THE TRIAD OF ACACIA FRATERNITY VOLUME XL
SUMMER, 1946
NUMBER 4
Conclave and Training School Plans Ready August 28 to 31 According to a d vance information turned in by the chapters, over 100 will be in attendance at the Second Officers' Training School and Twenty-Fourth National Conclave of Acacia to be held on the Chicago campus of Northwestern University this August. Registration will be Tuesday afternoon, Aug ust 27, and the opening session will be at 9 o'clock Wednesday morning, immediately following breakfast. The tra ining school sessions will last thro ugh Friday morning, with the Conclave sessions beginning at 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, ending early Saturday afternoon. Comfortable dormitory accommodations will be provided on the campus and a commons dining room has been secured for all meals. A committee has been appointed to h elp secure hotel accommodations for wives and other women m embers of families of delegates who will be in attendance. In order to insure adequate accommodations for all, however, the national office requests that they be informed immediately of all who plan to attend. As you k now, national president Walter W. K olbe has announced that the Council has agreed that each chapter should have a t lea st five of its . members in attendance - the Chapter Adviser and the Venerable Dean, plus three additional delegates, preferably officers elect. The traveling expenses including meal and hotel charges will be paid for the two regular delegates, and the national fraternity will also pay the board and room for the three extra delegates attending the school and the Conclave. A social program is also being planned for two evenings, leaving other evenings free for group discussions and individual excursions into Chicagoland. Members are urged to bring bathing
trunks in order to take advantage of Chicago's beaches on the sandy shores of L ake Michigan. Arrangements are being made for those who desire to ta ke conducted tours of the No rthwestern Evanston campus, the North Shore, and Chicago. Following the introduction of Officers and Del egates to the Twenty-Fourth Conclave on Wednesday morning, the training school sessions will begin with talks and a discussion on the history of the coll ege fraternity system as a whole, leading into the history of Acacia. This will be followed by a discussion of the duties of National Officers and a session on m aintaining local chapter traditions and customs. The morning session will be co.n ducted by John C. Erwin and Charles W . Jarrett and participation of the delegates at all sessions will be encouraged . The Wednesday afternoon session will be devoted to a discussion of pledge training and control led by William D. Ross. All chapters are invited to present local manuals and helps at this time. Publications of the National Fraternity and of the chapters will also be discussed and presented . Since the balance of this session will be devoted to a discussion of rushing practices and techniques, each chapter is requested to come prepared to present its individual problems and to introduce proved methods and techniques, along with samples of rushing letters, pamphlets, and other publications and helps. The Thursday morning session will begin with a discussion on the control and expenditu res of chapter financ es, the duties of the financial adviser, the building and balancing of budgets, the alumni corporation, duties of the chap-
ter adviser, and the use of various record forms by the National Office. Clifford D. Jacobs and Mrs. Edith A. May have been asked to help lead in this morning's discussion. This will be fol lowed by a talk on the Chapter Adviser and his duties g iven by Marion H . Huber. The afternoon program will include a disc ussion on maintaining scholarship, the athletic and intra-mural program, and chapter social functions, led by J ames M. Howard and Jack S. Kilby. A discussion on establishing and maintaining house rules and chapter by-laws will be led by Verne Zellmer. The Friday morning session will be devoted to the subject of rituals and initiations and a discussion of university-fraternity policies. Any unfinished business from the training school will be t aken up at this time. In order to facilitate discussion, arrangements will be made for groups of members of various chapters interested in various phases of fraternity life which may apply to them in particular, to meet separately. The opening Conclave session will be at 1 :30 p.m., Friday afternoon, continuing Saturday morning, with the elections of National Officers early Saturday afternoo n. Those who have particular matters to bring before the Conclave Session or who wish to submit the names of candidates for the National Offices should write to Walter W. Kolbe, in advance, addressing all correspondence to 1075 Pelham Road, Winnetka, Illinois. We are anxious to have full participation of all delegates, and many are being a sked to help lead the discussions on various subjects. A full and interesting program is being planned to build a better future for Acacia and its men.
THE TRIAD, Summer, 1946
94
Those desiring particular information on arrival in Chicago may contact John C. (Jack) Erwin at Northwestern University by calling UNiversity 1900. Make your plans now to attend!
through their president, Bill Stone. The active alumni here number 150 to ZOO. The total number of alumni for whom we have names and addresses is over 300.
Acacia Club at the University of Southern California
8. With the present organization of university officials, Masons and Acacia alumni, our plans are to have the house at Southern California this fall. At that time the formal application for a charter will be presented."
The following letter was received recently from Frederick W. Anderson, California '41, 515 Marguerita Avenue, Santa Monica, California: "The Southern California Chapter of Acacia is well on its way toward establishm ent. The status quo may be summed up in the following statements:
In this connection we might say that plan is also on foot to organize an Acacia Club at U.C.L.A. this fall. This Nill strengthen the S.C. Chapter and provide healthy competition. 1
We Need Your Help
1. A regular meeting has been main-
tained throughout the semester. 2. A minimum group of 25 has been in attendance.
The National Council is emphasizing the reactivation of closed chapters md establishment of a few new chapters at some of the outstanding univer>ities. With this aim in view, the na;ional office has contacted all Acacians who were active in 1941-1944, but who tre not listed among the actives of those chapters now operating. We have 1sked them the following questions:
3. The following officers have been elected and are now functioning. They are : V.>nerable Dean . .. . .. Howard Wagner Senior Dean ....... . .. Leonard Turner Junior Dean . . .. . .. . . .. .. . Louis Selk Secretary .. ........ Frank A. Johnson Treasurer ... . .. . . . . . .. Preston Evans
Are you returning to school ? ... . .... .
4. A constitution has been adopted.
When? ...... . ............... . ... . . .
5. The g roup has participated in numerous activities.
As graduate? .... Undergraduate? . .. .
6. The university authorities have been contacted and are giving us their cooperation. They are: a. The Chancellor of the University, Dr. Ruffus B. von Kleinsmid, has sanctioned our efforts and has enlisted the aid of his Masonic Lodge for our interests in securing a house and a house corporation. b. The Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Robert Vivian, has been in attendance at our meetings and is in sympathy with our cause. c. The head of the Geology Department, Professor Thomas Clements, has assured us of his cooperation. d. The head of the Commercial Aviation Department, Professor Craig, who is an Acacian from the Nebraska Chapter, has extended us every facility at his command. e. The support of the football coach has been assured by Chancellor von Kleinsmid.
Where did you attend prior to war? ..
7. There has been considerable alumni support and interest in our efforts . Through the combined efforts of Bob Weber of the California Chapter (now at U.C.L.A.), Bob Soukup (Michigan Chapter, V.D. '43) and myself, the alumni in this area have been reactivated
University ..... . ... . .. . ........... .
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If you know of any men who are at·:ending schools where we have closed ~hapters, or where we have no chapter representation, please send us theh 1ames and addresses, and the name of ;he school. Such men could form a nu~leus around which a future chapter of <\.cacia could be built. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
Silver Anniversaries The Indiana Chapter had its twenty1fth birthday on May 22, 1945. Through ;he efforts of Lester G. Ruch, '20, the ; arious alumni were contacted regarding a $25.00 contribution from each one :o commemorate this anniversary. The 3.rst seventy to receive the contributor's )ook responded 100%, and those reach~d later are showing the same spirit of ~enerosity, giving eloquent testimony lf their devotion to their chapter. Each ~ ontributor is asked to give his idea as o the expenditure of this fund, and the noney will be used in accordance with the wishes of the greatest number. It has been proposed that an apJropriate ceremony be held on the oc:asion of one of the fall football games, at which time this good-will gift from Indiana Acacians will be presented to the chapter. Plans are under way to
t:nveil a plaque bearing the names of ail the donors as part of this ceremony. Northwestern Chapter a 1 so celebrated the twenty-fifth Anniversary of the reorganization of the chapter on the ca mpus in Evanston. This celebration was a banquet on May 11, 1946, and commemorated three events - the 42nd Annual Founders' Day; the 25th Anni' ersary of the Northwestern Chapter; and the first Post-War Reun ion.
General Chapter Information Looking over the chapter situation as a whole, we are glad to report that many chapters are already up to prewar strength, and a number have exceeded t h e i r pre-war membership. Some chapters whose houses had not been returned this past year, have not forged ahead so rapidly, but in some ca ses the men have not allowed even this c:rcumstance to be an obstacle in the building up of their membership. Howe·. er, all the houses will be returned by this fall, and we can look forw~rd to great growth on all fronts. Certamly conditions could never be more favorable for the selection and pledging of good representative Acacians. The chapters which remained active during the war years learned many vah: able lessons regarding thrift. Current bills were paid promptly, and collection campaigns were carried on to collect accounts due them. Several chapters have cleared up their entire indebtedness to the national fraternity, and other s are reducing the amounts regularly. Budgets and efficient business methods in house management are an integral part of the Officers' Training School sessions, and no chapter should miss this opportunity to send representatives . Most school authorities are convinced of the value of the fraternity system, and are working hard to establish the fraternities on a higher level by correcting many objectionable features, and advancing tQeir scholarship ratings. They are cognizant of the fact that these weaknesses must be eliminated if fraternities are to justify their existence and prove their usefulness. Your national officers are urging a full cooperation of all chapters of Acacia with the deans of men and other college authorities.
It has been encouraging to note the a cti ve support being given to the various chapters by the alumni . These undergraduate members need the advice and guidance of more mature, exper ienced men, and they gain courage from the realization that their alumni are interested and will back them up in every worthy undertaking. This support is particularly necessary where chapters are being reactivated, and we hope that all those not already enlisted in this work will join forces with those who are helping now.
THE TRIAD, Summer, 1946
WHAT IS A COLLEGE? by
GRACE V. WATKINS Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa A college is leaving homeThat first going away, Parting from long-loved faces; Bewilderment on the campus: Awe of the seniors and juniors, Fear of the sophomores; Registration, and a maze of details; Choking back tears of homesickness; Swallowing strange food And longing for mother's home made bread; Learning the college songs, Rush parties and pledging, and the gay thrill Of the first college date; And gradually, imperceptibly, Fierce devotion and pride.
A college is pep rallies and football games, Crisp brown afternoons, Marching bands And cheer leaders splashing their red and gold Against October; Deafening shouts and touchdowns and wild cheering, Bear hugging and dancing a jig When the victory is won.
A college is classes, Shivering and sleepy treks AcroEs the campus in early winter darkness Quaking students, nervous students, Those who are bored, challeng!!d, Fired with purpose, discouraged, Proud of an A, Dampened by a D; A coiiege is term papers and chemistry labs, Piano lessons and choir, Checking out library books, And burning midnight oil.
A college is the faculty: The assistantYoung and important, Condescendingly polite, vaguely aloof, Lecturing in words of four syllables, And giving brain-cracking exams; The professor-
Mellow as wheat in August sunlight, Telling the same jokes he told twenty years ago, Forgetting the day of the quiz, Gently affectionate, A sking students about their homes and parents, About their hobbies and ambitions, Weaving bits of philosophy into the web of facts and theories, Tinting the prosaic with an aura of beautiful painting, Fine poetry, sublime music. A college is th ~ alumni coming back,
Plump and prosperous, Threadbare and tired; The superintendent from Podunk Center, Frayed, but with beaming pride, The president of a far away Junior College, Coming back as baccalaureate speaker, The famous surgeon from New York City, The prim housewife who was Beauty Queen in 19ZO, The farmer with distance of prairies in his eyes; A college is the alumni who will never come back, Who lie beneath small white crosses in France And England and China and the islands of the sea;
A college is academic robes in a long line That moves calmly as river on a June morning, Seniors receiving degrees With gladness and pride and quick grief of parting, And tears on the faces of the class of 1890, As they watch and remember.
A college is a singing stride Toward the portals of maturity, A way of life deep-rooted as a pine; A candle in a quiet aisle of prayer; And fear and fulfillment, And looking forward and looking back. A college goes on forever, Not in microscopes or maps, Or ledgers or violins, Or even tall maples that brush the sky, But in the still reaches of the hearts That having loved it, and afterward understood it, Bear its mark forever.
THE TRIAD, Summer, 1946
96
NATIONAL OFFICERS
THE TRIAD
President-WALTER W. KOLBE----------------------------------1075 Pelham Road, Winnetka, Ill.
of Acacia Fraternity
Treasurer-W. A. KNAPP ........................................ Purdue University, \ 'Vest Lafayette, Ind.
Counsellor-CLARENCE E. TOBIAS, JR. ............ 4 13 Pembroke R oad, Bala-Cynwyd, P a.
Entered as second-cla ss matter at the post office in Fulton, Missouri . The TRIAD is the officia l publication of the Acacia Fraternity, a general college fraternity, originally founded by and re stricted to ~1asons, fo unded at the University o f Michigan, May 12, 1904.
Secretary-CECIL BRITE ........................................ University of Oklahoma,
orman, Okla.
Editor-HERSCHEL L. WASHINGTON ............ 13 22 Commerce Bldg., Kan sas City, Mo. Chairman, Jurisp rudence Committee-LLOYD H . R UPPENTHAL ........ McPherson, Kan. HEADQUA R TERS STAFF
The TRIAD is published four times each yea r as a quarterly. The publi sher's office s are located at 1205 Bluff Street (The Ovid Bell Press, Inc.), F ulton, Missouri.
TRIAD Editor............ J ohn C. Erwin Office Manager ............ Mrs. Edith A . May 7 530 Sheridan R oad, Chicago 26, Illinois
Subscription rates are $ 1. 00 per year, $1. 75 for two years, $2.50 for three yea rs, and $15.00 for life, paya ble in advance to the National Headquarters.
CENTRALIZED RUSHING BUREAU
Help Build for a Greater ACACIA
Notices of change of address, including fo rm 3578, subscription o rders, and correspondence o f a business nature should be sen t to the Acacia Fraternity, 1201-5 Bluff Street, Fulton, Missouri, or t o 7530 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, Illinois.
Send Us Names of Prospective Pledges! The National Headquarters is trying to stress the importance of Alumni Aid in rushing, and to simplify the procedure. This is to be done through the maintenance of a central clearing house for alumni rushing recommendations. Information so provided will be passed on immediately to the interested chapters. Now that normal chapter activities are being restored, it is important that this a id to rushing be adopted by each of you who reads this. Send in your recommendations on the form provided below and we'll do the rest. The fall term is not far away, so please act at once! Additional blanks can be had on request from the National Headquarter s, 7530 Sheridan Road, Chicago 26, Illinois.
John C. Erwin, Editor, 7530 Sheridan Road Chicago 26, Illinois ASSOCIATE EDITO RS Herschel L. Wa shington, 1322 Com merce Building, K ansas City, Mo.; Ceci l H. Haas, 2920 Ca rew Tower, Cincinnati 2, Ohio; Luther G. Andrews, Stuart B uilding, Lincoln, Nebr.
Acacia Fraternity, National Headquarters 7530 Sheridan Road, Chicago 26, Illinois I recommend for the consideration of Acacia the names of the following men who will enter universities this fall at which chapters of Acacia ar e located :
Name
Address
College Entering
Comment
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Fraternally yours, Name ___________ __________ ____ _______ _________ ____ ·-·-·-·---·------·-·-·--------------------·-·-·-·-··---·---------·-·--·--·---··-----·--- ·------ -- -------- ---------------Chapter ___________________ ____ ____ __ Address .................................. ________________ ·--·-·-·-·-·--------·------·-·····------··-· ·-- ·· -- ···- ........ . ·-···-···-··-·-·----·---- -------- -------- ·----------------------·----·-·--·---·-·--·-·---··--