With the Outing Club
Inter-collegians on Moosilauke
OUTING clubs have been growing up in many colleges in New England and New York state yet heretofore there has been but little contact among them. All clubs have nearly the same problems to meet, and many of them have written to Dartmouth to find out how the Dartmouth Club operates. This isn't real contact, however,—there isn't the feeling that personal relationship brings. In 1928 the Dartmouth Outing Club was host to those who were interested in the college outing club idea. The delegates then did not necessarily represent officially their respective outing clubs, but were only interested visitors. Outing club methods were discussed informally.
The Dartmouth Outing Club was again host to a group of delegates in May of this year. This time there were actual delegates from eight college outing clubs: Bates, Dartmouth, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Skidmore, University of New Hampshire, Vassar, and Yale. This conference was held May 6, 7 and 8 in the Summit House on Moosilauke. The delegates arrived by car at Glencliff, the foot of the Glencliff Trail up the mountain. Because of the distance that some delegates had to travel earlier they did not get started up the mountain until late in the afternoon. The "Agony," that last steep climb to the ridge, was deeply covered with hard packed snow which made it necessary to climb with hands as well as feet. Out on the open ridge the wind had blown all the snow out from under foot, but a Spring snowstorm gave the mountain top a wintery aspect.
Saturday morning it was warm enough to hold the discussion groups out doors. It was a fitting place to talk over out-of-doors subjects. One could look off to the northeast and see the snow-covered Franconias or to the southwest and see the cloud-blanketed Connecticut Valley. In the afternoon the whole company discussed the possibility of binding the different outing club organizations more closely together. These plans for an Intercollegiate Outing Club Association were put forward: the only officer is to be the executive-secretary; it is his duty to put out a bulletin three times a year; this bulletin will contain the doings of each club as well as other articles which may be of interest to out-door enthusiasts. It was decided that Dartmouth should choose the first executive-secretary from its club. To make arrangements for another conference a year hence a committee of three was formed; Yale and Smith have representatives on this committee. The only cost of the organization will be the publication of the bulletin, but through this paper the clubs can remain in closer contact with each other. The conference officially closed'the next day, Sunday, with an off-the-trail dinner at the Outing Club House in Hanover.
A small group of Outing Club men under the direction of Dick Goldthwait '33 have been working together on a handbook for the D.O.C. They have made this book more than a mere directory to the trails and cabins. It contains three sections: The first part is headed, "Cabins, Trail, and Mountains." Here is found a directory to the D.O.C. trails, cabins and shelters, a mountain directory, and a brief description of outlying trails and mountains. The second section is called, "Along the Trail." The articles here have a scientific turn, and most of them are written by men of much experience. There is animal life, plant life, astronomy, geology, and weather prediction. One of the most interesting articles in this division is "Pioneer Relics" by J. W. Goldthwait. The third section valuable to the novice is "With Experienced D.O.C. Men." These articles, written mostly by undergraduates, tell how to plan trips, where to go, how to take care of one's self, and how to find enjoyment along the way. There are also four maps, one of the whole D.O.C. country; the rest are more detailed maps of particular regions, such as Moose Cabin to Happy Hill, Holt's to Cube and the Mopsilauke region. In this department there are two panoramas showing the views from the top of Smart's Mountain Moosilauke.
OUTERS FROM OTHER COLLEGES Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Skidmore, and Vassar well represented
