1941
50-1 Woodlake Road Albany, NY 12203
The good news is all about the class of 1941 in the 1987 Alumni Fund. I had become so accustomed to our "also ran" status that it was a stunner to read, in Bulletin #1 of March 25, that we were showing early foot to lead in the Green Derby sweepstakes, i.e., classes 1938-42. There's no telling how long it lasted, but we were still hanging in on April 8 when Bulletin #2 disclosed an increase in our combined rating from 114.7 percent to 120 percent. This is pretty heady stuff, notwithstanding that our dollar objective of $75,000, undoubtedly a reflection of past (lack of) performance, is the lowest of the lot. One might wonder if it's all done with mirrors, lacking a head class agent as we were, but don't believe it: Dan Provost was in effect his own head agent, and posies to him for getting us off the dime and into the dollars. (Art Hills has since signed on as head agent and bully for him.) My mail includes reports of donors, and I see that gifts have ranged from $1 to more than $2,500. The Fund closed out June 15, but whenever you read this reminder, if you haven't done so already, make your contribution to help Dartmouth's current crop of students as we were helped in our time as undergraduates.
For goodness sake, don't sit it out whatever your grievance may be. There are. many ways to register discontent without lancing the heart of the College on the Hill. One can protest in letters: to the President, the Board, Alumni Magazine, student press, your newsletter or this scribe. Supporting insurgent candidates for the board is another wayto go for the disaffected and, yes, one can stand for the Board as Dan himself did just last year. In short, sound off when you feel like it, but don't go into deep freeze with a sore head. Of course, there are classmates who have never given and never will; chances are they regret having attended Dartmouth in the first place. I can respect that, and I do recognize that withholding financial support from an organization is an established method of trying to bring about change. But let's face it, Dartmouth is not just any old "organization" but something pretty special that excited us just about 50 years ago to the day (of writing this piece) with news of our admission to the class of 1941. (I jumped the gun in April's column, starting our 50th reunion, as students, a little bit too soon.)
As class secretary since two Junes ago, I've had some bones to pick with the College, e.g., the boorish behavior of freshmen at half time in the football game with Harvard. But with respect to issues such as coeducation, the Indian symbol, student affairs and governance, I have found myself in sympathy with the powers-that-be at Dartmouth, hence aligned in opposition to those alumni who seem to have taken unkindly to some changes in the College scene while concurrently exhorting change that has not occurred. As someone tending generally toward disestablishmentarianism put "anti" in front of it and you've got the longest word, right? it was odd for me to be defending incumbents against the assault of insurgents. In any event, it wasn't in the job description, and I do call them as I see them (when I do call them at all, which isn't often).
Speaking of Dan, as I was, he phoned from New Canaan after having battled the elements for the last 800 miles in driving cross-country from his winter digs. He wanted a little information to include in his annual class activity report, a report which "enables both the Class and the College to review the strengths and the weaknesses of class objectives and activities." Another winter out-of-towner, Bill Steel, penned a note from Tampa to follow up on his obit of Dean Carleton. The guy I'm having trouble with is a Dartmouth continuing education officer named D. Randall Spydell '73. He sent me a promo around the end of the year, I wrote back with a question, and I'm still awaiting his reponse. (This little bone I would classify as purely bureaucratic.) Also promoting are Max and Merrily Comins who wrote "Dear Monk" to cover a packet of info about the Kedron Valley Inn, South Woodstock, but better this had gone to Bob Tepper apropos his task of setting up the annual fall reunion. Closer to home, in the same vein, an invitation to attend the annual dinner of the Dartmouth Club of Eastern New York when the guest speaker will be Paul Cormier, coach of men's basketball. For a most welcome change, this coach can face alumni fearlessly. Finally, Al Adams wrote to tell of having breezed through New York City some months ago when he was among those honored for having served in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War. Having finished up his research on the praying mantis, he and Effie were soon to depart for Nepal and another climb in the Himalayas. Peace and Joy.
