Clubs

The purpose of Dartmouth clubs is fellowship among alumni, parents, students and friends of Dartmouth. The clubs give us a structure and opportunity to share our unique Dartmouth experience. Clubs also provide a significant social and business network. Whether you are moving into a new community, spending the winter away from your home or just doing business in a new area, seek out the local Dartmouth club to meet new and interesting people. Check out the alumni relations page at the College Web site (www.dartmouth.edu) for information on specific clubs.

Clubs support the College and their local communities in many ways through service projects, admissions interviewing, seminars and sporting events. Although not intended to be a fund-raising vehicle of the College, many clubs donate significant amounts of money and time to fund scholarships and other needs which the College could not fund out of tuition or the endowment. An outstanding example of this is the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Silicon Valley, which recently donated more than $100,000 worth of equipment for the campus-wide wireless computer network currently under construction. Dartmouth will be the first Ivy League college in the country with a high-speed, campus-wide wireless network. Imagine surfing the Net while sitting by Bartlett Tower on warm spring day and then Blitzing your roommate down on the Ledyard docks to meet for lunch in Thayer at noon!

"Many of us were first exposed to [computer] technology at Dartmouth, which has given us a competitive edge," according to Donna Soave '91, president of the Silicon Valley Club. "We wanted to build a bridge from the West Coast to the East Coast. What better way than through technology?" Donna, who works at Cisco Systems, and other club members used their business connections and cash donations to acquire the wireless equipment for the College both by purchasing it a discount and by persuading Cisco to make an outright donation. This type of gift reflects the entrepreneuarial spirit of Silicon Valley and the club. This club also sponsors the mens and women's water polo teams at Dartmouth.

The Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley not only has raised nearly half a million dollars in scholarship funds, it also makes direct grants to College organizations and activities such the Tucker Foundation and the Marching Band. "We try to give as close as we can to the students," says Dudley Smith '60.

More traditionally, but of great importance both to the College and the club's local community, there are 102 student scholarships funded from more than $20 million in endowments established by clubs during the years. At least two dozen clubs have scholarship endowments in excess of $100,000, including the clubs of Greater Boston, Sarasota, Washington, D.C., and Central Massachusetts. Even the relatively new and small Dartmouth Club of Hong Kong has raised $22,600 for scholarships.

The largest scholarship operation by far, however, is the Dartmouth Club of the Midwest, with an endowment in excess of $3.7 million. According to Doug Fulton '85, time is the biggest element in building a significant endowment: "Our fund is the result of systematic marketing and giving by dedicated people over many years." The fund was established more than 60 years ago and grew under the long tenures of John Faegre '33, Jim Rogers '51 and Tom Keller '56. Direct requests for donations targeted at those who benefited from the scholarship funds while students, as well as high-net-worth individuals, have been most effective. Many clubs simply rely on a portion of their dues for funding scholarships and other gifts.

President James Wright is crisscrossing the country for a number of club events this fall. He'll attend events—some receptions, some dinners—in San Diego, Septembers; Los Angeles, September 6; Long Island, October 2; Fairfield County, Connecticut, October 16; San Francisco, November 2; Portland, Oregon, November 15; and Chicago, December 11. Alumni in these areas should watch for invitations about two months in advance of an event. For details, call Alumni Relations toll-free at (888) 228-6068.

Please send news of your activities to Steve Donovan at the Alumni Relations Office (stephen.donovan@dartmouth.edu) or me.

'81, 2200 Wells Fargo Center, 90South Seventh St., Minneapolis, MN 55402; (612)766-6810; (612) 766-1600 (fax); dryan@faegre.com