1931

Well, here we are again - another year nearer to another reunion - and my second year of trying to make these class news columns of interest to you.

In my June issue I explained that "in my enthusiasm to try to make this column an interesting one I apparently let myself get carried away and submitted too much material for one class." The secretary's column, by the rules, must be concise and boiled down to facts. Therefore, after this issue this column will be written accordingly. I will present facts and try to be brief - BeanyThorn will then be forwarded all my ma- terial for elaboration in the Newsletter. So don't think I've gone sour on the job just because the nature of it might seem to be changing. I'm just as interested in the job as ever and maybe even more so. The change might even be beneficial because it will provide Beany with more information about you all and should help him get the letter out more frequently.

In a spring reorganization of the company's buying set-up, Tom Ryan was named merchandise manager in textiles for the J. C. Penney Co., New York City. Tom joined J. C. Penney in 1944 as an assistant buyer and in 1957 was made head of the home furnishings department. He and Alice are no doubt keenly interested in happenings up in Hanover for son John is a junior this year. Their home is at 119 Lookout Rd., Mountain Lakes, N. J.

Certainly our terrible showing (last in the Green Derby group three, Classes 1925-31, just in case you didn't know it, and only 55 percent of objective) indicates that you fellows have to be worked on much more frequently and persistently if we are to make the showing we should. No sense crying over the Fund results now, the important thing is to resolve now not to let it happen next year.

Maybe like the problem confronting our Federal and State governments, all politicians and many big corporations we are as harassed as they are over the conflict of interest problem namely, Sam Groves drafted by M.I.T. to head up a drive for a whoppingly large amount; Adrian O'Keeffe likewise for Boston College and Dr. CharlieSullivan for a local religious organization. Our guys must be capable money-getters to be called on like that and goodness knows how many, many other examples there are all over the country. Regardless, I have the feeling that we will bounce back next year, and with all of us paying more attention to the job at hand we will again get '31 up where we belong.

Remember that I stated above that the nature of this column would change "after this issue." That is because I still have some nice and interesting gossipy material on hand about which I referred in previous columns and which I still want to get to you in the column, so here goes - From Si Leach:

With one of the manifestations of old age catching up with me, namely an attack of phlebitis in my left leg, I have had a chance to do some of the things that have been on the agenda for a long time - and responding to your plea for news is one of these things! Might mention at the start that the phlebitis occurred around the middle of December, but I was out of the hospital for Christmas and have been recovering very satisfactorily. Am up and around and back down to the office now although still restricted in the amount of exercise I can take at any one time and probably will have to continue sitting with my leg up for some time yet.

Over the past few years have had a most interesting time here in Canada with the organization of the Dartmouth College Canadian Foundation. This involved the establishment of a trust fund to which we alumni in Canada could make our regular college contributions and have these payments eligible for tax deduction. I undertook the task of organizing this several years ago, and it is now coming along very nicely with an amount of $12,000 now residing in the fund - not a very staggering amount at this time but nevertheless an encouraging start. Incidentally any '31ers who have anything to do with Canadian subsidiaries certainly would receive great appreciation if they were to direct any charitable giving toward the Dartmouth College Canadian Foundation. The disbursements of the Foundation are used for scholarship for Canadian students at Dartmouth, graduate work of Dartmouth graduates in Canada and the exchange of Canadian professors to Dartmouth, or Dartmouth professors to Canada.

An interesting offshoot of this activity has been the acquaintanceship that I have made with many different Dartmouth men of many different classes residing all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The majority of these new acquaintanceships have not got beyond the letterwriting stage but it has been fun. As a result of all this a new Dartmouth Association has been formed in the Toronto area where an energetic group is getting itself organized with the result that Eddie Jeremiah may start to get some benefits in future years from their recruiting and enrollment program.

Our eldest boy graduated from Hanover in June and is now doing graduate work in Business Administration at the University of Western Ontario. Our fourth son has applied - keep fingers crossed - for admission to Dartmouth this fall. The other two boys are at universities in St. Paul and New Brunswick. Quite a mixed bag! Our daughter Linda, the last of the family, is still in high school here.

Other recent manifestations of old age during the last two months were my appointment as the Honorary President of the Winnipeg Junior Chamber of Commerce, and also an appointment as a Director of the Bank of Montreal.

George Nickum and I still correspond regularly and manage to see each other about once every year.

If any of the Class ever pass through this territory, which certainly is not as far away now as it once seemed - I would be more than delighted to hear from them.

All best wishes to you both.

From Jim Godfrey:

"Will you express to the members of the Class my appreciation for their response to the confidential questionnaire relative to the bequest and estate planning program. It is heartening to learn how many men are considering Dartmouth in their wills.

"A recent note from Seymour Burge gives a brief but glowing account of his trout and salmon fishing expedition in the mountains of Argentina, where he professes to taking five to fifteen-pound fish with a fly in terrain more alpine thali Switzerland.

"Fred and Ruth Slaughter recently sent a card from California showing that they were mixing golf, sunshine, and business in the proper proportions. (Fred, we'd like a nice story about this, who you met, etc., please.)

"Bill Phinney was observed in the corridors of the New Hampshire Legislature. He includes among his clients the Rockingham Race Track people who are interested in the continuation of an arrangement whereby a substantial portion of the state budget is met by its share of the take from pari-mutuel betting.

"Be sure to drop in on me whenever you are in the vicinity of Concord."

Hope you all had a very wonderful summer, that you are loaded with bits of news about yourselves and other classmates and that you will open up and out of the generosity of your soul, will promptly drop me a note about it all. For instance, Harriet and I are now grandparents three times - who can match us?

Secretary, 36 Shaw Drive, Wayland, Mass.

Treasurer, 96 Fair Oaks Park, Needham 92, Mass.