New Hampshire Governor Stephen Merrill was a no-show, but that did not dampen the spirits of members of the Ledyard Canoe Club, who gathered in a residence hall room Sunday night to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the oldest canoe club in the country.
"We sent the governor an invitation to the ceremony even though we really didn't think he'd come," Tina Rutar '98 said.
Merrill recently declared April 30 "Ledyard Canoe Club of Dartmouth Day." His proclamation was read Sunday to a group of about 20 canoeing enthusiasts who crowded into 7 Richardson Hall, the site of the club's first official meeting 75 years ago.
Following the ceremony in Richardson, Jay Evans '49 presented a slide show in Carpenter Hall called "Great Moments at Ledyard." Evans, an Olympic kayaking trainer, has been an active member of the canoe club for more than 40 years and is now its adviser.
The presentation described the club's growth from a small, recreational organization to a competitive kayaking group to the mostly recreational, 800-member organization that Ledyard is today.
Despite the shift in focus, the club is still well-known in boating circles. "You just say you're from Ledyard and everyone knows what you're talking about," Rutar said.
For instance, Dana Chladek '85, a former president of Ledyard, won the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Evans said Ledyard is set apart from other College organizations because the club is independent of College funds.
"We can set our own agenda because we are not part of an operational budget," he said.
John Magyar '98, the club's secretary, said the most important thing about the club is that "it allows you to get away from the academics to the wilderness just down the hill."
Next week, continuing a 75-year tradition, 28 Dartmouth seniors along with alumni, family and friends, will spend seven days on the Connecticut River as they canoe their way toward Long Island Sound. Though the trip officially begins Sunday, three students and one alumnus left yesterday to paddle down the river from its source.
Justin Wells '95, Todd Parment '95, Carter Wray '97 and Walker Weed '40 will meet up with the rest of the group Sunday to finish the trip.
Besides the annual canoe trip down the Connecticut River, the club is also planning other events to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
This summer, past and present club members from around the world will participate in an activity called "Bag-a-River." Club members will paddle down a body of water and then send photographs of their travels to the Ledyard headquarters in Hanover.
