Apparently the Church was interested in the election, for every shovel-hatted padre in the district seemed to have come in for it.  They and the provincial dignitaries from towns which had not then risen to the dignity of an American public school, wandered into the school in groups of three and sometimes of twenty.  It was their first contact with coeducation, and they were highly amused at the sight of a class of boys and girls working together in the reduction of compound fractions.  They were also delighted with the choral music, especially with “The Watch on the Rhine” which the pupils sang with great enthusiasm.

Not very long after that election we began our first work with self-governing societies.  The school had been long enough established to have an advanced class capable of speaking English, and our Division Superintendent suggested that I give them a little practical experience in the “machinery of politics.”  I assented with outward respect, and then retired to smile, for the “machinery of politics” is the last thing in which the Filipino has need of instruction from us.  He is a born politician, and we compare to him in that respect as babes to a philosopher.  But I recognized that my pupils did need the experience of a self-governing society, and practice in parliamentary usages, and so we organized our society from the three most advanced classes in the school.

In the beginning I organized the society, acting as temporary chairman.  I called for an election by informal ballot of short-term officers to serve until a time of regular elections could be set.  Our first ballot polled seventy-three votes, although there were only fifty-five persons in the room.  I threw that out and called for a roll call vote.  In due time a regular election took place, and officers for three months were elected.  As the vote was open, the aristocratic element came off best, as was to be expected.  The children of one prominent family, together with some of their friends, held every office.  Practically the result was not bad.  The officers, four out of five of whom were girls, represented considerable ability.  The girls were elected chiefly out of the galanteria of certain of the boy aristocrats, who had very little conception of what a self-governing society means, but who wished to pay their fair innamoratas a compliment.

Our society was a pronounced success.  The pupils took to parliamentary practice very much as they would to a new game.  Visitors thronged our Friday afternoon meetings.  We teachers had to put in six or eight hours every week, drilling the pupils on duty, helping to get up music, and meeting with committees.  A teacher was parliamentary “coach,” and sat at the side of Madame President, giving her directions in an undertone.  All the teachers were elected honorary members, and one was critic.  Peace reigned and Joy flapped her wings.