Election Rules Violations — III

Alumni Association president John Walters ’62 has responded to an email from John Sharer ’72 requesting that Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth be ruled in violation of Trustee election rules.

The following emails have been edited for readability and to remove email addresses. Emphasis added.

From: [John Walters ’62]To: [John Sharer ’72]CC: [Antonio Anderson ’89], [Merle Adelman ’80], [Patricia Fisher-Harris], [Allen Collins ’53], [Frederick Roesch ’60], [John Meck ’67], [Steven White ’77], [Precious Stargell ’85], [Jeanhee Kim ’90], [Kaja Schuppert ’95], [Kelley Fead ’78], [Missy Attridge ’77]Subject: Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth Website
Date: 03/01/2005 11:59

Hi John – we appreciate your email regarding the Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth website. The Balloting Committee of the Association hopes to meet Thursday to discuss this – and related – issues.

There were similar activities present in last year’s campaign (primarily benefitting the Petition candidate that time around), and there have been various communications promoting both the Council candidates and the Petition candidates this year. Admittedly, the frequency and intensity seem greater this year.

Our mandate is to preserve a level playing field during the campaign, and specifically to assure that the election guidelines relating to “direct or indirect campaigning are adhered to. There are First Amendment issues that we cannot necessarily control, which is one of the problems we will grapple with in our call. While we can instruct a candidate to discourage indirect campaigning on his/her behalf, it is not entirely clear how our Committee can direct a third party – whether it be the website or blog of an alumnus/alumna, a publication such as the Daily D or the Review, or an organization with a bias one way or the other – to cease and desist. Interesting issues, and some uncharted waters.

Thanks again for expressing your concern about this development.

Regards,
John

John C. Walters ’62
President, Association of Alumni

Mr. Sharer’s original email to the officers of the Alumni Association:

From: [John Sharer ’72]To: [John Walters ’62], [Antonio Anderson ’89], [Merle Adelman ’80], [Patricia Fisher-Harris], [Allen Collins ’53], [Frederick Roesch ’60], [John Meck ’67], [Steven White ’77], [Precious Stargell ’85], [Jeanhee Kim ’90], [Kaja Schuppert ’95]Cc: [Kelley Fead ’78], [Missy Attridge ’77]Subject: Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:35:08 -0500

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I would ask that, as soon as practical, you please act and rule upon the formal request that I have submitted to the Executive Committee of the Association of Alumni of Dartmouth College concerning the group calling itself “Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth” and its Web site.

It might be helpful if I share some background and perspective on my formal request. I graduated from Dartmouth in 1972. I served on the Dartmouth Alumni Council from 1984-87. I served for eight years (1979-87) as the District Enrollment Director of the Dartmouth Club of Washington, DC. From 1989-92, I served as an Area Enrollment Director (a position that no longer exists). I also have served as the District Enrollment Director and the President of the Dartmouth Club of Central Virginia.

As those who know me will, I hope, attest, I consider myself a moderate on issues involving governance at the College. I will not necessarily vote for either of the petition candidates, although I did sign petitions on behalf of both petition candidates asking that they be placed on the ballot. Both the candidates nominated by the Alumni Council, and through the petition process, are excellent.

All of the candidates must abide by stringent guidelines prohibiting “campaigning” or similar solicitations. I believe that the conclusion is inescapable that the Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth has as its goal the defeat of the petition candidates — and electronic mail messages sent by at least two of the members of the leadership of the Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth have, in effect, so conceded.

It is anathema to the goals, purposes and aspirations of the College, and of its alumni, to have two sets of rules — one for the petition candidates and there supporters, and another, lenient and relaxed set of rules, for those whose avowed purpose is to defeat the petition candidates. Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Executive Committee promptly rule that the Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth, and its Web site, are in violation of the guidelines for the conduct of Alumni Trustee elections, and that the group be directed to cease its activities and dismantle its Web site.

Thank you.

John Sharer ’72