Acacia Fraternity is a social fraternity originally based out of Masonic tradition. At its founding in 1904, membership was originally restricted to those who had taken the Masonic obligations, and the organization was built on those ideals and principles. Within one year, four other Masonic clubs received Acacia charters, paving the way for rapid expansion in the following years. Today the bonds with the Free and Accepted Masons vary amongst Acacia chapters, for some the tie is more distant and informal while others work closely with their local Masonic lodge(s). Acacia distinguishes itself from other fraternities by being one of three (inter)national fraternities that uses a word instead of Greek letters; Acacia is the only (inter)national fraternity to have a Greek word rather than Greek letters as its name. Greek does not contain the letter "c"; however, so the proper Greek spelling of the name is Ακακια. Acacia was one of the charter members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference in 1909. Acacia's fundamental principles are scholarship, leadership, brotherhood and human service/philanthropy. Image File history File links The crest of the Acacia Fraternity. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public coeducational university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... Cartesian means relating to the French mathematician and philosopher Descartes, who, among other things, worked to merge algebra and Euclidean geometry. ... Media:Example. ... A colony is a probationary member of a national fraternity. ... The terms fraternity and sorority (from the Latin words and , meaning brother and sister respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Rotary International, Optimist International, or the Shriners. ... Freemason and Freemasons redirect here. ... The North-American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC), (formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of collegiate mens fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. ...

General history

Acacia Fraternity was founded on May 12, 1904 by a group of 14 Freemasons attending the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. 13 of the founders were Christians and one was Jewish. The first chapter was designated the Aleph(א) chapter. Subsequent chapters of Acacia were designated by Hebrew letters until 1913 when this system was replaced by naming each chapter by the school in which it resides (e.g., the Acacia chapter at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is designated the Rensselaer Chapter of The Acacia Fraternity). Furthermore, the Chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia has historically been called the Mem chapter, 13 in Hebrew respectively, but is more commonly referred to as the Missouri Chapter. Acacia Fraternity became International in 1988 at the 45th Conclave with the petitioning of two Canadian chapters the University of Western Ontario Chapter and the Carleton University Chapter. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... American Square & Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public coeducational university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a nonsectarian, coeducational private research university in Troy, New York, a city close to the state capital Albany. ... The University of Western Ontario (known as Western, as well as UWO or Western Ontario) is a research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. ... This article is about the university in Ottawa, Ontario. ...

Founding members

The founding member of the Acacia Fraternity are:

James M. Cooper, Benjamin E. DeRoy, Edward E. Gallup, Jared W. Hawkins, Clarence G. Hill, Harvey J. Howard, George A. Malcolm, William J. Marshall, Ernest R. Ringo, Harlan P. Rowe, Ralph B. Scatterday, Charles A. Sink, Harry B. Washburn, Walter S. Wheeler George A. Malcolm (November 5, 1881 — May 16, 1961) was an American lawyer who emerged as an influential figure in the development of the practice of law in the Philippines in the 20th century. ...

Image File history File links Acacia_founders. ...

Symbolism

Symbolism is very important in any fraternity, and Acacia is no different. The main symbol and representation of Acacia occurs within a 3-4-5 (base-altitude-hypotenuse) right triangle of the first quadrant. This triangle holds very special significance to the fraternity and its members. Unless specified otherwise, whenever a triangle is mentioned in this article, a 3-4-5 right triangle of the first quadrant is what is meant. A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three vertices and three sides which are straight line segments. ... In geometry, an altitude of a triangle is a straight line through a vertex and perpendicular to (i. ... A right triangle and its hypotenuse, h, along with catheti, c1 and c2. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... Cartesian means relating to the French mathematician and philosopher Descartes, who, among other things, worked to merge algebra and Euclidean geometry. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... Cartesian means relating to the French mathematician and philosopher Descartes, who, among other things, worked to merge algebra and Euclidean geometry. ...

The Badge of Acacia Fraternity

The present Acacia badge is a right triangle of the first quadrant whose sides are of the proportions 3, 4, 5, with the shortest side being the base. The sides are set with twelve pearls—three on the base, four on the altitude, and five on the hypotenuse. The corners are set with garnets. Within the triangle are three small right triangles of the same proportion, outlined in gold on a black enamel background. The badge of Acacia as it appears today was adopted at the second Grand Council of Acacia, which was held on December 6, 1913. Image File history File links A picture of the jeweled badge of Acacia Fraternity including pearls and rubies along the edges in 14K gold This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Image File history File links A picture of the jeweled badge of Acacia Fraternity including pearls and rubies along the edges in 14K gold This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Heraldic badges were common in the Middle Ages particularly in England. ...

The crest of Acacia, shown above, depicts a three taper candelabra surrounded by a wreath of Acacia. Below the candelabra is a shield of old gold with two bands of black surrounding a thicker band of black. In this thicker band of black there resides three 3-4-5 right triangles. Below the shield is a blue ribbon holding with the motto of the fraternity in Greek: ΩΦΕΛΟΥΝΤΕΣ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣ, which means "Human Service" or "In Service of Humanity". In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... Media:Example. ... In heraldry, the shield is the principal portion of a heraldic achievement or coat of arms. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... In heraldry, the shield is the principal portion of a heraldic achievement or coat of arms. ...

International Operations

Acacia Fraternity's International Council[1] serves as the organization's supreme executive and judicial body. It is composed of eight officers: six alumni and two undergraduates. Alumni officers' terms run four years, while undergraduate counselors' terms are two years in length.

The Acacia Fraternity Foundation (AFF)[2], founded in 1989, is Acacia Fraternity's non-profit educational foundation. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the AFF exists to provide scholarships to student Acacians and to support the worthy educational and leadership activities of the fraternity. A tax exemption is an exemption to the tax law of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization are instead foregone. ...

International Events

In even numbered years, a selected chapter of The Acacia Fraternity hosts the biennial conclave, forming the legislative body of the fraternity. Each chapter in good standing is allowed two votes (usually the Venerable Dean and Chapter Advisor). In odd numbered years, Acacia's Indiana Chapter hosts the Acacia Leadership Academy (ALA).

Chapter Operations

The leadership of each chapter of Acacia is composed of at least five major officers: the Venerable Dean, Senior Dean, Junior Dean, Treasurer, and Secretary. Most chapters also include in some capacity a Director of Service and Philanthropy, Director(s) of Recruitment, and Risk Manager. The Venerable Dean is often referred to out of the house as the president of the chapter and performs such duties as running meetings and overseeing general house operations. The Senior Dean acts as the vice president of the chapter, stepping in for the Venerable Dean in his absence. In most cases, the Senior Dean is also the pledge educator. The Junior Dean is in charge of all socials including brotherhood events, formals, and mixers. The other two officers perform such functions as are normal for their positions. Some chapters assign additional responsibilities to various officers, so there may be slight variations from chapter to chapter.

Notable Acacians

• Roscoe Pound, Harvard 1905
• William Jennings Bryan, Nebraska 1908
• William Howard Taft (Honorary), Yale 1913
• Paul V. McNutt, Harvard 1914
• Hiram Bingham III, Yale 1915
• Harold E. Edgerton, Nebraska 1924
• James E. Webb, North Carolina 1928
• Homer Thornberry, Texas 1930
• Calvin Griffith, George Washington 1935
• Clifton Hillegass, Nebraska 1938
• Jack Kilby, Illinois 1942
• Gene Conley, Washington State 1949

Roscoe Pound (1870 - 1964) was a distinguished American legal scholar and educator. ... William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, statesman, and politician. ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, the 10th Chief Justice of the United States, a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the Republican Party in the early 20th century, a pioneer in international arbitration and... Paul V. McNutt in his Washington office, 1941. ... Hiram Bingham III, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, served as Governor of Connecticut and United States Senator. ... Shadowgraph of a . ... James E. Webb James Edwin Webb (October 7, 1906–March 27, 1992) was the second administrator of NASA, serving from February 14, 1961 to October 7, 1968. ... William Homer Thornberry (January 9, 1909 - December 12, 1995) was a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963. ... Calvin Robertson Griffith (December 1, 1911 - October 20, 1999), born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner (1955 - 1984). ... Clifton K. Hillegass (1918-2001), born in Rising City, Nebraska was publisher and founder of Cliffs Notes. ... Jack St. ... Gene Conley (b. ...

Chapter listing

See List of Acacia Chapters The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

External links

• Acacia Fraternity International Website
• Chapter directory