The big pitch for last-pitch Legislative Council to examine the possible addition of girls' softball The possible addition of girls' fast- pitch softball to the menu of University Interscholastic League activities will be a possibility when the 24-member Legislative Council meets October 18- 20 in Austin. DR. B. J. STAMPS The Legislative Council meets annually to review UIL rules and regu­ lations, to hear testimony from inter­ Stamps recalled ested parties, including representatives for school administrators, athletic DOUBLE as dedicated, coaches, classroom teachers, board of PLAY. visionary educator education, parent-teacher organiza­ tions, sports medicine groups, and school Robstown crushed music directors. Bridge City, 10-1 Dr. B.J. Stamps, former su­ Legislative Council members are to win its second perintendent of the Amarillo In­ elected for a four-year term represent­ consecutive state dependent School District and ing each of the four UIL basketball 4A baseball assistant to the UIL Director, died regions within each of the five confer­ championship. Players celebrating Saturday, June 27,1992. He was ences, and four members, one from each 65. include (l-r) Gilber of the four UIL regions. The four at- Olivarez(13), Stamps was superintendent large members are appointed to the Arturo Cabrena, of AISDfrom 1979 through June committee by the Chairman of the Jesse Garcia (0) 1984, and was a member of the Legislative Council. and Robert UIL Legislative Council.. In A proposal was made to the Rodriquez (8). October, 1984, Stamps accepted Standing Committee on Athletics this Photo by a position as assistant to UIL Di­ summer to add softball as a champion­ Bobby Hawthorne. rector Dr. Bailey Marshall ship sport. Currently, schools playing "The public schools, admin­ softball conclude their season without a eral years about the growing interest in at the elementary and j unior high level) sic advisory comm ittee that would limit istrators, teachers, coaches, spon­ championship format, unlike baseball girls' fast-pitch softball," said Dr. Bill in high school spelling and vocabulary the usage of electronic instruments in sors and students of Texas have which plays to a state championship in Famey, UIL athletic director. contest UIL music contests. "We are just look­ lost a great friend," said Marshall. each conference. A motion was also proposed The Standing Committee on ing into placing some kind of limit in "Dr. Stamps dedicated his life to The UIL athletic staff was asked without any recommendation to place Academics also moved to disallow or the use of electronic instruments be­ quality education and educational by the Athletic Committee to survey the issue of a "central site"state cham­ prohibit the use of calculators equipped cause you would be amazed at how competition." schools to find put which ones are cur­ pionship football games on the Legis­ with tapes in the UIL accounting con­ much they can do," said Richard Floyd, Prior to serving as AISD su­ rently playing softball and to prepare lative Council agenda. The Athletic test. UIL music director. perintendent, Stamps had worked plans for a possible 1993 spring state Committee was will forward a proposal Also passed were proposals to A proposal was also passed and for 25 years in the Dallas school championship season. Results of that with a favorable recommendation to change the scoring in the mathematics forwarded to the Legislative Council to system and was associate superin­ survey will be presented to the Legisla­ allow girls to play high school football. contest; to reinstate the number sense permit 7 th grade students to participate tendent when he left in 1979. tive Council in October and from that In academic-related issues, school contest for fourth grade students; to in solo and ensemble competition in Stamps received his information, a decision will be made superintendents will be surveyed to see alter the scoring for the maps, graphs conference 4A and below. bachelor's and master's degree in concerning the addition of another if they favor changing the authoritative and charts contest; and to reduce the Some of the favorable action taken educational administration from championship sport to the UIL. source (from Webster's New Third In­ time for the computer science written by the Legislative Council next month East Texas State University and "A number of individuals have ternational Dictionary, Unabridged, exam to 45 minutes from 60 minutes. will need State Board of Education ap­ his doctorate from Nova Univer­ expressed an interest over the last sev­ 1986, to a desk dictionary like was done Language will be drafted by a mu- proval before being implemented. sity in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He began his teaching career in 1949 at Henderson County JuniorCollege in Athens. In 1953 For academic competitiors, the road he moved to Dallasasahighschool teacher. Rite of passage:t o State begins with UIL SuperConferences He was an elementary, jun­ quality of the program coupled with the ior high and high school principal In less than three weeks, the UIL Activity SuperConferences next fall. English at Texas A&I and Region IV, interest in UIL academic contests have in Dallas from 1957-58. He de­ will conduct its first of five Student "Two years ago, we conducted one AAA director-general, will serve as sparked a tremendous interest in these signed the Skyline Center for Activities SuperConferences of the of the conferences at the University of general coordinator of the conferences," Wiman said. "The typi­ Career Development in Dallas and season at the University ofNorth Texas Texas/Pan American," said Janet SuperConference. cal session is attended by more than 100 became its principal in 1968. in Denton.September 26. The confer­ Wiman.UILacademicdirector. "We've In addition, the UIL will again persons, and it is not unusual for several In 1971, Stamps was named ences are a rite of passage for many of always received enthusiastic support hold a conference at Texas Tech Uni­ the state's finest students and academic from South Texans, and we wanted to versity. Last year, the conference was thousand advisers and students to at­ deputy assistant at the Skyline tend any given conference." Center and he became assistant coaches. make certain that they had every op­ held at West Texas State University in In an effort to better serve South portunity to benefit from the expertise Canyon. Conferences begin at 9 am and / Stamps continued, page 2 Texas schools, Texas A&I will host on of the UIL academic directors." Over the past few years, confer­ end at 3 pm with a one hour lunch October31 one of thefiveUIL Student Emil A. Mucchetti, professor of ences have grown substantially. "The / SuperConferences continued, page 4 Volume 77 • Number One * September, 1992 • ISSN 0897-4314 etmtera Dr. B. J. Stamps served Difficult to maintain positive image on Legislative Council Continued from page I Most of what the average fan or general 1. Develop a better understanding that if public hears about the UIL has to do with penalty you do not enforce rules, you have no rules. Par­ superintendent for career education in enforcement. Normally what they read is some­ ents, fans and other patrons need to understand 1972. one attacking the system — either the rule is a bad that if you make exceptions to rules the exception Stamps was named assistant superin­ rule or the executive committee that made the becomes the rule. tendent for instructional services in 1974- decision over-reacted and assessed a penalty that 2. Remove rules that are not reasonable- and became associate superintendent for was too stringent. the annual rules revision process through the learning in 1977 until he moved to First, let's talk about the bad rule. Virtually Legislative Council usually takes care of this. • Amarillo.. any rule that is enforced is going to look bad to 3. Developanunderstandingthatyoumust He was named by the State Board of whomever suffers the penalty. At the same time, have significant rules and penalties as a deterrent Education to serve on the Public School any rule that is not enforced is no longer a rule. to gaining an advantage or doing things that are being penalized, or it maybe that since the penalty Professional Personnel Advisory Com­ Next, let's talk about penal ties. Most research educational. has been reduced, the violations are more likely to mittee. He also served on the State Text­ indicates that the more stringent the penalties for 4. Better due process — allow people to be reported. I tend to think it may be a result of all book Committee, the Career Education violation of laws and rules, the greater the impact have their day in court and feel they have had of the above. Advisory Committee and the committee on reducing violations. In fact, it has been my ample input. Occasionally at the district execu­ Regardless what the reasons are that we have that supervised the overhaul of vocational observation that since the penalty structure has tive committee level parents are not invited to violations and penalties, the fact still remains that education programs in the state. been reduced within the UIL rules and regula­ make a presentation when there has been a "clear it is difficult to maintain a positive public image He was chairman of the public divi­ tions, we are having more violations. It is not fair cut" violation. Even if it is "clear cut", the parents about any organization that has rules and enforces sion of the 1980 United Way fund drive. to conclude from my observations that this is the should be allowed to express their feelings. rules. You can look at the NCAA and our own Survivors include his wife, Mary only reason we are having more violations.