ALPHA PHI DELTA FRATERNITY

AN ITALIAN HERITAGE FRATERNITY

National Council Meeting Feb. 24 on Staten Island, N.Y.

The Annual Meeting of the National Council will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at the Staten Island campus of St. John's University, 300 Howard Avenue, Staten Island, N.Y. This will be 108th gathering of the National Council since the founding of Alpha Phi Delta. Our Gamma Sigma will host the gathering. 

Each Chapter and Alumni Club is to send two (2) delegates to the meeting, while each Alumni Association is to send (1) delegate. As usual, the Council will here reports and discuss matters of significance to Alpha Phi Delta. Of specific note, the Council vote on a budget for 2024-25; elected the next National President and Vice President; approve Resolutions; charter new entities; close, if necessary, entities in bad standing; and re-district the organizational map as necessary. Additionally, the Undergraduate Coordinating Committee and the Alumni Coordinating Committee will each elect its chairman for the 2024-25 year. 

The meeting will be chaired by our National President, Salvatore Flagiello; it will start at 9:00am. Chapter Presidents are encourage to read The Chapter Letter of January or February, and use the registration links to register their delegates. 

The National Council Meeting was previously held at St. John's University in 2020; this will be the final Council meeting to be held at the University, as the campus will be closing its doors at the end of the spring 2024 semester.

The Magnificent Seven: Our Founders: 

Cesidio Ferdinand DiBartolo Cesidio Guarini and Dominic Ciolli, Otto Gelormini, Nicholas Frunzi, Joseph Cangiamila, Anthony Frascati

Alpha Phi Delta is 109 Years Old! 

On November 5, 2023, Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity celebrated the 109th anniversary of its founding. It was on that day, in 1914, seven students at Syracuse University --  Joseph Cangiamila, Dominic T. Ciolli, Ferdinand F. DiBartolo, Anthony T. Frascati, Nicholas Frunzi, Otto Gelormini and Cesidio A. Guarini -- swore a mutual Oath of Brotherhood on a sword, at Syracuse University to create our brotherhood: Italian in heritage, American in loyalty, and family-like in nature. 

Since its founding over 22,000 men have been initiated into Alpha Phi Delta on over 110 campuses.  November 5th is Alpha Phi Delta's Founders Day -- and on that day it is especially appropriate for members to wear a white carnation ("garafano") to honor our founding, and our founders.

Alpha Phi Delta evolved from our seven founders first establishing "Il Circolo Italiano" (an Italian Club) on the campus of Syracuse in 1913. However, realizing that they wanted to create something that they would be able remain part of after graduation, and in their lives ahead, they decided to form a fraternity, Alpha Phi Delta on November 5, 1914. 

About a year and a half later, in June of 1916, the brothers of Alpha Phi Delta at Syracuse merged with another Italian fraternity at Columbia University (Sigma Gamma Phi) and from that merger Alpha Phi Delta, a national fraternity was formed. Our Chapter at Syracuse became known as our "Alpha Chapter" and our Chapter at Columbia became known as our "Beta Chapter."

National Convention '23:

Huge Turnout, Lots of Awards, and Boat Loads of Brotherhood

The 100th National Convention of Alpha Phi Delta was the highlight our 108th year of brotherhood. With over 225 in attendance -- alumni and undergraduates alike -- our five-day convention at the Villa Roma Restort in Callicoon, New York was nothing short of amazing. Gathering for meals (in the Italian family tradition), playing trivia, bocce and baseball; honoring our military brothers; celebrating our 50 years brothers; remembering our deceased; educating our undergraduate members; and capping of a great year with our awards banquet was all part and parcel of our 2023 National Convention. 


In our National Award program, the Upstate New York District won the Outstanding District Award, while one of that District's Chapters, Epsilon Pi (SUNY Cortland) walked off with the Outstanding Chapter Award. Gamma Mu Chapter (Stockton University) won the Most Improved Chapter Award, while Gamma Iota (Pace University) won the Outstanding Community Service Award. The Staten Island Alumni Club won the Outstanding Alumni Club and the Epsilon Gamma Alumni Association won the Outstanding Alumni Association Award. 


In individual honors, Jake Shoemaker (Delta Theta) was named the Outstanding Undergraduate of 2023, while Past National President Todd Cusato won the Outstanding Alumnus Award.

The Conventioneers are shown here on the main stairway at the entrance to the Villa Roma Resort (Callicoon, New York). While not every conventioneer is in this picture, this is a good share of them. After this picture was taken the entire crowd made their way to the Villa Roma's Club House where the National Awards Banquet was held and awards winners for 2023 were announced.

Requiescas in Pace - Gary Van Schaften, Beta Lambda '68

April 10, 1949 - December 27, 2023

Gary F. Van Schaften, 1949-2023

Our Brother Gary Van Schaften (Beta Lambda '68), a long time Director of the Alpha Phi Delta Foundation, passed away on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at age 74. Brother Van Schaften was the victim of a heart attack suffered in the course of playing a game of golf in his adopted home state of South Carolina. Alpha Phi Delta Foundation Director, Anthony Carfang said this of Brother Van Schaften, "[He was] not just a great brother, Gary was an invaluable director and committee chair, prime mover behind multiple scholarship funds, convention regular and a very good friend."

Born Gareth Francis Van Schaften on April 10, 1949, he attended De Paul High School in Wayne, New Jersey. After graduating high school in 1967, he enrolled at St. Francis College (now University) in Loretto, Pennsylvania. In 1968, he was initiated into Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity where he became a chapter leader. in our Beta Lambda Chapter; he graduated in 1971. In July of 1973, he married Judith Nelan at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Wayne, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife Judith.

Brother Van Schaften remained active with the Fraternity after graduating from College. In his later alumni years he became a leader in the Alpha Phi Delta Foundation, and was especially involved in developing its Alumnus Emeritus program. In 2019, Gary was awarded the Oustanding Alumnus Award of Alpha Phi Delta. In more recent years, he has been active working to establish an Alumni Club in South Carolina. Brother Van Schaften's most recent appearance at a National gathering was at the 2023 National Convention.  (Obituary courtesy of Central Office)


Alpha Phi Delta by the Numbers

109

Number of Years of Brotherhood

22,655

Number of Brothers 

Initiated since 1914

37

Number of currently active 

Chapters and Colonies

26

Number of currently active  

Alumni Clubs and Associations

3.27

Our Average Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA)

81%

Our College Graduation Rate

25-percentage points above United States all-male grad rate

24.4%

% of Members 

attending College on Scholarship

99.2%

1st year to 2nd Year of College Retention Rate

75 Scholarship Winners Announced

The Alpha Phi Delta Foundation's Scholarship Trustees award 75 scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $5,000, to worthy applicants. The scholarship winners were announced at the 100th National Convention of Alpha Phi Delta. The number of scholarships awarded represent a new high for the Foundation's Scholarship program. Of the 75 winners, 61 were brothers of Alpha Phi Delta and 14 were children or relatives of fraternity brothers. Scholarship have been awarded annually in this program since 1975. Click the button below to view our online Scholarship winner booklet showing the name of all of our 2023 Scholarship award winners.