History pg.2
Now a number of other fraternal and sorority organizations sprang up on the campus as well and in the 3rd decade of the century, Omega with the help of Phi Beta Sigma the Pan Hellenic Council was borne. Omega and Sigma were essentially the organization who first decided to meet to discuss the role of the fraternity and finally proved instrumental in establishing a governing body consisting of all 8 fraternities and sororities. Iota Phi Theta would later join the Pan Hellenic council in the last decade of the century. Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, and finally Iota Phi Theta are all now members of the Pan Hellenic Council.
Understand that the mood of campus administration at Howard during the turn of the last century was one of apprehension and non-compliance. Administrators felt strongly that the establishment of secret organizations on campus would bring undue scrutiny by fearful whites who were threatened by any type of organization by African Americans at that time. Establishing Omega then was challenging and the effort was fought and won by a group of men who established Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift as the fraternity four Cardinal Principles. Exercising these principles along the way, Omega is now credited with having over 650 chapters throughout the world including, Kuwait/Saudi Arabia (Phi Gamma Gamma Chapter), Germany (Theta Rho Chapter) and Korea (Lambda Xi Chapter). Other chapters can be found in the US Virgin Islands and in Hawaii.
In those first years, the brothers incorporated essential elements within and throughout the organization to standardize complex operations that were to be the cornerstone of fraternal activities worldwide. These standards included but were and are not limited to: the fraternity’s shield, motto “Friendship is essential to the Soul”, hymn “Omega Dear”, rituals and symbols, and other actions, activities and procedures.
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