Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, is holding National Service Week this week with a Merit Badge University Training session this weekend for area Boy and Girl Scouts.

The weekend is meant to help the boys and girls earn their merit badges, said Brian Figueroa, Alpha Phi Omega president. They are expecting 55 Boy and Girl Scouts at the event in the Memorial Union, he said.

Alpha Phi Omega is a group of about 40 close-knit students who work toward bettering the community and improving themselves, said Figueroa, junior in computer engineering.

To join, students contact a member and go through a pledging process, which typically happens at the beginning of fall or spring semester, said Jon Sevald, member of Alpha Phi Omega. These six weeks serve as an Alpha Phi Omega introduction and leadership development.

“After six weeks of pledging, we evaluate the performance of the pledge and then invite them to become an active member,” said Sevald, senior in community and regional planning.

This service-oriented fraternity was started in 1925 based on the ideals of the Boy Scouts. While it began as a male-only organization, women were allowed to join after WWI, Sevald said.

Alpha Phi Omega is a very large organization with national and international chapters, Figueroa said. Within the United States, there are nine regions that are further divided into sections. With at least 15 chapters, Iowa is a section in and of itself, he said.

The ISU chapter also owns part of the highway and participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program. Members visit nursing and convalescent homes in the area, Figueroa said.

“The most important part of APO is you can see the effects firsthand,” Sevald said.

APO has four different areas of service – community, state, campus and fraternal, he said. Therefore, the organization benefits many areas of the community.

There are plenty of leadership opportunities with the Alpha Phi Omega government and executive board, Sevald said.

“Everywhere you go you’ll find [an Alpha Phi Omega] brother and someone you can lean on,” Figueroa said.

If interested in joining the Alpha Phi Omega next semester contact Figueroa at [email protected].