1915

I believe that the top news of the month is the notation from Hanover giving a new address for Jiggs Donahue Jiggs, who for over three years was interned in occupied France and to whom we have sent several letters, none of which have ever been answered. But today I learn that his address is 55 Rue Boileau, Paris, indicating his release and freedom. I know every classmate will rejoice at this, and perhaps many will wish to drop Jiggs a message of good luck.

For some weeks past, your officers and executive committee have been discussing back and lorth among themselves and with the college authorities the matter of a reunion in Hanover this year, and I have made a note or two each month as a progress report.

In the process, I have had a number of letters from different ones, and all seem to think that a reunion is ill-advised and in reality, impossible, even if authorized. But today I have definite word that the College has bowed to the recent ODT edict of no convention or kindred gatherings, and there will be no Reunion at Hanover. To go one step further, the College has likewise suspended for one year the annual meeting of secretaries, treasurer and class agents in Hanover; this, according to Sid Hayward, to meet further the patriotic needs of the moment. So I think this should settle the matter and make it definite.

It is, therefore, incumbent upon the regional vice presidents to proceed with informal gatherings of the class by regions, insofar as it may be possible. This was originally planned last year when it appeared that no meeting in Hanover could be held. So let's have these meetings, when, as, and if such may be possible, and thus keep interest alive in class doings without infringing on transportation facilities, so necessary to the war effort. Boston and New York particularly can do this, and the original committees therefore are still in existence and go on from that point with the knowledge that no Hanover meeting is to be held.

Coincident with the failure to have a Reunion in 1945, the matter of elections has been under consideration, and it has been determined, by the unanimous decision of five lawyers in the class, that the class constitution provides that officers shall be elected at a "regular meeting of the class," and that further, the definition as contained in the constitution of a "regular meeting" is one held in Hanover; and that, therefore, no election can be held in any other manner. The net result of this decision is that the present officers will hold over until the next Reunion in Hanover, whenever that may be. Of course, a timely end of the war will result, I believe, under present plans of the College, in a general, grand reunion of all classes which have been forced to suspend their gatherings since the war started.

We are glad to announce another service promotion of a classmate—that of Ralph A. Sawyer, to be a commander in the Navy. Ralph has been in it since the first of things, and has gone up to this high rank deservedly.

Phil Alexander, vice president in the Rocky Mountain area, writes in the midst of busy days to add his bit to the desire to forego any reunion under present conditions, and incidentally tells me that he is chairman of the War Finance Committee for the State of Colorado, which from here looks like a man-sized job and as he adds, "as well as doing several other jobs that seem to have cropped up during this war emergency." Phil has two boys in the service, both of them in action overseas. Phil sure is performing a big part in the war effort.

Wires seem to have been crossed up on a note I had about Al Cleveland. I noted that Al had been discharged after service in this war, said info coming from one of my intrepid reporters around the land. Al says no, but wishes he could have been. He is, however, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Maine, which he joined three years ago when the Coast Guard wanted boatmen for emergency duty around Portland; so Al was on the job when, in those days, it looked plenty as if just such service might be needed on our East coast.

Johnny Johnson, after some months in and around hospitals in Boston, is once more himself, and is back at Orleans on the Cape, but reports that he will be at the annual Boston Dinner which is to be February 28 (before you read this) so the report of all present or accounted for will be in the next issue for we'll all be there, we hope.

Had a fine long letter from Hal Budd, who after twenty-three years in Philadelphia, is now located in Toledo, Ohio, as Branch Manager for the Shaw Walker Cos. About the first person Hal ran into in Toledo was Pop Dennen, about whom we haven't heard for many years, so this is a greeting to him, as well as to Hal in his new position. Seemed good to hear from Hal, who finally managed to get 1915 in the news from Philadelphia in December. He plans to get the Dartmouth Alumni around Toledo on the job, and I'm sure he can do it. Let's hear more about it.

Only one change of address this month to report, other than the news of Jiggs Donahue: Deane S. Hazen, 11 Forest Lane, Scarsdale, N. Y.

Secretary, Box 697, Lawrence, Mass. Treasurer, 31 State St., Boston, Mass.