How It Was Done in Hartford

There is something almost phenomenal in the growth of the Dartmouth Club of Hartford after World War II. But there is nothing at all phenomenal in the way it was made to grow:

It was simply a matter of hard work, and getting ideas across to other alumni, coupled with long hours by a few alumni who wanted to see more Dartmouth men more often. This is the story, briefly, of the club which holds forth in the Insurance Capital.

Back in 1947 the then five active members had to assess themselves five dollars apiece to pay for mailing club material to alumni on an obsolete and incomplete list.

Then one day George Baine '41 and Rich Fisher '41 had a curbside discussion, and decided to invite some of the seldomseen Dartmouth men to lunch. A dozen men were rounded up, and that was the beginning. Informal monthly luncheons became regular. By the end of 1948 some thirty alumni became regulars at the get-together.

It was time for more action. So president Bruce Manternach '34 wrote a letter, sent to all members and prospective members, urging them to pay their dues in order to receive news of the annual dinner meeting and other club activities. (Otherwise they would be taken off the mailing list.) The membership went up to 43 - still a far cry from what it might have been, but encouraging.

At about this time the club started Smoke Signals, a news bulletin about club members and activities, containing a classified directory in which each advertiser was charged a dollar, which paid for issuance of the pamphlet.

In the midst of this "renaissance Hap Bush '44 took over the newly created job of membership chairman. He immediately arranged to have alumni in various local geographical areas contact their Dartmouth friends and ask them to become dues-paying members, a device which increased the membership to 100 in 1950. Two other new ideas were introduced that year: A "freshman luncheon" was held for the young men entering Dartmouth and their fathers, an affair which has been continued with great success. And five large meetings, were also held that year, three of which included wives or dates.

Club secretary Cal Billings '28 brought the records up to date for the first time, and bigger plans were introduced, under the presidency of Rich Fisher '41.

Dues were collected on a more formal basis, using attractive billheads, starting in 1952; a large Dartmouth Club of Hartford banner was purchased; wives were invited to the annual cocktail party and the annual outing, and membership jumped to 150.

Last year, 1954, the Dartmouth Club of Hartford started off with the "freshman luncheon," followed up with a Yale-Dartmouth pre-game dinner, held a cocktail get-together party, and sponsored a Glee Club concert in addition to the monthly luncheons. This year the books will close on the most successful year with more than 300 members, at least a third of whom find time to attend the meetings regularly. President Dickey will come to Hartford for a formal dinner on April 28 which will highlight 1955.

In retrospect, it was. activity that paid off and as soon as members knew they would be getting something for their money (the Yankees still want a dollar's value for their buck) they paid dues promptly. Once they paid their dues they became interested, in the club and attended meetings. It snowballed.

It's a matter of record: The Dartmouth Club of Hartford, which jumped from 5 to 300 members in seven years, now has the highest percentage of paid members, based on its mailing list, of any Dartmouth club in the country.

Any club can do what Hartford did - and those who want the story more specifically may obtain full details by writing Harry C. "Hap" Bush '44, club president, 106 Brunswick Ave., West Hartford 7' Conn.

AT THE HARTFORD HELM: L to r, Donald Crowther '34, vice president of the club;Richmond Fisher' 41, last year's president; HaP Bush '44, club present; Richard Fitzgerald '46, treasurer; and Cal Billings '28, secretary.