DARTMOUTH SECRETARIES ASSOCIATION

A report issued by the "Committee on Cooperation" C. H. Donahue '99,E. H. Kenerson '03, J.B. Clark '11

At the last meeting of the Dartmouth Secretaries Association there was appointed a "Committee on- Cooperation. As members of this committee we have interpreted its broad and generous title as including within its duties at least a general survey of the activities of Dartmouth secretaries in the past and the making of a report based thereon.

Believing the work of Dartmouth secretaries to be of great and indispensable benefit to the alumni body, we assume that anything which has to do with that work is or ought to be of keen interest to the alumni in general. Accordingly we are grateful for the invitation of the editor of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE to make in the publicity of its columns a short preliminary report of our investigation, intending to make a fuller report with more definite recommendations at the next annual meeting of the Secretaries Association. The present report is confined to the sixty classes from 1855 to 1914, both inclusive, and the data have been brought up to the date April 1, 1915.

We are indebted greatly to the cooperation of the class secretaries who have furnished us with information with reference to their respective classes, to Gray Knapp, Secretary of the College, for statistics as to attendance at the meetings of the Secretaries Association and to Harold G. Rugg '06 for a careful compilation of a list of the class reports on file in the College Library.

A chart elsewhere in this issue shows among other things the percentage of attendance of the Secretaries or their representatives by proxy of all the classes at the eleven annual meetings of the Dartmouth Secretaries Association held to date. At all meetings the secretaries have been the guests of the College. Ten classes have a perfect "fielding average" of 1.000 for attendance either by their Secretaries in person or by proxy at all meetings to which those classes were eligible to representation through graduation. Of these the five classes 1914 to 1910, both inclusive, have obviously the advantage in the computation of percentage of attendance, having had less chances of failure to be represented than classes graduated prior to the formation of the Association in 1905. The classes of 1875 and 1868 have had the advantage of either a Secretary or a proxy resident in Hanover. Secretaries Alfred E. Watson, Esq. '83, of Hartford, Vermont, William M. Hatch 'B6, of Boston, and William Carroll Hill '02, of Boston, have in person attended each of the 11 meetings. The classes of 1874, 1866, 1865 and 1855 have never been represented at a meeting either by Secretary or by proxy and the classes of 1893, 1888," 1873, "1863, 1860, and 1856 have been thus represented at less than four out of a possible eleven meetings. The average percentage of attendance of the classes is .647, this representing an attendance of seven out of a possible eleven meetings. In addition to the classes just above named, the following classes are below that average: 1909, 1905, 1903, 1896, 1890, 1889, 1887, 1884, 1882, 1881, 1877, 1872, 1870, 1867, 1864, 1862, 1861, 1859, 1857.

The average number of Class Secretaries in attendance at the meetings is 34, and of local and club Secretaries 10.1. No local association or club has been represented at all of the 11 meetings though the Hartford Lunch Club has a perfect record, being represented at all meetings since the Club's formation. The local or club secretaries with percentage of attendance 5.00 or over are: Hartford Lunch Club 1.000, Boston Association .909, Connecticut Association .909, Medical School Association .909, Worcester Club .909, Albany Club .667, Vermont Association .636, Manchester Association .636, Dartmouth Club of N. Y. .636, New York Association .545, Springfield Club .500.

The efficiency of a modern class organization may be guaged by its class reports. Where class reports are too infrequent and too meagre the fine mellowed ripening through life of youthful friendship and acquaintance which is of the essence of practical class and college loyalty is lacking. There is a marked difference in the view held of the function of reports by Dartmouth classes in former times and now. The older practise was largely to defer the issuance of a report until a class was many years out of college and then to embalm within its leaves accurate biographical data of the members of the class. It was a more or less sombre history for the perusal of posterity in which the irresistible note was moriturisalutamus. The aim of modern reports is to be rather annals than histories, to present annually, if possible, vivid cross sections of the individual lives of the members of the class. It is a peculiarly Dartmouth theory of modern classes that the object of class reports is, first to keep the members of the class as personally and intimately acquainted as they were while in college, and secondly, to increase from year to year that close, personal, intimate acquaintanceship.

The accompanying chart indicates the number of reports issued by the various classes since graduation and also the total number of duodecimo pages issued by each class to April, 1915. The class of 1876 holds an enviable record, having issued a report for each of the 39 years of its graduate existence averaging 20 pages per year. The class of 1908 has a similar perfect record for the seven years since its graduation, with the high average of 78.28 pages per year. The class of 1906 up to April, 1915, had published eight reports and completed a perfect record before the expiration of its 9th year by the issuance of its 9th report. The five highest classes in average number of report pages per year since graduation are: 1908, 78.28 pages; 1899, 59.12 pages; 1906, 50.77 pages; 1912, 49.66 pages; 1913, 44.5 pages. The class of 1885 has issued in reports a total of 961 pages averaging 32.03 pages per graduate year and heads the list of classes in total number of pages. The admirable reports of that class issued by Prof. H. D. Foster, Secretary, with their intimate annual glimpses of the every-day lives of the men of the class, their reproduction from original sources of the lives of the men during the college years, and their sincere exhibitions of living loyalty to Class and College from every man, stand as models for the secretaries of other classes. They demonstrate the great possibilities of good for Dartmouth and for Dartmouth men which can come from the issuance of frequent and adequate class reports.

The files of Class Reports in the College Library lack one or more reports of thirty-three of the classes, fifteen of these classes being within the last twenty-five years. The class of 1899 has had its reports bound and has presented the bound volumes to the Library, so that the reports may be better preserved and more readily accessible.

The following classes have written Constitutions: 1900, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, the modern classes with large membership apparently finding it of advantage to have a written definition of the class organization. Practically all the classes have a President as well as a Secretary. The classes from 1899 down generally, and a few of the earlier classes have a Treasurer. It is believed that this makes a more efficient organization than to have the Secretary also act as Treasurer. The classes of 1904, 1903, 1901, 1900, 1899 and 1889 find their organization much more effective by having the affairs of the class in the hands of a small executive committee of which the. Secretary is usually a "member.

The classes: 1909, 1905, 1890, 1888, 1887, 1883, 1876, 1874, 1872, 1873, 1867, 1866, 1862, 1860, 1855, have elected their secretaries for life. The classes: 1912, 1911, 1910, 1907, 1906, 1904, 1903, 1901, 1897, 1895, 1894, 1893, 1892, 1891, 1886, 1882, 1881, 1880, 1877, 1875, 1871, 1870, 1869, 1868, 1865, 1864, 1863, 1861, 1859, 1858, 1857, and 1856 elect their secretaries for an indefinite term. The remaining 12 classes elect for a definite term of five years. That this method is believed productive of the best results is evidenced by the formal vote of the Secretaries Association in March, 1915, approving of that term of office.

The classes prior to 1878 do not pay the traveling expenses of the Class Secretary in attending the annual meetings of the Secretaries Association at Hanover, nor do the following later classes, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1907, 1910.

The classes prior to 1876 do not have a fixed assessment for current class expenses nor do the following later classes: 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1901, 1905.

The following classes have a fixed annual assessment of $2.00 per man for current expenses: 1885, 1899, 1909. The class of 1904 has an assessment of $2.50 per man. 1894 raises its expenses by subscription by five year periods. 1893 levies a tax of $2.00 every five years. 1900 and 1902 pay expenses out of established class funds which are accumulated by graduated annual subscriptions, and 1903 pays expenses out of an established class. fund accumulating from an annual $5.00 tax. All other classes not . above specifically mentioned levy a tax of $1.00 per man for current expenses.

The Committee recommends that the Association at the next annual meeting:

(1) Take appropriate action to obtain at future meetings a more regular representation of certain classes, clubs and associations by the attendance either of the Secretary in person or by proxy.

(2) Take appropriate action to bring about the payment of the traveling-expenses of all Secretaries in attending the annual meeting by their respective classes, clubs or associations.

(3) Consider the advisability of some action with reference to securing the production of more frequent or larger class reports by certain class Secretaries.

(4) Undertake the completion of deficient files of class Reports in the College Library.

(5) Consider the question of the proper amount of an annual assessment for current class expenses and make recommendation to the classes with reference thereto.

Class No. of year Out of College No. of Reports Issued Total No. of Pages in Report No. of Pages of Reports per year Out of College No. Reports Missing from Library Files Per cent attendance at Meeting of Secretaries Association Term of Secretary 1914 1 1 51 51 0 1.000 5 yrs. 1913 1 1 89 44.50 0 1.000 5 1912 3 3 149 49.66 1 1.000 * 1911 4 2 167 41.65 1 1.000 * 1910 5 3 131 26.20 1 1.000 * 1909 6 3 244 40.66 0 .500 Life 1908 7 7 548 78.28 0 .714 5 1907 8 4 290 36.25 0 .875 * 1906 9 8 457 50.77 0 .889 * 1905 10 5 96 19.20 0 .600 Life 1903 12 4 239 19.91 0 .545 * 1902 13 5 235 18.07 1 1.00 5 1901 14 7 312 22.28 1 .909 0 1900 15 8 273 18.20 2 .909 5 1899 16 13 946 59.12 0 .909 5 1898 17 7 199 11.70 3 .818 5 1897 18 5 254 14.11 3 .909 * 1896 19 3 82 4.31 1 .545 5 1895 20 3 265 13.25 0 .909 * 1894 21 9 443 21.09 1 .909 * 1893 22 7 253 11.50 2 .909 * 1992 23 1 59 2.56 1 .909 * 1891 24 5 156 6.50 3 .727 * 1890 25 4 175 7.00 1 .636 Life 1889 26 4 205 7.88 0 .455 5 1888 27 16 501 18.55 2 .273 Life 1887 28 17 612 21.85 6 .364 Life 1886 29 2 100 3.44 1 1.000 * 1885 30 13 961 32.03 1 .909 5 1884 31 6 436 14.06 1 .455 5 1883 32 6 229 7.19 1 1.000 Life 1882 33 6 157 4.75 3 .455 * 1881 34 14 220 6.47 0 .364 * 1880 35 3 46 1.31 0 .909 * 1879 36 9 102 2.83 0 .909 5 1878 37 15 436 11.78 3 .818 5 1877 38 25 372 9.78 2 .636 * 1876 39 39 780 20. 4 .909 Life 1875 40 6 144 3.60 2 1.000 * 1874 41 9 258 6.29 1 .000 Life 1873 42 11 184 4.38 8 .090 Life 1872 43 1 200 4.65 0 .636 * 1871 44 7 74 1.68 0 .727 * 1870 45 3 113 2.51 .636 * 1869 46 5 70 1.52 4 .909 * 1868 47 2 158 3.36 0 1.000 * 1867 48 6 139 2.89 0 .364 Life 1866 49 0 0 0 0 .000 Life 1865 50 0 0 0 0 .000 * 1863 52 7 596 11.46 4 .182 * 1862 53 3 287 5.28 1 .364 Life 1861 54 1 47 .87 0 .364 * 1860 55 2 56 1.01 0 .090 * 1859 56 0 0 0 0 .364 * 1858 57 3 303 5.31 1 .727 * 1857 58 3 126 2.17 2 .455 * 1856 59 4 180 3.05 0 .182 * 1855 60 3 160 2.66 0 .000 Life