Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-31
Rules Committee of Board tc
Meet With Principals
Tomorrow.
AMENDMENT WOULD
PENALIZE DISHONESTY
Gilligan Requests Careful Delibera
ton When Proposal Was
Made Last May.

The proposal to withhold high school
diplomas from pupils guilty of certain
ofenses which at present merit suspen-
sion will be considered by the rules
committee of the Board of Education
at O'Clock tomorrow afternoon in ex-
ecutive session with the principals of
the high schools at the Franklin Ad-
mtnistration Building
The proposed amendment to the ex-
lStlng school board rules, which was
offered last May by Mrs. Phillip Sid
ney Smith, includes 'uncleanly condi-
ton OF person or clothing" habitual
hardness and untruthfulneSs.
When the amendment was proposed
at an open meeting of the board on
May l, Henry Gilligan, board member,
opposed its immediate consideration and
recommended that the radical amend
ment be adopted or refused only after
careful study by the rules committee
Wording of Amendment.
AS proposed by Mrs. Smith, the
amendment which has stirred up con-
siderable discussion in school circles
since its proposal follows:
In view of the fact that the diploma
from a public school attests to the
honorable completion of course of
study, and believing that character
training should be an inherent result of
the completion of every educational
program in a public school, the Board
OF Education will consider withholding
diploma from any Junior high, senior
high or normal school pupil who is
guilty OF any one of the following Of
lenses: Immoral conduct, indecent
language, violent or pointed opposition
to authority, persistent disobedience or
disorder, dishonesty or untruthfulness,
habitual hardness, unauthorized alb
Sence or uncleanly condition of person
or clothing, notwithstanding the fact
said pupil may have earned all neces-
sary credits in studies prescribed for
diploma"
With the exception of the offenses
dishonesty or untruthfulness," the
items certified as grounds for withhold
ing of diplomas are identical with those
now In School Board rule which sets
forth grounds for suspension. T. is
rule has been in force for so years.
May Remove Temptation"
In the same meeting tomorrow the
committee will consider Mr.. Gilligan's
proposal to discontinue the practice of
requiring students to sign pledge cards
to the effect that they are not members
present high school pupils are required
to submit to their principals cards on
which they attest they are not members
of clubs which have not the approval
of the school officials and these cards
are countersigned by the parents of the
children. Mr.. Gilligan contends that
the abolition of the signed cards will
remove definite Invitation to DELHI
crate Justification" which should not be
placed before any pupil
The language in which the pledge
card requirement is expressed is con-
tanned in two paragraphs of section
of School Board rules. The section
deprives students from participation IN
all special student activities if they
are members of associations, organl-
cations. clubs. fraternities or sororities
which lack official authorization. DI.
Frank w. Ballou. superintendent OF
schools, has held the view that if the
two paragraphs requiring the pledge
cards are stricken from the section the
whole section becomes useless, since II
leaves no means for discovering men,
bership in the forbidden organization.
The rules committee, which will co.,
slider these amendments, will incluQe
Mr.. Gilligan, Isaac Cans and Mrs. Mary
A. Mcneil. The principals who have
been invited to sit in with the COM
mittee tomorrow are: Harvey Smith
of Central. Dr. Elmer S. Newton or
Western, Charles A. Hart of EASTER.
Frank Daniel of Mckinley. Allan Da-
Wis of Business, Walter Smith of Duh-
bar. G.. David Houston of Armstrong
and R. NJ Mattingly of Cardozo.