Over $1.5 Million Pledged to Secure the Future of Acacia Illinois
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ACACIA FRATERNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS • SPRING 2009 Over $1.5 Million Pledged to Secure the Future of Acacia Illinois We are pleased to report that as of March on several potential building purchase to be required to comply with the new 20, 2009, over 200 Acacia alumni and opportunities. However, to date, none of local fi re sprinkling ordinance, requiring friends have pledged over $1.5 million to the these opportunities have been deemed to be meaningful capital expenditures. Having Acacia Illinois Securing the Future Campaign. acceptable for either structural or fi nancial $500,000 of cash in hand along with $1 Of this amount, approximately $500,000 has reasons. Th e Board remains optimistic that million in committed pledges gives our been collected to date (approximately 96% a solid acquisition opportunity will become Board a strong position in negotiating a of billed amounts). Th ese funds have been available as fraternities and sororities begin favorable real estate acquisition from an invested in conservative assets with the goal organization that may not be able to comply of preserving the principal. with the new housing requirements. Th e fact that we have been able to raise We continue to ask for support from approximately 87% of our $1.75 million those alumni that have not yet participated goal thus far is remarkable given the short in the Capital Campaign. We recognize that time that the Capital Campaign has been in for some alumni, seeing an actual rendering existence and also taking into account both of a new house or the Board’s purchase of the current diffi cult economic environment a specifi c property is important to their and the deteriorating stock markets. In participation in the Capital Campaign. We the face of these diffi cult economic times and personal fi nancial sacrifi ces, Acacia continued on page 5 brothers have nevertheless stepped forward to support our eff orts to fi nd a permanent home for our fraternity. As many of you are aware, since 1991, Chapter Adviser’s Report Acacia at the University of Illinois has been By Joe Scavuzzo ’05 forced to lease temporary housing. We have had no permanent home to call our own. Good Brothers of the past and the improvement. Signifi cant and noteworthy In 2005, the Acacia Board of Directors present, I am sincerely enthused to fi nd strides are currently being taken in order to obtained a four-year lease (subsequently myself in my present position. Acting as ensure Acacia Illinois’ name is synonymous extended) and moved into the unoccupied a chapter adviser to the Acacia Illinois with giving back on the UIUC campus SAE house at 211 East Daniel. While Chapter, I can claim fi rst-hand witness to and in the greater Champaign/Urbana this home has exceeded all anticipated several remarkable happenings taking place metropolitan area. expectations, from the onset of the move, in Champaign. Just as the Corporation Rather than focus solely on monetary we knew it was only a temporary fi x for Board had hoped, the active chapter was collections or volunteering man hours, the Chapter. Sigma Alpha Epsilon remains invigorated by our most recent win of the Acacia Illinois has developed a philanthropy determined to recolonize their chapter, and Malcolm Award. Rather than allowing strategy encompassing several facets. So far we must move out by the Fall 2010. Th ough complacency into the halls of Acacia, the this academic year, Acacia Illinois has logged we are taking the necessary measures to active chapter has utilized this momentous approximately 498 man hours of voluntary ensure Acacia Illinois is not without a success as a new benchmark to strive toward community service – ranking Acacia 11th Chapter home at that time, further planning over the coming months and years. out of the 46 fraternities belonging to the and action is required to secure permanent Ever mindful of the oath taken upon IFC. We are currently on track to log the housing. activation, community service has been a most service hours our chapter has seen in At this point, considerable time and major focus for the active leadership over nine years. energy is being expended by the Board of the past few months. Drawing upon the In conjunction with this, the current Directors pursuing all housing alternatives. foundation set in place by the Acacia Illinois philanthropy chair, Patrick Couture ’07, is Board member Mike Duncan ’74, is leading strategic plan, “Realizing Our Potential”, coordinating a food drive with the women of the real estate search eff orts on behalf of the active membership has identifi ed the Board and has conducted due diligence philanthropy as a key area which needs continued on page 4 second half. We were not able to keep up Updates from the Undergraduate Chapter and they were able to pull away. Our last New Members for Spring 2009 and mentally infi rm of the local community. game is against Delta Upsilon and if we win that game there is a good chance we will be By Mike Frumm ’07, Head Pledge Educator Th e men of Acacia have maintained this relationship with Circle of Friends Adult in the playoff s. Six freshmen are pledging our chapter Day Center and are continuing to volunteer this semester. We are about a month into into the current Spring semester, doubling Spring Social Calendar the pledgeship and the pledges are all doing the amount of time they served the prior By Scott Staiton ’07, Social Chair extremely well. Two pledges reside from weeks. Lindenhurst, IL: Brett Scheffl er and Kyle In addition to the commitment at Circle Our chapter this semester is participating Gallagher; one from Mount Prospect, IL: of Friends, Acacia also pledged to volunteer in one of the best social calendars in years. Collin Burdick; one from La Jolla, CA: at the local Champaign community Acacia’s positive relationships with the Lucas Barra; one from Highland Park, IL: Salvation Army Center. Every week, sororities on this campus have led to the Dylan Carrigan; and one from Chicago, Acacia members visit the Salvation Army ability to host exchanges with every house IL: Wyatt Harris. Harris is the only pledge Headquarters and do whatever necessary to we ask. As a result, we are fortunate to having declared a major thus far and has assist the staff of the Salvation Army. have large, off -campus events planned with decided to study Speech and Hearing In terms of philanthropic events, Acacia Kappa Alpha Th eta, Delta Delta Delta, Science. hosted two events in the Fall semester. Th e Chi Omega, Delta Gamma and Gamma Several other men are considering annual Acacia Bowl, a football tournament Phi Beta. We also have smaller, on-campus pledging Acacia. Th ese men are exploring for charity, was a tremendous success. events planned with Alpha Chi Omega, their options before making anything Six other larger fraternities and sororities Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Phi and offi cial. Th e pledges are quickly getting to attended. Th e second philanthropy, Acacia Kappa Delta. know all of the active members in the house Claus, is quickly becoming the biggest and Events this semester range from ice and are in the process of learning the Acacia most infl uential philanthropy event of the skating with Alpha Chi Omega in early ways. Th e house is really trying to help these Fall semester. Over 300 toys were collected March to a barn dance with Gamma Phi freshmen adjust to college life by stressing and donated through our eff orts to Toy for Beta in April. Th ese exchanges allow us to the importance of time management and Tots. As the Spring semester begins, Acacia strengthen the ties we have formed with our how there needs to be a balance between is extremely optimistic for the future of its brothers as well as create new ones with the school and recreational time. philanthropy eff orts and results. sororities we have the privilege of hosting. Pledge educators have implemented Currently, a food drive to benefi t the a ‘study hours’ system where pledges are Eastern Illinois Food Bank is in progress. Report from the required to go to the library a few nights So far, over $500 in canned food has been Venerable Dean each week in order to stay on top of their raised for this cause. Every member of Acacia By Matt Schild ’07, Venerable Dean studies. All pledges were presented with is extremely excited for the future of Acacia the option of being socially active and service and philanthropy. Acacia Illinois is off to fi ve decided to do so. By being socially another excellent semester. active, the pledges are meeting a lot of new Intramurals Rush has gone very well sorority women and are building their social By Casey Savatski ’07, Intramural Chair and our new member networks. Th e six pledges are all great men education process is and the chapter is anticipating they will Acacia’s 2009 underway. Operationally, eventually become contributing members to Intramural basketball team we are really working to Acacia. is off to a terrifi c start. make sure everything in the house runs Our team at the moment smoothly as a place of residence. Some Philanthropy has a 2-1 record with 1 improvements over the last couple of By Pat Couture ’07, Philanthropy Chair game still to go. In the fi rst months include the purchase of a George game, we convincingly beat Foreman grill, increased vegetables in our Th roughout the course the Delts 45-32 behind Aaron Mechling salad bar and an orange juice dispenser.