The Acacia Spirit - December 1918 - Vol. 14, No. 1

Decemb er 15, 1918

GREETINGS FROM THE GRAND PRESIDENT.

To Aca c ians : In this, my first opto greet you , I w ish to ex press my smcer e appreciation of the honor your War Conference and Grand Co uncil conferr e d upon m e by choosing me to th e of b e loved Fraternity in th1s cntlCal p e nood of our history. I consider it a splendid privilege to be given such an opportunity to serve you all, and if I shall well and truly measure up to the hop es and confidence that you have reposed in me I shall be content; it is my prayer that I may keep the faith. I realiz e full well that I can accomplish little unless our Frate rnity may r eceive from you all the most loyal and d evoted support throughout these troublou s times that are trying us so sorely. We must work tog et her in th e s er vice of our fellows, keeping close sight of the ideals of our Fraternity, the j ewe ls of our brotherhood. Thos e of us who r e main at hom e must keep our altar fir es burning bri g ht against th e return of those of our br ethren .who are far afield in our country's serviCe, and who r ely upon us to safeguard every landmark of A cac ia. We must all unite to honor those of our brethr e n who will n ever return becaus e in their loyal u t most service th e y have made the supreme sacrifice.

May I ask you all th e n to stand ever ready to support your Grand Council to the best of your ability and to the utmost of your power. Write to your Grand Officers whenev e r you fe e l that you hav e suggestions or advice or plans that will help Acacia. Maintain a kindly, h e lpful connection with your chapter, urging it to a firm adherence to Acaci a's ideals and a determined defense of the continuance of all its proper activities in the face of the most untoward circumstances . I greet you cordially and fraternally, W. ELMER EKBLA W, Grand Pr esid ent.

THE WAR CONFERENCE.

A special War Conf e r ence of the Acacia Fraternity was held in the Morrison Hote l , Chicago, on Friday, May 31 , 1 918 There was a busy session wh i ch last e d a ll day, with the except ion of a short hour given to lun ch e on in the m e n ' s restaurant oJl Marshall Field's store. Grand President Harry L. Brown presided and gav e th e assembly a proper war co lor by his military uniform. Oth e r members of the Grand Council present were Grand Co uns e lor J A Woodward, Grand Secreta ry J. F . Groves, Grand Treasurer C. S. Huntington , and Associate Gr and Edit or Wa_llace Meyer. Chapt ers were represe nt e d as follo ws: Chi cago: Former Grand President Fr anc is W. Shepardson, alumnus, d e l egate; Chester N . Gould, alumnus, visitor Columbia: G. Alfred alumnus, del e gate, r epr es e ntmg also the N ew York Alumni A ssociation. Cornell: C. D. Grinnels, active, delegate . Ill in ois: Former Grand Vice-President W Elmer Ekblaw, alumnus, delegate; E. C. Christian, active, visitor . Iowa: W. A. Weber, active, d el egate. Iowa Stat e : J. C. Cart, alumnus, delegate. Kansas: J . E. Miller, active, d e l egate Kansas Stat e : G C. Gibbons, active, delegate; H. D Ryan, active, visitor . Mi c higan: Car roll W. Collins, active, d elega t e. Minn esota: A. LeRoy Thomas , active, d el ega t e Missouri: L. A. Wilson, active, delegate. Ohio: C I. R eed, active, d e l egate; M L. Wright, alumnus, visitor. Purdu e : H. B. Collings, active, d e l egate; visitors were L. Selby, alumnus, G. H. Eddy, alumnus, G. B. Wilson, active, and E. L. Moon, active. Syracus e : W. D Harris, alumnus, delegat e . Wisconsin: M. M. Morris , activ e, delegate; G. H. Jenkins, alumnus, visitor; a total attendance of 29. Ch apters not represent ed were California, Co lor ado, Harvard, Nebraska, P e nnsylvani a, Pennsylvania State, T exas, Washington, and Yale. Chapters repr ese nted , 15; not represented, 9.

2

THE ACACIA SPIRIT

The Grand President, Harry L. Brown, r ea d an address which, In regular routine, sh ould have been presented to the twelfth Grand Conclave, not held b ecause of the war . H e r eported about five hundr ed Acacians in service, including former Grand S ec r etary A A. Jenkins, former Grand Tr easurer John W. Shera, Grand Couns elor John A. Woodward, and himself. In addition to this support of the Government of the United States by Acacia fighters he announced the investment of $700 in bonds of the First Liberty Loan by action of the Grand Council. He indicated in brief summary the principal Acacia events of the past two years, and made recommendations suggested thereby:

1. The representation of Acacia in the Inter-Fraternity Conference in New York; in 1916 by Grand S ecretary Jenkins , Brothers Woodward and Dreihaus, and Grand President Brown; in 1917 by Grand President Brown and Brothers Dreihaus , Hilditch and Rosencrans. In 1916 the Inter-Fraternity banquet was attended by twenty Acaclans.

2. The establishment of Alumni Chapters, officially recognized by the Grand Council, in Chicago, New York, Indianapolis, Detroit, Minneapolis and Washington.

3. The attainment of the highest position yet reached by Acacia, in loyalty to the national organization, good local and Inter-chapter feeling, good fellowship , and pronounced interest in the activities and the welfare of the fraternity as a whole.

4 The splendid support given Acacia by Masons of all degree including the Scottish Rite in connection with the anti-fraternity movement at the Univer sity of Texas.

5. The opening of a chapter house for Columbia Chapter at 357 West 119th street, in January, 1917. This bas served as a rallying place for Acaclans in New York , and, particularly, has been of service to officers and men of the army awaiting embarkation for Europe.

6. The withdrawal from the fraternity of the Leland Stanford Chapter on December 20, 1916, and the subsequent Investigation of conditions by two separate committees. As a result It was decided to bold the charter suspended until one year aft e r the conclusion of th e war.

7. The plan at Yale to have Acac !'-. club rooms in place of a chapter how found impracticable, and th e lntertc ence of the war In the success of t1 project.

8. The extraordinary rulings of tl Grand Council, soon aft r th outbre: of the war, permitting non-members 1, room In chapter houses, suspendh chapter visitation by the Grand Cou selor, discontinuing the publication the JoUBNAL and substituting the Ac CIA SPIRIT. reducing the salary of tl Grand Editor to $150, and making g e. eral savings in the aggregate of $2,51 a year.

9. The appointment of a local alm r--, nus of each chapter to act as speci ' representative of the Grand Counc during the period of enforced suspe sion of chapter visitation by the Gran Counselor. The need of the division 1 the fraternity into sectional jurlsdi ttons each beaded by a vice-presideD The advantage to the fraternity of sue a system of training future members 1 the Grand Council.

10. The need of a complete revislo of the Acacia code, including the C01 stitution and By-Laws.

11. The need of an Acacia fund I enable the fraternity to carry on its at mlnistrattve work and the suggestio that this be secured by an annual coJ tributlon by alumni members.

12. The need for a better plan for tb care and the proper use of the archive of Acacia deposited In the Micblga Chapter House.

Grand Counselor J. A. Woodward mad an exceptionally Interesting report o chapter visitation, which showed tb strength and weakness of each chapte at the time when the normal routine wa disorganized by the war. His el'fectlv summary took the form of seven dlstlnc recommendations:

1. The Constitution and By-Laws o the fraternity should be strictly er forced. This was based upon the pe1 sistence of one western chapter 11 non-Masons.

2. No charters should be granted h the future, unless the vidence of sut ficient material for continuous growtl of membership Is clear and unquettloned.

3. The organization of intra-cbaptP groups, such as pledge "Deutsche Club," "Yellow Dog," "Hin ky Dlnks," and the like, should b!' abso

THE ACACIA SPIRIT

lute ly prohibited as destructive to chapte r harmony.

4. Every effort should be made to keep each member thoroughly poste d regarding a chapter's financial condi· tion.

5. The national character and spirit of Acacia should be fostered in every way.

6. THE A cACIA SPIRIT should b e made more attractive, with illustrations and more attention to personal items of information.

7 The interest of the alumni should be kept up through constant effort, the success of the individual chapters b ei ng largely dependent upon this.

Grand Tr eas urer Huntington r e port e d that the General Fund had r ece iv e d $6,896.07, and had disbursed $3,854.27, leaving a balance of cash on hand , May 28, 1918, of $3,041.80. The Endowment Fund on the same date contained $1,125 :45, of which $425.45 was in cash on hand and $700 in Liberty Loan Bonds of the second issue.

Grand Secretary Groves presented in an energetic fashion the r e port showing the real condition of Acacia under his difficult administration as war secretary. Despite the inevitable discouragem e nts of the situation he convinced every one pres· ent that he is the right man for the place. His summaries showed a total membership of 4,086, total receipts of $6,864.00, and a balance of cash on hand , as of May 25, 1918, of• $3,009.73. - Th e difference between this balance and that shown by the Grand Treasurer is repr ese nted by interest on funds not sent. through the Grand Secretary 's office. This report s et forth in tabular form the exac t relationship of every chapter to its fraternity obligations, including the filing of required reports and the payment of dues, and in1 dicated in terse phrases the judgment as ' to present condition.

chapter finances, and outlook for the next college year as to members and finances. These bri ef r eports were filled with interesti ng statements and the spirit of brothe rhood was mightily strengthened as com· mon problems, common perplexities and common purposes were considered along the sides of the triangle in that council hall of a great fraternity.

In order to have definite and concrete propositions for discussion at the afternoon session Grand President Brown announc e d the following nine committees: On Grand Council R eports, on Administrative Efficiency, on War Emergency Chapter House Financing, on N ex t Conclave, on the AcACIA SPIRIT, on Ritual , on Auditing, on Alumni Voluntary Assessments, and on R es olutions.

Some of the more important recommendations of these committees were these:

1. Th e various acts of the Grand Council, as r e ported, should be approved.

2. The fraternity, at least during the war, should be divid ed into seven distri cts, arranged geographically, each of which should hav e over it a counselor, to supervise the chapters, encourage their adherence to th e ideals, customs and laws of Acacia, advise them on different problems, and fost e r close r e l ationships with the Grand Fraternity .

3. R es ident a lumni as a war emergency committe e should provide for the financing of chapter houses where active members are absent in service or too f ew to carry the burden.

4. A conclave s hould b e h eld with the Illinois Chapter in S epte mb e r , 1919, if fraternity financ es at that tim e warrant.

5. THE A cACIA SP'IRIT should be supported in every way by officers · and m embers of the fraternity

Grand Editor Mann was unavoidably absent, but his report was read by his assistant editor, Wallace Meyer. It told how the A cACIA SPIRIT came into existence, recounted some of the obstacles to be overcome before it became a success , indicated the cost of the several issues and made recommendations for improve· ments in the business details.

Following the reading of thes e official documents, Grand President Brown called for short, snappy reports from the delegates on three vital matters, present status of membership, present condition of

6. W. S Dye, Jr ., G. Alfred Lawrenc e and Ben G. Smith should be continued as a Committee on Ritual, with instructions to report at the next conclave.

7. The Grand Pr es ident should appoint the District Counselors and th e chapter representatives as a committee to prosecute a "drive" to raise $5,000 as a special war fund to maintain th e fraternity, the allotment to each chapter to be apportioned according to the total initiated membership .

A r eport from the chairman of the Endowment Fund Committee showed 129 pledges, 1 patron member, 1 fellow mem-

THE ACACIA SPIRIT

ber, and 25 sustaining members. Upon the t otal pl ed ges of $2,018, th r e have b een paid $755 50. This amount was in creas ed by $175 from the Grand ouncil and b y $66 .78 from interest and from profit on badges , so as t o make a total of $997 28. All delinquents were urged t o pay up th ei r su bscrip t ion s as rapidly as possible.

Grand President Brown appointed the following standing committee on Constitution and By-Laws to prepare a practically new code for the fraternity and make a report at t he next conclave: Francis W. Sh e p ards on, R. Cecil Fay, Irwin W Dreiha us and Oscar C. Hull.

Grand President Brown then exp lain d the n ecess ity of the el ection of a new Grand Council. H e r ec ogniz ed that th e War Conference bad no authority in the matter, but stated that the Grand Council, which bas constitutional power t o perpe tuat e itself desir ed suggestions from those in attendance in the emergency gathering. After full consideration and with great enthusiasm the new Grand ouncil was elected by the r e tiring one, t he following b e ing chosen:

Grand Pr es id e nt- W Elm e r Ekblaw , Illinois.

Grand Counselor-Harry E. Kilmer, M i.s SOttri.

Grand Treasu r e r, C. S. Huntington , Ill inois.

Grand S ec retary , J. F. Grov es, Chicago. Grand Editor, Wallace Meye r, Wis conin

Afte r th e new Grand offic e rs were formally install d and a few odds and ends of busin ess w r e cleared up the Emerge ncy War Conference adjourned sine di e, after an almost continuous session of e i ght hours of close attention. A banquet which was attended by about forty of the Grand office rs and del ega tes was held In the vening, Past Grand President Brown acting as toastmaster.

A complete report of the War Confere nce has b e n published by the Grand S ec r e tary in a volume of fifty-four pages e nclosed in an attractive cover. At the time of th e onference the total membership of the Acacia chapters was as follows:

alifornia, 138 ; Chicago, 150; Colorado, 119 ; Columbia , 125 ; Cornell, 146; Franklin, 189; Harvard, 190; Illinois, 264; Iowa, 161 ; Iowa State, 145; Kansas, 223; Kanas State, 65; 1\:IIch igan, 213; llnnesota 242; l\Iissouri, 192; N ebraska, 219; Ohio: 241: Penn State , 116 ; Purdue, 183; Stanford, 120 ; Syracuse, 53; Texas, 56; Washington, 76; Wisconsin, 202; Yale, 130.

THE WAR FUND DRIVE.

Th e War Conference h ld in Chlcagt last May un an imously r ecomm e nd ed tha the Grand ouncil be authoriz ed to prosP c ut e a driv for the purpos e of raisin! f unds wherewith to maintain the financia credit and integrity of the Acacia Fra ternity throughout these troublous tim(': w h e n most of the ordinary sources o r venue are c ut off; to support TrrE Ac:CIA SPIRIT so that it may b sent regular l y to a ll the men in th e service; and t< provide for a conclav e at the Illlnof Chapt e r House soon after the close of th< war t o rouse enthusiasm and lay plam fo r th e quick r es umption of normal acttv !ti es in eve ry chapter at the artiest pos s ibl e moment.

During the summer the Grand Council could take no action and during the fall all activities we re so confused owing t the establishment of the S. A. T. C. In nearly e very university, the extension ot the draft, and th e resignation of the Grand Editor of TIIE AcACI SPIRIT, that nothing definite could be accomplished Now, howev e r, the situation appears to hav e cleared off to such an extent that the drive may be Initiated In the near future, possibly January 1st.

Every chapter will be allotted its just proportion of this fund, which wlll bl' levi ed on the chapters on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) for every man ever initiated Into the chapter. The Grand Council hopes that every chapter will not only raise the apportioned amount but will 11:0 far "over the top." Though ar· rangements ar e not yet complete, the Grand Council contemplates Issuing a cer· tificate to every chapter that raises its apportioned sum; special certificates for special achievements by any chapter; and a special pennant to the chapter that goes "over the top" by the blg!!:est percentage. Every dollar that Is raised will be put to the good of the Fraternity-SPIRIT or JoURNAL Expense, Conclave Expense: Memorial Endowment, etc.

(Continued on Eight)

The Grand President will be In charge of the drive as a whole; the Grand Treasurer will have the custody of all funds thus specially raised; the C'hapter Ad· viser with assistants specially chosen to aid him will make the drive for t>acb chapter; and every member, alumnua, active or pledge will be called upon to do his utmost for Acacia In this crista. to help all be can, not just what his share may be.

Continuing. THE ACACIA JOURNAL

The Official Organ of The ACACIA FRATERNITY FRANCIS W. SHEPARDSON, Editor 1330 Lowell Blvd., Springfield, Ill.

Single Copies, Ten Cents

Yearly Subscription, One Dollar

Mailed free, postpaid, to all members in the service upon receipt of address.

Entered as second-class matter, January, 1919, at the Post Office, Springfield, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879, acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized January, 1919 .

THE GRAND COUNCIL

Grand President-W. Elmer Ekblaw, 713 W. Washington Blvd., Champaign, Ill.

Grand Counsellor-Harry E. Kilmer, Centerview, Mo.

Grand Secretary-James F. Groves, 616 South Grove St., Ripon, Wis.

Grand Treasurer-C. S. Huntington, 1910 Conway Bldg., Chicago, Ill. !Grand Editor-Francis W. Shepardson, 1330 Lowell Blvd., Springfield, Ill.

CHAPTER ADVISERS.

Califomia-Carlos G. White, Syndicate Bldg., Oakland, Cal.

Chicago-W. A. Woods, Suite 616, 112 iV Adams, Chicago, Ill.

Colorado--Prof. John A. Hunter, BoulIer, Colo.

Cornell-W. W. Ellis, 309 Farm St., .thaca, N. Y.

Columbia-!. W. Driehaus, 400 West ll8th St., New York City.

Franklin-John W. Heins, 1401 Arch )t., Philadelphia, Pa.

HarvardIllinois-Bonum Lee Kirk, Champaign, llinois.

Iowa-Frank Thayer , Dept. of Jour. & 1ubl., State Univ. of Iowa. '

Iowa State-H. R. Werner, Ames, Ia.

Kansas State-Prof. N. P. Sherwood, U25 Maine St., Lawrence, Kan.

Kansas State Agricultural CollegeMinnesota-Walter S. Garvey, 511 Alvorth Bldg., Duluth, Minn.

Michigan-Prof. C. T. Johnson, Ann Arbor, Eng. Dept. U. of M.

Asst. Advisor-John Lindenschnitt, Ann Arbor, Micl,J..

Missouri-Dr. A. W. Kampschmidt, Columbia, Mo.

N ebraska-Geo. N. Foster, Lawyer, Security Mutual Bldg., Lincoln, Neb.

Ohio--Prof. Arthur S. Watts, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

P ennsylvania State-Frederick Weaver, Agricultural Ext. Dept., State Col. Purdu e-Dean Stanley Coulter, School of Science, Purdue University.

Assist.-Prof. A. G. Phillips, Dept. of Poultry Husbandry, Purdue University. Syracuse-Louis Lindsey, 721 University Ave., Syracuse, N. Y.

T exas-John Trevelen, School of Commerce.

Washington-Herbert Blogg, 730 Central Bldg., in care of Areo Alarm Co. Wisconsin-John X. Newman, 615 Lake St., Madison, Wis.

Yale-

A WORD TO ALL ACACIANS.

After much trouble and discussion your Grand Council had .almost abandoned hope of making any satisfactory arrangement for the Editorship of THE SPIRIT, when a ll at once one of them had the happy inspirati.on of asking former Grand President Shepardson if he would be willing to assume the burdens of the office and reengage in active service for Acacia. Though already laden with the responsibilities and duties of his exceedingly important position as Director of the Department of Registration and Education of the State of Illinois, and of numerous other positions, he cheerfully accepted the task of editing THE SPIRIT. Acacia may well congratulate herself upon having thus secured to herself the continued services of one of her ablest sons. Brother Shepardson is well acquainted with the problems that confront us at this time; he is thoroughly versed in our Ritual and our history; and he brings to his office a wealth of experience, training, and interest, especially in fraternity affairs. Our cordial support should be accorded him; we should aid him in every way possible by sending him every item of n ews of interest to Acacians, every suggestion that may be for the good of Acacia. Support The Spirit by subs cri bing , too!

W. ELMER EKBLAW, Grand Pr esident.

THE ACACIA SPIRIT

AROUND THE TRIANGLE.

Grand Secretary Grov s visited Wis· consin hapter recently and found venrabl e Dean Borsack and four o the r active men planning to r eop en the Chapter House as soon as the S. A. T. C. gave possession. They are pr epa ring to issue anoth e r number the Wisconsin l e tter soon.

Form e r Grand Sec r eta ry , Lieutenant A. A. J enk ins, writes from Camp Lee, Va., ord e ring a pin f or Captain Charles B Stew a rt of the T exas Chapte r . H e states that he hop es to r et urn f rom camp by Christmas and re- establish business

R. N. Loomis, Venerable D ea n of Colo· rado Chapter, 942 16th St., Boulder, Colo., writes that all fraternities ha ve r e mained inactive this year, owing to a ruling pass ed by the University authorities. Th er e are some indications that these rulings will be r em ov ed soon. He states that in such an event Colorado Chapter will be able to mak e quit e a showing before the school year closes. Three men are active and several alumni pledge active support.

C. I. Reid, Ohio State Chapter, writes asking that his name be put on the mail· ing list to r ece ive THE SPIRIT. He visited Bro t hers Captain Harry L. Brown and Wallace Meyer the other day . They are planning a me e ting of Acacians in Wash· ington soon. Reid is engaged in doing re· s earc h in physiological chemistry and says that he hated to miss his trip across but that he was "too darn ed glad it was over to kick much." His address is 2521 Hall Place, Washington, D. C.

H C. Thuerk, 427 State street, West LaFayette, Ind., sends in his semi-annual report showing fifteen active m e n, eight of whom have been recently initiated. We wonder how many chapters have n ever become inactive and have a record to compare with this. The November issue of the "Hour Glass" has just been published, giving passing events, and a long list of m e n in the service. We are glad to note that the "Hour Glass" main· tains its usual high standard, and that Thuerk is still on the job.

Hon. Horace W. lcDavld, Ch ic ago, a prominent lawyer of Decatur, Illinois, was re-elected to the legislature in November. He made a splendid record In tbe Fiftieth General Assembly, and Is

counted one of the most capabl e member of the House of R pr ntativ s in th Fifty-first.

Oscar C Hu ll , Michigan, 12, mourn the d eath of his wife who pass d on thei r De ro it home on Nov mb r 25, 19lf Mrs. Hull had b n a freq u nt visitor IJ the Chapter Hous at Ann Arbor. Sh was known and highly esteemed by man, of t h e Michigan hapter men.

THE JOYS FRATERNAL.

In a l ette r written to, Grand Presid n Ekblaw at the en d o f S eptem b e r Broth Wallace Meye r, Wisconsin, wrote abou th e n ecessity and th e value of keeplnr the alumni together. He said, "I saw aJ exce ll ent illustration of that point las night when, at a Wisconsin dinn e r, I me four oth er Wisconsin Acacia men, broth ers in the truest sense of the word, Majo John Tr el even, Captain Frank rock r Captain Frank Williams, and H. E. Bem di et, th e youngest member of th e nc' l War Loan Board. After th e WisconsiJ dinn e r we adjourned to Benedict's ofrtc across the street from the Tr easur building, and there we were sim ply "Tre and Frank, " Roger ," Ha rry and Walh What did we talk about? You know whal About th e old boy s; abou t the house bacl in Madison; and about the new bouse w 1 want to buy for the Wisconsin chapter so that it can start off with the c ra c k o the gun to go even further ahead of th field than it has b een in the past. W are in the army now; but for a couple o hours we digr essed , and talked abou what Acacia can be and will be in the fu tur e, and h e r future, Ekblaw, is unltm ited. W e will have t h e pick of the bee men when the bo ys come back fron France."

THE CHICAGO "I WILL."

A letter from Attorney W e ightstll Woods, advis e r for the Chicago Chapte to Grand Pres id e nt Ekblaw has the rlgb ring for th e days of r econstruction. H says:

The honor of b ei ng continued as Cha ter Advisor at Chicago is one I deep! appreciate. That the time Is ripe I great efforts for Acacia all of us kn My endeavor shall be to merit your coDf dence.

To mys elf and the Acaclans I could with early in December It seemed forepart of January was the best pe to appeal to our men after the Red Cr

W. S. S. and Christmas drives and the excitement would b e over. Hence the wait before action. On Friday last at luncheon I met with the Board of TrusLees which is the financial backbone and at present th e spiritual h eir of Chicago Chapter. The matter of the Acacia War Fund Drive was fully discuss ed, approved and planned out for prompt chapter action. An edition of the "Midway Acacian," the chapter publication, is to be gotten {)Ut at once with the "Drive" as its feature. Each r ecip ient will be urged to se nd his contribution with a letter to the Chapter. Th e Tr eas urer, Dr. Fuller, will garner the funds and forward to Grand Tr eas urer Groves at Ripon.

THE MISSOURI OUTLOOK.

Prosp ects are good with us for reopening after the holidays. We have a dozen [)ledges in the S. A. T C. h er e, and one or two act-ive m embe rs around the campus, 1nd about a dozen m e mbers in service, whom we expect to r et urn. You may be inter ested in knowing that practically 3very member of, the 1917 and 1918 chap.ers is now or has b een in active service Jxcept one or two like myself who were Jxem pted for various reasons. Captain Ashbury Roberts, 17 , has been r ece ntly ;vounded in France by shrapnel, Corporal !'a yMennes, 18, has also been wounded !lightly, at Sedan. Capta in B. C. Harris vas killed in action in Forest Argonne.

J. T. Ross, JR.

JOEL McDAVID IS DEAD.

No costlier sacrifice was laid upon the Jtar of world d em ocracy than the life of 3rother Joel McDavid of the Chicago )hapt e r. He was a splendid type of Aca' ian. He believed in the fraternity. He vorked for its interests with unceasing evotion. The tidings of his death brought , pang to many a member of Acacia to rhom he had endeared himself by his appy spirit, his frank and open ways, nd his abiding faith in the value of Acaia membership. He was born at Irving, ilinois, August 25, 1892, and died near ;aris, France, on October 12, 1918. His Tother, John R. McDavid of, Hillsboro, llinois, wrote of him:

"Joel Furnas McDavid, after graduating : om the University of Chicago Law ehool in 1916 and passing his bar exami.ations, located In Decatur, Ill., where e was making a reputation as a promistg lawyer. He enlisted May 1, 1917, in

the Office rs' Training Camp at Fort Sheridan but soon decided to enter the aviation department of the army and was transferr ed to Rantoul, Ill. He was made a first lieutenant on Decemb er 15, 1917. He reach ed England in January, 1918, where he r emaine d until April when h e was sent to France. Here he was detailed to carry officers of the army to various points along the battl e line as well as to England and to Paris. A short time previous to his d eat h he was detailed to inspect and test every flying machine sent to the army through Paris. In this capacity he had to fly every type of machine made and the work was even more hazardous than fighting b eca us e a d efect in a machine might mean death While engaged in testing ten to fifteen machines p er day he met with the accident which r esulted in his death. The plane he was driving, from some unknown cause, plunged to the earth in such a manner that his leg was broken and a piece of glass driven through his skull. Death was instantaneous."

Brother Irving L. Peterson sent a lette r to the Chicago chapter, writing from Paris, October 14, 1918. It is so frat er· nal and so clearly refl ec ts the spirit we all want Acacia to express that it is given in full:

Dear Brothers: This letter may come to you as a great surprise and you may or may not be aware of the news which it contains. I am a stranger too you but I am an Acacia Brother in the service of Uncle Sam and stationed here in Paris, working in the Headquarte rs Office of the Air Service.

Today I have had the sad experience of witnessing the burial of your esteemed member, Joel McDavid; a brother to all Acacians. On Saturday last, Brother McDavid or "Joe" as we affectionately called him, fell in an airplane that he was testing and it resulted in his death. He had been testing planes out at Buc for the past month or so and had been very successful but on Saturday a Spad side sltpped on him and crashed to the earth from a height of about 300 metres. He was picked up unconscious and never regained consciousness, breathing his last forty-five minutes later. Further details I must withhold from you at this time. He was taken to the American hospital and kept there until today when he was laid to rest.

His brother, who is a Major in the Medical Corps, was called from Tours and

THE ACACIA ' PIRIT

arri ve d h e r e Sunday night. It was a gr eat sho c k to him but he bore It manfully and I canno t h e lp but sp eak a word of prai se for him and f or hi mann Pr of acc e ptin g s o d ee p a g ri f in su c h a bea utif ul way

Th e body of " D ar Jo e" was laid to rest In an Am e ri can ce m e t e ry just outside of Pari s. It is not a beautiful place; It is just a war ce m e t e ry mad e in a hurry to r ece iv e our brav e m e n Th e casket was s corted by th e chaplain , Major McDavid, a doz e n or mor e lieutenants and one sergeant, m e I placed a spray of red roses on the grav e to represent Acacia, and so you may rest assured that the final resting place of one of our beloved brothers has not been forgotten in this land across the sea. I am greatly consoled by the fact that I could be present and represent you and all of our cherished fraternity on such an occasion.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, we were together for dinner and spent the afternoon in his room talking over the past, present and future. When I left him he gave me a couple of small snap shots of himself and four copies of the "Acacia Spirit" which were new to me. We parted then, expect· ing to meet again the following Saturday night, but "Joe" never saw the evening. Thus I have told you briefly of the pass· ing of one "Real Acacian" and the adding of one more honorable name to the nation's supreme sacrifices. Our grief Is small compared to that of those whose life was lighted by this life that has passed and may we as Acacia Brothers do all we can to alleviate the pain caused by this "hellish" institution, "Kultur."

Hon. Horace W. McDavid of Decatur, Illinois, a cousin of Joel and a brother Acacian, sent in a copy of a local newspaper describing a memorial meeting held in that city on November 25, 1918 Every member of the Decatur bar was present; a remarkable fact because of the short time during which Joel McDavid practised there, but wonderfully significant of his winning ways. Part of the minute entered in the records of the bar assocla· tion Is unusually Interesting. It was an extract from a letter from Major Me· David who wrote that "wh n he went to Joel's room he found the casket covered with beautiful flowers and the room strewn with autumn leaves. This had been done by Joel's associates. They were very nervous and broken up over the accident, not only on account of their re· gard for him but because they considered him the safest flyer them all. He

was also regarded by th e army officers u one of the safest flyers they had In Paris, and this is shown by the fact that many office rs of the English and Fr e nch govrnm e nts we r e carri ed by him to dltf t · nt parts of the front. He had also madt• a flight to th e Italian front and on acros th English channel.··

WILLIAM EARLE MOSHER. William Earle Mosher, originally from the Syracuse Chapter and lat r from the University of Illinois, died In Washing ton, D. C., October 12, 1918, from pneumonia. He had been serving as assiBt· ant supervising engineer of the American transport service In charge of marine refrigeration. He had been r commended for a major's commission In the quartermaster corps. He was an unusually brilliant and promising young engineer. He was little more than a dwarf in stature, and will be remembered at Illinois lUI having taken various parts in student dramatics. He was born in Stillwater, N. Y., Jan. 10, 1888, and attended the Mechanicsville, N. Y., high school and Syracuse University. H received hie master's degree at Illinois In 1913. He traveled widely as an employe of tile United Fruit and Dispatch companies and the United States Department of Alri· culture. He was becoming well known as a refrigerating engineer.

( ontlnu l' d fr o m I'ng1• Four)

As soon as the drive is initiated It le incumbent on every Acacian who has tile interest of his fraternity at heart, to whom loyalty and fraternity Is somethl more than mere shadow, not only to tribute his full part, but to urge ev other broth r to his utmost. To those of our brothers who are more richly dowed with this world's goods than thls message comes with special Pm1n••-, sis, for they it is who must fill left by our heroic dead and by sent and lost to record. We trust there is no slacker in will not contribute at least his

Send your contributions either hapter Adviser, or to your Grand tary, always stating to which chapter wish credit to go.

Then here's to Acacia, and the succ ss of the drlv . Every man's der to the wheel, and we're orr rush! We're going far "over the and beyond!

For the Grand Council, W. EL)IER EKBLA w. Grand