Fire and Skoal (also known as F&S or FnS) is a senior society at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. It was the college's first co-ed senior society.[1]
Fire and Skoal was founded by five students at Dartmouth College in 1975.[2] Its founders were:
They wanted to established a coeducational senior society based on Elihu Club at Yale University.[3] Fire and Skoal received college recognition and was Dartmouth's first coeducational senior society.[2][3][4]
Fire and Skoal is currently a secret society, although it used to be a non-secret or public society.[2][5][3] Its purpose was to establish an environment to discuss economic, political, and social issues, as well as providing a way for future leaders to be involved in those issues.[2] The name, Fire and Skoal, came from the "Hanover Winter Song" and refers to the spirit of camaraderie and friendship.[3]
Weekly, Fire and Skoal's members meet to discuss and debate campus and world issues.[3] The society invites professors and guest speakers to their meetings.[3][6] It also hosts social events.[3]
The society moved to a house at 29 South Park Street in the fall of 1978.[2][3] The house built between 1893 and 1896.[7] It was the residence of C. H. Richardson and Edwin Case in 1896.[7] W. H. Moore was its owner by 1931, followed by Dartmouth College in 1978.[7][3][8]
Fire and Skoal membership is co-ed, secret, and exclusive.[2][5] It has around thirty active members who are seniors.[2][3] Active members select the next year's members during their junior year in a college-wide selection process known as tapping.[5][3] Every winter and spring, juniors are tapped for the senior societies through a process semi-coordinated through the college.[1][5] Members carry identifying canes or walking sticks at commencement.[5][9]
