Article

AFTERNOON SESSION

April 1920
Article
AFTERNOON SESSION
April 1920

After the belated Boston delegates had somewhat refreshed themselves, the first formal session of the meeting was called to order in the faculty room by the president, William S. Dana '71. The roll was called by the secretary and showed a total attendance on the final count of 49 men representing 54 classes and associations. President Dana then appointed the following committees:

Nominations

William D. Parkinson '78 Harry B. Johnson '04 Richard F. Paul '11

Resolutions

Charles E. Swett '64 William C. Hill '02 Herbert D. Foster '85

Report on Alumni Magazine

E. F. CLARK '01

A report on the financial condition and the editorial policy of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE was then made by E. F. Clark '01 and the financial sheet and tabulation of subscriptions was laid before the secretaries.

The condition of the MAGAZINE was shown to be distinctly encouraging, both from the standpoint of increased advertising, which makes the financial showing less unsatisfactory than it otherwise would be, and especially owing to the increased subscriptions. Many of the more recent classes have evidently been putting in hard work to increase the number of subscribers from their classes. Particular mention of increases in subscriptions should be made of the class of 1910, which increased its roll from 42 to 79, and the class of 1919, which has the largest total number of subscribers. The tabulation shows a net gain of 266 subscribers over the previous year, as compared with the net gain the year before of only 15.

The report on the editorial policy of the MAGAZINE mentioned particularly the satisfaction which the editors felt at the effective cooperation of the Committee on Dartmouth Worthies appointed at the last meeting of the Association. This committee, consisting of Philip S. Marden '94, Charles H. Donahue '99, and Clarence G. McDavitt '00, has drawn up a list of Dartmouth graduates, the story of whose lives would offer inspiration to the present generation, and the committee is obtaining articles on nine of these worthies for printing in the MAGAZINE. The first result of their labors appeared in the March number in the form of a contribution by Professor J. K. Lord and the second of the series will appear in a forthcoming number from the pen of the chairman of the special committee.

Report on Alumni Council

N. W. EMERSON '00

Mr. Emerson outlined the differences as they appeared to him between the characteristics of the Alumni Council and the Secretaries Association, understanding of which is necessary for the proper appreciation of our alumni organizations and their problems. The Council and the Association are two entirely distinct organizations with different points of view. The fundamental difference between the two is that the Council deals largely with the physical needs and physical problems of the College in much the same way that the trustees do. The trustees have no real contact with the students, nor does the Alumni Council. It deals with the larger aspects of finance, the erection of buildings and the raising of money. The point of view is one of concern with the broad problems of the College and with the necessary steps to solve these problems.

The Secretaries Association has an entirely different aim. The secretary must have daily contact with the members of his class and be on an equality with them; he must know what their struggles are; he must know their families and try to help them to make it possible for their sons to become Dartmouth men. The Association endeavors to build up the esprit de corps. It is concerned with the moral rather than the physical side of the College. It is by this careful distinction and disassociation of the functions of the two bodies that the best results can be obtained, and yet the two organizations can cooperate for the same general result —a perfection of the real Dartmouth, both material and spiritual.

Report of the Executive Committee

L. W. CHAMBERLIN '05

The following report was rendered by the Executive Committee:

1. The Association voted last year that the secretary of each class cause himself to be separated from acting as class agent. We find that this has been done in all classes except one, and the situation is such with that class that no change seems to be necessary.

21 Your Executive Committee was asked to appoint a committee of three outside of the Executive Committee to take in hand the preparation, with a view to publication in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, of a series of articles upon Dartmouth Worthies. We appointed Philip Harden, Charles OH. Donahue, and Clarence McDavitt, and they have undertaken this work.

3. The matter of men who have been associated with two or more different classes has been pursued with the purpose of having each man definitely assigned to some particular class. Progress has been made, and this matter should be pursued further by next year's Executive Committee.

4. A letter from A. B. Rotch '08 relative to a scheme for obtaining more news notes for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE was carefully investigated by your Committee and was referred to Mr. Comstock to take such action thereon as to him seemed desirable. In this connection your Committee desires to say that it believes the alumni news notes are an essential part of the MAGAZINE and that each secretary should use his best effort to have a large number of news notes each month.

5. The question of carrying on and completing the military data was left to your Committee. We took up this matter with the College authorities and it was their suggestion that they would obtain such data as they could directly from the men who had been in " service and then later they .would probably desire some intensive work from the.various secretaries o round' up the lost sheep. These lists have now been received from the College. George G. Clark and Richard Parkhurst are going to make a collection of about one hundred typical letters from men in service to be published later if it seems advisable.

The following new items were also initiated by the Committee:

1. Your Committee has sent out from time to time this last year bulletins and letters referring to matters of interest to the secretaries. You will recall that in this way we have called your attention to editorials which seemed to have particular interest to you as secretaries, we have called your attention to the necessity of sending news notes to the alumni editor by the tenth of the month, and we have taken the liberty of prodding you on various matters.

This year the postage, stenographic and other expenses in connection with these bulletins has been borne by the Class of 1905. Your Committee believes that these bulletins should be a part of the work of the Association each year and we think there should be a fund available for such expenditure as is necessary. We recommend, therefore, that each class should be assessed a small amount, say from three to five dollars, for the purpose of providing funds.

2. We believe that there should be facilities in some central office for addressing and mailing circulars for the various secretaries. In other words, we believe that considerable of the clerical work of the secretaries could be done by a central office.

We have taken up this matter with Mr. Keyes and have his assurance that the Alumni Records Office here in Hanover will cause complete addressograph plates to be made for all graduates as well as non-grad|uates, if the various secretaries will furnish accurate lists. We recommend that all secretaries immediately furnish the Alumni Office with such lists. Furthermore, after such lists have been furnished and addressograph plates have been made, the Alumni Records Office will attend to the mailing of all matters which the various secretaries send to it without charge. In other words, if a secretary, for instance, desires to send out a circular regarding a class dinner, he will only have to order his printer to send the proper number of the circulars, envelopes and stamps to the Alumni Records Office in Hanover and that office will see that the circular is properly mailed immediately.

We believe that this service will be of great benefit, particularly to the later classes, where the numbers of the men make it difficult for the secretary to do the work involved. We recommend that all secretaries make use of this service. 3. We suggest that it would be advisable to have some person, preferably a secretary or a former secretary, address the seniors at the time of the senior dinner in June, setting forth the duties of the class secretary and the duties of the members of the class to the class secretary.

Following the report of Mr. Chamberlin, there was discussion on the matter of an assessment on the classes as suggested by the Executive Committee. Action was taken by the Association to the effect that the sum of $5 be assessed against classes and associations at the discretion of the Executive Committee. The matter of addressograph plates discussed in the report of the Committee was referred to Mr. Keyes for an opinion. He stated that in so far as the Association could make use of the Alumni Office this cooperation would be cheerfully available. Addressing and mailing are the only functions that the Alumni Office can perform. The secretaries if they so desire, may forward envelopes or provide the funds for their purchase. Other work than this can doubtless be more profitably performed by the secretary of the class concerned.

The meeting was adjourned at this point to gather again in the Grill Room for the dinner.