| |
Connections Etiquette Dinner, July 8, 2009
On Wednesday, July 8, seven '61s and 5 five spouses joined 115 '11s for the "etiquette dinner," held at the Hanover Inn. If we could have accommodated all who signed up, there would have been over 200 students from out Connections Program class.
Attending from the class of '61 were Ford Daley, Roger McArt, Bob & Ann Hargraves, Maynard & Sandy Wheeler, Charlie & Kris Chapman, Bruce & Marsha Johnson, and Pete & Ruth Bleyler. The reception on the Hanover Inn Terrace started at 6:30 and we all paraded in for dinner, precisely at 7:00, in the Daniel Webster Room and the presentation from our speaker, Anna Post. Anna, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, works for the Emily Post Institute, and this was her second appearance at an etiquette dinner for the sophomore class and members of the 50-year class. Anna's father, Peter Post, gave the presentation for two years before that. She talked about dinner etiquette, job interviewing etiquette, and on-the-job etiquette. In this modern world, she also discussed etiquette in using blackberries and iPhones, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites. She took questions throughout her almost two hour presentation, and the '11s had lots of questions. None of the '61s asked any questions. That didn't mean we knew all the answers; we were just too embarrassed to ask.
Ford Daley was rummaging through his library the day of the event, and located an etiquette book for ladies, published by a Miss Betsy in 1853. He brought it to the dinner, and we presented it to Anna Post as a gift from the Class of 1961. She told us that their institute does not have any books on etiquette as old as that one.
After the dinner, several of the '61s and spouses sauntered over to Zin's for a nightcap before heading home or to the motel. All in all, it was a fun event.
Etiquette Dinner 2009 004
Etiquette Dinner 2009 007
Etiquette Dinner 2009 009
Etiquette Dinner 2009 011
Etiquette Dinner 2009 014
Etiquette Dinner 2009 021
|
| |
Pete Bleyler Reports on 1961-2011 Connections at Matriculation.
Saturday night was the dinner at the Bema for all 1,116 members of the
Class of 2011 and alumni. There were about 110 alumni who came, and
they put one alum (or one alum plus spouse) at a table with 8 or 9
students. It was a beautiful late summer/early fall evening. There
were two things that let us know that the dinner war primarily for 18
year olds and not for 68 year olds. First, there was no coffee.
Second, there were no portable toilets.
Sunday morning the matriculation process started promptly at 9:00 AM.
On the front lawn of Parkhurst to the left of the entrance were 40 or
50 chairs, which was the staging area for each group of '11s.
The
first group walked into Parkhurst to get their matriculation
certificates and shake Pres. JIm Wright's hand while the next group
came to the staging area. When the first group came out of Parkhurst,
they were herded to the tent on the right side of the entrance, where
the '61s and spouses were waiting to pass out their class pins, a gift
of the Class of 61. Dartmouth Dining had donuts, coffee, juice, etc.
for light refreshments, and then one of us old guys gave the welcoming
remarks.
 
This process continued uninterrupted for three hours, before
breaking for lunch
We were primarily in two shifts, one morning and one in the afternoon.
The morning shift consisted of Rog McArt, John Damon, Henry and Laurie
Eberhardt, and Pete and Ruth Bleyler. The afternoon shift had Maynard
Wheeler, Al Rozycki and Diane Kittredge, Dan Paradis, and Bruce and
Marsha Johnson. The matriculation process was finally over at 4:00,
and Jim Wright came down to thank everyone (the morning shift had gone
by then). We don't know whether he had to go home and soak his hand or
not.
In our welcoming remarks, we compared the major changes between
Dartmouth Now and Dartmouth 50 years ago. We talked about:
co-education
semester system to trimester system to full quarter system
getting rid of discriminatory clauses in the fraternities
diversity
technology
buildings
Saturday classes
Animal House
one dingy old computer on campus when we matriculated (less memory than
an iPod)
one pay telephone per dorm
the sandwich guy coming by at 10:00 PM ringing his bell
most of us with crew cuts, mostly white, and all of us male
traveling to Smith, Holyoke, Wellesley, and Skidmore on weekends
doing term papers in long hand or on typewriters with carbon paper
The '11s are the 2nd largest class in Dartmouth history and the most
diverse. Approximately 40% of them are persons of color or
International. I personally met students from Norway, Kenya, Zimbabwe,
Jamaica, and South Korea. There are 49 states represented by this
class, and we were trying to figure out which state is missing. I met
guys from North Dakota and Alabama and gals from Wyoming and Arkansas.
There were also several students from Hawaii and Alaska. So, we're
still trying to figure it out.
Later this fall, after they elect their class officers and class
council, we will meet with them to start planning joint activities.
Pete Back to Top By Email to the Dartmouth61 Announcements List on August 25, 2007 Dear Classmates,
The Freshman issue of the Daily Dartmouth was sent to incoming students
of the class of 2011 a couple of weeks ago. Our class bought an ad
congratulating the '11s, and informing them of the 61 -- 11 connections
program. Also in that edition was an article written by Bob Conn. Bob
spoke about the Connections program and our class. (Click on the link for either document. They are big files and will take some time to open.)
Pete Bleyler Dartmouth Student Body President Travis Green ’08 to Class of 2011 On Tuesday, September 25, the Dartmouth community gathered in Leede arena to welcome the Class of 2011. The following is the speech made by Dartmouth student body president Travis Green ‘08. Please take a moment to read it. The speech is inspiring, thought-provoking, and worthy of a Dartmouth leader. ~ Sylvia Racca Executive Director Dartmouth College Fund “Thank you President Wright for the opportunity to speak here today, and Provost Schen for your thoughtful introduction. Two Hundred Forty years ago, a group of people sat not far from here ready to cut a new College from the woods. To them, that College was just an idea, not the buildings you see today, not the handouts, meetings, and programs you have all attended. They had the opportunity not only to shape themselves, but also the place of learning that we call Dartmouth. Each left transformed, just like you will be on the Green four years from now. Class of Two Thousand Eleven, it might not seem like it, but today, each of you has the same opportunity, along with a few advantages. Unlike those novices, you have two hundred forty attempts’ worth of experience to draw from. Unlike those white, male, preaching New Englanders and their founding Native American counterparts, you have potential friends from all walks of life, from all ranges of experience, and from all over the world. Here, you’re freed from your past. Your roots are gone. You can choose which to grasp on to, and what new ones to lay down. You don’t have to conform to what you were in high school. Jocks, nerds, goths, those segregations can disappear. You can make new friends, find new interests, reveal inner passions. Be who you want to be, while you make this College what you want it to be. The seed of your future self lies in the little bit of the Dartmouth spirit that's already inside of you. Every time you stop on the Green. to breathe that cool night air. Every time you listen to the bells toll from Baker tower. Every time you come back over the Ledyard Bridge, a little bit of that spirit comes to rest within you, slowly accumulating in your muscles and your brains. As that spirit grows, you will begin to answer questions integral to Dartmouth’s soul: Should there be a typical “ Dartmouth man” and “ Dartmouth woman”? Why do we have the cluster system? Does cutting-edge research enhance liberal arts teaching? Should Dartmouth value the Greek system? Does diversity matter to us? Is the D-Plan effective? Do athletics enhance the Dartmouth experience? What defines this Dartmouth? What defines your Dartmouth? Answers won’t just come from philosophical discussions in musty dorm rooms or on Dartmouth Row. They will come from each of your cumulative actions in classrooms, in basements, in the community, everywhere. You will decide whether it’s acceptable for the guy next to you to hurl obscenities at your fellow students just because he’s drunk. You will decide whether to hold the door open for your fellow students. You will decide whether to sit in FoCo with someone who’s different from you. You will decide how this Dartmouth acts and what this Dartmouth believes. You’ll hear a lot about the answers that already exist. Just from this podium, my predecessors have tried to tell your forerunners the answers to issues ranging from sexual assault prevention to finding your inner soul. Across campus and in the media, people will try to tell you what to think, and what answers to give. I challenge you to figure out those answers for yourself. Upperclass students are here to help you carry the best of yesterday’s Dartmouth with us. Alumnae and alumni bring years of experience and their own passion for this place to the table. Professors, deans, staff and administrators bring in their own perspectives on knowledge and learning. You too bring your own ideas and the ability to enact them. You will take us the next step closer to the spirit embodied by those efforts in the woods two hundred and forty years ago, and are going to have a great time along the way. In class, with friends, across the world, you’ll have experiences you never dreamed of, and after four years, you’ll be begging to come back for four more. Along the way, I challenge you to define yourself. I challenge you to define excellence. I challenge you to define Dartmouth.” Back to Top From the July 2007 Wide Wide World Dear 1961 Classmates, We are initiating our program of interaction with the incoming first-year [fka “freshman”] class of 2011 (approved at our class meeting during the 45th reunion). Called the “61–11 Connection,” we expect to interact with the ‘11s throughout their four-year experience as Dartmouth undergraduates, starting with Matriculation this September, and continuing through their graduation—and our 50th reunion. For many years, the 50th reunion class has marched alongside the seniors during graduation exercises. Prior to the Class of 2011’s arrival on campus, a postcard from the Class of 1961 will be sent to each student, welcoming them to the Dartmouth family, and letting them know that we will meet them in September, and be there to support them during their four years in Hanover—and beyond. We also plan to have an article about the 61–11 Connection in the Daily Dartmouth that will be mailed out in August, as well as an ad in that issue. Some of us may connect with the ‘11s during their DOC trips, working through the DOC and Trip Leadership. Possible activities are to surprise weary freshmen with food or join them for a leg of their three-day trip. Matriculation will occur on September 23, and as groups of students leave Parkhurst after shaking hands with President Wright, they will be directed to a nearby tent for refreshments, and where they will be welcomed in person by our Class. We will present them with Dartmouth pins that have their class year on it, and offer brief remarks from a ‘61 classmate. Throughout the four years leading up to their graduation and our 50th reunion, we will schedule activities to involve both classes. For example, we may be able to include some of the ‘11s in our mini-reunion the end of September. Possible future activities include a matching/mentor program, a career panel, serving as holiday hosts for students not returning home at Thanksgiving, and other receptions. How are we going to do all this???? Obviously, we need as many ’61 classmates as possible to get involved with the planning and the various activities. Equally obvious, the closer you live to Hanover, the easier it will be to participate in the activities. We currently have a small “sponsoring committee” consisting of PeteBleyler, Chair, Maynard Wheeler, Henry Eberhardt, and President Roger McArt. We want more classmates! Please let me know if: 1) you’d like to be on the committee to help plan activities, 2) you’re willing and able to get to Hanover once or twice (or more) per year to participate in 61–11 Connection activities, and 3) you have ideas on activities that we might suggest. For the immediate future, we need to identify classmates who can be here for the Matriculation ceremony on September 23 and take a shift in the welcoming tent where we give out the pins. The afternoon before, on September 22, there will be a presentation for the first-years on traditions and history of the College, as well as campus tours (which includes the Frost statue!), ending with a dinner at the Bema. All 1961s are invited to the dinner as well as the presentation and campus tour. Additionally, if you’re interested in participating in some fashion with the first-year trips, let me know, as well. Lastly, you’re probably wondering about the costs. The 61–11 Connection project is supported by the College, through Alumni Relations and the First Year Office. For example, the College will pay for the tent rental, set-up, and refreshments at Matriculation. The College would like the Class to pay for the pins. During the year, Alumni Relations has a budget to help defray the costs of our activities. So, costs will be shared between our Class and the College. Back to Top
Careers Dinner, April 6, 2010
|
