ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — Elizabethtown College welcomes a new chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
to its campus.

Inspired by Frank Reed Horton after serving in World War I, Alpha Phi Omega was founded as a
service fraternity organization in 1925 by a group of men who believed in coming together with
other men from varying backgrounds to better the world. Today the organization is the single
most represented gender inclusive service organization in the United States with more than 375
colleges and 525,000 students, providing service and creating change around the country,
according to Alpha Phi Omega’s website.

All over the country, Alpha Phi Omega is broken up into different sections and has leaders to
oversee the chapters in their regions. As region O chair, which covers Central and Western
Pennsylvania and parts of West Virginia, it is Jess Lane’s job to help create new chapters of
Alpha Phi Omega in this region. 

When Elizabethtown College student Griffen Maclaren reached out to her in the springtime expressing his interest in starting a new chapter at Elizabethtown, she helped to make this happen. Lane is the aquatics director and head coach for the men’s and women’s swimming programs at Etown.

“I want to bring a chapter of A-Phi-O to campus because I believe in the principals of the
organization, ‘leadership, friendship, and service,’ Maclaren said. “I think it would be a good
addition to the campus community and help bolster service efforts here on campus and represent our motto, ‘educate for service’ even more.”

Maclaren said he is currently working with national and local staff to complete the requirements
to become an official chapter of Alpha Phi Omega.

Elizabethtown College strives to teach its students that learning is most noble when used to
benefit others. Students are prepared to lead lives of purpose and meaning while advancing their independent thought, personal integrity, and social responsibility, according to Elizabethtown College’s website.

The organization expanding to Elizabethtown will help provide service on campus, in the local
area, and beyond that, Maclaren said. “During my time in A-Phi-O in college, I got to raise money for a lot of groups, had plenty of networking opportunities, and got to know a lot of faculty and staff from college and people from around the country that I still connect with today,” Lane said. “A-Phi-O expanding to Elizabethtown provides its students another opportunity to live the college motto and have a lifelong connection to a national organization.”

Each year, the fraternity sponsors two annual national service events, and each campus is
expected to organize its own campus and community events throughout the year. Maclaren has plans for the organization to take part in service activities like Color a Smile,
Elizabethtown’s Day of Service and Into the Streets.
Alpha Phi Omega will provide a lasting impact on Elizabethtown’s campus and community,
according to Maclaren. “I hope that people get to see the change in the world that they are providing by doing service but also connect to the campus and the community around it,” Maclaren said