Of the Man Who I Had Become. There Is No Better
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Jeremy N. Davis, Iowa State ‘00 President Acacia Fraternity International Council Tell Your Acacia Story President It’s an exciting time to be an Acacian! Our fraternity continues to and community leaders, and with other individuals who you improve itself through membership growth at our local chap- believe would benefit from hearing the Acacia story. ters, enhanced efforts at Acacia Headquarters through maximiz- ing our staff resources and skill-sets, and a stronger commit- With the fall semester coming to a close at many of our host ment to educational and leadership programming through our colleges and universities, our chapters and undergraduate Cornerstones program for our undergraduate brothers. brothers will be communicating the story of Acacia through activities such the Acacia Claus Holiday Toy Drive, initiating new At the 58th Biennial Conclave and Leadership Academy held in brothers into our fraternity, and electing new chapter officers Nashville, Tennessee, I was honored and humbled to be elected to lead our chapters for the upcoming year. The end of the fall as the 25th International President to serve Acacia Fraternity. semester is an exciting Having the opportunity to serve Acacia Fraternity is a tremen- time for our under- It is important dous responsibility and one which I, along with the brothers graduate chapters as who serve on the International Council, do not take lightly! At current chapter leaders for our alumni to the Conclave, delegates also approved the 2014 Strategic Plan, are able to reflect upon provide support Playing In Rhythm, which provides the operational framework their year of service while Message from the from Message and guidance to guide our fraternity for the next six years. We look forward to providing insight to the achieving the goals contained within the strategic plan, which newly elected chapter this season to our include enhanced alumni involvement and engagement; suc- officers through effective newly elected cessful expansion and recolonization projects at the University chapter officer transition of Iowa, Indiana University, and the University of Minnesota, just programs. For our alumni, chapter leaders. to name a few; sustained financial operations; effective utiliza- especially those who serve in advisory roles with our chapters, it tion of Headquarters staffing resources to ensure that we meet is important to provide the support and guidance this season to the needs of the International Fraternity the newly elected chapter leadership as they begin to set their Too often, and support our local chapters through goals and plans for the upcoming year. As is no surprise, the suc- effective chapter visits; and through cess of our new colonies, along with the continued success of we overlook continued enhancement and integration our existing chapters, requires alumni brothers who are willing our success. of Cornerstones. to volunteer their time to support the chapters and undergradu- ate brothers by providing guidance and serving in key advisory I challenge At the Conclave’s closing banquet, I roles. If you are willing, I know that every chapter and colony each of us spoke about the need for us to do a would welcome your offer to assist and serve as a Chapter Advi- better job of sharing the story of Acacia sor or as a member of a Chapter Advisory Board. to share Fraternity — within our chapters, at the story of our host colleges and universities, our Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank Brother Rob Rob- Acacia. communities, and with each other. Too erson, immediate-past International President, for his service to often, we overlook our success. Going Acacia Fraternity. I consider Brother Roberson a trusted friend forward, I challenge each of our brothers, from our undergradu- and mentor, and I sincerely appreciate his service to Acacia ate chapters to our alumni associations and housing corporation Fraternity. boards, to enthusiastically share the story of Acacia. Perhaps it’s a story about why you or a fellow brother joined Acacia, or Thank you again for placing your trust in me, and in each maybe it’s sharing the positive feedback from a community brother who has volunteered and been elected to serve as a volunteer activity, or perhaps it’s what brotherhood means to member of the International Council of Acacia Fraternity. We are you. Effectively sharing your Acacia story will help those around excited for the opportunity to lead the fraternity and will work you better understand our great Fraternity! hard to earn your trust! We will share the Acacia story in The TRIAD, through our online Fraternally, presence (acacia.org, Facebook, and Twitter); and, most impor- tantly, through one-on-one interactions with our fellow broth- ers, with potential new members and families, with university Jeremy N. Davis 1 International Council On the cover: Acacia remains steadfast through changing seasons. of Acacia Fraternity Counterclockwise from top left: 1) New International President Jeremy N. Davis addresses the Conclave as Past International Presidents Gerald C. Cook (left) and Robert E. 2014-2016 Roberson (right) are seated. 2) Roy C. Clark presents a chapter with its charter. 3) Executive Director Patrick McGovern presents Illinois State Venerable Dean Ryan Ferguson with the chapter’s charter. 4) State Day at the Columbia Club in Indianapolis. 5) 2014 Conclave delegates seated along the triangle. 6) Washington Colony Re-Founding President Fathers post-initiation at the Masonic Lodge. 7) A chapter at the Masonic Lodge. 8) Acacia chapter houses (from bottom): Wisconsin, Cornell, Iowa State, Oregon State. Jeremy N. Davis Iowa State ’00 First Vice President Scott H. Meyer Inside this issue: St. Cloud State ‘89 Second Vice President Page 5: Justin M.M. Kaplan Carleton ’07 Finding Our Rhythm Conclave 2014 Recap International Counselor George A. “Chip” Ray Penn State ’10 Page 7: Acacia’s Strategic Plan International Treasurer & A Season of Service Robert W. Mickam Texas ‘85 Judge Advocate Page 9: Maximillian J.B. Hopkins Major renovations at California ’80 Penn State Acacia Undergraduate Counselors Drew K. Sherman Jonathan C. Veres Iowa State ‘11 California (PA) ’10 Page 11: Chapter News & Updates Acacia Fraternity Foundation Board of Directors 2014-2015 Page 17: Alumni News & Notes President Donald W. Solanas, Jr. Louisiana State ’68 Vice President Executive Director Page 19: L. Dennis Smith Darold W. Larson 2013-2014 Acacia Fraternity Indiana ‘56 Washington State ‘81 Foundation Donors Secretary Treasurer James Katsaounis Bryan W. Dowd Ohio ‘95 Morningside ‘02 Directors Dr. John C. Barber Amos D. Meyers Purdue ’58, Emeritus Shippensburg ‘66 C. Arlie Beane Gregory J. Owen Find Acacia online: Oklahoma ‘54 Carleton ‘88 John F. Beering John H. Peper Purdue ’88, Emeritus Texas ‘71 John “Chip” Brueckman John B. Pugh Cornell ‘76 Iowa State ’50, Emeritus Christopher J. Caywood Richard S. Rasmussen Michigan ’80 California ‘80 Gerald C. Cook William M. Riley Shippensburg ’66 Kansas State ‘60 Brian R. Durst Larry E. Schroeder Wisconsin ‘87 Georgia ’77 Scott C. Graham Robert G. Travnicek, M.D. Penn State ‘98 Kansas ‘59 Mark R. Guidry, Jr. Michael C. Tu www.acacia.org Louisiana State ‘57 California ‘91 David L. Ferguson Dewayne E. Ullsperger facebook.com/acaciafraternity Indiana ‘74 Nebraska ‘82 linkedin.com/groups?gid=43995 Andrew Jee William A. Utic Oregon State ‘87 Cornell ‘74 @AcaciaHQ (ACACIA ON FACEBOOK) Ronald T. Hopkins John W. Wedgwood Syracuse ‘69 Purdue ’60, Emeritus The TRIAD, Fall 2014 issue, is published by Acacia Fraternity, Inc. Scott J. Houston Robert D. Wilkes Patrick W. McGovern, Editor Michael Pastko, Co-editor and Design Indiana ‘80 Iowa ‘89 Dr. John B. Lane Address changes, correspondence and material for publication may be mailed to: TRIAD Editor, Acacia Fraternity, 8777 Purdue Road, Suite 225, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or Vermont ‘57, Emeritus Harold D. Zarr, Jr. emailed to: [email protected]. All submissions are subject to editing for space and 2 Iowa State ‘73 clarity. Standard postage paid in Indianapolis, IN. Patrick W. McGovern, Indiana ‘99 Executive Director Acacia Fraternity Reconciling that Thought of Change as a Constant Plato credits the philosopher Heraclitus with the quote, A little personal reflection after having new experiences “Everything changes and nothing stands still.” Francois de la offers the time and space to allow those experiences to Rochefoucauld is credited with a variant quote, expressing change who you are, over time. This idea is evident in the same idea, “The only constant in life is change.” Acacia’s Cornerstones program (acacia.org/cornerstones), wherein our undergraduate members are encouraged to Recently, while traveling to Phoenix with my two-year reflect on their own values and vision, and then engage in old daughter, Ruby, and my wife, Carrie, I reflected on the as much relevant experiential learning as is possible during Executive Director changes in my life that have accompanied becoming a hus- their time in college. What they experience and learn is likely band and father. In both of these experiences, I felt a shift in to cause lasting change in who they are. my sense of self, a change in who I am, a change in the lens through which I see the world. “Everything changes and nothing stands still.” In the fraternity, we see this in the change from a prospect to a There was a change in my relationships with others which pledge, a pledge to an active, an active to an alumnus. We led to a change in my relationship with myself. Now I value a are reminded of it in our Ritual. One of the beautiful parts good night’s sleep where I used to value a lively night on the about our fraternity is that while much changes in the world town. Now I value proactively cleaning the kitchen where I surrounding us, our oath to Aca- used to value beating my roommates in the Leaning Tower cia and the commitments we’ve There is of Dishes contest.