Brothers, I hope that all of you enjoyed a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. I offer my prayers and wishes that all of you enjoy a peaceful and joyous Christmas and a prosperous new year. Please be safe in all that you do.  We pray that everyone uses the intellect and judgment that God has given us to be the best people that we can be.  In 2017, let us advance the ideals of Alpha Phi Delta beyond what we have even imagined.  

Faciamus!
Brother Jim Miller 
​National President

The following news release was issued by Centenary College in October, 2016, recognizing the achievment of one of our Brothers and applauding the arrival of Alpha Phi Delta. Contact:  Annamaria C. Lalevee (908) 852-1400, ext. 2238 laleveea@centenaryuniversity.edu
           
Hackettstown, N.J., October 20, 2016 – Keith Bassford felt that he wanted to provide an additional option for Greek Life at Centenary University.  Not being an athlete, he still yearned for the benefits of being part of a larger organization or a “team.”  As a result, he spearheaded an initiative to start a chapter of the first national fraternity on campus Alpha Phi Delta (Epsilon Iota Chapter) and serves as the President. 
 
Bassford is a Criminal Justice major from Clifton, N.J. with aspirations to become a civil or corporate lawyer.  One year ago, he consulted with his sister who is a student at Pace University who put him in touch with the Alpha Phi Delta Chapter.  Alpha Phi Delta appealed to Bassford because it was a smaller fraternity and he felt like he could make a positive impact on campus while connecting with fraternity brothers on other campuses.
 
He learned what he needed to do to start a chapter on the Centenary campus. As a result of his dedication, Centenary’s Alpha Phi Delta chapter has 20 members.  Bassford was recently recognized for his efforts with the Pioneer Award at Alpha Phi Delta’s national conference in Maryland.  In addition, he is the fraternity’s Assistant District Governor of New Jersey.  In this role, Bassford acts as a liaison the fraternity brothers and chapters within New Jersey.  Bassford is not the only Centenary student to hold a national position with the fraternity.  Zack Sjosward, also from Clifton, is the national delegate for the Undergraduate Coordinating Committee.
 
“I am very proud of this Chapter and its accomplishments in such a short period of time,” says Christopher Mancusi, Chapter Advisor and Former National President. “The Pioneer Award is bestowed upon key individuals to ensure that the Chapter is developed.  I cannot think of a more worthy person to have received this other than Keith.  We have 1,100 undergraduates nationwide and Keith would be considered in the top 1%, as far as leadership initiative.”   
 
As part of Alpha Phi Delta’s philanthropic efforts, the Chapter is participating in a walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at Rutgers University later this month.  Their chapter has also worked with the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen Nursing Home facility to host a “prom” for the residents.  The fraternity members helped with the planning and execution for the fun evening and have plans to spearhead this initiative again.  
 
“The administration at Centenary University has been so receptive to our efforts to help establish this chapter as a whole,” says Mancusi.  “As a result, the leadership opportunities will be abundant and Keith, Zack and the other members will be beneficiaries of that.”
 
Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University is an independent, coeducational liberal arts and career studies university distinguished by an accomplished faculty, small class size and diverse student body.  Centenary is the only baccalaureate and master’s degree granting institution in northwest New Jersey.
 
Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad. 

With deep regret, the Fraternity reports to you the passing of Past National President Vincent Muffoletto. His fraternal obituary is as follows:

Vincent J. Muffoletto
Epsilon '46
29th National President (1968-1970)
Born: July 18, 1923
Initiated: Fall, 1946
Deceased: September 19, 2016

Vincent J. Muffoletto was born July 18, 1923 to Salvatore and Lucy Muffoletto. He attended Hutchinson Central High School in Buffalo where one of his instructors was Professor Ferdinand F. DiBartolo, one of our Fraternity's founders. Following his service in World War II, during which time he was a Prison of War, he enrolled at the University of Buffalo, pledged Alpha Phi Delta at our Epsilon Chapter in 1946, Vincent would go on to serve as Chapter Consul, Chapter Quaestor, Interfraternity Council Treasurer and the Fraternity's Delegate to the National Interfraternity Conference in 1950.

As an alumnus he served as President of the Buffalo Alumni Club, 1961-1962, was a prime-mover in organizing the Buffalo Alumni Convention Club, and was a member of the National Housing Corporation for several years. In 1966 he represented Alpha Phi Delta in the fight against the New York State University System’s abolition of fraternities on the Buffalo campus.

Brother Muffoletto is best remembered for his service as Alpha Phi Delta's National President, 1968-1970 and previously as National Vice President, 1966-1968. He also served as a Trustee of the National Housing Committee (which was a forerunner of the Alpha Phi Delta Foundation). Many of us remember Brother Muffoletto at several recent National Conventions and at the 2014 Centennial Gala. Most recently, he was an inspirational mover behind the establishment of the Naples Alumni Club.

Brother Muffoletto was a certified public accountant and was a partner in the firm of Muffoletto and Kuehn in Buffalo. He and his wife Theresa had four children. The oldest, James, followed in his father’s footsteps both at Buffalo University and in Alpha Phi Delta; initiated in 1965. In the tradition of eternal activity and support, Brother Muffoletto and his son James endowed an Alpha Phi Delta Scholarship to assist those students now and in the future meet their financial needs.

Brother Muffoletto passed away on September 19, 2016 from a heart attack, at the age of 93, just a few months short of his 70th anniversary as a brother of Alpha Phi Delta. 

For information regarding the Vincent J. Muffoletto Scholarship Fund, and how you can support his memory by supporting this fund, please click here.

The following members and entities were recipients of Alpha Phi Delta's National Awards for 2016. At our National Convention, the following awards were bestowed on members and entities by way of our Award Committee, and its eight independent subcommittees:

• Outstanding Chapter - Gamma Mu (Stockton)
• Outstanding Alumni Club - North Jersey Alumni Club
• Outstanding Alumni Association - Beta Sigma A.A.
• Outstanding Undergraduate - Phillip Waknin (Epsilon Eta)
• Outstanding Alumnus - Alexander Franki (Gamma Lambda)
• Outstanding Community Service - Gamma Mu (Stockton)
• Outstanding District - The Delaware Valley District
• Most Improved Chapter - Delta Theta (Marist)

Awards Chairman, Alexander Fafara, PNP, presented the awards during the annual National Award Banquet held on the final evening of the National Convention (this year held at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicot City, Maryland). 

Congratulations to the two newest entities of Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity, both chartered at our National Convention. The Delta Epsilon Alumni Association created to support the alumni of our Delta Epsilon Chapter and the Delta Rho Alumni Association created to support the Alumni of our Delta Rho Chapter. Their charters were presented to them at the National Convention on August 6, 2016 in Ellicot City, Maryland.

​With the addition of these two Alumni Association, the Fraternity now boasts 13 active Alumni Associations. This is most AAs active at one time since these entities were first created in 1991. Traditionally there have always been far more Alumni Clubs (regionally-based groups) than Alumni Association (chapter bases groups)... but the Associations are now catching up. The latest score: Alumni Clubs 15 - Alumni Associations 13.

There were over 20 entities represented by 75 brothers at the joint Long Island / New York City North / New York City South District Convention hosted by our Epsilon Zeta chapter at St. Joseph's in Brooklyn, New York on May 10, 2016.

Congratulations to Nicholas Marter (Epsilon Gamma '11) and Salvatore Flagiello (Gamma Rho '06), for being re-elected as District Governor of Long Island and New York City North, respectively.

Congratulations to Angelo Flagiello (Delta Epsilon '09), for being elected to his first term as the District Governor of the New York City South District.