School Rules - How They Help Us (1953)

I rules in action rules that keep things going smoothly and fairly rules that help us get where we're going help us work together and play together and live together of course in small groups we sometimes get along without rulers but when many of us play together rules make the game rules help us play fair with each other so all can enjoy the game rules that apply equally to all it's up to each one of us to know the rules and follow them and we can each take part in making the rules more fair and more useful inside our school we also have rules for a fair play and for getting along together in our library for example here many of us use the same books and reference materials so we have set up rules to help make the library a good place to study and read and to help all of us use the books more fairly of course at times some of us have trouble with the rules you have a book out overdue and it's already been renewed one I can't let you take out another until you bring that foot back oh sure you can look I need that book and this one too for an assignment I'll just let me take it out and I'll bring it back next week no I can't it's the rule yes it's the rule but John needed the book and he wanted Betty to make an exception to the rule of course she could not make an exception but she suggested that John take his problem to the principal alright I will so John came to see me to ask me to make an exception in his case what should we tell people who want exceptions to the rules how can we show them that exceptions are unfair that they spoil the game that's it they spoil a game when you strike out at baseball would it be fair to ask for an exception for another strike when you're in a hurry to get somewhere you still wait at red lights you know that exceptions would not be fair just imagine imagine having an exception ER in the library to decide that one person doesn't have to bring books back but another one does would this be fair would it be fair to make exceptions and excuse some people from paying fines while making other people pay well John finally agreed that rules must apply to everyone but exceptions are unfair the rules are pretty important after all the rules are so important that we go to a lot of trouble to remind everyone of the rules they post bulletins that remind us of the rules about fire drills where to go and what to do about school activities what they do and how they operate about safety on the streets near our school rules for living together we have Hall guards to remind us of our traffic rules in the halls our teachers are always glad to answer questions about the rules yes most of the time we remember and respect the rules but sometimes some of us have problems because of not knowing the rules or forgetting them come in Alvin mr. Blackwell sent me from gym class I well I didn't know we were supposed to bring Jim Schuster class today we've been having class outdoors hmm until today didn't mr. Blackwell tell the class to bring gym shoes well I must have been absent that day absent or not listening very carefully Alvin whose job is it to see that you know the rules sit down what could I say how could I show Alvin his responsibilities how do you convince people that they must learn the rules suppose suppose you are watching a game of work up baseball you say you've never played it but you'd like to try how would you go about learning the rules these fellows use you'd watch for a while wouldn't you if someone caught a fly and traded places with the batter well then you'd have some idea of one of the rules and you could look to see where the bases were they might be just like regular baseball or perhaps not then if you were given a chance to play you would ask some questions questions about the rules and then you'd play and you'd have fun by playing by the rules now suppose you're in school on your way to a new class whenever you come into a new situation you watch for rules so as you enter shop class for the first time you look around you see work benches quite a few of them you'll probably be assigned the one and it'll be up to you to keep it neat and take care of the tools there one band saw and a rule whenever many people use the same thing rules are necessary well how do you get permission you're asked and find out that's another way to learn the rules look around you read watch ask questions you can learn the rules if you try well Alvin seemed to understand that it was his responsibility to learn the rules and he promised to bring his gym shoes the next day you know it's worth remembering well we don't know the rules or if we forget them it's just as unfair to others as if we broke the rules on purpose now Ernie he's one of our Hall guards he'd been waiting to see me because he had another question about rules well we're having trouble on the West stairway you see that's supposed to be up only but at certain times of the day there's hardly anyone around the halls and it's handy for some to come down the West I feel silly telling the mat to but I'm supposed to enforce the rules well mr. Taylor the hog are just don't know what to do well perhaps that stairway isn't as congested as it was when our traffic rules were set up maybe they need changing would you change the rule mr. Taylor that might help well that's not my rule to change Ernie don't you remember the student committee planned the hall traffic program but you might like to study the problem talk it over with the other hall guards and then make suggestions to the student committee that's a good idea we'll do that thank you not at all that's another important thing to remember about rules they're set up to meet a need and we can each take part in changing them if changes are needed how our rules made our school board here in town makes some rules after all the parents hold them responsible for making this a good school our state government makes some overall rules for schools to give each one of us a fair chance to learn and weave through our own student representatives make some of the rules too they help us find ways of making our life in school smoother and more pleasant and fair for all our rules apply equally to all with no exceptions that is part of making them fair each one of us has the responsibility of learning the rules and remembering to follow them and we can work together to make better rules when we need them and to use our rules to help make living at school more happy and worthwhile for all you