"There's a business aspect -- we rent out canoes, kayaks and Titcomb Cabin to Dartmouth students and community members and, as a Dartmouth Outing Club subset we do P.E. classes, trips and host feeds every Thursday," Louis Buck '10, the club's junior summer director, said.
In addition to its rentals, the club sells memberships to the public, as well as to Dartmouth students.
Buck works full-time overseeing business operations under the supervision of Anna Schumacher '09, the club's senior summer director who occupied Buck's position last year. Both Schumacher and Buck live on the Ledyard site, which doubles as a residence as well as a business. The Summer term is unique for Ledyard as the club has shorter hours and employs only one student director during the Fall and Spring terms, though the house is generally occupied by three students throughout the year.
"There are two directors in the summer, because there's more business [than other terms]. Anna basically shows me the ropes, and I live here and manage the business," Buck said.
In addition to Buck, Schumacher and Xavier Engle '09, who teaches a whitewater kayaking class, the club employs thirteen part-time desk-workers who are responsible for rentals and memberships.
Ledyard, which does not share funds with other DOC organizations, is financed by a number of specific endowments. According to Schumacher, in order to receive its endowment, the organization must fulfill certain obligations, which include cleaning up local areas that the club frequents and hosting recruiting events. Profits made from rentals help offset the costs of hosting P.E. classes, funding trips, purchasing equipment and maintaining the buildings and facilities. The club owns all of its boats as well as the buildings, which are considered off-campus housing but are serviced by Dartmouth's Facility Operations and Management.
Though offering experience in business skills such as bookkeeping, working at Ledyard has a relaxed atmosphere that drew both Buck and Schumacher and keeps them enthusiastic about their jobs.
"Living on the river is pretty awesome. I wake up, go for a swim, go canoeing, go paddling, hang out with the desk-workers for most of the day and I can take days off to go climbing," Buck said.
The part-time desk-working position also provides a number of sophomores with a change of pace and scenery from the usual campus environment.
"It's just a very laid-back atmosphere, a really nice break from being in the intense Dartmouth campus atmosphere. You get to really enjoy the rural outdoorsy side of Dartmouth even though you're like two steps away from Dartmouth," Julia DeWahl '09, one of the Ledyard desk-workers, said.
