New Constitution Up for Ratification In College-Wide Vote Today, Friday

As a final attempt to offset apathy toward the Student Council and its activities, Edric A. Weld's Constitutional Committee will seek student body approval today and tomorrow in Collegewide balloting for 2500 majority ratification of a new Council constitution.

Unless the proposed constitution is actually defeated, whether or not half the student body ratifies it, reforms calling for direct House and Class representation, open nomination meetings, and closer relations between the Councilman and the undergraduate will probably be incorporated in the present constitution, Weld said last night. He urged everyone to vote, however, so that the new constitution could be adopted, thereby "showing the Council that it has the backing of most of the men in the College."

Ballots Are Explanatory

The ballots, which include an explanation of the aims of the Committee and of the constitution's major provisions and reforms, will be distributed in the House dining halls, at Dudley, and at the Union both at lunch and at dinner for the two days.

If the voting is favorable, the new constitution will stipulate that there be 17 undergraduates on the Council, eight of whom will represent the Houses and Dudley. Two more will be elected by the Seniors, two by the Juniors, and three by the Sophomores. In addition, Freshmen will have a two-man, non-voting delegation at all meetings.

Further reforms call for open meetings in the Houses and in the Union, primarily to nominate a slate for Council elections, but serving a double purpose in giving publicity to Council reports and decisions. The proposed constitution also provides for nominating committees in lieu of a 25 percent quorum in the Houses or a ten percent quorum in the Union.

Members of the Constitutional Committee, of which Weld served as chairman, were: Richard G. Axt '46, William H. Bozman '46, Gordon W. Hedin '46, Roger S. Kuhn '46, Frank T. LeBart '46, Henry Lee '48, Joseph H. Sharlitt '45, and Philip M. Stern '47.