How to Wake up Your Class
An every-issue guide to staying in touch with Dartmouth
My father's class, the '54s, are great at putting together reunions. mini-reunions, frequent newsletters, and twice-a-year meetings. On the other hand my class, the '81s, are grateful if.l handful of us show up at a meeting. By the time I became president in June of 1990, the level of our activity was dangerously approaching a flat line. Our job was clear: to rebuild a base, create momentum, and design activities that are worth our classmates' time.
While we are no class of the year (yet), I've learned a few things others may find useful.
• Build a team for the long run. It's like training for a marathon: Create a team to support your effort, gradually cover more and more ground, and learn to recover quickly, but carefully, from setbacks.
• House your officers. Rent a condo for Dartmouth Night Weekend and invite all your class officers to stay there, thereby assuring strong attendance at class meeting the next morning.
• Focus your energies. Being a journalist, my interest was in seeing us introduce a really inclusive newsletter that effectively reached out to classmates. We invited guest writers with unusual hobbies or occupations to tell about their experiences. We canvassed '81s on their opinions and lifestyles and feelings for Dartmouth, and shared those results with the class.
• Eliminate what isn't working. No one would come to our mini-reunions. So we dropped them.
• Take advantage of the electronicage. Several classes have Web sites, which the College can help you set up. Contact J an Bent at (603) 646-2258 or .
• Redefine success. When goals other classes meet seem impossible for your class, propose more realistic targets that your class can actually meet, especially when a class is in a building mode. There will be time for breaking records later.
• Restructure classleadership. My title is now vice president, but my real role is class projects chair, a new post. Among our projects: a memorial book fund and rUmJ a mentoring program tor underprivileged kids that we conduct With other Ivy League '81s. We dropped the mini-reunion post and added a participation chair to investigate ways to involve classmates, particularly those who feel disconnected. Consider adding a historian to archive class mementos. And how about a technology expert? Just make sure the College is aware of your leadership positions so officers aren't left out of mailings and meetings. Contact Patsy Fisher-Harris 'Slat (603) 646-2258 or .
• Reconsider term lengths. Are fiveyear terms appropriate for your class officers? Maybe shorter is better.
• Build on classmates' interests. Consider running seminars on work and family or career planning. A natural for older classes: retirement planning.
• Go beyond your class. When Steve Adnopoz '78 recognized a need for a homecoming event that involved alumni and their kids, the '78s began sponsoring a post-game party for young families from several classes. It's now a weekend highlight. One year's entertainment: a 500-pound hog that could count.
You can e-mail Pat Berry at. This articlewas adapted from her Class OfficersWeekend talk.
