ANNUAL DINNER OF NEW YORK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Forty-second Annual Dinner of the Dartmouth Alumni of New York was held at the University Club on the evening of Dec. 12, 1905. The dinner was not as well attended as usual owing to the absence of a great many of the younger alumni. The dinner was served at about eight o'clock in the Council Chamber of the University Club, after a short business meeting, and abovt sixty-three alumni in all sat down. The tables were decorated with green, and small green flags were placed beside each cover. The menus were printed on Japanese vellum and on the front page was a half tone printed in sepia illustrative of the third verse of Richard Hovey's "Eleazer Wheelock." The guests at the dinner, besides Dr. Tucker, were Charles R. Miller' 72; Charles F. Richardson '71, Charles H. Treat '65, James B. Reynolds '87, and Prof. John T. Buchanan, Director of the High School system of New York City. All of the guests spoke, and Bishop Talbot '70, President of the Association, presided.

Dr. Tucker spoke of the BI-MONTHLY calling attention to the fact that it would make itself more and more effective when correspondence and articles from the alumni dealing freely with the affairs of the College were received. Before coming to his main theme, he referred briefly to the football situation. He said that time had come to stop talking and do something in this matter, and that in most colleges and universities a special athletic committee looked after football matters and it was for such committees and not for the executive departments of the colleges or universities to make any regulations in this matter that might be determined upon. Personally, Dr. Tucker said, he believed that football was the best and most distinctive academic game, because it demanded on the part of the players the best physical condition as well as a clear and alert mind.

Coming to his main theme, he said that the function of a college was to create a community of mind ; that in a great democracy like ours the tendency was toward provincialism and that the great difference in the activities and vocations of the citizens, tended to make them take different points of view. The college or university, on the other hand, drawing as each does, not wholly from its own locality, but in very large part from all over the country tends against provincialism; and men who have met together on the common ground of the college have a common basis of thought and reason, in spite of their different vocations ; and if they think differently they know why and how much they differ. In outlining this function of the college or university, Dr. Tucker was referring particularly to the American college or university. He said that the German university breeds the scholar, the English university the gentleman, while the American college develops the citizen arid perpetuates our great democracy. Mr. Miller referred humorously to the old style football. He spoke of modern football as a squabble and old style game as a riot. His main theme dealt with the necessity of a college education that looked forward to preparing the student to deal with the vital economic and social questions which confront our democracy. He referred in particular to the value of having public opinion so moulded that it might detect in advance the truth or falsity of remedies which are advanced to cure social and. economic evils. He thought that Dartmouth College under President Tucker was endeavoring to train men with this in view.

Mr. Treat compared the chances for success a young man had when he graduated from college with the chances of a young man who graduates from college today. The key note of his remarks was that today we have corporate life and the heads of our great institutions are men who have made themselves and who hold their places on account of their absolute worth. He said that in his time the industrial interests of the country were in the hands of the then capitalists and that their sons succeeded to the heads of these interests by right of birth, and not from any personal merit. The young man of today could, not say rightly that he has no chance, for he will establish himself exactly according to his merit.

Mr. Buchanan, the only speaker who was not an alumnus, was asked to tell why he sent his son to Dartmouth College. He reviewed carefully how Dartmouth had been called to his attention and he spoke of his having visited Hanover, and his impressions of the institution obtained through his" visit. He concluded by saying that the real reason why he sent his son to Dartmouth was because he found there an endeavor to build character and he believed that the vesper service on Sunday afternoons was of inestimable benefit in this direction. He thought that four years under Dartmouth influences was a great thing for a boy.

Mr. Reynolds spoke about the civic duties of citizenship. He thought that the average citizen was in too much of a hurry to do things and that for that reason he neglected a great deal that he owed to the State. He did not believe in government by revolution or government ]by hysterics. He thought that each citizen should attend the primaries of his party and that in this was the only solution of the elimination of the bosses. He humorously referred to the railroad rate question. He said that he -thought President Roosevelt should place Dartmouth men in his Cabinet because he was sure that the railroad rate question was very important with them. As an example he cited the endeavor of the students at Hanover to obtain free rides from Norwich to the Junction.

Prof. Richardson was the last speaker and although it was after twelve o'clock before he finished, he was listened to with the utmost attention and was urged to continue. He spoke very interestingly about the new Dartmouth Hall, going into detail particularly as to the uses which were to be made of the new hall. He said that Dartmouth was the oldest, largest, best endowed and most characteristic college in the United States and that it was beyond apology and beyond glorification. He spoke about the democracy of the College and the spirit which existed to preserve democracy, alike by the Trustees, Faculty, and Students. He also referred to Dr. Kingsford's article on " Sanitation in Dartmouth College" which occurred in the first issue of the BI-MONTHLY. He closed by saying that everybody had something to render to his Alma Mater. Some had money, some had athletic ability, but whatever it might be it should not be misunderstood on account of its particular form.

It was generally considered by those who were present at the dinner that it was one of the most enjoyable the New York alumni had ever had. It is to be regretted that the young men are not seen in larger numbers at these annual dinners. It is probably due to the expense. It is impossible to have a dinner in New York at one of the best hotels, which, with the incidental expenses connected therewith, does not amount to at least $5 per cover. The guests at the present dinner were charged $6 per cover and this will not more than meet expenses.