Darold Larson receives NIC Gold Medal
Acacia is excited to announce that AFF Executive Director and past Acacia Executive Director Darold W. Larson, Washington State '81, has been awarded the prestigious North-American Interfraternity Conference Gold Medal for his years of service to Acacia and the fraternity movement. Brother Larson received his award at the NIC Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri on April 19 with several Acacia brothers and dozens of interfraternity leaders present. George F. Patterson, Jr., Cincinnati '42, is the only other Acacian to receive the Gold Medal.
From the North-American Interfraternity Conference:
The NIC Gold Medal was first presented in 1940. The medal is presented in recognition of lifetime service to the fraternity movement. Past recipients of the Gold Medal are models of selfless service, visionary leadership, and courage of conviction. When considering nominations, the awards committee take into account tenure of service, interfraternal leadership, and a dedication to advancing the fraternal movement.
Visit the North-American Interfraternity Conference website for a full historical list of award winners.
Darold's nomination was submitted by several Acacia leaders including International President Jeremy Davis, Executive Director Patrick McGovern, and three past International Presidents.
Brother Larson's dedication to Acacia is unsurpassed and his achievements many. Past International President Gerald C. Cook, Shippensburg '66, sums it up best in his nomination: "Volunteer leaders come and go, but long-tenured staff are the glue, vision, and institutional memory that help organizations, especially fraternities, survive and succeed. I am sure that Acacia's present and future would not be as strong and optimistic as it is without Darold's many and diverse leadership contributions."
Darold has served Acacia as Executive Director and AFF Executive Director and is a past president of the Fraternity Executives Association. He began his tenure on the Acacia Headquarters staff as a Leadership Consultant in 1984. Since then, he has been recognized with the Order of Pythagoras (1985), the Award of Merit (1990), and the George F. Patterson, Jr. Outstanding Alumnus Award (2002). Darold is also the creator of the Acacia Leadership Academy which dates back to 1991, and as such the International Council has named the event in his honor, the Darold W. Larson Acacia Leadership Academy.