190                                   LAWS OF MARYLAND                          [CH. 128

3. Provide a clearing house of information on matters relating
to educational problems and how they are being met in different
places throughout the Nation, so that the executive and legislative
branches of State Government and of local communities may have
ready access to the experience and record of the entire country, and
so that both lay and professional groups in the field of education
may have additional avenues for the sharing of experience and the
interchange of ideas in the formation of public policy in education.

4. Facilitate the improvement of State and local educational sys-
tems so that all of them will be able to meet adequate and desirable
goals in a society which requires continuous qualitative and quantita-
tive advance in educational opportunities, methods and facilities.

B.   It is the policy of this compact to encourage and promote local
and State initiative in the development, maintenance, improvement
and administration of educational systems and institutions in a
manner which will accord with the needs and advantages of diversity
among localities and States.

C.   The party States recognize that each of them has an interest
in the quality and quantity of education furnished in each of the other
States, as well as in the excellence of its own educational systems
and institutions, because of the highly mobile character of individuals
within the Nation, and because the products and services contributing
to the health, welfare and economic advancement of each State are
supplied in significant part by persons educated in other States.

867.                          Article II. State Defined.

As used in this Compact, "State" means a State, territory, or pos-
session of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico.

368.                       Article III. The Commission.

A. The Educational Commission of the States, hereinafter called
"the Commission", is hereby established. The Commission shall con-
sist of seven members representing each party State. One of such
members shall be the Governor; two shall be members of the State
legislature selected by its respective houses and serving in such
manner as the legislature may determine; and four shall be appointed
by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor, unless the laws of the
State otherwise provide. If the laws of a State prevent legislators
from serving on the Commission, six members shall be appointed
and serve at the pleasure of the Governor, unless the laws of the
State otherwise provide. In addition to any other principles or re-
quirements which a State may establish for the appointment and
service of its members of the Commission, the guiding principle for
the composition of the membership on the Commission from each
party State shall be that the members representing such State shall,
by virtue of their training, experience, knowledge or affiliations be
in a position collectively to reflect broadly the interests of the State
Government, higher education, the State education system, local
education, lay and professional, public and non-public educational
leadership. Of those appointees, one shall be the head of a state
agency or institution, designated by the Governor, having respon-
sibility for one or more programs of public education. In addition