Manhattan College - Manhattanite Yearbook (Riverdale, NY)

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The position of the N. F. C. C. S. on the College campus, is of major import- ance. Through the diligent cooperation of its members throughout the nation, a closer bond of unity is steadily being at- tained by all College students under Catholic auspices. THE COMMISSION ON STUDENT GOVERNMENT T a meeting of the National Coun- cil of the N. F. C. C. S. in 1940, Manhattan College was made the seat of the National Commission on Stu- dent Government, a body formed to study the problems of undergraduate adminis- tration of campus activity. At the outset, the work of the Student Government Commission was envisioned as involving three main stages: the com- municative stage, in which the collection of data was the primary ob ject, the class- ification stage, in which student govern- ment data was to be studied and as a result there was to be drawn up a statis- tical report on the important phases of student governmentg the evaluation stage, in which, after another thorough study of the data on hand, a model con- stitution was to be drawn up. Such a constitution was considered the crowning achievement and goal of the Commission. The first two stages of the work were carefully and thoroughly pursued to com- pletion, and work on the model constitu- tion was about to commence when the United States entered the war in 1941. The work of the Commission, suspended indefinitely was not reorganized until late in 1945. Early in 1946 the Commis- sion completed the first draft of the model constitution. Numerous copies of the 'first-draft' model were mailed to col- leges in the N. P. C. C. S. requesting basic information on student government formation and organization. At present the Commission is engaged in the important task of selecting a com- prehensive bibliography on the general theme of student government in colleges. Such a bibliography will supply the need of many colleges in the Federation that are adopting a new or improved plan of student government. The Commission on Student Govern- ment looks forward to 1947 for the com- pletion ot the final draft of the model constitution. In preparation for the final publication of this model Constitution the Commission membership will begin study and evaluation work on the first of May of this semester. Members of the Commission on Stu- dent Government are: John F. Sweeney '46, Chairmang John E. Bach '47, John J. McCarthy '48, and John P. Brosnan '48. Brother Alban, Faculty Adviser for the Commission, has assisted the Com- mission in every phase of its work. His constant interest and cooperation have been greatly appreciated by the member- ship of the National Commission on Stu- dent Government. THE PRESIDENTS' COUNCIL T the beginning of the Academic Year of 1945-46, an entirely new organization was formed at Manhattan College. It was named the Presidents' Council, and its membership consisted of the Presidents of every

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The Sfrzdcnt Cmnzril Government. These various projects of the N. F. C. C. S. are realized through the work of its Commissions, which are National and Regional. At Manhattan there is a National Commission on Stu- dent Government and two Regional Com- missions, the Catechist and 'Labor Com- missions. The latter two work in con- junction with the Catechist Society and the Leo Labor Club. The task of the Student Government Commission has been of major import- ance during the past year. Relatively in- active during the last years of the recent war, this Commission has since attained prominence through the drafting' of a Model Constitutionfl available to any college desiring to formulate a Student Council or desiring to give better form to their present Student Government or- ganization. Manhattan College isorepresented in the New York Region of the N. F. C. C. S. by a Senior Delegate, a Junior Delegate and an Afhliate. the first is a bona fide member of the Senior Class, and a re- cently appointed member of the Student Council, while the latter two are repre- sentatives of the Junior and Sophomore Classes, respectively. A method of suc- cessuon has been outlined in an Amend- ment to the Student Council Constitu- tion.

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llfIU1l1IUffLNI- Jllcnzbers of the National Federation of Catholfic College Students campus Society, Club and Class. Also in- cluded on the Council are the Regents of the campus Fraternities and the Editors- in-Chief of the undergraduate publica- tions. The purpose of the Council is twofold. First, it strives to maintain a bond of unity among all the student groups on the campus through the expression of opin- ions on pertinent topics by representa- tives of said organizations. Secondly, it is a means through which proper notifi- cation may be made to the Presidents by the Student Council on matters concern- ing Society activities. There are but three oiicicers in this organization of campus leaders. To sup- ervise the activities of the Council, the President of the Student Council has been appointed Student Moderator with the task of counseling this organization as to matters of policy, activity and Stu-