CLASS OF 1919
Once a year, just as the buds are bursting forth, the College throws a party for the class secretaries. This is officially known as the Annual Meeting of the Dartmouth College Alumni Secretaries Association, or some such. It will, no doubt, be reported in detail elsewhere in the MAGAZINE, so we will not report it here except to say that we attended, representing 1919, and got a lot of good ideas.
The week-end was a very busy one, for in addition to the secretaries' meeting there was a meeting of the 1919 class officers, and before we got away a class reunion of no mean proportions. Spider came up and brought Chet Gale, who was representing the Buffalo Alumni Association as third substitute assistant secretary. Phil Bird came up with us. Max, Cottie, and Bill McCarter were there, and later George Bingham blew in.
Your Secretary wants it understood that although foursomes and things developed, we stuck to our job and attended every meeting. Give us some credit, will you?
At the meeting of the class officers, we discussed what had been accomplished to date, and made plans for the next six months or so. Things are certainly some better than they have been, and it is evident that Spider is out to make them even better. Max is doing a swell job as treasurer, and we are getting to the point where we can see 1919 taking its place among the best of Dartmouth classes.
Max Norton reported that Bunny Burnett, recently elected senior executive officer of the Proud Poppers Club, was in Hanover a short time ago. We are glad to hear that he is taking his new position seriously and keeping in close touch with the administration of the College.
Si Stein, the big J. P. Morgan of Muscatine, lowa, writes in his appreciation of Hoppy's letter on the graduate and non-graduate matter. Si modestly applies for a job as office boy in the Proud Poppers Club. His qualifications are enough for a better job: Mary Elda, May 3, 1918; Ann Frances, January 28, 1920; S. G. IV, October 14,1921. He goes on to say that he has just realized as his oldest daughter nears her twelfth birthday that at our next reunion he may have sons and daughters in college. No, we can't be that old. He ends his letter as follows; "When at Morro Castle in Havana, the latter part of January, our party watched some races out in the bay. The next month in San Francisco, Freddie McCrea informed me that Proctor had been in one of the boats. So near and yet so far. If Freddie and Ted Townsend maintain the pace they set when they showed me the town, they will be mere shadows when you see them again. Please give my best to any of the gang."
If you noticed a boat that tipped over, Si, that was Proctor. The last time we saw him we asked him what time it was, and he said that his watch did not go so well since it had accompanied him into Havana Bay. Well, he wasn't a bad hockey player.
Bill McCarter is to have a new job next year. He will retain one English course, so that he can still be called Prof. McCarter when he is mentioned in the newspapers in connection with his beauty judge work. The rest of his time will be put in as purchasing agent for the new Baker Library, which sounds like a good promotion to us.
While we were in Hanover, the Handel Society put on "Robin Hood." As we were coming from Webster Hall after the operetta, Max Norton, commissioner of the Hanover police, drew us aside and pointed out to us with great pride the new uniform his chief was wearing. Mr. Whalen will have to do some pretty fancy thinking if he expects to get ahead of the Hanover police department.
During the class meeting in Hanover an undercurrent of feeling which we have sensed for some time broke out. The bachelors got up on their ears and demanded that we lay off this Proud Popper stuff and give some time to a good organization of bachelors, which they claim to be the really worthwhile element in the class. We suggested the name, The Bachelors Button Sewing and Chowder Club, but it did not seem to meet with much approval. As a Proud Popper who values his standing in the Club we do not feel that we can go any further toward organizing any such frivolous outfit. However, if some good bachelor (no, don't laugh there, boys) can start the thing we will take care of enrollment. We need a name first. Do you know a good one?
We inspected some of the new buildings and want to tell you that if you get up to Hanover don't fail to go around and see them. The place is looking grander and grander every day, and from what they told us of their plans they haven't done anything yet. The undergraduates seem to be about the same sort of animal as always. This talk about their being all dressed up day in and day out is just not so. We met a foursome on the golf links with nothing on but a pair of pants and a pair of golf shoes (apiece of course). I can't remember that we ever did much better than that, and there are still plenty of sweaters with no more elbows than Eddie Edwards' had.
Anyway, it is still the place where we like most to be, and we still get just as much of a kick out of going back, if not more. And we hope we always will.
Secretary, Brush Hill Road, Framingham, Mass.
