TEENS WOULD LIKE PRAYER TO BE PART OF HIGH SCHOOL

As many as 40 Cape Girardeau Central High School students met before classes Wednesday to pray for the school and those in it.

Janie Propst, a CHS senior and organizer of a religious club which meets at the school, explained that Wednesday was a national day of school prayer called "See You at the Pole."

Students across the country were scheduled to meet at the schools' flag poles.

At CHS, students met in two groups. About 25 students, mostly members of the religious club called Truth, met at the corner of Themis and Caruthers.

Another group of about 15 students from Bethel Assembly of God Church met around the marquees in front of the school building.

The two groups apparently did not know in advance of each other's prayer service.

"We read a passage from the Bible about spiritual warfare and putting on the armor of God," Propst said. "But it was really a prayer session. And we talked a little bit about going into school and setting a Christian example."

The group from Bethel Assembly of God Church was also meeting as part of the "See You at the Pole" event, said youth minister Phillip Roop.

"The second week of school is National Back to School Prayer Week," Roop said. "We asked the kids to meet and pray for the school, the administration, the faculty, the students. We prayed that God would bless the school."

Roop said he did not ask permission to meet on school property. After the ceremony, CHS Assistant Principal Weldon Hager asked if anyone had cleared the meeting with the school board.

"We have a policy that this should not take place," Hager said.

The district policy, developed last year, allows limited access to public school buildings for religious and other non-school meetings. The policy was prompted by federal court rulings.

The policy states, in part, "No students who wish to conduct a meeting within the limited open forum of the district shall be denied equal access or a fair opportunity to conduct such meeting, nor shall such students be discriminated against on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of the speech at such meetings."

Non-school meetings, however, must be student initiated and non-school persons may not "direct, conduct, control, or regularly attend meetings." Also advance arrangements for the meetings must be made.

CHS Principal Dan Milligan said, "According to our policy, adopted last year, we would make our facilities available to religious groups, but there are some stipulations."

Propst said some of the students who met Wednesday liked holding a prayer service before school. She said plans are to hold such a service each Wednesday, in addition to meetings of the Truth club.

Sara Raymond, also a CHS senior, helped form the club last year. It meets in a classroom on campus. As many as 65 people have attended the club's Friday afternoon meetings, she said.

"We wanted something at school to bring everyone together from all the different church youth groups," Raymond said. "And it's nice to know there are other Christians around you at school."

Club members primarily studied Bible passages, she said. Occasionally an area youth minister would speak to the group, but the school district policy prohibits someone other than a student from running the organization.

"Sometimes we had mega prayer sessions," Raymond said.

Propst said, "Last year, the group went over real well. We had a lot of seniors in leadership positions last year, so we are trying to regroup this year. We are planning to have our first meeting next Friday."