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Among her countless volunteer roles for Dartmouth, Merle has served as class president and mini-reunion chair; as chair and agent of the Alumni Fund; and as vice president and Executive Committee member of the Association of Alumni. She lives in North Chelmsford, MA.
You've served in many volunteer roles for Dartmouth. Which role delighted you in some unexpected way? My favorite roles have been as class officer, with the most rewarding being the five years I spent as class president leading into our 25th Reunion. It was a great way to be involved and to drive momentum, making this event very memorable for so many of our classmates.
More than 3,000 alumni volunteer for Dartmouth in various capacities around the globe. Have any advice or tips for them? Use the phone. Pure and simple. While email, Web sites, etc. are great for getting the word out, nothing beats the phone for personal communication. The personal touch can make a real difference when you're asking for help, asking for money, or just inviting someone to an event.
All Dartmouth alumni have favorite anecdotes about having fun with pals in their student days. Can you share an anecdote from your volunteer days? My favorite story comes from the "telethon" days here in Boston, when volunteers would come from all over to work the phones and call classmates, "dialing for dollars" for what was then the Dartmouth Alumni Fund. Mark Alperin '80 was sitting across the table from me, talking to a classmate and asking for a donation. Apparently the amount wasn't quite large enough, because Mark's response, loud enough for everyone to hear, was, "Come on, you can do better than that!" Sure enough, our classmate (most likely a fraternity brother) came up with a larger donation. We all learned to never take no for an answer!
Why do you volunteer? This is a terrific way to give back to Dartmouth. My college experience was life changing in so many ways, and I want to do what I can to ensure that Dartmouth is a life-changing experience for all students, no matter when they attend.
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