Thank you for voting
By Richard M. Page, President, Dartmouth Alumni for Common Sense
Published on Monday, November 6, 2006
To the Editor:
On behalf of the group formed to support passage of a new alumni constitution, we would like to thank the thousands of alumni who cast "Yes" votes and to all those who supported this effort, including The Dartmouth ("Alumni reject proposed constitution," Nov. 3).
The results of the balloting reflect a sincere difference of opinion within the Dartmouth community that should be addressed through a period of reflection and discussion. Although the proposed constitution didn't pass, none of the opposition amendments passed either. That's a result that is difficult to interpret, and leaves plenty of food for thought for the College and the leaders of the current alumni governance structure.
The historic turnout is very good news. It indicates that Dartmouth alumni care very much about having a voice in the College's future. We are pleased to have played a role in driving such strong alumni participation.
Constitutional changes are intentionally difficult to accomplish. Achieving a two-thirds majority from such a diverse group of individuals on such a complex set of issues was never an easy proposition, particularly when the intricacies of governance are far removed from the day-to-day lives of most Dartmouth alumni. In that respect, we always saw this campaign as one step in a long educational process.
We knew from day one it would be an uphill battle. The fact that we were able to fight back to force a virtual tie, after starting way behind, is a point of pride given the complex issues involved and the concerted opposition these reforms faced.We are sincerely thankful for all the support the proposed constitution received and we look forward to an ongoing dialogue on how best to keep Dartmouth strong.