Specific character of requirements for membership and participation in nonathletic activities in different school groups. Nearly a third of the schools maintain some form of academic requirement for membership and participation in nonathletic activities. Analysis of the requirements shows considerable variation among the different school groups. The modal practice, requiring pupils to be passing in three subjects, is observed by approximately one-fourth of the schools. (Table 42.) In the geographical divisions the schools in the Western States regard the practice with greatest favor and the schools in the Middle Western States with least favor. The junior high schools do not observe the practice at all. However, it is observed in all the other types of schools, the largest percentage being in the 4-year high schools. In the schools of the different enrollment groups it receives least consideration in the group with enrollments of 751-2,000 and the greatest consideration in the group with enrollments of 301 750.

A small percentage of the schools representing about half the groups require the pupils to have an average of 75 per cent in academic subjects as a prerequisite to membership and participation in nonathletic activities. A slightly larger percentage of the schools requires the pupils to be passing in all subjects. The chief exponents of the last practice are the junior high schools and the schools enrolling from 751-2,000 pupils, many of which are junior high schools. A sprinkling of schools require as a prerequisite to membership and participation in nonathletic activities that pupils have an average of $5 per cent and be passing in four subjects.

The fact that 41.2 per cent of the schools did not specify their practices is explained on the ground (D) that a considerable percentage of the schools maintain no requirements for membership and participation in nonathletic activities, and (2) that nearly half the schools have other than minimum academic requirements. The data considered do not warrant any statement regarding the desirability of academic require ments for membership and participation in nonathletic

TABLE 42.-Percentages of schools in different groups maintaining five types of academic requirements for participation in nonathletic activities

1 A. Pupils required to be passing in three subjects. B. Pupils must have average of 75 per cent. C. Pupils must be passing in all subjects. D. Pupils must have average of 85 per cent. E. Pupils must be passing in four subjects.

19. REQUIREMENTS IN THE ORGANIZATION OF ActivitieS

Many administrative requirements are imposed regarding the initiation of activities as a means of inhibiting sporadic organizations and of securing recognition of purpose on the part of those interested in or sponsoring the formation of new organizations. The most widely accepted requirement is that the objectives of the activities shall be stated in a written constitution or made available for consideration in written form. Some schools require that the objectives be understood but not available in written form. A few schools demand written constitutions for activities and a few vary the requirements for organization in accordance with the type of activity.

Of the different school groups the junior high school exhibits the greatest variation from the general practices of the entire group of schools. These schools attach virtually no importance to written constitutions or to objectives stated in constitutions. (Table 43.) They exceed the average for the entire group of schools in requiring that objectives

be available in written form, understood but not available in written form, understood but allowed to vary with the types of activities, and that all requirements be allowed to vary with the types of organizations. The organization of new activities is thus rendered easier in the junior high schools, a condition that may be warranted on account of the age of the pupil. The 4-year high schools and the large schools enrolling more than 2,000 pupils lead the schools in the other groups in requiring objectives in a written constitution as a a prerequisite to the formation of an extracurriculum organization.

TABLE 43.-Percentages of schools in different groups maintaining requirements for the organization of nonathletic activities

1 A. Constitution required. B. Objectives must be stated in a constitution. C. Objectives must be available in written form. D. Objectives must be understood but not required in written form. E. Requirements vary with the different types of activities. F. Objectives must be understood but other requirements vary with the types of activities.

20. RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREPARING THE PROGRAMS OF
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES

Good programs for the meetings of activities are not likely to be experienced unless some form of organization is established for the planning of programs. The data presented in Table 44 reveal considerable autonomy on the part of members in the preparation of programs. The program committees of members of the individual organizations are responsible for the preparation of activity programs in approximately a fourth of the schools. In a fifth of the schools the responsibility for programs is shared by the program committees with the sponsors, and in only a sixth are the sponsors solely responsible for the programs of activities sponsored.

Four groups of schools, namely, the Southern and Middle Western divisions, the senior high schools, and the schools with enrollments of 751-2,000, distinctly exceed the average of all the groups in the practices of placing the responsibility for activity programs either wholly or in part on committees of officers or members of individual organizations. The Middle Atlantic division is the only group that is distinctly below the average in the observance of the practice. The schools in the Western division, the 4-year high schools, and the schools enrolling from 301-750 and 751-2,000 pupils exhibit the greatest variation in the use of different practices in preparing the programs of individual activities.

21. TRAINING PUPIL OFFICERS OF NONATHLETIC
ACTIVITIES

The value of office-holding in extracurriculum activities to the pupil and the benefit of successful administration of activities to the school are conditioned in part by the training provided by the school for pupil officers. If training is left to experience acquired in office holding and to indirect methods, the benefit to pupil and school may not be secured. The large majority of the schools do not undertake to give systematic training to officers of nonathletic organizations on the assumption of duties. (Table 45.) However, a few schools organize special classes for the training of officers, and a small group provide the major officers with printed instructions in outline form and explain the instructions to the officers. A small percentage of the schools require major