The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center Global Gift-Giving Program

Hi, Brods and Sis

How do we participate in Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center global gift-giving program?

Since we launched APO’s The Dr. Ureta Center on March 18, 2008, we have received pledges and paid donations halfway toward our PhP10 Million goal. Just today, Brod Arnold Mapoy pledged US$1,000 toward the cause. The message thread below contains other pledges made through our electronic mailing list services.

We accept donations in kind. For example, Our APO-PCSO lawyers from Arevalo, de Leon, Gonong, Gonzales, Marinas, Paredes, and Paredes law offices pledged a 1,000-square-meter lot in Antipolo City. The piece of land is valued at One Million Pesos. Brod Dr. Paul Villafuerte also pledged two (2) hectares of land out of his 14 hectares in the town of Mercedes near Daet, Camarines Norte.

Monetary donation will be the life blood of The Center. We wish to make it flow to make our APO building a reality by March 2, 2010, and to have it flowing to sustain the programs of APO-Philippines to make Alpha Phi Omega a viable option in college for graduating high school students and to train college men and women to be leaders, friends, and service people, so the Philippines may become a nation of fully participating citizens responsible for a greater country and a better world.

In a tiered program of global gift-giving, we can accomplish our goal of Ten Million Pesos by as few as 40 participants to no more than 10,000 brods and sis, who are only about 20 percent of our Filipino APO membership. Please see the chart below. Please note the Philippine Peso is the constant currency for our barometer.

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Highlighted in red is the PhP50,000 (US$1,250) level to illustrate two hundred donors can put us over the top.

We are putting out a full list of pledges and paid donations before the APO-ACNA convention in late August-early September. It is the same deadline we have to unveil the transparent online donation and reporting process at www.ureta.org.

For now, please note a partial list of PhP50K or above donations:

PAID DONATIONS:

PhP 50,840 — Nancy Ruth C. Ureta, director, The Dr. Ureta Foundation
50,000 — Brod Ben Castro, APO-Rho, director, The Dr. Ureta Foundation
50,000 — Sis Susan de Ono-Laset, APO-Alpha Sigma
50,000 — Grace A. Midem (through The Dr. Ureta Foundation)
50,000 — Brod Dony Rondilla, APO-Delta (through The Dr. Ureta Foundation)

PLEDGES TO BE MADE GOOD ON OR BEFORE MARCH 2, 2010:

PhP1,000,000 — Land donation of Arevalo, de Leon, Gonong, Gonzales, Marinas, Paredes, and Paredes Law Offices
250,000 — Anonymous APO Sis (texted)
250,000 — APO-Australia (verbal pledge)
250,000 — Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr, APO-Eta, president, The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation
100,000 — APO-Midwest (Chicago) in care of Sis Nora Cortez-Quibal (please read her message below)
50,000 — Brod Mel V. Adriano, APO-Eta, national president, APO-Philippines
50,000 — Brod Ed del Rosario, APO-Gamma Epsilon
50,000 — Brod Elmer DeLoyola, APO-Gamma Chi
50,000 — Brod Bong Estrada, APO-Upsilon, treasurer, The Dr. Ureta Foundation
50,000 — Brod Butch Garcia, APO-Alpha Beta
50,000 — Brod Rico Javier, APO-Alpha Eta
50,000 — Brod Richard Lacson, APO-Iota, secretary, The Dr. Ureta Foundation
50,000 — Brod Art Libot, APO-Delta
50,000 — Brod Mike Lim, APO-Zeta Iota
50,000 — Sis Luvie Lumang, APO-Theta
50,000 — Brod Tony Mago, APO-Alpha Eta
50,000 — Brod Emmet Penson, APO-Eta
50,000 — Brod Atty. Rudy Salazar, APO-Iota
50,000 — Brod Jimmy Tiu, APO-Alpha Gamma
50,000 — Sis Dr. Belle Tumbokon, APO-Psi, director, The Dr. Ureta Foundation
50,000 — Brod Dr. Paul Villafuerte (plus two [2] hectares of land in Bicol)

The above partial list — close to P3 Million in pledges and paid donations — includes collective effort. For example, APO-Central Valley of California-AA accounts for almost PhP1 Million donation (Brods Ben Castro, Elmer DeLoyola, Bong Estrada, Butch Garcia, Mel S Gonzales Jr, Rico Javier, Art Libot, Tony Mago, and Dr. Paul Villafuerte, Sis Susan de Ono-Laset and Dr. Belle Tumbokon, and my wife, Grace A. Midem). Sis Nora Cortez-Quibal initiated a drive and received PhP100,000 worth of pledges from brods and sis of APO-AA-Midwest (Chicago).

Not included is another example of individual contribution meeting a collective goal. In May this year, I visited with brods and sis in Detroit MI and Windsor ON, and the fledgling APO-AA-Michigan-Windsor achieved PhP50,000 in pledges and paid donations during Brod President Cesar Frias’s birthday party. As regards APOMilano, we do not have the individual names of donors for the initial PhP15,000 from our brods and sis on the Italian peninsula.

Please note the minimum monetary donation is PhP1,000 or US$25. At this amount, it will take 10,000 of us to make our PhP10 Million goal.

It will take no more than 20 percent of our members to meet our initial goal. Our ultimate goal, however, is to make an institution that secures every cent of our donations. The Center plans to make gift-giving globally available to everyone by using the Internet.

As part of our road campaign, we visit with you to make an appeal on behalf of The Center. We also accept check donations in U.S. funds payable to ALPHA PHI OMEGA INC. THE DR. LIBRADO I. URETA CENTER (no hyphens, no slashes, please) and mailed to:

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center
3915 Holdrege Way
Stockton CA 95206-6428

In the Philippines, until our bank is fully set up (we are working to secure online access and report), please send checks donations in Philippine funds payable to ALPHA PHI OMEGA INC. THE DR. LIBRADO I. URETA CENTER (no hyphen, no slashes, please) and mailed to:

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center
17 Calumpit Street, Project 7
Quezon City, Metropolitan Manila

Sis Maybelle Raquel, The Center’s local coordinator, will make the deposits on our behalf.

Thanks for your interest in APO’s The Dr. Ureta Center global gift-giving program. Please be one of the 10K to achieve PhP10M by 2010. Thanks again and again for all you do.

True to Alpha Phi Omega, may we always be,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-RP Eta Zodiac 1973D 04971 Life Member
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984 792 182567

Tags: apo building donation, bado donation, how to donate
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Hi, Brods Arnold, Brods and Sis, and Everyone

In August 2007, for the fourth time in my 25-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, I lost my position. I did not get my current position until January 2008. Because of the demands of the new position (supervisor of Distribution Operations/facility safety coordinator/program evaluation guide [PEG] coordinator/In-Plant Support operations support specialist), I made my job a priority until last month when our Stockton Plant was PEG-audited. Now, I am back in full Alpha Phi Omega business. I will try my best to answer in the most timely manner every inquiry and comment about Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center global gift-giving program.

Thanks, Arnold, for your most enthusiastic message. I will respond to inquiries I was able to save or remember in the immediately following post. Included will be e-mails from Brod Arnold Mapoy from the East Coast; Sis Analiza Marfori in Milan, Italy; Sis Dr. Belle Tumbokon in Toronto, Canada; Sis Nora Cortez-Quibal in the Midwest; Brod Ben Castro from the West Coast; Brod Miles Ordillas in the Philippines; and Sis Susan de Ono Laset in Nagoya, Japan. (Everyone, if you sent me a related message, please jog my memory by forwarding the message to me.)

Our APO’s The Dr. Ureta Center timeline is brief by design. The seed of the idea was conceived during an APO-Central Valley of California-AA meeting in November 2006. The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation greenlighted the idea in January 2007. The Tagaytay City convention of May 2007 created a task force to pursue the idea. On March 12, 2008, Brod Librado “Bado” I. Ureta’s 103rd birthday, APO-Philippines (including its international foundation launched in the 1990s) and The Dr. Ureta Foundation (also a 1990s creation) partnered to launch the program. Our APO’s The Dr. Ureta Center’s initial goal is to raise PhP10 Million to fund the expansion of the national headquarters of APO-Philippines. And we wish to complete this building project by March 2, 2010, the 60th anniversary of APO in the Philippines.

Plans are under way to make The Center a nonprofit corporation in the Philippines. As such, The Center will have its own board of trustees. Our model is APO-USA’s Alpha Phi Omega Endowment Fund. Its trustees of seven (7) are composed of three (3) nominees by the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and four (4) selected from the APO pool of trustworthy members. The trustees elect a chair; this has been occupied by a past national president of APO-USA. The current chair is Brother Wilfred Krenek, a PNP, vice-chair of ICAPO (International Council of APO; Brod Chato Marinas is chair), a recent visitor (May 2007) of the Philippines, and the Fall 2008 pledge class namesake honoree.

The incumbent national president is an endowment nonvoting advisor, and the incumbent national executive director is the nonvoting secretary of the board of trustees.

Brod Mel V. Adriano, APO-Philippines national president and I, as president of The Dr. Ureta Foundation, are working on a similarly set up foundation.

Assemble college men and women in a fraternal organization to develop Leadership, promote Friendship, and provide Service to humanity is the main purpose of APO. Therefore, for APO-USA and its funding entity, the Alpha Phi Omega Endowment Fund, APO-Philippines and The Center foundation in the works, members are our main customers.

If we look at time in a linear manner, from left to right, prospective members are APO’s past, brods and sis on campus are present, and alumni brothers and alumnae sisters are future. As a fellow alum, I look at our work through The Center as an investment to secure our future.

What if APO, when we were just joining, assisted graduating high schools to have a good start in life? Bado was an example of this, because, as an orphan, he had to put himself through college by applying for scholarships. How can APO provide assistance on a national scale?

What if APO made Leadership, Friendship, and Service programs available to the youth in college? Bado was a scouter, and, through the Scouting program, was able to interface with Brother Sol Levy and the other scouters from Far Eastern University (Alpha chapter) and National University (Beta). How can APO be best equipped to train college men and women?

What if APO had all the technological tools available in the not too distant past? They are available now: How can APO use them to full advantage?

Your guess is right. Money. It takes money to make things happen. Money and lots of it. We each do not have a lot of money, but we each have some money.

What if we pooled our hard-earned money to fund the programs of APO-Philippines in schools, colleges, and universities? We fund to have a heads-up presence in high schools, subsidize active (current or resident) brods and sis to make APO membership affordable in these hard economic times, and, to document our work through the years — past, present, and future, we house our legacy in The Center museum.

The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center aims to provide more office space for the APO-Philippines national staff; allocate training and meeting rooms; open a store for official APO merchandise items as well as for members’ products on a consignment basis; encourage scholarly research by students in the library of books and other printed matters, CDs, DVDs, and other archival media; rent out information technology systems and serve food in the Internet cafe; and collect and display memorabilia in a museum.

All these at PhP10 Million? That is an initial goal to prove to ourselves we can do it. An APO building is, by design, a tangible proof. Our ultimate goal is to keep raising funds to ensure APO-Philippines can do its job for and on behalf of its past, present, and future members. And part of the goal is to secure our investment in us — APO’s future, present, and past.

The Center, therefore, is to become that secure place for our hard-earned investment money. Through a physical brick-and-mortar facility, through a global gift-giving program that is transparent in the capable hands of our most trustworthy fellow APO stakeholders, we secure a place for APO members to be responsible participating citizens in the business of running a greater nation and making a better world.

How to participate in Alpha Phi Omega’s global gift-giving program very shortly.

True to Alpha Phi Omega, may we always be,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-RP Eta Zodiac 1973D 04971 Life Member
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984 792 182567

Tags: APO Building, bado building, ureta center
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Hi, Brods and Sis and Fellow Global Gift-Givers

Slow but sure, Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center global gift-giving program is under way. Since the launch on March 18, 2008, we needed to work on bank and web site setup behind the scene. It has been a slow process, but we want to make sure once the APO’s The Dr. Ureta Center message is out, it is a full message.

For now, a few updates:

• As of today, we have remitted approx. PhP555,000 to the peso and dollar accounts of APO Phils. Inc. The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center. This amount includes The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation’s 100 BUCS (Bado Ureta Centennial Scholarship) funds and paid donations to the current PhP10 Million-Peso campaign to build new headquarters for APO-Philippines in Metropolitan Manila.
• Not included are The Dr. Ureta Foundation balance in our checking account here in the U.S. (approx. U$5,000) and pending checks, most of which may need to be replaced, because they were made payable to unofficial names. Please note our official name for banking purposes is: APO PHILS. INC. THE DR. LIBRADO I. URETA CENTER. Please do not insert any slashes (/) or hyphens (-), as those punctuation marks make it a two (2)-payee name.
• We hope to bank online very soon. Our bank of choice — Bank of the Philippine Islands or BPI — required us to maintain a Half-a-Million balance in our peso account to enjoy Internet access.
• And soon online donation will be available on ureta.org.
• Once all this bank and web site work is done, please expect regular updates on our global gift-giving program by mailing list service posts and at ureta.org.
• Our paid and pledged donations — both cash and kind — now is around PhP4 Million. Thanks to donors at the following events:

> March 18, 2008, launch in Makati City
> March 22 — service project in Mercedes, Camarines Norte
> March 29-30 — APO-ACNA spring conference in Oceanside, California
> April 6 — Brod Rico Javier’s birthday party in South San Francisco, California
> April 19 — APO-Central Valley of California-AA’s meeting in Stockton, California
> April 26 — christening of Brod Mike de Vera’s son in Artesia, California

Upcoming global gift-giving campaign dates include:

• Sat-Sun, May 17-18, 2008, Windsor-Michigan-APO-AA event at Brod Cesar Frias’ home in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
• Sat-Mon, May 24-26 — APO-AA-Greater Los Angeles camping in southern California
• Sat, May 31 — APO-CVC’s meeting in Ripon, California
• Sat, June 28 — APO-CVC meeting/Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr’s 54th birthday/Dr. Ureta Center auction in Stockton, California
• Fri-Sun, July 4-6 — APO-AA-San Francisco and the Silicon Valley’s camping in Livermore, California
• Fri-Mon, August 29-September 1 — APO-ACNA convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Fri-Wed, December 26-31, 2008, APO-USA convention in Boston, Massachusetts

Please watch for the next Dr. Ureta Center post on the growing roster of global gift-givers of APO. Thanks to all for your generous donations and for being one with us in making Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center a reality by March 2, 2010.

True to Alpha Phi Omega, may we always be,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-RP Eta Zodiac 1973D 04971 Life Member
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984 792 182567 (Irwin H. Gerst Pledge Class)
& 1985 10181 Life Member

Tags: Alpha Phi Omega Donate, APO, APO Building, APO Fraternity House, APO Sorority House, Librado Ureta, Ureta
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Hi, Brods and Sis and Everyone

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center global gift-giving program launch raised in donations and pledges close to PhP2 Million last night, Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at the New Federal Seafood Restaurant in Makati City. Together with The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation funds raised through the years and pledges already made, The capital campaign to raise PhP10 is one-third into the target.

Thanks to the approx. 100 capacity-crowd APO brods and sis and friends who came out to participate in the launch. Sis Maybelle M. Raquel, The Dr. Ureta Center task force coordinator, will post the names of participants. For now, thanks to the following who made the launch a most successful event:

1. Nancy Ruth C. Ureta, The Dr Librado I. Ureta Foundation director
2. Brod Mel V. Adriano, APO-Philippines national president
3. Brod Egay Llarena, APO-Philippines board chairman
4. Brod Dr. Frank Brosas Jr., APO-Philippines past national president
5. Brod Jimmy de Castro, APO-RP immediate PNP
6. Sis Atty. Gigi Sacay Clave, APO-RP immediate past board chair
7. Brod Tony Dimaano, APO-RP PNP
8. Brod Atty. Chato Marinas, APO-RP PNP
9. Brod Ernie Alcanzare, APO-RP immediate past national executive director
10. Brod Tito Garcia, APO-RP NED
11. Sis Marlyn Pimentel Neri, APO-RP past national officer
12. Brod Atty. Rudy Salazar, APO-RP past national officer
13. Brod Jojo Binay, Makati City mayor
14. Brod Bebot Bello, former Philippine government cabinet secretary
15. Brod Art Libot, APO-ACNA first vice president

Thanks to Maybelle for an outstanding job of coordinating the event. Thanks to Brod Emmet Penson for serving as master of ceremonies.

Thanks and thanks again to all for your support.

True to Alpha Phi Omega, may we always be,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-RP Eta Zodiac 1973D 04971 Life Member
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984 792 182567 (Irwin H. Gerst Pledge Class) & 1985 10181 Life Member

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Hi, Brods and Sis and Everyone

Greetings from The Philippinnes.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, March 18, 2008, from 7:00 p.m., at the 103rd birthday of Brod Bado and the launching of Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center at The New Federal Seafood Restaurant in Makati City.

The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center is dedicated in the name and memory of Brother Dr. Librado “Bado” I. Ureta (1905-1991).

On March 2, 1950, Brod Bado organized APO-Philippines, which has become the premier fraternal organization in the country. Sixty years later, on March 2, 2010, The Alpha Phi Omega Philippines, Incorporated, International Service Fraternity and Sorority, moves from its national administrative office in Cubao, Quezon City, to an APO building to be called The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center.

Through its global gift-giving program, The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center is the capital campaign funding agency of APO-Philippines. The goal is to create an institution to receive and secure donations to Alpha Phi Omega to fund its Leadership, Friendship, and Service program benefiting Filipino college men and women – the future of the land.

The initial target is to raise Ten Million Pesos to acquire additional space and enable APO-Philippines to better serve the Filipino youth through its several hundred collegiate chapters across the archipelago and several hundred alumni associations around the world.

By March 2, 2009, when the global gift-giving program is more than halfway its Ten Million Peso target, APO-Philippines unveils the architectural design of the building.

By March 2, 2010, when the global gift-giving program is past its Ten Million Peso target and on its way to raising more funds for our Filipino youth future, APO-Philippines inaugurates its expanded headquarters.

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center will feature:

• Executive offices for APO-Philippines, The International Council of Alpha Phi Omega or ICAPO, and The Center
• A multi-purpose hall of breakout rooms to hold large events and small meetings
• An Internet Café and media room for students and researchers
• A store for APO merchandise line and products of APO members
• A museum for APO memorabilia

The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center is a sixty-year dream that you help to become a reality. The dream starts as a brick-and-mortar facility. The reality is an APO institution with the mission to secure our donations and to ensure our future.

Thanks to APO-Philippines (Brod Mel V. Adriano, National President), The APO-Philippines International Foundation (Sis Atty. Gigi Sacay Clave, Treasurer), The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation (Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr, President), the children of Brod Bado represented by Nancy Ruth C. Ureta, the members of The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Task Force (Sis Maybelle M. Raquel, Coordinator), and, most especially, thanks to you, donors, for your generous support.

You may donate through APO-Philippines and The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation, by mail, or online.

Invest in the global gift-giving program. You invest in the Filipino college men and women to develop Leadership, to promote Friendship, and to provide Service to schools and APO members, the community and the nation. It is an investment toward a well-funded Leadership, Friendship, and Service program for humanity.

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center secures our donations and ensures our future. Invest in The Dr. Librado I. Ureta global gift-giving program.

Alpha Phi Omega’s The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center. Fund our future now.

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Hi, Brods and Sis and Everyone

It was 1978. Brod Dr. Mike Maquiso was APO-Philippines national president. We held a dinner-dance at the Silahis hotel on Roxas Boulevard in Manila to launch The Alpha Phi Omega Foundation. The launch received a number of pledges, but there was no follow-up effort to collect donations.

In 1996, The Alpha Phi Omega Philippines International Foundation was set up. It was registered with the securities and exchange commission in 2002. I understand, out of the PhP100,000 pledged amount, some PhP27,000 was collected. Sis Atty. Gigi Sacay Clave is ensuring all paperwork and fees are up-to-date.

Also, in 1996, The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Foundation was established in North America. To date, we have US15,000 raised through membership and donations.

In 2006, Brods Gene Licauco and Art Libot visited the APO-Philippines national office in Cubao, Quezon City. They reported in November, during an APO-Central Valley of California-AA meeting at Brod Ben and Au Castro’s housewarming party in Tracy, California, we could use a bigger headquarters. Inquiry disclosed the next-door condominium unit was available for PhP3 Million. Buying it would double our space to roughly 100 square meters. Members of APO-CVC pledged to help raise the funds.

During a discussion, however, Brod Jimmy de Castro, then national president, expressed more interest in a house-and-lot. Jimmy said, if we rolled over the Cubao asset and combined it with the proceeds from the APO-CVC initiative, a PhP6 Million property could be bought.

At the APO-ACNA induction ceremony in January 2007 hosted by APO-AA-San Francisco and the Silicon Valley in Foster City, California, The Dr. Ureta Foundation also installed its new set of officers and directors, who held a meeting in support of the APO national office capital campaign.

During the APO-Philippines national convention in May 2007 in Tagaytay City, a delegation composed of Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr, president; Brother Jeff Schwartz, immediate past chairman of the board; and Brod Ben Castro, Sister Rosemary Riedy, Sis Dr. Belle Tumbokon, and Nancy Ruth C. Ureta, all directors, presented The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center global gift-giving program before the APO-Philippines council of elders. The convention resulted in the formation of the Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center task force, which partnered The Dr. Ureta Foundation with The Alpha Phi Omega Philippines International Foundation with Mel and Gigi as co-chairs.

Since the convention and to-date, the task force has met in Metropolitan Manila with participants on overseas telephone calls. Incumbent National President Mel Adriano and National Executive Director Ernie Alcanzare, ex-officio members by virtue of their APO-Philippines positions, have shown great support by their regular attendance of the task force meetings.

After several postponement, the task force decided on March 18, 2008, the 103rd birthday of Brod Bado, as the official launch date of the program. The target is to raise PhP10 Million to build The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center. The goal is to institutionalize a global gift-giving program to handle and safeguard expressions of generosity of brods and sis toward benefiting Filipino students, the source of APO members.

The above history is sketchy at best, mostly because of one reason: We have yet to understand and embrace the foundation concept.

Our ongoing series of articles is an attempt to detail the philosophy behind The Dr. Librado I. Ureta Center. It is a concept that evolved through time — from 1978 through our continuing learning of the APO-USA endowment fund model to the current effort of the Dr. Ureta task force.

Please read the articles. We will appreciate your support of the foundation effort, Filipino-style.

True to Alpha Phi Omega, may we always be,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-RP Eta Zodiac 1973D 04971 Life Member
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984 792 182567 (Irwin H. Gerst Pledge Class) & 1985 10181 Life Member

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