Clubs

At this year's Club Officers and Affiliated Clubs Weekend in Hanover there was great fanfare around the clubs that won Club of the Year.

The Dartmouth Club of Greater San Francisco past-president Rick Herrick '81 comments: "Winning the Metro Club of the Year Award is—in a word—awesome! The award recognizes the tremendous energy and affection Bay Area alums have for Dartmouth." He adds that he believes the club has thrived for two reasons: "First, the Dartmouth Club of Greater San Francisco has an outstanding group of officers who organize the events and programs that keep local alums in touch with each other and in touch with Hanover. Second, people really have fun at the events. At the Christmas party last year I ended up laughing hysterically while dancing the 'Salty Dog Rag' with several Dodecs and a bunch of alums. A flood of memories and common bonds come back to you at each event—that's what makes the club so worthwhile." Current president Dick Wenzel '71 notes that its board members "truly represent each of the past six decades of alums, which gives us an excellent overview of what each generation of alums, with very different Dartmouth experiences, is interested in at certain phases of their lives. We certainly don't lack for input and do thrive on the insight!"

Large Club of the Year honors went to Dartmouth Association of the Rocky Mountains.

Susan Luria '89, president of the Dartmouth Club of Northeast Ohio, took away two awards: one for Medium Club of the Year and one for President of the Year. She told us, "The driving reason for the selection of our club is that northeast Ohio was once a very strong club, then went dormant for several years with the exception of continuation of applicant interviews and scholarship activities. A few committed people came together, started with one event and built from there. A major focus of our club is connectivity within the community—starting with the students. There are many dormant or semi-dormant clubs out there and the idea of resurrecting them is deemed too much of a burden for people to jump into leadership roles to accomplish. What we learned is that success can mean a lunch of 10 people, an event of 30 people or an event for 150 people."

The Small Club of the Year Award was given to the Dartmouth Club of France. It is the first time an international club has won a Club of the Year award. Due to the distance to Hanover, a representative from the club could not be here to accept the award. Instead, the '05 who was seriously burned in a hotel fire during an FSP in France a few years ago gave a heartwarming speech about the importance of clubs and the club system. She knows firsthand: When her father, who couldn't speak French, flew out to France to be with her, club members provided around-the-clock translation service and assistance to them, becoming their extended family while the student recovered.There wasn't a dry eye in the house!

This is my last article as editor of Club Notes. Stay tuned for our next editor and my classmate Patty Davidson '91, from Durham, North Carolina. Please welcome her and send her any news and feedback you have. I have moved and joined the Dartmouth Club of Germany, where I'll be hosting a hospitality party for Dartmouth alums during the 2006 World Cup. Anyone who plans to be in Berlin should contact me at dsoave@mindspring.com.

Thank you again and again for the past few years of fun and fabulous stories. Hope to see you all at some point on the Hanover Plain!

3015 Alameda,Menlo Park, CA94025; (650) 234-8334; dsoave@mindsprmg.com