Community Service Committee Created, Council Members in Common Ground Discussion Continues – Council Update (09/05/2018)

This past week’s meeting was the first meeting of Council in the new year, but that didn’t stop Council from jumping right back into their routine. The meeting began with the regular committee and leadership reports, including one from Sophomore Rep. Sage McGinley-Smith, who reported that in Administration Committee the members discussed how they could streamline the process of getting motions approved. After the standard reports, Council proceeded on to the first thing on the agenda, the Ford Daley Council Leadership Training.

Ford, a longtime teacher at the school and currently the Caf “god”, began by telling the council members that being elected by a vote does not mean they are leaders. He went on to discuss how Council members must figure their roles in both Council and committees. Ford also emphasized that members must try and figure out how to represent their entire class. Ford then ended his speech by discussing his credentials on the issue of leadership, saying he had been elected as a leader in every group he has ever been in. He attributed this to having been aware of what was going on around him and not having been afraid of problems.

After Ford’s speech, Moderator Colm Seigne realized he had forgotten to introduce the new staff members on Council and proceeded to introduce Ms. Pogue, Devon Voake, and Ms. Benedict as the new staff members on Council. Despite this quick hitch in the road, the meeting quickly moved on to the next item on the agenda, the proposed creation of a Community Service ad hoc Committee.

Junior and former Council Representative Clay Kynor proposed the creation of the committee. Kynor explained that his freshman year Council worked on integrating community service into the graduation requirement at HHS, and that as a result, they passed the Community Service Motion. However, Kynor explained that the motion had hit a roadblock after its passing but that the Dresden School Board has now given clear guidelines on how to move forward and that the committee would be a unified force that would go and talk to the board about moving forward this motion. Council was overwhelmingly supportive of the committee and quickly approved it, and many members even signed up to be on the committee.  

Next on the agenda was the Common Grounds Moving Persons discussion. Teacher Representative Ms. Ceplikas began the discussion by describing how last year Council passed a motion addressing how to get a council member in each common ground. Rep. Ceplikas then went on to say that some members were moved without being asked over the summer by mistake. She then went on to give her own opinion on the issue saying that she thinks having a council member in every common ground is unrealistic. Co-Treasurer Tessa Stewart backed this up by saying that people are more likely to learn about Council happenings from the Public Relations Officer(Leila Trummel) than from a Council member in their common ground.

Ms. Stevenson seemed to disagree with the prior sentiments saying that she thinks it is important that there be a council member in every common ground. Senior Rep. Mason Winter pushed back on this saying that he thinks common ground exists to foster a sense of community, not to be an extra council period. Mod. Seigne then decided to move on from the discussion to go on to notes and new business.

Co-Treasurer Dory Psomas began notes and new business by moving to allocate $650 to the improv club. Co-Treasurer Psomas explained that the club was created at the end of last year so it didn’t get to request funds. She also explained the money was to get the club a spot in the national improv competition and to help pay for a private improv instructor. There was however clear uncertainty in Council about how the money would be spent and when it became clear that there were only 4 members in the club, Council seemed to look negatively on the allocation. Dresden School Board Rep. Oliver Minshall articulated what Council was thinking when he said that it didn’t really seem like there was enough information to allocate the money. Ultimately, Council decided to table the motion for two weeks so members of the club could come and give more information on the club and maybe illustrate that they acquired new members at the activity fair. Mod. Seigne then adjourned the first council meeting of the new school year.