RAMBLING THOUGHTS OF A CLASS SECRETARY

"Yes, I knew Bill Smith very well. He was a classmate of mine at college." How familiar this remark sounds to most of us, and yet I wonder if we realize the evolution which has taken place in the development of class spirit at Dartmouth both in its effect on individual members and on the College as an institution.

In early days classes were small; the territorial distribution was narrow. Individual contact after graduation was fairly frequent but there was little or no attempt to organize the class into a working unit, and to secure that regular and inspiring association which is now accomplished by dinners, reunions and class reports. In the early days obituary notices were the important events in a secretary's life. It was surprising to note how useful and how prominent an individual member of the class had been in his community when the final day of reckoning came.

The great development in the history of Dartmouth class organizations came during President Tucker's administration. He recognized the fact that the strength, cohesion and enthusiasm, of classes meant much to the institution. Acting with President Hopkins, who was then his secretary, he inaugurated the secretarial meetings at Hanover and the result is the strong Association of Secretaries which has since developed. Through this means, class organization has reached a development achieved by no other college and passing even beyond the vision of the original founders. Secretaries are given an opportunity for interchange of ideas, methods have been standardized, reports have been made fashionable, and class cohesion has been secured. The poor secretary, who silent and unrecognized, performed his duties to the best of his ability now has a standing of the highest importance in his class and is recognized as the prime mover in class activities. He strikes the key to which the music of the class is pitched.

Class gatherings have changed, too, in their character. In the olden days they were oftentimes an excuse for a royal carousal, monopolized by the prominent mirth-makers and a little too strenuous for the quiet, thoughtful, every-day member. Today, they are more of a family reunion, where all gather to renew old days and to cement more permanent and enduring friendships.

Just what is a college class? It is difficult to liken it to any social organization and if it were possible to analyze all of Dartmouth classes, we should probably find that they differ so widely in group personality that there would seem to be no common denominator. One's idea of a college class is largely that of his own class. He knows little or nothing about other classes because the opportunity to observe them is not given to him except in their more outstanding attributes. A class has its own particular characteristics and it has its own times of self-expression when it rises to heights of enthusiasm and deep feeling which cannot be imparted to an outsider. Perhaps the best parallel is that of a large family having a common mother and actuated by the same ennobling motives, namely loyalty to alma mater and to the higher ideas of service which that institution' teaches.

If however we analyze any class individually, we shall find the same differences in character and interest which are found among the members of any family.

There are in every class the men who are too busy to answer letters or who are kept away from a class gathering by important business. Experience in any form of activity seems to demonstrate that the man who is really the busiest is the man to do a particular piece of work. In order to carry on his many activities he has learned the trick of organizing his work. He knows how to have many projects under way at the same time; he is the master of his time; he has a conscience which does not permit him to neglect what he has undertaken to do.

There are in nearly every class men who have become narrowed. They wear blinders, but are not aware of it. Their vision is restricted. They do not try to broaden themselves by reading or by contact with men outside of their immediate daily environment. The scope of their reading is covered by a trade journal, a newspaper and The Saturday EveningPost. Their contacts with men of other interests than their own is covered by an occasional game of bridge. The thought that joy of life, and often material success, are enhanced through broadened in- terest, never occurs to them. They do not realize that an active interest in the activities of a class is one of the means by which the drab in life may be obliterated.

Then there is the sensitive chap, the fellow who just ignores letters. When the secretary digs for an explanation, he finds that some thing of relatively small importance which the College has done or the class has done has hurt his sensibilities. He finally develops an off-horse attitude. That chap is almost always agin something and never is satisfied with anything. Off-horses however may be very useful to a secretary in presenting the offside of a question. A good heart to heart talk will very often swing the offhorse into line.

There is the man who says, "I just had a letter from my class secretary and I can't answer it. I haven't anything to say about myself." Is not the honest answer the one, "I do not give the time necessary to write." Probably the best letter is the one that does not say very much about the individual but does contain a lot of kindly comment about other class members or about college matters.

There are some classes which have members who say "We have never gotten together. We did not get along very well in college and anyhow my class has got a lot of freaks in it. It isn't much use trying to do anything." This simply means that those fellows have not realized what is going on in the Dartmouth world. No one of them has ever taken the trouble to bring together the eight or ten who really do care. They have not realized that the bringing together of individuals who have been a long time apart is a wonderful self-satisfying work. Such a work is almost paralleled by the pastor who moulds together the discordant elements in a church and builds a healthy, service-giving institution. There are classes having a very strong individual ability but which have never developed class unity. There is tremendous latent power which organization and association can develop, but which individuals acting independently cannot.

I wonder if some alumni are not blind to what is going on all around them. Do they know that the class of '94 has always been an inspiring brotherhood, meeting frequently, and devoted to one another. Organization has made '94 an outstanding class in its support of the College.

In the foregoing it has been attempted to make clear that class progress is made by the few who see in a class group the opportunity to help their fellow-men and the interests of the College.

Various theories have been developed as to the remarkable growth of the College. In the early days most men who went to Dartmouth found a collegiate degree 'a very necessary prerequisite for the ministry, medicine, law or teaching. When Dr. Tucker came to Hanover the trend toward business as a career for college men was already under way. A very virile group of men graduated from the College and have since won an enviable place in the business world. They carried with them the teachings which Dr. Tucker emphasized at the Sunday vesper service — the injunction to render service to country.

The degree of spiritual inspiration which they received was not fully realized at the time, but these men today know that Dartmouth College gave them something no other institution could have given them.

This belief was so firmly implanted in their minds that it became a watchword with them. Many of them were outspoken in the interpretation of what they had received. They had an almost fanatical belief in Dartmouth College and they did not hesitate to spread this belief among all those with whom they came in contact. It was a group of virile men who believed profoundly that Dartmouth College had given them something which they wanted every boy coming within the range of their influence to have. The results of the activity of such a group of men were definite and tangible.

Then came the development of Outdoor life, nurtured persistently and with a highminded purpose by such men as Professor Wells, Professor Adams, Dr. Gile, and later by Professors Clark, Hull, Gold-thwait, Poor, Proctor, Griggs, Goodrich. Dr. Lord, Dr. Kingsford, Dr. Stewart and Mr. Tibbetts. They laid the foundation of the Outing Club. Then came the active interest of a small group of undergraduates who loved the out of doors for itself or who were especially interested in one or more of the outdoor sports. Then came the impetus of the enthusiasm and financial support of Mr. Johnson.

One of the controlling factors in the choice of a boy's college is his mother. She does not wield her influence aggressively but it is a loving influence and one constantly exerted. The story of the Outing Club reached many mothers throughout the country. No doubt many a mother felt that her boy would be better off in a locality where his spare time was spent on the mountain tops and in the vales, breathing fresh air, and building up body as well as mind. If her boy was a little delicate, this seemed to offer the opportunity for him to gain vigor. If he was over lusty, he could find outlet for his energy in this healthy form of life rather than in the environment of a city college. To the mother the well-being of her boy is essential. She does not stress intellectual development, although she is proud if her boy is among the fortunate few who excel in their studies. She would prefer that he be well and strong and clean-minded first of all, and she will take her chances that his intellect will carry him through life's struggles.

The development of the out-of-door life at Hanover, it is probable, brought the influence of the mother to Dartmouth. The opportunity for the right kind of physical development made Dartmouth a popular college in the homes of the country.

Quite coincident with this development came the development of the class spirit, the organization of the members into strong and enthusiastic groups. The class-mate far off was made acquainted with the affairs of the college, and with intimate details about his own classmates. Organized reunions at Hanover were more frequent, and the attendance was stimulated by the attendance cup given by the Class of '94, which meant that the wives came to Hanover, and, satisfied that it was the place for their boys, they told other mothers about it.

We believe that there never was a President like Dr. Tucker. We believe that the Outing Club is unique, and offers for the boy exceptional opportunity. We believe that opportunities at Dartmouth for mental development are not excelled. We believe that Dartmouth classes are on the whole organized better than those of other colleges. With all these agencies at work, is it any wonder that the College has grown and must now make a selection from among those who desire to enjoy our heritage?

It will be granted that any organization of men bound together for a common purpose that is good will be beneficial to the world. If such an organization is based upon years of association at the most formative period of life and represents an ideal that is one of the finest in life, are not Dartmouth classes one of the most desirable organizations we can imagine? With the increase in the size of classes, is it not essential that these classes be organized even better than they have been in the past? Is it not an inspiring thing to go down the pathway of life hand in hand with fellows who have a common ground and the same object of devotion ? Each year sees the numbers of each class lessened and the remaining members drawing closer and closer together. Down the line they go until only a few gray heads come back to the shrine. Then when the last one has been carried to his final resting place, your class has passed into history and you can rightly ask what it has done to uphold the good name of the College. The balance sheet is not a commercial sheet showing money given or money expended, but a balance sheet of loyalty and helpfulness to one another, and of service to the community, the state and the nation, on one side, and on the other, neglected opportunity.