Bradford Academy - Chimes Yearbook (Haverhill, MA)

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fx T 7 fig! N Lgfg OM Xiigi ml' tfli'-':x7T NK' N' l if islam S fi to to 4-f ,Q ,l-3 Cm ,. ' OFFICERS LILLIAN BEOWNE . . . P7'6'JZ'IZ L'7Zl' ANNE MACODIBER 1 HELEN GOULD BROWN I ADA MAY ARGUE 1 l Seb' Gazverfzmwzf Caffzffzzifee GERTRUDE SAWYER HENRIE1'1'A WESTWOOD ROBERTS IIAZEL MILLER MERRILL l N 'every school there are many perplexing questions to be met regarding the government of its student body. There are but two ways in which these problems can be solved. 1 Of course, there is the old method, still in vogue in many schools, of absolute government by the faculty. In this case every rule which the faculty sees fit to establish is also enforced by that body. This form of government may have its advantages. Certain we are it has its disadvantages, and we believe these vastly outnumber the advantages. There is nothing more conducive to the highest welfare of a school than perfect harmony and sympathy between faculty and students. Believing this general principle to be true, the faculty and students of Bradford decided last year to adopt the plan of 'fself government, which is being successfully carried on in so many schools and colleges. Self government in an academy like ours has its own peculiar problems, and in some respects they are more serious ones than the college faces. First in importance, the ages of our girls vary more than the ages of the college girls. Girls of fourteen are, as a rule, more apt to abuse privileges than girls of twenty. Therefore, more restrictions must be placed upon them. The fact that we all

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STUDENT SOCIETIES NDN PQI KFKNITA ' E FN ITA Q FOZQQ CADE MY

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36 THE CI-IIMES live together in one building is a problem in itself. One hundred and thirty girls living in such close Contact are apt to overlook their neighbors' rights unless careful and tactful watchtulness is exerted. It is the duty of the self- government committee to exert this watchfulness and thus protect the girls from one another. Our society is so young that it cannot justly be expected that we have been able to attend to many details which we hope some day can be managed by the Association. We believe, however, that we have done something toward creating a wholesome atmosphere and a loyal school spirit. We think it would be difficult to find a school where there is heartier cooperation and kindlier friendliness than exists between our faculty and students. We consider it our greatest privilege to maintain the honor of the school. Our committee meets once a week, talks over the week's happenings, mentions anything which has been going wrong, discusses any grievance the girls may have had presented to them, suggests remedies, and makes recom- mendations to the faculty, etc. A mass meeting of the Association Qof which every girl in school is a memberj is sometimes held. In this meeting any girl may express her mind on the subject brought forward. We hope the day is not far distant when every rule in Bradford Academy shall be made and enforced by the student body. Though we have not been able to accomplish this for the school, yet we are not discouraged when we remember that the society is still very young. Indeed, believing that the hardest and most discouraging period has been passed, we feel that we can hope for great things from the Association in the future.