La Salle Academy - Maroon and White Yearbook (Providence, RI)

Page 98 text:

YI - - 2 f. 'A as 4 . 00N and WHITE g Sftuhent Glnumzil HE PURPOSE. of the general organiza- tion at this academy, known as the Student Council, is to effect a unification of all student activities and to afford a means of cozop- eration with the faculty in promoting and main- taining disciplinary measures. In the process of organization, it is to be expected that many diffi- culties will be encountered, and to this old rule the Student Council at La Salle has proven no exception. In the beginning, students erroneously con- ceived the idea that the Student Council of La Salle was solely for disciplinary purposes, hence they lost the true significance of this important phase of modern education which has for its sole object student self government. Indeed, this latest move at La Salle is but a repetition of what is taking place the country over, giving to the stu- dents every opportunity to manage their own af- fairs, thus preparing them for their civic responsi- bilities in later life. This organization was started a year ago last January and in spite of the dire predictions of a few radicals it has constantly grown in popularity and scope. The Student Council proper is composed of a president, vice-president, a small body of lieu- tenants and a corps of ofhcers who form the bulk of the organization. Executive business is left to the president and he may delegate any of his powers to the vice-president. Both these primary officers are elected by the entire student body by ballot. The president must be a Senior and the vice-president, a Junior. From each Junior and Senior class, lieutenants are elected who form the superior body of the Student Council. Their duties are general, since they preside at courts, make observations and are general overseers. The active body of the Student Council is comprised of the officers representing each class as delegates in the Student Council. They maintain order and discipline throughout the building and represent their classes in the various councils. For the purpose of controlling activities as 94 . 4. J '4..WfEtTf7Ui

Page 97 text:

MAROON and WHITE Stmirlingz ltuymund Murray, Hrotlier Cyril, 14',S,C,' J, Dnyif-. Se:it.ud:l1!rotliurC.Joseph, l .S.C., Brother C. .l,CK.lXV2ll'fl, F,S.C., Brother C. Peter, F.S.C., .Ul'Olllt'I' C. .l:lxmws, l+'.S.C. Hnratinnal irertinn HE. trend of modern education today is toward specialization. Everywhere there is a demand for the right man in the right place. And not only must these men be in the right place but they must be highly skilled in that par- ticular position of life. The world today tolerates no mediocrities, the half-successful individualsg we are classified today as successes or failures. There is no middle way. These are the demands of the busy marts of our industrial, business and social life. And since the purpose of education is to lead the student to a proper understanding and evaluation of his position in life, educators today realize that, of necessity, they must attend more to the vocational guidance of their students. They must discover their particular aptitudes and direct them along these lines. And so we find Brother Simon, Vocational Director of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, attending to this particular work throughout the Catholic schools of New England. To this particu- lar work, he brings the rich experience of many scholarly years devoted to the instruction and guidance of the youth in the schools of our coun- try. For years, he has labored among them, studied them, sympathized with them and led them through the maze of uncertainties to a successful career in life. In a special way, this genial Brother devotes his time to directing promising students to the portals of his own community. Success in abundance has been the portion allotted to him. That God has blessed his work is amply testified to by the large number of candidates in the above picture, who were students of La Salle. La Salle is, indeed, proud of them. To Brother Simon, the students extend their heart- felt thanks for his inspiring lectures and their sin- cere wishes for continued success in his noble Work. 93

Page 99 text:

til , 2- -g --- - 2 Q Q , L z Q ooqmrg and WHITE s well as regulating conduct, the entire organization of the Student Council is divided into four dis- tinct councils representing the four years of the Academy. A chairman of each council is elected to preside over the weekly meetings. All activi- ties and projects come under the control of these various councils and must be approved by them. Thus we see that our Student Council is an orga- nization established to promote the welfare of each individual as well as to maintain discipline. We should consider that we attend school not solely for mental development but for moral de- velopment as well. Character training is as im- portant, if not more so, than our mental acquire- ments. To make our mental education complete we must utilize the human reasoning-powers and God-given sanity, to check the strong uncontrolled cravings of our human-nature. For this reason we find in every school certain rules and regula- tions which tend to restrain to a certain extent these inevitable loose habits and natural inclina- tions. To comply with these regulations we must develop self-control and follow them to the letter if we wish to obtain the best possible moral edu- cation or character training. Naturally in a school as large as La Salle there are always those who care not for their moral education, unaware of the fact that it is as important as either their mental or physical devel- opment. It would be a great task to put all the responsibility into the hands of the faculty. There- fore, a part of this work of moral education at La Salle has been put in the hands of the Student Council. This organization in union with the per- sonal self-control of each individual should prove the most effective means of securing an excellent moral training. We have seen how the officers of the Student Council are charged with maintaining order and discipline throughout the school. To assist these officers in their work an elaborate system of courts has been established to try offenders. Under this system there are three different types of courts: the common court, general court, and court of appeals. Common courts for each year are held every Mon- day afternoon under the supervision of a lieuten- ant acting as judge. All who have received sum- monses must appear before these courts. Any serious or habitual offender of Student Council regulations must appear before the General Court, held every Wednesday afternoon and presided over by a jury of lieutenants. The court of ap- 95