The FFPS as Devised by Wayland
The Four-Fold Program of Service (aka The Four Fields of Service) was devised by Founding Advisor (National Scouting) Dr. Ray O. Wyland.
An early photo of Bro. Ray O. Wyland
An article about the Ray O. Wyland Fall Pledge Class of 1951 cited Bro. Wyland as the person who devised the Four Fold Program of Service, which stated:
“He has played a big role in the development of our operating policies, constitution and by-laws, and in devising our four-fold program of service which is the foundation of Alpha Phi Omega.”
Taken from the article “The Dr. Ray O. Wyland Class of New Active Members and Advisors of APO”. Ray O. Wyland is credited with devising the FFPS. “He has played a big role in the development of our operating policies, constitution and by-laws, and in devising our four-fold program of service which is the foundation of Alpha Phi Omega.” Source: Torch & Trefoil, October 1951
The full article can be viewed here:
Full article of “The Dr. Ray O. Wyland Class of New Active Members and Advisors of APO” Source: Torch & Trefoil, October 1951
Source of the FFPS
Before the Four-Fold Program of Service was even developed, founder Frank Reed Horton already had in mind a raw version of APO’s service program. And it was narrated on the document “In the Beginning,” which stated:
“And finally, it was decided that the main goal (of APO) would be to ‘influence college men to be of service to campus, community, and nation.”
The raw concept of Frank Reed Horton bespeaks of the selfless nature of the organization he had envisioned, as it did not even include Service to the Fraternity (and Sorority, in the case of APO Phils). Source: “In the Beginning”
Though he was forced to classify APO as an “honorary scouting fraternity” to make it more acceptable to the strict standards of John McCracken (President of Lafayette) and Donald Prentice (College Dean), it was clear that the core of the organization would be all about Service. The raw concept of Frank Reed Horton bespeaks of the selfless nature of the organization he had envisioned, as it did not even include Service to the Fraternity (and Sorority, in the case of APO Phils).
It is most likely that Wyland was knowledgeable of this raw version of the APO service program – being a founding advisor himself – and based the development of the FFPS from it.
First Outlined as Four-Fold
The FFPS was first outlined in the 1932 National Convention, a year after H. Roe Bartle succeeded Frank Reed Horton as Supreme Grand Master (National President) of APO.
This was mentioned in an article written by Bro. Wyland himself on the December 1945 issue, entitled “Twenty Years of Alpha Phi Omega on College Campuses,” which stated:
“At the Chicago Convention in 1932 the constitution and by-laws were completely revised, the four-fold program of service was outlined, and the expansion program of Alpha Phi Omega was well under way.”
Taken from the article “Twenty Years of Alpha Phi Omega on College Campuses” by Dr. Ray O. Wyland. Source: Torch & Trefoil, December 1945
The whole article can be viewed here:
The whole article of “Twenty Years of Alpha Phi Omega on College Campuses” by Dr. Ray O. Wyland. Source: Torch & Trefoil, December 1945
However, the original program of service was slightly different from the present one. It was presented as:
1. Service to the University
2. Service to the Scouting Movement
3. Service to the Community
4. Service to the Members
Most probably, the “first fold” was devised as such because, as Frank Reed Horton intended it, APO was supposed to “‘influence college men to be of service to the campus.”
While the “second fold” was devised as such because all the members of APO were Scouts or former Scouts, in addition to the fact that Bro. Wyland himself was a national scouting executive.
A presentation of the original FFPS was published on the Torch & Trefoil of May 1936. This was also the first time the FFPS was published.
The original version of the Four-Fold Program of Service Source: Torch & Trefoil, May 1936
Revised to Present Form (APO-USA)
The FFPS was revised during the 1938 National Convention, based on the experiences of the chapters after 6 years of implementation. Bro. Wyland was chair of the Aims and Objective Committee that facilitated the revision / enhancement of the FFPS in that convention.
In the 1938 National Convention, one of the committees formed was the Aims and Objective Committee. Its mission was to study the original program of service of APO. Dr. Ray O. Wyland was designated chair of the committee Sources: Torch & Trefoil, December 1938 Torch & Trefoil, March 1939 Torch & Trefoil, Annual Service Issue 1941
However, no proper presentation of the revised FFPS of 1938 was subsequently published in the succeeding three years of the Torch & Trefoil issues.
It was only mentioned again, by Bro. Wyland in his article in in the T&T’s Annual Service Issue of 1941.
Since the 1938 Convention, the Four-Fold Program of Service has remained in its present form:
1. Service to the Youth and Community
2. Service to the Student Body and Faculty (or to the University)
3. Service to the Members
4. Service to the Nation as a Fully Participating Citizen (new)
The revised and current version of the Four-Fold Program of Service Source: Torch & Trefoil, December 1950
APO Phils Adaptation
In APO Phils., the third Program of Service was adapted and rephrased to suit its “dual” identity, and as such, presents it as “Service to the Fraternity and Sorority.
It is presumed that this adaptation was not a formal adaptation, since no National Convention report has shown that a motion to that effect was ever ratified.
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