The Green Key Society, a group of 20 students dedicated to service to the College community, has evolved into a much different organization today than when it was founded 75 years ago.
The Green Key Society was started when the Dartmouth football team visited the University of Washington and were impressed with the hospitality of the University's service organization, "Knights of the Hook."
The "Knights" greeted the football team at the train station, provided transportation and guides, and introduced the players to women in the area. Using this as an example, Dartmouth created the Green Key Society the next year, with 50 sophomores as the first members.
The Society was responsible for entertaining guests at other institutions, keeping freshmen "under control" -- they enforced the rule of freshmen "beanies"-- and finding men to lead cheers and usher at sporting events.
The Society was named "Green Key" because, as The Dartmouth reported the year the Society was founded, "It symbolizes Dartmouth in Green Key because of the word Green and hospitality in the word key."
Two years later, the society changed into an all junior class organization whose main function was to greet visiting athletic teams. In the next twenty years, the group became more service oriented.
The Society was responsible for putting out the Freshmen Handbook, helping during freshmen orientation and commencement activities.
Green Key members, at the faculty's request, wore uniforms -- white trousers, green sweaters and green hats with the key emblem -- to aid freshmen in recognizing those who could assist them.
In 1929, the Society started the Green Key Prom because of a perceived lack of spring social events.
During World War II, the Society stopped its regular activities for two years and became the College's student government body. Following the war, it resumed its normal activities and implemented new ones, such as putting out the annual Day by Day calendar with photos of various aspects of Dartmouth life.
The Society changed its focus once again when the Dartmouth College Athletic Council started taking over Green Key's role in greeting visiting teams. By the late 1980's, the society evolved into a full fledged service organization.
In the past few years, Green Key has experienced problems with maintaining membership. In 1993, only 16 students in the Class of 1995 ran for the twenty available at-large positions and the rest of the spots were filled by write-in candidates.
In comparison, in 1985, 72 sophomores ran for the 20 seats. Last year a concerted effort was made to attract members of the Class of 1996.
The Society sent a letter to all class members explaining the group's purpose. As a result, 30 students ran for the seats.
This year, for the Class of 1997, the upswing continued with 47 students running. Green Key Society President Tim Cross '96 pointed to the increased turnout this year by the Class of 1997 as a positive sign for the group.
"The turnout was very good -- more people petitioned, even though there was an oversight, where lines got crossed, and the 97's didn't receive a letter telling them about the Society until the night before the deadline to petition," Cross said.
Cross said he felt badly about the mix-up, and sent huge mass blitzes the night before the deadline to reach as many people as he could. He said very few 97's were upset about it, and he told those who were that if they were active on campus, they could be nominated to the Society from their organization.
"As of now, a number of people have chosen to go that route," he said.
Cross characterized this year's group as an "incredible group of people, with leaders from many different groups on campus."
Dean Turco, the advisor for the Society, said that this year's group was a very goodgroup.
"They really wanted to expand their role on campus, do more than they did in the past and I think they were very successful in this. They were also very enthusiastic, with a record number of students signing on to help with Commencement, "she said.
"To end the year, we are looking forwawrd to our Banquet and Commencement," she added.
"The basic principle behind Green Key now is service to the College," Former Green Key Society President Kaja Schuppert '95. "In the fall, Green Key provides volunteers for first year events. In the spring, there is Commencement volunteering and in between, a whole host of events."
In addition, Green Key runs programs with Dick's House to aid students there being checked out, works on the Day by Day calendar during the entire year, and publishes the calendar at the beginning of the summer, according to Schuppert.
In addition to the plethora of other activities it which the Society is involved, it also plays an important role in student elections.
"The Green Key Society is involved in the elections because it is a non partisan organization -- the Society staffs the ballot tables, counts the votes, and tries to facilitate voting by printing the election newsletter, where all candidates are given a chance to say something about themselves," said Omar Lari '96, elections chair for the Society.
"Green Key also sponsors an informational session with the candidates, where the student body can come hear the candidates speak about different issues, followed by a question and answer session," he said.
"The College turns to Green Key for volunteers in the Will to Excel [Capital] campaign, for example, and memorial services," she said.
This year, "Green Key has done a lot -- we have continued the process on the student run election paper, helped the United Way campaign, which raised its target amount, launch an aggressive campaign which was successful," Cross said. "We also worked for the main events such as Orientation and Convocation."
"There is a new twist with each delegation -- there are some changes in the Day by Day," Cross said about the changes in the Society this year.
"One big thing this year was that, a couple of years ago, the Society got into debt, and we got the debt paid off," he said. "Our goal right now is to end with a bang, with putting together a nice banquet, and end with commencement."
"[The Society] is on an upswing absolutely," Cross added. "For a while, the Society disappeared, because of the financial blip. It is hard to have high visibility as a volunteer organization."
"The organization is definitely successful, but its role is not to lead the charge, but to help out with events that it is asked to," he said.
"It has been a great experience to be involved in projects with some of Dartmouth's most active undergraduates and to learn from them. Its been nice to give something back to the school," Green Key member Jim Brennan '96 said.
