Alumni Hall was filled to near capacity on December 6 for the annual meeting of the Association of Alumni. Two hundred forty-three alumni met in the midst of the season's first nor'easter to discuss and vote on a proposal that would unite under a single constitution the 62,000-member Association of Alumni and the 96-member representative Alumni Council. A joint committee on alumni governance and trustee nominations had studied the relationship between the two organizations for more than two years and came to the annual meeting with the proposed constitution. The Alumni Council, also meeting that weekend, had approved the single constitution by an overwhelming majority.
Joint committee chair Kelley Fead '78 gave members of the Association a historical perspective on the Association and the Council. She noted the new constitution would continue the traditional partnership the Association has with Dartmouth, create a streamlined alumni-governance system that would better represent alumni opinion, allow for greater alumni participation in voting for Alumni Council representatives and constitutional amendments, and improve the nomination process for alumni trustees.
The proposed constitution came under criticism from a number of alumni. Bill Hutchinson '76 spoke formally on behalf of those in opposition. While he acknowledged and applauded parts of the constitution that called for a more inclusive and better representative Alumni Council, Hutchinson argued that a single constitution would put too much control over alumni governance into the hands of the Alumni Council. He urged the Association to maintain its independent constitutional structure.
Paper balloting followed 90 minutes of debate, with passionate arguments for and against the new constitution. When the votes were tallied, 71 percent favored the constitution, 27 percent opposed it, and 2 percent abstained. The majority vote fell short of the 75 percent required for passage of a new constitution. Volunteer leadership will continue to study the issue of alumni governance, and further discussion will take place at the 2004 annual meeting.
In other action, Association president Michael McClintock '80 was reelected to another one-year term as president. His colleagues on the Association of Alumni executive committee were also reelected.
By Patricia Fisher '81
Questions or comments about this article? We welcome your feedback.
