1897

A visit to Hanover in early December at one of the quiet periods of the year gives an old alumnus an inside kind of a contact with the College and I want to tell my classmates about my visit. My yearly job of presiding at the annual business meeting of a fraternity leans towards the janitorial side of my duties; the new sophomore members greeting with a word of welcome, the social side. Both elements of this contact bring an old alumnus into real first-hand contact with the students and the college life as it unfolds year by year.

Several years ago an alumni committee, one from each chapter, was appointed to study fraternity values at Dartmouth. Several of our meetings were held at the Dartmouth Club in New York and later ones at Hanover with the Dean and Administration officers. The results of these group meetings were to help formulate the proper use of leisure time (of fraternity members) and an agenda for developing competitive activities which could be rated each year.

The results of the last tew years of the experiment seem to show values. All the fraternities as a result of a "whale of a lot" of work by the Administration Officers and some by our committee are beginning to show. These yearly ratings are made available to all chapters and interested alumni. These competitions cover activities in several classifications - such as participation in some of the minor athletic sports like golf and Softball (I saw four games of Softball being played on the campus at one time recently. Tough on the grass, but good for the boys.)

Group singing competition, in front of old Dartmouth, is one of much worth; also writing and acting original plays. One of the competitions with high rating is scholarship marks of the group. Another, paying fraternity bills (I am strong for this one); strict following of rules for house parties; care of property at the house; respect for rights and comfort of neighbors; and many others.

My visit this winter makes me feel sure the results are paying off. They are reaching the boys who do not get the discipline of the varsity activities. Our boys told me, with pride, of this year's improvement and their plans for better rating next year by getting more boys into the activities included in the rating system.

I think one outstanding result is the respect for opinions of alumni of the chapters, asking for advice, rather than telling us old guys - "of course you don't understand" or "times are different," etc. I feel sure college drinking is under better control with present regulations.

Several years ago I collected the scores of about fifteen songs written by Frank Logan and Park Taylor and with the help of the Music Department, I procured tape recordings of these songs. Last year at a gathering of girls and boys, after the initiation banquet, Frank, accompanied by Park (with the tape recorder) gave the first experience of this new kind of singing by students and their visiting girls, - different from that hammerlike pounding of all the keys by a piano player like Stew Steffy '41, who wore most of the ivory off the keys when he was a student. I am strong for his kind of music for alumni and the boys, too - within limits. There are only a few who can play like Stew Steffy.

The singing with the tape recorder is softer, the singers sitting or lying on the rugs singing over and over new favorites. Among the songs most enjoyed last winter were Winter HasCome to My Home, Just One Girl, RainbowOver My Shoulder, Someone to Love, ThatLittle Red Squirrel and When You Are Near. The most outstanding, or perhaps ambitious, were the arrangement of music for the two poems by Robert Frost, Standing byWoods Alone On A Snowy Evening and Fireand Ice. Mr. Frost told me he was very much pleased with the way these two boys, Logan and Taylor, had developed the music for his poems. Sitting for an hour with these boys as they created That Little Red Squirrel made me determined to have these songs recorded. The Music Department did this and I am very happy about it.

My interesting visit with some of the administrative officers of the College to discuss the future needs of the business part of South Main Street and other areas nearby was very thought-making. As I think over our brief talks, I feel that the pressure of parking on Main Street is so important that a very thorough study of all areas south of the campus is needed. My hope is that with much study, under professional guidance, we can arrive at a result of improved use of all areas south of the campus.

In the time of oxen and old Eleazar, Main Street didn't mean much; it was wide for the time and probably deserted. Horses came to replace oxen and we had Hamp Howe who, with others, built horse barns and carriage sheds over behind, and left the street to grow into what it is like today. "Hoppy" and I had ideas about barn burners, but nothing hap- pened to two of the three barns "still sitten there," and other rag-tag small structures were built with little thought about a hub to hub parking of cars on Main Street to get near the crowded stores.

I want to develop some of the elements of the problem of Main Street in another article, with some reference to other Main Streets. Hanover's Main Street is pretty bad. We talked about it on my visit in December.

Secretary, Treasurer and BequestChairman, 114 State St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.