Clubs

! There are clubs that serve large urban areas and there are clubs that serve large geographic areas. What both have in common is the potential support of many hundreds of alumni who fall within their area. In contrast, this Club News column features a club that has faced the unique challenges of being located in a smaller metropolitan area with a more limited base of alumni support. Nonetheless, the Dartmouth Club of Cincinnati has had great success taking advantage of both local resources and the proximity of other clubs. Ohio is home to four other clubs as well: Dartmouth Club of Central Ohio (Columbus), Dartmouth Club of Dayton, Dartmouth Club of Northeast Ohio (Cleveland) and Dartmouth Club of Toledo.

Like many clubs, Cincinnati interviews applicants to Dartmouth, sponsors Dartmouth book awards in local high schools and has an annual dinner. With only several dozen duespaying members, however, they have looked for opportunities to cooperate with other clubs and organizations.Young alumni chair person And rea Meacham '97 served as the club's liaison to the Cincy Ivy Club. 'Although its not strictly a Dartmouth club, the Dartmouth Club of Cincinnati has provided funding and organizational sup port to the effort," says Andrea. "We're semibrand-new, started up in August 2001, and at three happy hours so farwe have had increasing numbers of people, I think about 55 at our last one." Andrea has recently moved on to St. Louis—where we hope she'll help out the Dartmouth Club of St. Louis as ably as she did the Cincinnati club! According to Cincinnati club president Paul Haffner '9O the programming will grow: "The Cincy Ivy Club includes the entire Ivy and Seven Sisters community in the greater Cincinnati area and we are a leading sponsor. Happy hours for the younger crowd have been the initial focus, but we hope to expand the offerings to include speakers and athletic events. The Dartmouth Club of Cincinnati would encourage other Dartmouth clubs, especially those in smaller markets, to consider pooling resources with the other Ivy clubs to increase event atten- dance and decrease costs."

Paul also reported on a very successful collaboration with another club: "Our club had its second annual 'Evening with the Pops' this summer with maestro Erich Kunzel '57 making a preshow ap earance at the club's cocktail reception. Maestro Kunzel brought current Dartmouth student and aspiring conductor Christopher Collier '03 with him and the group of more than 30 alums were treated to a sneak peek at the evenings performance with special guest Michael Feinstein. In the spirit of collaboration, the group once again included several members of the Dartmouth Club of Dayton and all claimed seats in the first five rows of Cincy's outdoor Riverbend Amphitheater. Michael Feinstein and the Pops treated the crowd to a fantastic evening of crooning and up-tempo piano renditions of al-American classics."

Like the Cincinnati club, the activities of your club can be featured in this column if you contact me with the information. We are looking for ideas and programs that would be of interest to other clubs and alumni in general.

Call, write or e-mail me at the address below

2200 Wells Fargo Center, 90South 7th St., Minneapolis, MN55402; (612)766-6810;dryan@faegre.com