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145National Federation of State High School AssociationsPart VII: National Federation of State High School Associations Indiana was admitted in 1924. The National Federation was organized in 1920 and now consists of 50 member state high school associations. Canadian Federation and 9 Canadian provinces are presently affi liated.These associations have united to secure the benefi ts of cooperative action which eliminates unnecessary duplication of work and which increases effi ciency through the pooling and coordinating of eff orts of all who are engaged in high school athletic activities.The legislative body is the National Council made up of one representative from each member state association. Such representative must be an offi cer or a member of his/her state board of control. The executive body is the Executive Committee of eight members elected by the National Council from the membership of the Boards of Control, Commissioners and Executive Secretaries of member state associations from eight territorial sections as outlined in the constitution. Terms are staggered and for three years.The growth in size and infl uence of the state high school associations and their National Federation insures some degree of teamwork on the part of 22,000 high schools and this teamwork has enabled them to formulate policies and plans for improving high school athletic conditions and to make these plans function. The National Federation probably represents the largest closely knit organized body of athletes in the world. The opportunities for contributing to the welfare of the high school athletic program are unlimited.The Federation was organized primarily to secure proper adherence to the eligibility rules of the various state associations in interstate contests and meets. As the prestige of the national organization grew, a program for the sanctioning of interstate meets was developed. This later led to defi nite action relative to national and sectional athletic events. At the present time, no national athletic meet or tournament is sanctioned. Meets or tournaments, which involve the schools of more than one state, are sanctioned in accordance with defi nite limitations in connection with the distance to be traveled, the type of sponsor, the amount of school time involved, and extent to which such events interfere with smaller meets which insure participation by greater numbers of those who need the training. The scope of the National Federation work has broadened so that all high school athletic and many non-athletic groups profi t through an exchange of experiences and a pooling of interests.The activities of the National Federation are based on the belief strong state and national high school athletic organizations are necessary to protect the athletic interests of the high schools, to promote an ever increasing growth of a type of interscholastic athletics which is educational in both objective and method and which can be justifi ed as an integral part of the high school curriculum, and to protect high school students from exploitation for purposes having no educational implications. To accomplish these things, it is necessary for educators to exercise teamwork on a nationwide scale.