Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1908 — School Board Takes Action. [ARTICLE]

School Board Takes Action.

At a recent meeting of the school board a discussion of the subject of secret societies in the public schools resulted in the following motion: "That it is the sense of the Board that under the present law we can not allow pupils of the school to belong to any secret society, fraternity or other similar organization formed in the school; and it is therefore ordered that all pupils now belonging to such organizations immediately withdraw their membership, under penalty of suspension from school. Also, the term “secret society” shall be interpreted to mean any society formed in the school, wholly or in part, by pupils of the public school, without the full knowledge and consent of the school authorities,” Motion was carried unanimously. Below folowe the entire act governing this case.

“Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Indiana that the common schools of the State of Indiana, both elementary and high school shall be open to all children until* they complete the course of study in said common schools; subject to the authority ot the teachers therein, and to all rules and regulations provided by proper authority for the government of the same. It shall be unlawful for the pupils in any of the elementary or high schoolSof the State to form secret societies, fraternities or other similar organizations io such schools; and the board of school commissioners, or the board of school trustees of any school town or city/toud the trustees of any school township, and the superia i code nt of any school are hereby required to enforce the provisions of this act by suspending, a pupil Id any elementary, or high school who refuses oi neglects to obey such rules an ' regulations, or any of them.” Acts 1907, page 616. Approved Marchl2th, 1907.