SoAp

2010-08-31T02:10:34Z

71.62.122.105:

[[Image:Soaplogo-flat_(2).png|right|500px]]
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:''In its literal form, soap is also an important part of the [[6-2-1 rule]].''

'''S.O.A.P''' stands for the '''Society Of Anthropomorphics''', a [[furry community]] and [https://banweb.banner.vt.edu/ssb/prod/hzsksorg.P_DispStuOrgs Registered Student Organization (RSO)] at [[wikipedia:Virginia Tech|Virginia Tech]]. It is unique among furry groups due to its registration with a major university, which allows SOAP to use university meeting and online spaces for free, and offers advantages to networking.

==History==

Soap was founded by [[Nius]], [[Pathia]], [[Tango]], and other furry fans at Virginia Tech who desired a separate, distinct organization for planning events specific to the furry community. The organization was officially registered with the university on Wednesday, October 10, 2001.

==Membership==

As a Registered Student Organization of Virginia Tech, membership is unrestricted— anyone may join including students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public. No official membership count exists but as of February 2010 there are 75 members on the SOAP mailing list<ref>http://lists.furry.ws/mailman/roster/soap-l</ref> and the average Friday meeting has about 20 attendees. SOAP also has a significant number of active [[Nonfur|nonfurry]] members.

===Officers===

Leadership positions in the organization are defined by the requirements set forth in the University Policies for Student Life. A president, vice-president, and treasurer are chosen every fall semester. Additionally, the organization may choose a Faculty/Staff adviser who will act on behalf of the organization within the university.

The officers for 2009-2010 school year are as follows<ref>http://www.soap.org.vt.edu/</ref>:

*'''President:''' Kai Seward ([[Mxali]])
*'''Vice-President:''' Ali Nazemi III ([[Tiger_of_the_Wind]])
*'''Treasurer:''' Andy Street ([[Sero]])
*'''Staff Adviser:''' None
*'''Elder/Authorized Contact: ''' Peg Fisher

==Activities==

SOAP tends to be a very close-knit group, and more of its activities tend to be spontaneous and/or informal as opposed to the planned meets of other groups. It's also not uncommon for out of town furries to join in on some of the larger SOAP community gatherings.

===Meetings===

Weekly meetings are held every Friday evening when classes are in session, unless deferred due to other local commitments, in [https://secure.hosting.vt.edu/www.vt.edu/about/buildings/bldg.php?name=Squires+Student+Center Squires Student Center] on the VT campus. Meetings are free-form and open to the public. Meeting room announcements or changes to the meeting schedule are posted on the mailing list (link below). Traditionally, a party follows the weekly SOAP meeting, although the host may vary. Other activities such as bowling, laser tag, group hikes to locales such as the cascades, and potlucks are also organized throughout the school year. The organization itself is generally inactive during the summer, although there is still an active furry community consisting of SOAP members remaining in the area during this time.

===Local events===

Some events are planned in conjunction with other local fan groups, including [http://www.vtsffc.org VTSFFC] - The Science Fiction and Fantasy Club at Virginia Tech, [http://www.vtas.org VTAS] - The Animation Society of Virginia Tech, and [http://www.spielgames.org Spiel] - a campus gaming club (Spiel is the German word for "game"). Members of Soap also serve as staff of [http://www.technicon.org Technicon] and [http://www.rising-star.org Rising Star], two local [[Science Fiction]] [[Conventions]] that have been extremely welcoming of furry fans. SOAP members also host many informal gatherings and parties, often arranged on-the-fly through the SOAP mailing list or through mass text messages.

===Community service===

In 2008, SOAP worked on a community service project called "Smiles for the Memories." The purpose of this project was to raise money for [[Wikipedia:Operation Smile|Operation Smile]] in honor of the 32 victims of the [[Wikipedia:Virginia Tech Massacre|Virginia Tech Massacre]].

In 2010, SOAP participated in the [[Wikipedia:The Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald)|The Elephant Sanctuary's]] "Feed an Elephant for a Day" project. Through member-contributed funds, SOAP fed Billie the Elephant for a day.

===Conventions===

SOAP members often carpool to and/or room together at conventions. The major conventions at which SOAP generally has a large presence are [[Midwest Furfest]], [[Furry Weekend Atlanta]], [[Furry Connection North]] and [[Anthrocon]].

===IRC Channel===

SOAP has an active IRC channel with open membership on [[FurNet]]: #VTSOAP.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://community.livejournal.com/soapvt/ SOAP community] on [[LiveJournal]]
*[http://lists.furry.ws/mailman/listinfo/soap-l SOAP-L Mailing List]
*[http://www.soap.org.vt.edu/ Society of Anthropomorphics website]
*[http://www.elephants.com/estore/views.php?cat=6^47&sub_link=feed&desc=feed%20an%20elephant%20for%20a%20day&menu_oid=6] Feed an Elephant for a Day

[[Category:Community]]
[[Category:Regional groups]]
[[Category:Virginia]]
[[Category:Acronyms]]

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