Our First Cardinal Principle
Alpha Phi Omega teaches us through our principles of Leadership, Friendship, and Service that we are the architects of our own ambition and that each of us has the opportunity to develop ourselves to be whatever we seek to be. In the area of leadership, from within our own Fraternity, people are transformed from following to leading, sometimes without really being aware of this transformation. It can happen gradually, or it might happen overnight – today a follower, tomorrow a leader.
Realistically, leadership is a matter of development. Alpha Phi Omega develops leaders, and we are very proud of that. As we grow, we seek qualities of leadership, and throughout our lives, we pursue the development of those qualities and the development of other ‘well-rounding’ qualities. Through our leadership development program in Alpha Phi Omega, we are able to develop ourselves. And, as we aspire to greater things in life, we become aware of limiting factors – which we can’t control, the external forces that shape our destiny until we control and develop what we have inside of us. We discover our own talents and strive to better our skills. We study, we learn, we practice.
Once we do these things for ourselves, we learn to externalize our qualities. We are developing our leadership abilities. We become aware that Alpha Phi Omega is showing us the importance of leadership. Alpha Phi Omega provides an atmosphere where Brothers can develop and learn. Together we make and provide tremendous opportunities for our Brothers to make meaningful contributions to the lives of those with whom we come in contact.