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THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Robie, do
you have any further questions?
DELEGATE ROBIE: Thank you, that
is all.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Lord.
DELEGATE LORD: Mr. Chairman, dis-
cretion being the better part of valor, I
wonder if Delegate Wheatley would like to
poll his delegation and see if he could ac-
cept minority Amendment No. 5 to delete
the entire section.
THE CHAIRMAN : Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, I can say unequivocably that we have
not yet retreated to that position.
THE CHAIRMAN: All right. Do any
members of the Committee on General Pro-
visions object to Amendment No. 8?
Delegate Wheatley, the Chair hears no
objection. Do you want to indicate your
position with respect to the amendment?
I think we should put it to a vote anyhow,
but I think your comment would be in-
teresting.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, after polling the majority, I think I
am authorized to say at this point that they
do not oppose this amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: You are willing to
relinquish further debate?
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: I would like
to say one word, or two words, at the most.
If I had come down here a year ago I
would never even have thought of such an
amendment, but within the last six months
we have had threats of local governments
taking over the appointment of boards of
education. We see them in the papers, we
hear about them from meetings of county
officials, and I think it would be a very bad
thing if it were to happen. Under the pres-
ent situation, school boards are in a posi-
tion of independence in some respects with
relation to their county commissioners and
county council. I think this is necessary. I
do not think school boards should be put in
the local political arena.
I have had many experiences in the past
thirty-eight years that would have vitally
affected the education of thousands of chil-
dren in a detrimental manner if I had not
had a local board of education independent
of the political establishment. This does not
only refer to my work as superintendent
of schools. It reaches down into positions
of principals of schools and even of teach-
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ers. I think we ought to keep our schools
free of political interference which I am
sure we would get into if we had the boards
appointed locally.
I am somewhat afraid that under the
local provisions we have passed here this
would be possible without a great deal of
action from the legislature so I would
seriously urge that the Committee give
serious consideration to including this
which is now part of the Majority Report
in the constitution.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are you ready for
the question?
(Call for the question.)
The question now arises on Amendment
No. 8. We are not voting on Amendment
No. o. Is there any further question on
Amendment No. 8?
(There was no response.)
Are you ready for the question.
(Call for the question.)
Ring the quorum bell, please.
For what purpose does Delegate Vecera
rise?
DELEGATE VECERA: Mr. Chairman,
while we are waiting for the people to re-
spond to the quorum bell, I would like to
introduce some guests to the Convention.
Personal privilege, please.
THE CHAIRMAN: State the privilege.
DELEGATE VECERA: I would like to
introduce to the Convention a distinguished
guest, Delegate Weissinghoff from the
House of Delegates in the General Assem-
bly, also my wife, Nancy, and his wife,
Mrs. Loraine Weissinghoff, and in the back
gallery Mrs. Charlotte Wheatley, Delegate
Wheatley's wife, and also Mrs. Joan
Murphy, Delegate Murphy's wife, and also,
although she left a few minutes ago, was
Senator McGirk's wife, Mrs. Ray McGirk,
and Delegate Frederick's wife, Mrs. Leroy
Frederick. I would like to welcome them
to the Convention.
(Applause.)
THE CHAIRMAN: The question now
arises on the adoption of Amendment No.
8 to Committee Recommendation GP-6. A
vote Aye is a vote for the adoption of
Amendment No. 8. A vote No is a vote
against.
After action on this Amendment, the
Chair will submit to you Amendment No.
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