Shawnee Mission North High School - Indian Yearbook (Overland Park, KS)

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Mr. G. Merlin Welch, principal, always lent a sympathetic ear to frantic faculty members and stupified students. W. R. JOHNSON Vice-Principal Shawnee Mission graduate, teacher, outstanding basketball coach, the Vice-Principal, Mr. Robert Johnson laid claim to all these. He has Worked in these varied capacities since 1948. The triumphs and shortcomings of the Indians . . . he knew them all. Handling disciplinary problems with skill and good judgment, Mr. uBob,7 Johnson was in charge of scheduling, the whereabouts of absent students, and the supervision of extra-curric- ular activities. He helped plan the curriculum for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. lnvaluable be- tween 1:00 P.M. and 1:40 P.M., the Vice-Princi- pal, for the third year, kept the activity period running smoothly. Always ready to help, Mr. Johnson was often found talking to bewildered stu- , dents and worried parents. His was a difficult job, and he fulfilled it very successfully. 14 G. MURLIN WELCH Principal A warm smile and a subtle sense of humor char- acterized Mr. G. Murlin Welch, principal of Shawnee Mission North High School. Listing these as his biggest assets, the SM chief has demon- strated his ability to cope with the ever present problems of running such a school. From his first '4Good morning, ladies and gentlemen on Monday announcements until the last door clicked shut on Friday evening, 4'Murlie', never paused in his search for a way to give the students all possible opportunities of improving themselves. Each day a growing world of details concerning attendance, enrollment, schedules, and extra-cur- ricular activities confronted him. Though enmeshed in the thousand and one duties entailed in running such a mammoth institution, he still found time for individual problems, remembering that in such a school, it is the people who count. Mr. Welch's twenty-one years as a teacher, a counselor, and a principal have added to the bloom of his deep personal feeling for the needs and problems of the many who have passed through the halls of Shawnee Mission North High School. Mr. Bob Johnson was in charge of activity period, disci- plinary problems, and scheduling of classes.

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DISTRICT OFFICE STAFF. Standing: Louis Smith, Bettye Hall. Seated: Deo Benzel. Busy Executives Handle Problems Busy hands and minds were needed by the adminis- trative staff to keep stride with the rapid pace at which the heads of the various school organs operated. Relying upon their efficiency and co- operation, the standard of the school's functions and progressions rested largely in their hands. Nearly all of the basic activities which kept the school organized and scheduled were dependent upon the perfection with which this board operated. From the recording of student class assignments to the last check of the gym before a big game, the staff members functioned aptly within their own areas, never failing their duty to the school. With their position as the backbone of Northeast Johnson County's junior and senior high school, the school board members stood as the link between the public and the school's administration. Once a month at Shawnee Mission North, the board offi4 cially met to direct the curriculum and to employ the educators, to establish a functional policy and to finance the school's expenditures. Directed by Mr. Kenneth Rankin, these five elected, nonsalaried coordinators and Dr.,Howard D. lVlcEachen, work- ing faithfully and diligently, understood well their position of great responsibility and responded by showing gratifying results. SCHOOL BOARD. Richard V, Ggrreff, Roy E, Welch, Henry M. Turrell, Kenneth P. Rankin, Howard D. McEochen, Melvin Flowers. ' 13

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l l l Florence Huber A, P. Snodgrass Elvin Miller Advisor uizzes - ffice Buzzes Giving their time, their talents, and their all Shawnee Mission North's triumvirate of counselors successfully channeled the efforts of both ambi- tious and dubious students. With the addition of a third counselor the preceding year, the Indians profited by the personal touches in enrolling for classes, deciding on college, or learning correct study habits. lVlr. A. Palmer Snodgrass assisted the lost', sophomores in their transition from junior high to senior high, Mr. Elvin Miller emphasized the importance of planning ahead to uprogressingn juniors, Mrs. Florence Huber advised Msuperiorw A seniors in their decision of courses and colleges. Although the message c'You,re wanted in the of- fice sent terror into the mind of the bearer, usu- ally it was just to see if a locker partner ever found the combination to the communal cubby hole or the identification of a misnamed absentee. Knowing all the answers, the office served as headquarters for the inquiries of befuddled students. Amidst the steady staccato of busy typewriters and the inces- sant ring of the phone, the office staff held the purse strings of the school's financial matters, checked the attendance every day, prepared a mul- titude of reports, forms, and tables, and put its fingers in the pies to help keep our school running smoothly. As nine workers and twenty-one student assistants held the fort, the staff served more people than a trading post. SMN Office Staff: Nina Woods, Ted Kimpel, Ellen Hays, Thelma Hughes, Alberta Gallagher, Pearl Salvino, Lola Atherton, Charlotte Ryan. 15