Gratz High School - Gratzonian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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serves to acquaint the students with the duties and responsibilities that are connected with the running of the government. At Gratz. one of the major extra-curricular activities that a student may par- ticipate in is the Students Association. This organization was planned along the lilies of the national government, and while it does not expect to run the school, its prime objective is training in citizenship, and, secondly, to set up situations for students to learn democratic principles. It has three branches: the Senate. thc Court and the House of Representatives. each of which is nominated and elected directly by the students. However, the electing of officers is a privilege accorded only to members of the Students Association. Beside these three main groups, there are various committees which function under the direction of the Students Associa- tion. Some of these are: the monitors, Building and Grounds Committee. Six-Footers and Five-Foot I emmcs. Also, there are several committees which are jointly man- aged by the faculty and the students for the mutual good. These are the Assembly Program Committee and the School Health Council. The Sponsor of the Students Association is Mrs. Marion W. Wallace, who came from the VVilliam Penn High School in 1927 where she was assistant sponsor of student activities. Upon her arrival, she began the organization of our Students Association and has been its guiding light up to the present. Under her supervision Gratz has become one of the first schools in the city to have an extensive form of stu- dent government. Wlieii Mrs. Vvallace took her sabbatical leave from February. 1939, to February, 19410, Mrs. Marjorie Lange took over the reins of sponsorship and has kept the Students Association up to its high standard of excellence. Questioned on the importance of the student government movement, Mrs. VVal- lace stated, Instead of being an extra-curricular activity, student government is so important, in my estimation, that it should be made a regular part of the curriculum. Dues Collection 7'tt'cn flu-our

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Stud nt Gov rum nt Mus. NIARION YV. YVALLAcr: Sponsor, Student fi0'l'l'f'II1lI!'ll,f and Sfzulrnf .'lcfi1'ifir'.v w i VERY person has as his iuulieuzihle right us :lu American citizen certain powers which he may exercise toward getting good government. This, we, in America. call llcmocrzxcy. The leaders of today may he very thankful that the laude-rs of tomorrow will he fully versed in the practice of dt'll10CT2lCy. Almost every large puhlic high school and :1 great many junior high schools in the nation have origA inuted some form of student government. at least in theory. if not in fact. This Counting Ballots F11 r ' 1 'Q - , 'IEW u I -ll

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Senate 'l'HlC highest governing body in the school is the Senate. Its function is to take the proper steps towards correction of conditions which arise about the school. These conditions are reported by a corps of monitors, representatives, members of the faculty, and the Senate and Court. The Senate consists of thirteen members, namely, president, two viee-presi- dents Qone boy and one girlj, two senators from each grade Cone boy and one girlj, except the 10A and 10B grades, which have only one. They are elected at the close of each term for the following semester. The Senate mects once a week, on Tues- day, in the Students Association office for the discussion and solution of problems. The Senate's main project this term was a novel houseclcaning campaign. During this time the various grades were made responsible for specified floors of the school building. It was their duty to try to keep that floor as clean as possible. In this way, the work of the Students Association is interlocked directly with class activities, therefore, making cooperation between the two much easier to accomplish. The eflicieney of the Senate is further heightened by the semi-monthly meetings of the House of Representatives. In this new plan, instead of meeting as a group, the representatives of the individual grades meet their respective senators for a discussion of problems and ideas. The combination of 'these things with the regular activities of the Senate make it one of the most important parts of the Students Association. This semester our President was .lane VVells and the 12B Senators were Rosanna Hoster and David Brunner, each of whom made this term's Senate projects a success. SENATE Sealed: Theodore Stepek, Shirley Pepp, Ros- anna Hoster, President Jane Wells, Evelyn Bender, Gloria Lorch, Ruth Dunn. Standing: Martin Carbonell, William Finnel, William Sharps. img, Twenty-two