Evening star., 1925-10-01

ferred the matter to the corporation
counsel for an opinion.
This opinion was rendered on No
vember 6. 1928, and, among other
things, unequivocally stated that while
the Board of Education might under
certain conditions regulate activities
of students in certain high school
organizations. etc, yet that 1t could
not legally control the membership OF
high school pupils in any organization.
club or society whose membership was
not directly connected with the attend
ance Of the pupil upon the school, and
suggested to the Board of Education
that 1t might be well to advise pupils
who We're requested to sign the blanks
containing the list of the organizations
of which they were members and the
pledge cards on the back thereof. that
1t was the purpose of the Board Of Ed
ucation only to inquire into the mem
bership of the pupils in school or
EaniZations. associations, etc, and did
not concern the membership of the
pupil in any 'non-schoor organization
or association.
Further. that the opinion in ques-
ton distinctly warns the Board of
Education that there are dozens of
organizations or associations, such as.
for Instance. the Children of the
'''rari"'n Revolution, the Boy Scouts,
the Camp Fire Girls, the membership
OF which Is largely made up of public
school pupils, and the activities Of
which are in nowise incidental to
the attendance upon the schools of
their members or In any matter con-
cern the scholarship of their pupil
members. and that the Board of Edu
cation, of course. have no jurisdic-
ton whatever over any such club.
association or organization.
Rule Disregarded.
"In the face of this opinion. rem
dered in November of 1923. the Board
OF Education has continued to as
sumo control. not only over the or
ganizations specifically mentioned.
but over similar organizations. and
that. so far as have been able to
learn. no instructions have been given
to the principal of any high school,
or by the principal Of any high school
TO any pupil. as to exactly what juris-
diction the Board Of Education
claimed. In other words. the pupils
and their parents have for practically
two years been called upon to sign
cards and pledges which the Board
of Educa ton had been advised by its
own counsel 1t had no right to exact.
II am of the opinion and firm con-
viction that this rule Is simply an
entering wedge for the naturalization
of school children, and that II the
pupils and parents were fully advised
as to what the real intent. purpose
and result of the rule were, not 10
per cent of them would sign the cards
until the powers Of the board have
been legally determined by the court
of last resort, based upon cases In
volving the merits of the case, so far
as they relate to the powers OF the
Board of Education. and not any
technicalities.
Will Abide BY Decision.
SHOULD the court of last resort to
which the Sigma Delta Fraternity
can appeal finally decide that the
Board of Education has the authority
to assume the position OF parents and
control the life Of the high school
student. not only while In attendance
upon the school but in his own home.
the Sigma Delta Fraternity Will, Of
course, abide by the law as finally
laid down, and frame its future poll
cies accordingly.
'If the courts finally determine that
such right exists in the Board Of
Education. it then certainly behooves
the parents of students of the public
School system OIL Tue Iistrlcl VI W.
lumbia to secure legislation from
Congress which will prohibit any of
it's creatures from establishing in the
Capital Of the Nation form Of pa
ternalism which cannot fall to have
it's effect throughout the whole coun-
try If allowed to exist.
"It is not only for the purpose Of
protecting the members of the Sigma
Delta Fraternity against the infring-
ment of any of their rights that these
suits will be brought, as only few
persons. comparatively speaking, will
be affected thereby, but it is also and
primarily for the purpose of prevent
ing the usurpation of the rights Of
all high school students and their
parents"