A little talent goes a long way, at least for members of the Savage Club of Ithaca who entertain Cornell alumni at reunion weekend each year. And now these comedians, jugglers, magicians, musicians, songsters, storytellers and all-around good guys from the greater Ithaca area have a new leader.

Don Hinman, a retired Cornell Veterinary College administrator, has been elected president of the Savage Club, which was founded 103 years ago. Other officers are: Charles McCary, vice president; Fran Morgan, secretary; Joe McConnell, treasurer; and Jack Burns, steward.

The Savage Club is composed of "some 40 gentlemen who possess some form of performance talent and who entertain in variety shows at different venues and times throughout the year, but always perform for alumni during Cornell Reunion Weekend," said Jack Burns, Savage Club steward.

Ithaca is home to one of three such clubs in the world. While on a trip to England in 1895, members of the Cornell Glee, Banjo and Mandolin clubs were entertained by hosts in London who used the Savage Club moniker. The idea of local residents entertaining visitors in this manner prompted the touring Cornellians to adopt the idea and the organization's name upon their return to Ithaca. The third club, also founded in 1895, is in Melbourne, Australia.

For more than a century, the Savage Club of Ithaca has performed for alumni returning to campus for Cornell reunion. "The club is a mix of Cornell alums and area residents who don't know the meaning of stage fright," Burns said.

The group meets monthly to entertain fellow members and to sharpen their talents in preparation for another Cornell reunion. Club members will perform in Bailey Hall on Thursday night, June 4, to help kick off the 1998 Reunion Weekend.

For information about joining the Savage Club of Ithaca, contact Hinman at 272-0788.