Evening star., 1946-01-24
Green Supports Ball
In Petition for Problem
Use Of Athletic Fund

The petition of Frank L. Ball, ir.
filed with Arlington Circuit Court
for a writ Of mandamus to deter
mine whether funds received by the
County Student Athletic Associa-
ton are being handled in conform
1ty with Virginia law today had
the support of John Locke Green
county treasurer.
Mr.. Ball, formerly a Washington
Lee High School student and a
member of the Student Athletic
Association before it was disbanded
said his interest in the matter was
purely personal. He said he felt the
funds were not being handled in
accordance with law and that the
question is whether or not the
money is public property.
Mr.. Green filed an intervening
petition with Clerk H. Bruce Green
yesterday asking that an order for
the writ be entered.
No Record Of Sums, Green Says.
In his petition, Mr.. Green stated
there is no record of the sums de-
scribed in the petition, as alleged by
Frank L. Ball, jr., being deposited
with the county treasurer"
MIR. Green said he wrote ]. Gordon
Bennett, State auditor, seeking ad-
vice and opinion, and that the audi
tor replied that the athletic associa-
ton funds "over long period of
years have been recognized as be-
longing to and under the control of
the student bodies of several schools
and not under the control of the
school board" adding:
Where this matter has been
brought to our attention previously,
we learned that the athletic asso-
Citations in several schools were
formed by the students; that they
adopted their own rules and regula-
tions with respect to the administra-
ton OF the association, the amount
and payment of dues, and, further.
that in their bylaws they provided
for the election of officers by the
students, one of whom was treasurer.
Students Control Funds,
"It appeared, in the cases which
we considered, that the purposes for
which the funds were to be used
were decided by the students, and
that the school board had no con-
troll over the funds, nor did they
have the authority to decide for
what purposes they were to be used.
Under such circumstances, we did
not consider such funds as public
funds.
L am particularly desirous of
knowing whether the school board
has any authority as to the amount
OF dues paid by the members, and
as to whether it can say how the
receipts from such dues are to be
used"
-Mr. Green said in his petition
That there does not exist at Wash
ington-Lee High School any student
athletlc association, said association
having been dissolved and disbanded
more than six years ago.
Lack of Control Charged.
mo student, or body of students,
or association of students has any
control over, or voice in, or received
information of the receipts or ex-
pendltures in connection with the
so-called Athletic Fund.
Such fund is derived from several
sources, the greater amount being
derived from admission to athletic
contests at Washington-Lee High
School. Other sources include en-
tertainments at the school, from
which all profits are turned over to
the fund; guarantees from other
schools for expenses on games where
Washngton-Lee plays away from
home, and donations derived.
THE funds are collected and
by a committee of Ave
faculty members. They receive and