Stretching across the country and varying in size from 6,700 to 50 people, alumni clubs keep the Dartmouth spirit alive.
While each club has unique qualities, most aid in the admissions process, aid in job searches, provide scholarships and perform community service. Supporting athletic programs also ranks high with alumni clubs.
Local flavor
The largest and oldest alumni club is the Dartmouth Club of Boston with 6,700 alumni in the greater Boston area and founded in 1800s.
President of the Dartmouth Club of Greater Boston Ginny Wise Wilkins '87 said her club encourages all the alumni in the area to join the local Dartmouth family.
"We had a lot of interest from the '96s that moved to town this year," she said. "Fifteen or so came to the initial meeting."
"I like to think of [the alumni club] as the Dartmouth family, you continue to meet new people and make new connections and the alumni club is a great way to make them," she continued.
While the Boston club boasts its family-like characteristics, the New York club prefers a split personality.
Co-President of the Dartmouth Alumni Association of New York City Jeffrey Weitzman '85 said his clubs is two different entities, which makes it unique.
The Dartmouth Club, actually housed at the Yale Club's headquarters in midtown Manhattan, has approximately 800 members, which draw from 3,500 total alumni in New York City.
"Dartmouth club members are associate members of the Yale Club so they can use all the facilities in their building," Weitzman said.
The Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley is still very connected to the College because of its location, said Gordon Thomas '49, president of the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley.
Thomas said his club has about 200 members who are mostly alumni who have retired to the area.
"There are not that many young alumni in the Upper Valley area," Thomas said.
"We have monthly meetings at the Top of the Hop where we have speakers, a lot of them are professors from the College," Thomas said.
One of the smaller alumni clubs is the Dartmouth Club of Bridgeport, Conn., with only 50 active members said Ralph Sperry '39.
Staying active
Dartmouth clubs' activities vary widely, but often focus on furthering education and some take advantage of local entertainment opportunities.
The New York club highlights Dartmouth's representatives on Broadway. Weitzman said New York's club is proud of its Dartblocks program where the club buys blocks of tickets to Broadway shows involving Dartmouth alumni.
"A few years ago we saw 'Guys and Dolls' and some of the cast members talked to us after the show," Wilkins said. "For 'Pilobolus' we had a reception for the troupe afterwards."
Club activities try to encourage socializing between alumni of all ages.
"We try to sponsor things that are interesting to all, the young alumni, recent graduates, older alumni and parents and people who want intellectual stimulation and those that are interested in athletics," Wilkins said of the Boston club.
She said the Boston club sponsors wine and beer tasting, a Halloween masquerade ball and monthly pub nights.
The club in Philadelphia holds similar events to serve a wide age range.
"We have young alumni evenings at local watering holes," said Amanda Hanson, vice president of the Dartmouth Club of Philadelphia. "Young alumni is a broad and flexible term that includes anyone that wants to come."
But these clubs also facilitate continuing education.
David Orr, senior associate director of Alumni Relations, said alumni clubs sponsor at least 15 academic seminars every year featuring Dartmouth faculty.
"Every year we have a continuing education program," Wilkins said of the Boston club. "A one day seminar where a professor from the College comes down, and we remember how lucky we were to have such a great faculty when we were students."
From admissions to job searches
Orr said alumni clubs play a vital role in keeping alumni across the country informed about events going on in Hanover. They also promote Dartmouth to prospective students.
Alumni clubs "serve as an important link between the College and the alumni in particular areas," Orr said.
"They achieve this objective when they have speakers from the College," he said. "The alumni clubs are the real backbone of the admissions effort."
Orr said the alumni clubs also have luncheons and receptions for prospective students. In April, they will also host parties for accepted applicants.
Michael Carter '77, president of the Dartmouth Club of Indianapolis, who is now Alumni Club President of the Year, said admissions was at the center of his club's responsibilities.
"One of the things we do is interviewing and recruitment," Carter said. "Our biggest thing is that those students that are interested in Dartmouth apply and then get interviewed."
Alumni realize the importance of financial assistance for students. More than 50 clubs sponsor scholarship funds, Orr said.
The Boston club tries "to raise money whenever possible for the scholarships," Wilkins said. "It is our way of giving back to the College."
One of the most important aspects of the alumni clubs is aiding members of the College community to find jobs.
"Every club is responsible for helping to find undergrads on leave term jobs or alumni looking for help," Orr said. "They coordinate this through the career services office here in Hanover."
Wilkins said the Boston club maintains a career advisory network so those alumni that move to town can call if they are looking for a job and there is going to be a training session for alumni interviewing.
Spreading school spirit
Alumni help to sustain school spirit by supporting athletics and giving back to the community.
The Boston club helps Dartmouth feel like the home team at the Harvard game.
"We try to support athletic teams when they come to town," Wilkins said. "On Nov. 2, we will have a tent and gathering at the Dartmouth at Harvard football and soccer games."
The Bridgeport club tries to organize alumni trips to football games.
"Some years we organize some of the members to get on a bus to go to a football game or go to the games at Yale," Sperry said.
Some clubs, like the Upper Valley club give monetary assistance to athletics and other Dartmouth activities.
"We support a lot of College activities," Thomas said of the Upper Valley club. We give "about $1,500 to the athletic sponsors program, and we sponsor a number of freshman scholarships for the Dartmouth Outing Club Trips."
"A couple of years ago we helped refurbish the kitchen at Moosilauke," Thomas said. "We do a few projects like that every year."
Community service is also popular with many clubs.
"We also do a community service day," at the Boston club, Wilkins said. "We had a financial seminar for those that wanted some financial guidance. It featured two local alumni that are prominent in the financial division."
Weitzman said the New York club also does a lot of community work such as participating in New York Cares Day.
