1926

We've been asked to repeat the Christmas message that appeared in this column in 1957, our first secretarial year. Since none of the news-clips at hand are so urgent as to demand December publication, we're happy to oblige . . . and to hold the news till January. Come to think of it, for Dartmouth news to give way to nostalgia, this season of the year, seems only natural and right.

Thirty-seven-or-so years ago, we were counting the days till the start of the "Christmas Peerade." Christmas vacation from college . . . epitome of care-free fun! The gay and noisy Special train . . . "Anticipation Unlimited." Finally, home. How could a plain, ordinary front-door ever look so wonderful? Perhaps because of the proud and loving family waiting their welcome behind it. Two-plus weeks of fatted calf. . .

playing Joe College (and those undefeated football teams sure didn't hurt!). The '20's at their roaringest. . . parties and parties .. . girls and girls. Breakfast late, later, later . . . till we finally overslept lunch! Dim-lit speakeasies and bathtub gin. Auld Lang Syne and New Year's Eve, most important night in the year. New Year's dawn. Then all of a sudden, the awful realization: - vacation almost over! Just around the corner, reality . . . books and exams. (Dartmouth spirit at its very lowest ebb!) A reluctant, fleeting glance at the text-books we'd hopefully brought home. A different train-ride back: - more quiet, more tired. And memories!

We hazard the guess that our Holiday Season has changed quite a bit, in more than a third of a century. And changed for the better. Since a major chunk of our Yuletide fun now comes from providing fun for our children and grandchildren, we're a whole lot closer to the Spirit of Christmas.

We'd like to think of this little column as a multiple '26 Christmas card . . . with each of us wishing, to each of our old-time friends, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" May yours be happy and bright!

Holt McAloney '26 and Fred Hurd '26enjoying the comforts of the DartmouthClub in New York as the new quarters atthe Commodore opened in October.

Secretary, 9301 Hamlin Ave., Evanston, Ill.

Treasurer, 6 Stanwich Rd., Greenwich, Conn.

Bequest Chairman,