Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-20
STUDENT CONTROL
PROVES A SUCCESS
ONE TERM DEMONSTRATES ITS
VALUE
Los Angeles High School Has Been
Uniformly Victorious in All
Contests of Skill and
Brains

Los Angeles high school, after one
term of its new student body organiza-
ton, has stirred up more school enthu-
siasm and spirit and her teams and
forensic champions have been uniform
ly more successful than at any time in
her history. Championship banners for
half dozen activities have been added
TO the trophy room collection as well
as three cups.
government and student body
control is one of Prof. w. H. Housh's
pet ideas, and he has proven that it
Will work, at least in the local high
school.
For several terms past a board of
nine directors has ruled all the affairs
OF the school. Athletic teams, debating,
music and the lunch house were con-
trolled by these nine lads and maidens,
and the student body fund prospered.
AT that time membership in the stu
dent body association carried with 1t
the payment OF so cents dues each year,
and not all the pupils belonged. This
fact, coupled with the objection of
some students to having the whole
school governed by the few members of
the board of control. prevented the
smooth working of the machinery. OBJ
lection was also made that athletics
ruled and got the best of everything.
Adds Representative Body
Toward the close of the February
term Laurence Hill. then president of
the board of control, began to evolve
some better system aided by the obiec-
tfons he had heard urged against the
prevailing one. A house of representa-
tiVes chosen from all the grades was
his idea. To provide against a prepon-
derance of representatives allied to any
one activity it was specifically stated
that there should be two chosen for
athletics, one each for debating and
oratory and music and two at large.
chosen from each of the first eight
grades the post graduates to have two.
An election was held on this plan and
the new house was organized. To the
fifty pupils were added five members
from the faculty to represent that body
The constitution of the house is dem
oCratic in every particular. With the
exception of the president, who must
be chosen from the post graduates or
senior AS, and the treasurer. who must
come from the faculty, any office is
open to any representative either boy
or girl At present a post graduate is
president: Miss Geraldine Fitzgerald a
senior A, is vice president: Miss Grace
Shepard A IL, secretary, and Rae Van
Cleve, faculty member, treasurer.
With eight different athletic activi-
ties to provide for, two forensic activi-
ties, music, decorations, the lunch
house and a half dozen other features
of student life, the work of the school
is too great to come before the house in
detail. Accordingly, a system of nine
committees has been devised to do the
work. Each committee hears applica-
tions for money which is to be spent in
its particular line of activity settles
disputes, hears new plans before they
are presented to the house, Gn the case
of the athletic committees awards let
ters. and does other committee work
At the bl-weekly meeting of the house
the various committees report progress
along their lines and make recommen-
dations to the house when the schemes
proposed to them in committee seem
to justify it.
Judicial Committee Exempt
The self-government committee alone
is exempt from getting the sanction of
the house on it's measures. Early in
the term the question arose as to
whether the judicial should be answer
able to the Legislative. Taking as a
model the United States government,
the youthful legislators decided that
the good of the service demanded their
mittee is James Walker, a big, judicial
young fellow, who played on the foot
ball team last year, and therefore sell
dom has to repeat his commands to Of
tenders.
OF the committees directly answer
able to the house few have such ar
duous labors to perform as the boys
athletic committee. over this presides
Fred johnson, an all-round athlete.
Johnson won his letter on the football
team last season. Then he took an
other in basketball Later on he won
the blue and white symbol on the track
team, and in the baseball nine he has
also won his letter. A leading spirit
in all the boys athletics except the gym
team, Johnson has a firm grasp on all
subjects that arise and his reports and
recommendations are both thorough
and Voluminous.
Girls Athletics Grow
The girls athletics, which until this
term has meant simply champion
ship basketball team, but which will
soon include a fine track aggregation, is
presided over by Miss Margaret Ford
forward on the basketball team.
Jesse Grow, a high school debater
and orator and one of the eight speak
ers chosen for commencement day, is
chairman of the committee on debating
and OratOry.
When funds run low Cthe new consti-
tuition abolished all dues and made all
the students members of 'the student
body the ways and means committee
comes to the rescue. Miss Geraldine
Fitzgerald, vice president of the house,
is chairman of this committee. She
showed her mettle several weeks ago
when, with scarcely any preparation,
she managed a gymnasium entertain
ment that netted the school over $50
The lunch house committee at the
head of which is Nelson Douglas, a
senior B, has a general supervision
over the lunch house.
Grounds Committee
The grounds committee is expected to
provide for the maintenance and beau
tifying of the grounds of the school.
Next term, when the question of laying