less than 11,000 people (Kentucky is mostly a rural state, but Louisville is the exception to this rule). I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and I pledged to the Theta Theta chapter there in the Fall of 1999. After graduating in 2002 from Centre, I continued to work and live in Kentucky. Later, I moved to Louisville and enrolled at the University of Louisville (U of L) in Fall of 2004 to continue my studies. While at U of L, I decided to become an active again at the Delta Theta chapter, until I graduated in May of 2006 and became an alumnus for the second time.

I know from my own experience that it can be easy to let our alumni slip by and be forgotten, and that is why I believe it is important for our fraternity to be concerned with the fate of our alumni and to continue to care for them and encourage them to remain involved. Alumni can be a valuable resource, and we have made alumni a high priority at this convention. Some activities we have for alumni include:

“family-friendly” day trips – read John Burkey’s blog entry for more details
a Family Fun Room at the Galt House
alumni-specific workshops and seminars (and some that would be especially relevant to alumni) – see Ginny Wright’s blog entry for more details
an alumni luncheon and donor reception

Some alumni may be hesitant to come to convention because they have children, but fear not! A great asset of this convention will be the inclusion of a Family Fun Room. This will be located in the Breathitt Room at the Galt House, which is near many important events and activities. Feel free to bring your family, and help us get started early on educating and encouraging the next generation of leaders (and Brothers). There will be story hour, movies, games, and lots of other fun activities for families and kids to enjoy. However, let me caution now that this is NOT a childcare service. Parents are responsible for watching their children AT ALL TIMES. While we will have volunteers there (and we encourage you to come and sign up to help out) to assist and provide fun activities for families, we are there in a support manner only, and do not have the personnel or responsibility for watching all children. On the bright side, the Family Fun Room is entirely free and there will be many fun activities, so feel free to come and enjoy some activities with your child while at Convention.

If you are an alum, we would also like to highly encourage you to attend the Alumni Donor Reception. This is an opportunity when you can meet actives and alumni from around the country. Also, this is your last opportunity to donate money and make those ever-important tax deductions before the end of the fiscal year, so be sure to donate! Your donations ensure that the Fraternity will remain financially healthy for years to come, and you help keep dues low for the actives so that we can continue to grow in the future.

Previously in this blog, John Burkey has spoken about the many exciting things to do while you are in Louisville, and Ginny Wright has spoken about the outstanding seminars and workshops that you can attend while at National Convention. I just want to emphasize again that many of these same activities are excellent choices for alumni. In conclusion, I want to once again encourage you to come and enjoy the many exciting opportunities that you can find here in my city. I look forward to seeing you all this December in Louisville, and you can find me at the alumni registration table, alumni reception, the Family Fun Room, and wherever there are alumni events being held. We want to make sure that you receive a warm welcome, no matter how cold it may be outside. Let us show you the Southern hospitality that our state is known for. See you in December!

In LFS,

Adam Rone
Alumni Committee Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006

Nationals Publicity and Contest Announcement

2006-10-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

I would just like to take this opportunity to remind you of all various ways that you can show your support for, and find out about the upcoming National Convention. As I'm sure all of you are aware the convention website is a great source of information for the brothers in your area, with information on the Galt House, convention registration, and the many events going on during the convention. During the next few weeks much more specific information will be appearing on the website with regard to the daily happenings of convention. As of now many of the social events of convention and the APO LEADS schedule are available on the website, and shortly information the promotional video that all of the chapters throughout the country received will be available on the website as well.

In addition to the website there are many other places where one can find information about the latest updates to the website, weekly blog postings by convention committee members, and much more. These places include the official convention blog available at http://aponationals2006.blogspot.com/, a convention LiveJournal group at, http://community.livejournal.com/apo_nats06/, and a Yahoo Group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apo2006_info/

Besides, these places for information about the convention there are many other exciting places to show your support for National Convention including a convention FaceBook profile, Louie Deville, A MySpace page available at http://www.myspace.com/aponationals2006, with a blog at http://blog.myspace.com/aponationals2006 and an AIM Bot, aponationals2006.

Also, we are still looking for photos for the convention slideshow, any brothers interested in submitting them should send them to sgoldman@alumni.purdue.edu.

Lastly, we would like to make you aware of a contest that we are running. We have divided the nation into several groups, Region 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, and 9, 10, and 11. The section in each of the groups with the highest percentage of actives attending convention will receive a prize at the awards banquet. So keep up the registering and encouraging of all the brothers you know.

Remember the deadline for registering at the standard convention rate is November 15^th, please encourage all the brothers in your area to register for convention by this date, so that they can receive this rate. Please send this message anyone you know who may be interested at all in attending Nationals and see you at convention!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Workshops

2006-10-20T13:28:00.000-04:00

Hi Brothers!

I’m Ginny Wright and I am serving on the National Convention Planning Committee as the Seminars Sub-Committee Chair. I am also a recent graduate from Case Western Reserve University where I was a brother at the Theta Upsilon Chapter. I am currently a graduate student at Kent State University and am involved with the Epsilon Psi Chapter there.

My job for Nationals is to organize, schedule and plan entertaining and educational workshops for you all to go to while at Convention. I may be a bit biased but I think this Convention will have an amazing spread of workshops to interest those who want to learn skills to take back to their respective chapters, those who want to gain personal life skills, and those who simply want to kick back and have fun with their brothers. We have some really unique stuff that hasn’t been seen before at Convention so be prepared for a good time. Now, I’ll give you some highlights of what you can expect from the workshops offered!

I’m really excited about a lot of the workshops we are offering but one of my favorites has to be “I married a Brother, now what?” which is aimed at the spouses of APO brothers so that they can come to know and love the fraternity as much as we all do. I don’t know what it is about that one but I think its mostly the catchy title that I enjoy. We will be offering plenty of other workshops that would be enjoyable for spouses of brothers as well as Alumni including several on ways to get involved with the Fraternity.

Now onto those geared toward the people who want to have good clean fun at workshops! We will again be offering the ever popular Massage workshop. In Denver, this was by far the most popular workshop. We will also be offering a series of different dance workshops so that people with minimal dance skills can pick up some moves before the APO Wedding and Reception where they can then showcase them with all their brothers! We’re definitely having a Swing Dance workshop and will have several other Dance workshops to choose from. Do you like craft projects? Well, then we have one for you too. A brother will be teaching people about different APO craft projects and you can share your unique APO craft ideas with other brothers. Trying to plan for your future? Need help writing a resume or figuring out how to interview for a job or school? We have workshops planned to help you out!

Looking for local flavor while in Louisville but don’t want to leave the Galt House? We’ve got you covered there too. We’re bringing the Derby to you in two forms. First, a workshop covering the interesting history of the Kentucky Derby. Definitely for you if you, like me, don’t know the first thing about horse racing. Also, we’re having a workshop where you can make your very own Derby Hat. You know those big fancy hats you see people wearing when pictured at the Derby? Now you can make your own. And then you can even wear it to the Derby themed Awards Banquet!

We also, of course, have a TON of more APO related workshops. We’re covering a huge range of topics from basically every arena of the Fraternity. Need help fundraising? We’ve got a workshop on that. Want to learn how to plan a service project? Go to Service Chutes and Ladders! Need to learn how to better market your chapter? Check out Marketing APO. I could go on and on and on about the various workshops at Convention but at some point you would stop reading. Just make sure to check out your convention program carefully. There will be tons of workshop gems hidden inside waiting for you to check them out.

If you have any questions about Workshops, feel free to ask me. And I hope to see you December 27^th at Convention. There will be Workshops that afternoon so make sure to look for those!

In LFS,

Ginny Wright
Seminars Sub-Committee Chair
APO National Convention Planning Committee
Louisville 2006!

Saving Money at Convention

2006-10-10T00:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Brothers,

Louisville National Convention is just around the corner so it’s not to early to register! By registering before November 15, 2006, actives can get the $65 convention rate. After November 15, 2006, the rate goes up $20 to $85 for actives. Also do not forget to register for the excellent banquets. After registering for the national convention, make sure that YOU and your friends call and request a room at the magnificent Gault House. The hotel rate is only $69 a night plus tax.

Now, how are most of YOU going to get to Louisville, Kentucky? More than half of Alpha Phi Omega’s chapters are with in a half days drive from Louisville. This means that majority of our attendees will be driving to the Louisville. By driving and carpooling with other members to the national convention, will help YOU save money on travel expenses. If YOU are planning on flying to Louisville, there are a few low fare airlines that fly into Louisville International Airport. Being able to drive or fly on a low fare airline with help YOU save money when traveling to the national convention.

While not doing national convention activities, there are vast amounts of inexpensive entertainment and dinning opportunities in the downtown Louisville area. With Fourth Street Live just a walk down the street from the hotel, YOU and your friends can grab a bite to eat at the food court or one of the many sit down restaurants at Fourth Street Live. If its not eating that fills your craving, then YOU can even do a little bowling or shopping at Fourth Street Live. By having Fourth Street Live so close to the hotel, its saves YOU money on gas and parking.

If Fourth Street Live does not fill your craving, then Downtown Louisville provides other dinning and entertainment opportunities near the hotel. Other dinning opportunities that are in walking distance from the hotel are Old Spaghetti Factory, Joe’s Crab Shack, Champions Sports Bar and Grill, and so much more. Other entertainment opportunities include Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville Science Center, Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, and so much more. By having all of these entertainment and dinning opportunities so close to the hotel help YOU save money and time when you are at the national convention.

Finally, here are few ideas for fun and easy fundraisers that will YOU and your chapter cover the costs of attending the Louisville National Convention. First, if your chapter is blessed in being in a warm state then YOU could do a carwash. Carwashes are always fun and easy to run. If you chapter is not blessed with warm temperature year round then you could look to do something indoors. One of the college student’s favorite things in the world is a good and inexpensive meal. YOU and your chapter could provide a good quality meal like spaghetti or pancake dinner for a small fee. Some of the most successful campus fundraisers are dealing with food and eating. Well I hope some of these fundraiser ideas will give YOU a jump start on raising money for the Louisville National Convention.

Only three months from now we all will be at the greatest national convention ever!!! I hope to see you all in Louisville in December and good luck preparing for this great event. SEE YOU AT THE CONVENTION!!!

Sincerely,

Tyler Arin Lauber

Finance Chair for the 2006 Louisville National Convention

APO LEADS and Events Calendar Update

2006-10-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

The schedule for LEADS at National Convention is now posted on the convention website. I highly encourage each and every one to take the opportunity to attend LEADS events at Nationals. Additionally, there have been a number of updates to the Events calendar. These additions include a Bowling event on December 29th at Lucky Strike Bowl, as well as a schedule for the Family Activities Room. Remember the last day to register for the convention at the current rate is November 15th, so please take the time to register as soon as possible to take advantage of this rate.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Daytrips and Volunteering at Convention

2006-10-02T12:30:00.000-04:00

Hi Brothers

Welcome back to school and I hope this finds you all having an exciting and productive fall. Let me start of by introducing myself; my name is John Burkey and I am a recent graduate from Mount Union College in Alliance, OH and Brother from Xi Upsilon Chapter. I am also serving on the Convention Committee as the Operations Committee Chair. While a Brother attending Sectionals in the spring of 2004 I got involved with the Louisville Bid Committee who wanted to go to Denver in 2004 and win the bid to host and plan the 2006 National Convention. I don’t need to go into more details because everyone knows we won the Bid and that this December Thousands of Brothers will attend what has the potential to be one of the largest and greatest conventions in Fraternity History.

I have to tell you all that personally, and while you may think that I am biased because I am on the Convention Committee, that every time I go to Louisville I find another thing great about the city. I could not imagine a more perfect city to host our National Convention then Louisville. This city has so much to offer and so many local attractions, that if you don’t go to Convention for any other reason then to check out the local attractions and establishments you will not be disappointed. One of my Sub Committees is Day Trips, and they have been working very hard to locate and plan trips to local highlights in and around Louisville. Everyone knows the infamous Kentucky Derby Trumpet Call; it is one of the most recognizable sounds in the world. Louisville is home to the world Famous Kentucky Derby and how can you come to Louisville without seeing Churchill Downs? Take a tour of the Grand Stands, walk on the track and take a tour of the infamous Infield where the largest party in sports takes place every year. Watch on an IMAX Screen a newly released movie on the Derby and get the sensation that you are a Jockey riding a horse in the Kentucky Derby. This IMAX movie truly gives you sensation that you are there and does help bring to life the Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports! For those of you familiar with the Louisville Bid theme, The Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports Meets the Greatest 4 Days of Service!

Ok so you’re still reading this and thinking ok the Kentucky Derby is just another Horse race, so what? Well I would bet that you enjoy going to Baseball games with your friends on a nice sunny afternoon, and cheering on your favorite team. When you come to convention it will be December and the World Series will have a winner, except baseball season never stops in Louisville. If you’re wondering how this is possible, think about that key piece of equipment used in every single baseball game, the wooden bats. Those wooden bats your favorite player used to hit the winning home run in the bottom of the 9^th to clinch the win for your team are made in downtown Louisville. That’s right, so if you’re now thinking to yourself, Louisville Slugger….Louisville Kentucky you have figured out why Baseball season is never over in Louisville. Another Day Trip that is being planned is of The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory that makes the most popular brand of bats in the world. While at the museum check out how bats go from a piece of solid wood to the key piece of equipment in a baseball game. Get your picture taken with the Worlds’ Largest Baseball Bat and then pick out a bat for yourself and get it personalized and engraved as a souvenir of your trip. Just remember to check it into your suitcase or mail it home if you fly to Convention. The TSA will no longer let you take them on the plane as a carry on.

Now that we have covered two of the largest sports in Louisville let’s change pace a bit and tell you about our other two trips that we have planned for your enjoyment. Remember back to 6^th grade history class and we read about Steam Paddleboats and how they traveled up and down the Nations Rivers? Well come join us for a river tour of the City of Louisville on the Spirit of Jefferson. For those of you who didn’t already know Louisville sit on the Ohio River and across the river is Indiana. Louisville was built around and on the banks of the Ohio River, so what better way to see the city skyline then by taking a Paddle Boat River Ride? Ok so maybe you want to learn about more about what else makes Kentucky famous. Well Kentucky is known for its rich history in Bourbon making. Kentucky Bourbon has been ranked some of the best Bourbon in the world. That is why we are planning a trip for everyone to take a tour of one of the oldest Distilleries in the state. It is a short 40 min drive from the city, so sign up now if you’re interested, spots are limited. The tour will take you on a guided walk through the original Distillery that they used over a hundred years ago to make Bourbon, and then take a tour through the one they use today. While many of the techniques are still the same they used hundred years ago, the equipment is newer. The tour then takes you to the museum that shows you the rich history and background of the Kentucky Bourbon industry and how that good old Kentucky Heritage has helped make its Bourbon some of the best in the World.

We would have loved to offer more trips to more places but because of limited amount of time we just couldn’t do that. However, it is greatly unlikely that you would come to National Convention and not participate in any Convention Activities. I can tell you that the socials and nightly activities that are being planned are not your typical convention activities. For those of you who have been to other conventions like Denver and New Orleans, you may have some preconceived ideas of what you may see. I can tell you that what we are working on planning is not your normal stuff, and some of it can never be duplicated at another convention in the future. This will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in activities that are unique to only this Convention.

Now what would a convention be without Service, after all we are a Service based Fraternity. So we have for you Service 24 Hours a day. After all what would you expect for APO’s National Convention? As a Fraternity we set the standard on campuses around the country for service and in many cases lead in doing more service then most other student organizations. So yes you should not expect us to do anything less then for us to offer Service for our Brothers to participate in 24 Hours a Day for 4 Days! Think about the hours you could earn and take back with you to your Chapter. Is there someone in your Chapter that always seems to get the Centennial Award (100 Hour Award) well get a head start on your spring hours by helping us out. Regardless if you are a morning person or a night owl we can use your help. Our two biggest needs for volunteers are to help with Security Patrols and Floor Service Runners. On Security Patrols you and a partner walk the halls of the hotel and help make sure that our fellow Brothers are staying quiet at night out of respect for the other hotel guests that we will be sharing the hotel with. Our second Opportunity comes in the form of service to our fellow Brothers that are working the Reference Committees & Legislation Floor. As you may know they have to spend countless hours on the Legislation Floor and may not get lunch breaks when its lunch time. Many Chapters help take care of their Delegates by bringing them food, drinks, snacks, toys and other items to keep them entertained, but we need volunteers to help deliver the items to the Delegates on the Legislative Floor. Come help us help our brothers by delivering messages, counting votes, posting messages back to Chapters and many other tasks.

I am sure that something I have talked about sounds like it could and would be something enjoyable to do. Remember you don’t have to do any of this by yourself. Bring your friends from your Chapter, take a well deserved break from everyday class and campus environment and join us for what will be the greatest National Convention in Fraternity History. I look forward to meeting you all this December.

In LFS

John Burkey
Operations Committee Chair
2006 APO National Convention Committee

National Office Candidate Vitae Submission

2006-09-10T01:38:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

There has been a Vitae form posted to the legislation section of the National Convention website for candidates seeking national office. If you are interested in running for national office you should complete and e-mail this form to Bob London at Executive.director@apo.org by September 30th for your information to be included in the legislation mailing to chapters.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Fundraising Note

2006-08-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

Brothers:

Hello, my name is David Keely and I am the Convention Coordinator for the upcoming 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention in Louisville, KY. As you know, this will take place at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville December 27th through the 30th, 2006.

The National Fraternity and the Convention Planning Committee are working hard and doing their best to plan the biggest and best convention the fraternity has ever seen! To do that, we need one more thing: YOU!

Now is the time to start planning for convention – even though it’s over 4 months away! The first thing to do is to start thinking about how you will fund convention. Some schools will pay for some or all of your registration. Some chapters will pay for the registration for the voting delegates. But for most of you out there – you’re on your own! So now is the time to start planning those fund-raising projects!

The cost for registration is $65 dollars for students and advisors. The cost for the Fellowship and Awards banquets are $30 and $35 each – of course you’ll want to go to those! The hotel will be approximately $80 per night including taxes for quad occupancy (sorry, no more than four per room!). Throw in some food and that works out to around $250 per person not including transportation to and from Louisville. It might sound like a lot but think about what you get for that money: the ability to help shape the future of the fraternity, an opportunity to meet brothers from all over the country, attend informative and fun workshops lead by the best speakers that the fraternity and the community have to offer and a chance to have a really, really good time!

My suggestion to you is this: start thinking now about raising some money to help offset some of the costs for your chapter’s delegates. Whether this is something that the whole chapter could work on, the exec board or a committee made for this purpose – get started NOW!

Let’s get the discussion rolling about what to do – why don’t we start a discussion thread where you post your fundraising ideas and questions here? Anyone have any great ideas?

I can’t wait to see you in Louisville!

In the true spirit of brotherhood,

Dave

Website Update

2006-08-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

There has been an update to the Convention Website. In this update several events have been added to the events calendar. This includes many social events, as well as themes for the banquets and opening ceremonies. Here is a full list of the added events and details for them;

December 27^th:

8 AM – 9 AM – Fitness Class: Taught by brothers

10 AM – 12 PM – Scavenger Hunt: Bring your own camera and brothers.

12 PM – 2 PM – Scavenger Hunt

2 PM – 4 PM – Scavenger Hunt

7 PM – 11 PM – Opening Ceremonies: Theme – Unbridled Service. There will be Fireworks!

December 28^th:

8 AM – 9 AM – Fitness Class

10 AM – 12 PM – Speed Fellowship: Meet as many brothers as you can, speed dating revised for you and your brothers.

6 PM – 9 PM – Fellowship Banquet: Theme – Batter Up, Dress – baseball

9 PM – 1 AM – Game and Movie Night: Hang out with your brothers while enjoying board games, cards, twister, or step across the hall for a movie.

December 29^th:

8 AM – 9 AM – Fitness Class

10 AM – 12:30 PM – Color Wars: Team up with brothers from across the nation to compete on races and other activities.

8:30 PM – 12:30 AM – APO Wedding and Reception: Help our APO couple celebrate their marriage or come crash the party at 9.

December 30^th:

8 AM – 9 AM – Fitness Class

10 AM – 1 PM – T-Shirt Signing Party: Bring your own T-Shirt.

5 PM – 7 PM - Mr. and Mrs. APO: Dress up like the opposite sex and compete in a pageant.

7 PM – 11 PM – Awards Banquet: Theme – Derby

11 PM – 1 AM – Skits and Karaoke: A night of embarrassing fun.

As always if you have any questions about theses events, or anything related to convention please let me know.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Parking Update

2006-08-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

There has been a price change for the parking structures next to the Galt House. The lots are now $9 per day instead of $6 per day. You must also have your ticket validated by the Galt House to receive this reduced rate and keep your parking ticket or pass the parking attendant gives you(if you need to get in and out). If you lose this pass the rate is $12 per day. This validated parking is automatically billed to the credit card to which you had incidental hotel expenses billed. I hope that this clarifies the procedure by which parking will operate during convention. Please let me know if you have any additional questions about parking or anything else.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

July Meeting in Louisville

2006-08-01T18:19:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the National Convention Planning Committee had their July meeting in Louisville. At the same time the fraternity's National Volunteer Conference was going on in the same location(the Galt House). On Friday that NCPC had the oppurtunity to visit many of Louisville's most famous attractions including the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Louisville Science Center, and the Galt House. Many of you will get to see these attractions(certainly the Galt House) when you come to Louisville for National Convention, but right now here's a few pictures of the National Convention Planning Committee at these locations and a couple of others.

Here's some members of the committee in the conservatory that connects the East Tower of the Galt House to the West Tower.

This picture is of several members of the committee inside the Louisville Slugger Museum.

This is a picture of the committee outside of the Louisville Science Museum.

Here some committee members are eating at a local pizza place near Bardstown Road.

This is a photograph of the committee in their convention polos at the University of Louisville during the meeting on Saturday.

Finally, this is the committee at the Louisville Bats baseball game on Saturday night.

The committee has been hard at work these past few months, and at this meeting many convention plans were completed. Stay tuned for some very important updates in the next couple of weeks.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Workshop Suggestion Form

2006-06-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

There is now a form available on the National Convention website where you can submit suggestions for seminars. Please click here to access the form or visit http://convention.apo.org and click on Workshops.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Toledo Meeting

2006-06-13T01:28:00.000-04:00

On the weekend of June 3rd the National Convention Planning Committee met in Toledo, Ohio to work on the National Convention. We were lucky enough to have National President Fred Heismeyer and National Vice-President Maggie Katz join us for our meeting, and lead several team building sessions. Things are shaping up very fast for the National Convention and much more information will be released in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back often to the National Convention website, and blogs. One of the things discussed at the planning meeting was the publicity video that will be released highlighting all the great things there are to do in Louisville, be sure to look for that in the next few months. As with the Indianapolis planning meeting, many photos were taken. Here is just a few.

This is a photo of the University of Toledo campus. On one of their lawns they have wire horses that fit in well with the Convention theme of, 'Unbridled Service'

In this photo several National Convention Planning Committee members are having a discussion during one of the office hours sessions during the meeting.

Finally, as a thank you for attending the June National Convention Planning Committee meeting Fred and Maggie were presented with gifts of appreciation for being guests at our June meeting by the Convention Chair, Brittany Recktenwald, and Convention Coordinator, David Keely.

As always thank you all for your continued interest in the 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Legislation

2006-05-02T14:04:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

Templates for submitting legislation for the 2006 National Convention are now available. These templates will help you format any legislation that you wish to propose for the Convention. Proposals are due by the 30th of September to the National Executive Director, Bob London, either via the US Postal Service to the National Office or by e-mail to executive.director@apo.org. Complete background information on the legislation proposal process as well as the templates themselves are available at http://convention.apo.org, under the legislation tab(If you are unable to view this tab, please try clearing your browsers cache, as you may be viewing an older version of the website). So head over to the National Convention website and submit any legislation that you may have for the 2006 National Convention.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Seminars and Presenters

2006-04-23T01:25:00.000-04:00

Dear Brothers,

The primary goal of the Seminars Sub-Committee of the Louisville 2006 National Convention Planning Committee is to have stellar presenters delivering workshops of great content! The purpose of this letter is to solicit some of your experiences and suggestions for workshops so that we can plan our part of what looks to be the greatest National Convention that the Fraternity has ever seen.

The types of workshops we want to have are the standard Alpha Phi Omega workshops as well as some new and interesting takes on workshops that are typically seen at a Convention. We are planning to have workshops that allow Actives and Staff the opportunity to develop some personal career goals and life skills as well as have special opportunities for Alumni and Advisor seminars. In addition, many Brothers attend the National Convention with their spouses, significant others, and family members who are non-brothers, we don't want them to feel left out and are planning workshops geared specifically for them.

Specifically, we need suggestions from you! Ask yourself these questions:
What seminars would you attend at the national convention?
What presenters do you want to hear speak?
What workshops would benefit you or your chapter?

Some of the workshops topics we would like to see and are currently looking for presenters for are:
Motivating Chapters, Marketing APO, Officer Transition, Hosting Conferences, Recruiting Advisors, Growing Pains, Resume Writing, Interview Techniques, Service after Graduation, Building an Alumni Association, Tax Help- Writing off APO expense, an APO Trivia Game, How to Maintain a Balanced Service Program, Successful Chapter Communication, Effective Ritual Techniques, "I married an APO Brother, Now What?" and Many More!!!

We have made it easy for you to send us your suggestions, simply email us at seminars@apo.org. There will also be a form to submit seminars proposals on the workshops portion of the National Convention website shortly. Feel free to check that out and submit ideas and suggestions using it as well. Remember we are looking for information about presenters and workshops from both inside and outside of Alpha Phi Omega. Thank you for your time and effort in responding to this request. We look forward to your suggestions as well as to seeing you in Louisville!

Sincerely,

Ginny Wright - Student Chair
Seminars/Workshops Sub-Committee

Regina Forbes - Advisor
Seminars / Workshops Sub-Committee

Registration Now Open!

2006-04-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

We are pleased to announce that registration for the 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention is Louisville, Kentucky is now available. Registration can be accessed by visiting the National Convention website at http://convention.apo.org. The standard convention rate for registration is available until November 15^th, 2006. After this date, the late registration rate will apply. If you have any questions about the registration form, or wish to change information about your registration, please e-mail convention@apo.org or call the National Office at 816-373-8667 ext. 20. General questions should still be directed to the Administrative Chair at sgoldman@alumni.purdue.edu or to the Convention Chair at convention.chair@apo.org. So, head on over to the National Convention website and register today, and we’ll see you in Louisville!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

National Convention Website Update - Parking and Workshops

2006-04-06T18:07:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

The National Convention website has been updated with general information about the workshops you can expect to see at Nationals, as well as information about parking around the hotel. Parking is available next to the Galt House for $6/day. This adjacent garage has 700 spaces. Right next to this garage, in case it is full, is the Waterfront Plaza Garage, which has the same rate of $6/day, and contains 410 additional spaces.

Also, don't forget registration for the convention opens in nine days. I hope that you all are getting excited for National Convention 2006!

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Even More Publicity - MySpace

2006-04-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

It has been suggested, and I have agreed, that the 2006 National Convention online publicity is missing one thing, a MySpace. To further avail ourselves of all of the technological forms of publicity for Nationals I have created a MySpace for Nationals 2006. To access our MySpace and add yourself as a friend please visit, The 2006 National Convention MySpace. Thank you for your continued interest in National Convention 2006.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Blast From the Past

2006-03-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

Although not directly related to this National Convention, I found something interesting while browsing the internet today. It seems that the website for the 1996 National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona is still active. It has a lot of interesting information, and provides a glimpse into how a convention in the past was organized. There's notes from meetings(what this blog is attempting to accomplish), proposed legislation, and even a convention committee roster.

This website is surely a great resource to anyone who is interested in the history of our fraternity, as well as those looking for ideas for seminars and events for their own conventions, be they sectional, regional, or national.

So check it out, it's well worth the few minutes.

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Facebook and LiveJournal

2006-03-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Just a couple updates from the National Convention Planning Committee.

We now have a facebook profile for our mascot Louie. Please click here and add Louie as a friend of yours.

Additionally we now have a LiveJournal community specifically for National Convention 2006, apo_nats06.

This FaceBook profile and LiveJournal community are both ways that will help to show your support for National Convention 2006. With your help we can make Louisville 2006 the greatest gathering of brothers this fraternity has ever seen.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006
Unbridled Service in Louisville

Indianapolis Meeting

2006-03-20T12:23:00.000-05:00

This past weekend the NCPC held a meeting in downtown Indianapolis. The committee met and discussed many things, including the budget for the convention, logistics of room assignment, and a review of the convention's public relations. In addition to this, brainstorming sessions were held for both convention programming, and social events.

Many photos were taken of the meeting, here are just a few.

In this photo Thom Bomba, Programming Chair, leads a discussion about seminars at National Convention.

We didn't just brainstorm and have discussions at this meeting, we also braved the Indiana cold to do an amazing team building exercise.

When the day was over we all gathered and went to the Spaghetti factory for some good food and fellowship.

I hope you enjoyed reading this entry, it is the first in a series of inside glimpses into the planning process of National Convention.

In closing I would like to extend a special thanks to the IUPUI chapter, as well as David Sides for coordinating the logistics of the Indy meeting. We couldn't have been so productive without their support.

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006

Welcome

2006-03-17T22:07:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the 2006 Alpha Phi Omega National Convention blog. On this blog you will be able to see the continuing progress of the 2006 National Convention Planning Commitee as we plan the greatest national convention Alpha Phi Omega has ever seen. This blog will also be the first place you can see updates to the website and AIM Bot, and upcoming events related to the Louisville national convention. So check back often and feel free to comment on anything that is posted here.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service

Shawn Goldman
Administrative Chair
Alpha Phi Omega
National Convention 2006