Capitol Page School - Congressional Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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THE CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE CLUB Left to right, rear row: Messrs. J. Brosmer, R. Dunn, J. Sumo, C. Campbell, Mr. Fowler, Director, W. Miller, E. C ' M. A l J. Barrett. - ummings, m ang, Left to right, front row: Messrs. R. Nisson, E. Ruf, E. Schade, D. Breadon, R. Hughes, R. Darling, M. Hess. the great arena of life. As conclusive proof of the great interest manifested in the Debate Club, when classes and clubs were reorganized at the opening of the second semester in February, almost forty students wished to join the Club. The Principal partitioned the Club into two separate and independent units, with an opening member- ship of twenty in each. One Club, organizing under the name of the Capii-ol Debate Club, elected the old Presi- dent, Judge Harrison, to a second term in of- fice as presiding officer. With him they elect- ed a ticket, as follows: Vice President Robert Hansel, Secretary Richard Haefsg Treasurer Charles Chavarriag Sergeant-at-Arms John Trask, and Parliamentarian Bruce Palmer. All these officers were, incidentally, unanimously elected. The Club, continuing under the very able sponsorship of Mr. Kramer, proceeded to organize itself, creating several committees, and planning many debates. The other debate organization organized itself under the sponsorship of Mr. Fowler. At the time of this writing, officers have not yet been elected. . Both Clubs, as the year went on, debated among themselves, and debated each other. Internal strife within each individual Club seemed to have lessened, 'though rivalry be- tween the two remained intense all year long. The Capitol Debate Club, at the time your yearbook goes to press, is organizing to de- bate other schools in and around Washington. It has also approved legislation providing for selection of a Club pin. It is, of course, only to be anticipated that such activities as Debate Clubs would natur- ally be a great success in a school where prac- tically everyone is a politician. Such anticipa- tions were well carried out, for debating has proven itself one of the major extra-curricular activities of the boys in Capitol Page School. -M. E. H.

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THE CAPITOL DEBATE CLUB l l l Left to right, rear row: Messrs. G. Kersten, H. Paris, D. Smith, T. Jones, F. Else, Mr. Kramer, Director, J. Campbell, R. Ruvell, L. Wattay, J. Baker, B. Bendit. Left to right, front row: Messrs. T. McEnroe, O. Furlong, B. Palmer, R. Haefs, M. Harrison, R. Hansel, C. Chavarria, J. Trask, R. Harper. Mr, President, l object! Objection is heard. Excerpts from The Congressional Record ? Perhaps. They might also be a couple of sen- tences selected at random from the fiery flow of parliamentary oratory upon which the De- bate Clubs thrive. For if you ever think de- bates are sharp and heated on the Floor of either House, it would be well for you to listen for a brief moment to the great furor which constitutes the Debate Clubs, the hotbed of political activity and parliamentary maneuvre in Capitol Page School. The Debate Club was founded in October, l947, with eight original members. lt grew fast and furiously, until by February, 1948, it had a total membership of twenty-nine stu- dents. A governing Constitution was ratified, later radically amended, and the standard rules of procedure for the U. S. House of Representatives were followed, with all their points of order , parliamentary inquiries , and assorted little tricks of the trade. Marion Harrison was elected President for the first semester, to serve with him the fol- lowing persons were elected to office: Vice President Robert Hughes, Secretary Richard Haefs, Treasurer Charles Chavarria, Sergeant- at Arms John Trask, and Parliamentarian Robert Hansel. A Committee on Rules was appointed to handle the flow of business com- ing up, with Bruce Palmer as Chairman. A Committee on Un-American Activities was al- so created, 'though many people still wonder the why and wherefore! Several debates were held within the Club, but the greater part of the semester was spent in parliamentary debates. The Constitution was amended and re-amended so many times, officers were created and abolished with mo- mentous furor, and an atmosphere of tense political warfare was always quite evident. However, all the members learned a lot. They learned more about parliamentary pro- cedure and political rivalry than a thousand textbooks could ever teach. For most of the members, whose interests are primarily politi- cal, the first semester was a peephole into

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THE DRAMATIC CLUB Left to right, rear row: Messrs. J. Tracey, N. Bohrer, J. Darling, P. Traver, A. Lewis, D. Skubitz, C. Mor- ton, F. Flugger, E. Hall, J. Richardson. Left to right, front row: C. Melchiorre, R. Curtis, T. Swafford, D. Rowell, B. Beckett, Miss Hammond, Direc- tor iinset . -By Tommy V. Swafford The Capitol Page Dramatic Club was or- ganized under the able direction of Miss Hammond, and Club officers were elected as follows: Tommy Swafford, President, John Tracey, Vice President, Paul Traver, Secre- tary-Treasurer, Donald Rowell, Business Man- oger. The Club immediately started planning its first program which was to be one of the many patriotic- celebrations in and around Wash- ington paying tribute to the Freedom Train which was on view at Union Station at the time. A program was hastily prepared consist- ing of readings, group singing, and a film on the early days of our country, and it was pre- sented before the School in the District of Columbia Committee Room in the Old House Office Building. The second program sponsored by the Dra- matic Club was the Thanksgiving Program which was presented in the Ways and Means Committee Room in the New House Office Building. The outstanding event on this pro- gram was a quiz, all of the questions of which 4 were concerning Thanksgiving. Immediately following the Thanksgiving holidays the members of the Dramatic Club started preparations for their first production, A Christmas CaroI . After the try-outs for parts an excellent cast was selected by Miss Hammond which included Danny Skubitz, Bruce Palmer, Tommy Swafford, Paul Traver, Allen Lewis, Norman Bohrer, Bob Curtis, Fred Flugger, and John Tracey. Arrangements were made with Mr. Andreassen of the Library of Congress and the Coolidge Auditorium was secured for the evening of December l9. The huge Christmas tree in the outer lobby, the singing of Christmas carols, and the ex- changing of gifts helped lend the desired fes- tive spirit to the evening. Refreshments of ice cream and cookies were served by the P. T. A. An audience of relatives and friends attended the first Dramatic Club play. Their generous applause and kind comments were a source of inspiration to the entire cast who were resolved to present another production as soon as possible.