1948

Thanks to those who anted up class dues recently. They support the class newsletter, which the College has made more costly recently. Dick Dahl's productions deserve the generous support of us all. If you haven't kicked in, do so now.

Bud Gedney and John Hatheway are already planning our 60th reunion on June 9-11,2008. Expect the best. They have the know-how. Round-the-world sailor Lou Clarke was getting chemotherapy for a blood disorder but is feeling good and enjoys walking with a great view of Portland, Maine.

Dartmouth is unique in that the alumni have had a chance to nominate nearly half the trustees for more than a century. Nomination "from the floor" hasn't happened very often but it is a right worth preserving. It amounts to a chance for those of us who aren't multimillionaires to be heard as to the governance of our beloved College.

The latest attempt to steal this away is the announcement by the alumni associations executive committee that the regular meeting of that group this year will not be held, blocking any attempt to change its bylaws.This is the same group that forbade Roberts Rules of Order at their meetings and are advocating the change in the constitution that would virtually take away our alumni nomination process. This meeting postponement is in violation of the current constitution but that, too, doesn't appear to concern them.

The only way for us to stop this kind of chicanery is to vote NO on the constitutional change proposed by the alumni governance task force.

Following that we at least have a chance to straighten up the current constitution and elect to the leadership of the alumni association people who will be more responsive to the alumni body in general and not the special interests with whom this group has been aligned.

We know that the alumni have elected the last three alumni trustees "from the floor," expressing thereby their concern that College leadership has gone overboard trying to be "politically correct." Id prefer that they go overboard providing education.

6442 Cardeno Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037,bobherrick@aoL com