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

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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

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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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X X X X i i X X X. XX X XXX ' Xi. .XXX , X X X X XXX XX ,, XX 'Xi XX X ,XX X. XX :X hu..- r ' Q L- 47 Gerald Ashen Judith Ball Helen Blery 9 ' E orth s Chlefs- ' le lndian Rule uSchool days, school days-good 'ole lndian rule days, Reading an, 'riting an' 'rithmetic taught to the puff of a peace pipe stick, Teachers those 'human?' of yes and NO, Students and classes were dreaded so, Why lndians wrote on their tests Q-, We donit knowf North's faculty only could guess. North's council of chiefs, faced with everpressing student and administration problems, successfully eliminated their difficulties by following lndian rule. Transmitting the major ideas of the three r's, teachers continually stressed the necessary facts and figures for a well-rounded high school educa- tion. Yes, believe it or not, faculty members were actually humans. Those mandatory class hours, not altogether dreaded, provided an unlimited scope of subjects and ideas to be exchanged between teachers and students. When that traditional sixth week rolled around, tests, grades, and complaints once again tried the patience of teachers. Sur- prisingly enough, Northis faculty only could guess why some high school youth were pupils and others were students. But that didnit keep more than just strict discipline from accompanying them in their professional activities, for high qualities of leader- ship, friendliness, courtesy, concern, and guidance went hand in hand with each council chief at Shawnee Mission North. 16 Wally Bob Johnson beamed at the prospects of shooting game with his two bird dogs. An important notice to all students iff