Seventy-five years after its founding, the Ledyard Canoe Club is celebrating its birthday.
The affiliate of the Dartmouth Outing Club, which was founded by Dartmouth students in 1920, has spent the last few months sponsoring special activities to commemorate the anniversary.
Anniversary festivities began on April 30 of last year with a commemorative ceremony in seven Richardson Hall, the room where Benjamin Farnsworth '20, William Fowler '21 and Allen Prescott '20 decided to start the club, Magyar said.
The club hosted a 75th anniversary banquet in the Collis Center last term.
"We had about 100 students and alumni get together in Collis," Magyar said.
Three 75th Anniversary awards were given to Vail Haak '49, Walker Weed '40 and Don Merchant for service to the club, Magyar said.
An award was established in the name of Jay Evans '49 in honor of his dedication and service to the club over the years, Magyar said.
"This awards will be given each year to the [student] who shows the most dedication and service to the club in the spirit of Jay Evans," he said.
The first Jay Evans Award was given to Darryl Knudsen '96.
Evans delivered an oral history of the club, and Warren Daniell '21 and History professor Jere Daniell '55 gave a father and son talk on the early years of the club.
Wick Walker '68 followed with a special gift to the club.
"Walker, who was a member of the 1972 Olympic Kayaking Team presented to the canoe club the paddle he used in the Olympics," Magyar said. "It has the name of the Dartmouth Olympic Kayaking participants engraved on it. It is now hanging over the fireplace at Ledyard."
The club set up a display in Baker library during the months of May and June in honor of Ledyard's 75 years, Magyar said.
"Another big thing we are doing is a 'Bag-A-River' campaign," Magyar said.
"We set out asking alumni to paddle or board or something on a body of water with a Ledyard banner and take a picture to send to us."
"We have some of these pictures displayed in Baker and others at the club," he said.
More than 100 pictures have been sent by alumni across the world, he said.
The club has changed somewhat since its origins, but it's focus on the water and the College has remained, Magyar said.
"When the club started out, it was focused mostly around the College itself and there were several cabins on the river and trips of that sort," he said. "However, in the '60s and '70s there was an emphasis on white water racing."
"The club played a large role in the development of white water racing in the US," Magyar said.
"Now, there is a dual focus on flatwater canoe trips as well as white water trips and instruction mostly for fun and a little bit of racing," Magyar said.
The club had humble beginnings, starting out with only about a dozen members, Magyar said.
"Right now, there are approximately 800 or so paying members," he said. "These are people who buy a membership to go canoeing and use our facilities. About 40 students are very active in the day to day operations of the club and trips."
More people are involved with the club during the summer, Magyar said.
