1952

The school Council held four monthly meetings in the first half of l952, and business was so heavy at two of them that the agenda had to he spread over two evenings. A wide range of topics was discussed and much useful legislation passed. As the result of a motion investigations were made about taking rubbings from the memorial brass of Sir George Monoux to be framed and hung in the Library. The suggestion that fifth and sixth formers should be invited to pay for end-of-term visits was accepted and applied.
A motion was passed concerning the brightening up of the Milk Room, though nothing has yet been done owing to disagree-ment as to the way- to set about the task. The Council appointed two boys to be responsible for inspecting bicycles and the Police were asked to assist. A number of recommendations and amend-ments were passed about fire precautions, and as a result instruc-tions were issued for fire drill; they are now pinned up in all rooms. The School Council also passed a motion that it should revert to a basis of representation by forms.
Suggestions were made about the detention system but none of them proved acceptable. The motion that members of Houses should sit together at dinner was defeated by the chairman's casting vote. It was agreed that water should be provided at dinner as soon as possible. The proposal to appoint a committee representing the whole School for selecting books for the Library was impracticable, because of the limited grant of money for buying books. A further suggestion that School text books should be placed in the Library for quick reference was accepted in a modified form.
After the minutes of the meeting on the 27th May had been handed to the Headmaster he said he proposed to receive no more motions from the Council until he was satisfied about the attitude of its members as pupils of the School.

The School Council held three meetings during the autumn term, one of them had to be completed at a second sitting. Motions and questions ranged over a wide variety of subjects and interest remained keen throughout the term. The main handicap to councillors has been the irregularity of House meetings at which to present reports of the School Council.
Many of the motions were accepted and applied. The Council proposed the holding of a mock election at which the parliamentary candidates for East Walthamstow should speak. One of its recommendations for Prefects was accepted: full Colours were made available for chess; a number of suggestions concerning fire precautions are being applied; and T.C.P. has replaced iodine in the first-aid boxes in the science laboratories. The recommendation, "That the School stand when the electric bell is rung in the morning before assembly", has been put into force.
Among the motions defeated were those proposing the formation of a football supporters' club, admitting Fifth Formers in their second year to the status of Sixth Formers, and making less rigid the censorship imposed upon the Bulletin; the latter was defeated by the chairman's casting vote.
Have not the achievements of the School Council during the term proved conclusively that an institution where the School can make recommendations on any subject is a useful one?