What role does the College's junior honor society play in organizing the events of Green Key weekend? Absolutely none.
The relationship between the society and the College's biggest party weekend of the spring has evolved over the years with the end result being no connection between the society and the weekend that bears its name.
The Green Key Society, a service society responsible for putting out the College's Day-by-Day academic calendar and providing various other services for members of the Dartmouth community, was founded in 1921 when two sophomore societies, Sigma Pick and Shield and Sabre, merged.
From the year it was formed until 1928, the Green Key Society hosted an annual spring show, similar to a variety show, as a fund-raiser for its budget.
In 1929, the Society decided to hold a Spring Prom in place of the variety show.
The purpose of the prom was described in the 1939 Green Key Handbook: "Coming in the last month of the junior year of the Green Key men, the Prom provides a fitting climax to a year of College service and adds to an ever-increasing number of happy memories."
President of the Green Key Society George Barr '45 said the purpose of the weekend was to take a break from service.
"The big function of Green Key was Green Key Weekend -- that's strictly fun and games," he said. "The rest of the year we performed serious responsibilities and services."
"Green Key Weekend and Carnival were almost the same," he added.
The Green Key Prom became a wildly popular event.
One of the main reasons for its huge success was that the Green Key Society was the only College organization the administration permitted to hold a prom.
According to the 1951 Green Key Handbook, College organizations were prohibited from holding proms because of the rowdy behavior that had erupted at previous College proms. However, the College permitted the Society to host a dance because it considered the organization capable of ensuring a peaceful weekend.
As the years went by, more and more women began to flock to Hanover for the prom and, as it grew larger and larger, fraternities began holding parties on the two nights preceding the prom.
At the height of its popularity, some of the nation's most famous musicians visited the College to perform at the Green Key Prom. These include Glenn Miller, Ozzie Nelson, Bob Crosby, who is Bing's brother, and Art Shaw. Shaw even wrote a song especially for his visit to Dartmouth called, "The Green Key Jump."
In the midst of its popularity, the administration canceled the Green Key Prom, due to a riot which erupted at the College two days before the scheduled 1967 event.
The riot erupted in reaction to a speech that then-former Governor of Alabama George Wallace made at the College. Students formed a ring around his car, refusing to allow him to drive away for more than five hours.
The prom was never held again.
After the last Green Key Prom, those events that were secondary to the prom, including fraternity parties and sporting events, became the weekend's main focus and form the basis of today's Green Key Weekend.
One piece of Green Key tradition remains.
Around 1955 the Green Key Society began to hold a banquet before the prom to give out-going members of the Society a chance to gather for one last time before the new members took over.
Although it is no longer held on Green Key weekend, the society continues this tradition.
"The current year's members and the next year's all get together in the spring," said Green Key Vice-President Sariya Sharp '97. "We had dinner with the '96s at Jesse's."
Sharp said this year's banquet will probably be held next week.
