Palo Alto High School - Madrono Yearbook (Palo Alto, CA)

Page 24 text:

Garrett Elmore. Vivian Umphrcys. Charles Watson. Phyllis Heath. Julia Stevens. Kathleen Shuford. Laura Kennedy. Shirley Charles. Pearl Henderson. William Hyde. 26 Russell Bodley. Dorothy Smith. Lyslc Blythe. Sliuh Hironaka.

Page 23 text:

Carl Shoup. Else Leistner. Beulah Josephs. George Green. Grace Kirkpatrick Alice Mclnnis. Helen Wasson. Madalyn Worth. Mae Dodson. Lauretta Simonsen. Julia Waterbury. Daisy Shone. Dixon Clark Muriel Bell. Florence Hughes. Warren Gravestock. 25

Page 25 text:

The Second Year of Commission Government ,Y() years ago the first step toward commission govern- ment m the Palo Alto Union High School was made. During the summer of 1917 a committee composed of Miss Greene, Mr. Woolerv, Margaret Wattenberger, Charles Dobbel and Ralph Weston composed and drew up a new charter for the school. This charter was based absolutely on a commission form of government and was much more liberal than the old charter both in its attitude toward the author- ity. which is now exercised by student body officers, and in the amount of student control it allowed. In the fall of the same year George Sloan, then student body presi- dent, presented the charter to the school at a student body meeting. The vote was unanimous in favor of appointing a committee composed of ten members from each class to go over the charter and revise and amend any section it saw til. As a committee the eighty people were more or less a failure, as the majority never attended any of the meetings, but a few came regularly and much was accomplished by them, perhaps more than the eighty could have done. After several weeks the charter was finally revised and approved and accepted by the student body. Com- mission government was finally launched on its trial trip. Klcctions were held immediately and the following were elected: George Sloan, Commissioner of Public Welfare and Safety: Clifford Cooke, Commissioner of Finance and Revenue; Rob Spiers, Commis- sioner of Athletics: Tommy Green, Commissioner of Literary Activi- ties; and George Stratton, Commissioner of Entertainment. This fine set of officers was in a great measure responsible for the success which the new government attained. In the second year of trial the charter was somewhat revised by the present board of commissioners. Edward Waterman, Fred Hughes, Hall Walker, Nathan Moore and Dorothy Nichols. The chief advantage of commission government lies in the fact that all the activities of the school are brought together and regulated In one body: the five commissioners, a faculty adviser and an auditor, who is always a member of the faculty. Under the old system the president had control of all departments to 27