Acacia struggles to grow strong

After years of apathy and shrinking membership, Penn's chapter of the Acacia fraternity is starting over with a "clean slate." The University recently threatened to shut down the fraternity's Franklin chapter, which had dwindled to a single member, according to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski. The fraternity has been plagued by low membership in the past few years as brothers went abroad or simply deactivated, Reikofski said. And past brothers did not do enough to recruit new members before they graduated, allowing the chapter to "slowly fall apart," according to Mike Keating, director of chapter services at the Acacia International Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind. Keating -- who travels across the country as self-described "problem solver" for Acacia chapters -- has been on campus for the past few weeks recruiting sophomore and junior men to re-establish the chapter as an active Greek organization. University policy bars Greek organizations from recruiting freshmen until the spring semester. Last Wednesday, Keating and Acacia Communications Director Jim Katsaounis offered an information session to give interested men an opportunity to find out what membership in the chapter would entail. Additionally, they have advertised in The Daily Pennsylvanian, posted flyers and disseminated e-mails via an OFSA listserv. According to Katsaounis, the chapter will be built on academics and community service. It will have "no tolerance" for members who do not try to abide by these ideals, he said. Although the chapter is not being rechartered, Keating said his goals in the rebuilding process parallel those of founding a new chapter. "It's impossible to change the mentality of old members," he said. "We're starting at the bottom, with new membership and new membership education." Katsaounis added that "starting from scratch" rather than building on the current chapter will allow pledges to base their membership on the fraternity's ideals instead of the "traditional garbage" like hazing usually associated with fraternities. About 25 men have already expressed serious interest in the fraternity, said Keating, who will return to campus in January to start the pledging process. He said he is looking for about 15-20 members who are "motivated in establishing a fraternity" and keeping it alive. The Franklin chapter was chartered in 1906, making it one of the oldest Acacia chapters in the United States, Keating said. Acacia currently has 45 chapters across the United States and Canada.

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