Dartmouth's most recent graduates will soon leave Hanover in favor of a number of cities and countries, but the College's network of alumni clubs is likely to keep them closely tied to Dartmouth.
There are over 60 clubs spread throughout the country, the largest of which include the club of Boston, the club of New York, and several clubs abroad. Boston's is the oldest alumni club, founded in 1864, and also has the largest membership with over 8,000 members.
The clubs seek to allow alumni to reconnect by organizing events for members ranging from cocktail parties to sporting events.
Each club has unique activities for members, which often incorporate unique aspects of their locations. The club of Boston, for instance, hosts cruises in the harbor, organizes trips to Red Sox games and offers a number of humanitarian and volunteer activities for members. The Club of Los Angeles, on the other hand, has an annual sailing event and members often attend movie screenings.
One of the most popular clubs is the Dartmouth Club of New York, whose members enjoy theatrical events as well as annual trips to the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
"We go to the U.S. Open every year and at the end of summer we stage trips to the Joyce theatre an event we have every July," a representative for the New York Club said.
New York's club, which is private and separate from the larger Alumni club, is located within the Yale Club of New York building. The club has over 900 members, who gain access to such amenities as a gym, sauna and steam room and several restaurants, as well the opportunity to attend a number of events including joint events held with members of the Yale club.
"We have Ivy League mixers in October [which provide] all of the clubs [the chance to] get together in that respect," the representative for the club of New York said.
Although the main focus of the clubs is to cater for the interests of alumni in the region, they also play a role in supporting current and incoming students. Most clubs hold events for prospective freshmen to introduce them to the college and take part in interviewing prospective students.
"We also have little receptions every April and August for the recently accepted students to Dartmouth as a way of introducing them to the Dartmouth community."
A number of clubs also provide financial support for current students by offering scholarships. The Club of Boston and the Club of Los Angeles, for example, contribute to scholarship funds that sponsor students.
Clubs have also traditionally aimed to provide networking possibilities for recent graduates. Many graduates find alumni clubs to be a good way to get access to job opportunities in larger cities.
In addition, some alumni clubs often function as a home away from home for students traveling abroad. Lydia Barabash '05 found the club of Hong Kong to be a great resource during her summer working in the city, and plans to join the Club of New York following graduation.
"Alumni clubs are great," Barabash said. "I worked in Hong Kong this past summer and club [gave me] a good social network especially because I was unfamiliar with the city."
Several seniors are planning to become members of the numerous clubs and the club's facilities play an important role in that decision.
"I am considering joining the alumni club in NYC," Sarah Stein '05 said, "but that's primarily because there is a gym, and I'm a big fan of that."
"They provide an outstanding way for alumni to stay connected to each other. There are obvious networking benefits to that," Director of Regional Affairs Steve Donovan said, "It's just a great way for alumni to give back to Dartmouth."
