A NEW VOCATION FOR COLLEGE MEN

A new vocation for college men has recently come into being. It is the occupation of secretary of a civic organization known as a Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce or Business Men's Association. While such associations have existed for several centuries, it is only within the last few years that the college men of the United States have been chiefly in demand for such positions. With the steady increase of population in our cities, with the general desire for better civic conditions, and with the prosperity which is enjoyed by this nation, has come the creation of strong and substantial civic organizations. The services of the members of these organizations being voluntary, it is necessary to have some paid official or officials. The scope of the work, and its particular nature, demands the college man of a certain type. The Dartmouth man seems to be the type desired, and since so many have gone into secretarial work, it is the purpose of this article to explain briefly this new vocation.

Let us, then, consider this modern field of endeavor from four points: the constitution of civic organizations; the personality of the secretary; the preparation for this occupation; and the duties and possibilities of the work.

Civic organizations are constituted because of a desire of citizens to have an organization for the purpose of public discussion and action as regards civic improvement and increasing the general industrial prosperity of the community. This desire for public discussion and investigation is the same as was the spirit of the Roman Forum. It is only natural that a broadminded citizen should be as much interested in the welfare of his neighbor as of himself, for surely what benefits a community benefits, indirectly, the individual.

For the purpose of definiteness, let us call this civic organization a Board of Trade. There is scarcely a town without some kind of a Board of Trade that is a business builder and a civic awakener. Through the combined efforts of the members, a new spirit of sound and constructive force has been created that is broadening local vision everywhere. Cooperation along lines of mutual interest has succeeded selfish personal methods. Politics play no part in the organization of a Board of Trade. The members of the Board of Trade are represented by a Board of Directors. The directors, or the membership in to to, select a president and appoint committees to promote the various phases of municipal and commercial advancement. When a report is completed by a committee, it is submitted to the Board of Directors for approval, and very important matters are generally referred to the entire membership. A large portion of the details of keeping the records and the general supervision of the work devolves upon one individual. He is the secretary. In a large organization he must necessarily devote all of his time to these duties.

In considering the aptitude which a man may have for secretarial work, one must necessarily look first to his own personality. The secretary must be a forceful individual, who combines affability with executive ability. He must be a man competent to meet men and to maintain their regard and faith. He must have an endless amount of enthusiasm for his work, and he must indefatigably strive for the best interests of the organization which he represents. He must be progressive in his ideas and yet he must not be a so-called reformer or "crank"—these latter qualities being most undesirable in a secretary's personality. He is expected to do serious work, but must not be so unfortunate as to take himself too seriously. He must possess an infinite amount of tact and yet be ingenuous and sincere in all his dealings with men. He must possess a capacity for executive work; he must be capable of appreciating the many and various ramifications of organized endeavor. A secretary naturally must be a supreme optimist, for he will be inveighed against as are all men in semi-public or public positions. He, therefore, must be one who does not become easily discouraged, but sees clearly the goals at which the organization is endeavoring to arrive, and must keep those about him encouraged and enthusiastic about their work. As has been stated, the major part of the work done in a Board of Trade, outside of the office force, is voluntary, and, therefore, men cannot be driven or dictated to, but must rather be persuaded and made to see why they should keep up some constant fight for the principle and improvement of anything which spells conservative advancement. If a man does not possess these qualities of personality, besides those of natural virtue, he had better never consider secretarial duties, for the requirements are exacting, freedom is. practically limitless and many are the temptations. It is no position for a weak man, but rather demands one who is strong of character, with high ideals, and on intimate terms with hard work.

If the man possesses these qualities of personality, let us now see how he should prepare himself for his duties as secretary. In the beginning of this article I stated that the demand was being made for college men of a certain type, and that Dartmouth men were' of this type. The reason for this is that at Dartmouth College a man is taught the principles-of democracy, and abhorrence for hypocrisy, and is imbued with high ideals. Any college which graduates would-be-aristocrats" does not count among its number candidates for secretarial work. The Dartmouth spirit is, without doubt, the spirit which is demanded for this vocation. But Dartmouth men, of course, are not the only college men who are making good secretaries. Since these associations have been greatly dignified within the last few years, and have really become vital forces in the commercial and industrial lives of our larger communities, they have demanded a type higher than mere clerks for their secretaries. It is an unquestionable requisite that the secretary should be selected from outside the city, since if he is one who has been a boy in the city where he is to serve as secretary, all the members will consider him as a boy and have their prejudices against him or his family, and he, likewise, towards the members.' Therefore, by going to the colleges for secretaries, these organizations generally select an unbiased man, who is familiar with the requirements of the work, and who, by his personality, is acceptable to the members. It is the old story of "A prophet is not without honor save in his own country." A secretary should be a college man, because he has to deal with all kinds of people, and, therefore, must be familiar with humanity and have that reasonable amount of self-possession which a college "education and association give. Besides having a knowledge of the liberal arts, in particular, history, literature, foreign languages, etc., an undergraduate, who is desirous of becoming a secretary, should specialize in English—that is, he should be able to express his ideas and those of others- in a clear and definite way. He should also study oratory, for he is required on many occasions to speak in public, and to express himself in a manner which will leave nothing misunderstood. Accounting and banking should also be known, as these details enter very closely into his daily duties. Then, for a larger endeavor, he should study economics, and the more courses he can take in this subject the better will he be equipped. Elementary law and the principles of political science should be known, as well as all the various branches of sociology. It is a somewhat difficult matter to state here exactly what the preparation should be. for this is a subject which merits a full and comprehensive investigation. It is to be hoped that the schools of administration and finance soon will be establishing complete courses in preparation for secretarial work, and when these courses are established, the}' will be the result of a more careful investigation. I have simply endeavored, in a general way, to suggest what courses of study should be followed in order to prepare a man for the work of secretary of a Board of Trade.

Having considered the constitution of a Board of Trade, the personality of the secretary, and the preparation for this occupation, let us briefly regard his duties and his possibilities for advancement and growth. The keeping of records and the answering of correspondence, are merely incidental. These things can be done without particular effort or without marked ability, but where the great amount of work lies is within the absolute executive province. The duties of a secretary are most comprehensive and are never monotonous, for there is always some new problem of civic improvement or industrial complication which must be squarely met and solved. The secretary is constantly brought into close contact with the leading men of his city, of his state, and of the nation. In the city, he is daily seeing the president of some large corporation to talk over the details of an industrial situation, or consulting with the president of, some bank concerning industrial loans etc., or he is bringing together these leading forces of the community in a committee meeting to investigate a problem and determine upon remedies. He is often sent to the state officers to advocate some legislation, and frequently must go to Washington to consult with representatives, senators, or even members of the cabinet. Of course, the larger and more active the association with which the secretary is connected, the more liable is he to be brought into contact with these men. Therefore, one may appreciate why these requirements of personality, which I have mentioned, are desirable in the secretary and why it is that college men are demanded for this work. To give some idea, without going into detail, of the various kinds of work which a secretary must do, kindly consider the following standing committees of a Board of Trade, which may deal with questions as regards Banking; Navigation and Improvement of Waterways; Conventions; Industrial Education ; Arbitration, for the Settlement of Industrial Disputes; Procuring New Industries; Improving Factory Conditions; Municipal Publicity; Reception and Entertainment; Public Health; Mercantile Affairs; Municipal Affairs; National Legislation, which committee considers questions before Congress and determines the attitude which the manufacturers should take in regard to important national bills; State Legislation; Transportation; Traffic, for the settlement of claims, shipments, and other things safeguarding the interests of the shippers and receivers of the city and territory; Charities, which investigates and controls all charities, and so on. With all these committees active, the secretary has something to do in order to keep everything going , and running smoothly, and thus I hope it may be appreciated what his duties are and wherein these various courses in economics, elementary law, and sociology, as well as others, come into service.

A secretary may often have to control, not only these committees, but various assistants, who have charge of the different departments, such as a Mercantile Credit Department, Traffic Department, and Publicity Department. Therefore, he is paid well for his services. Salaries generally range from $1500 to begin with up to $10,000. If a secretary, as the saying goes, "makes good" with one organization, he will be in demand for others. As is the demand for him, so salary increase. The average'college man, though, upon graduation. provided he was properly fitted for secretarial work, could enter immediately into a position paying him $2,000, which is considered very good as a start for a young alumnus.

The possibilities of secretarial work are infinite. If a man wishes to remain in the work, he may do so, but very often he is called to some other occupation, generally by a manufacturer. A young man, when he becomes secretary of a commercial organization, is placed upon a stage and told to perform to the best of his ability. The entire membership is watching him, and if he shows that he is a capable young man, it will not be long before he begins to receive some very flattering offers to go elsewhere, and he has his choice of one. of two things—either to remain as secretary and receive the advancement which that vocation offers, or to go into some business. Obviously the experience as secretary is an inestimable asset for business.

This new vocation for college men, therefore, is demanding the attention of not only the business and professional men throughout the' country, but also of the educators. The growth of civic organizations, the demand for secretaries, and the possibilities which the positions offer, have made secretarial work more desirable than ever before. And it is pleasing to realize that Dartmouth College numbers among her alumni at least fifteen men who have gone into this kind of work, and as many more who have been in it and have advanced to other enviable places.

Emmett Hay Nay lor '09, Secretary of the Springfield Board of Trade