15 Hub Colleges Found Competing Body to NSA

Regional National Student Association forces suffered a major setback Saturday when 15 local colleges, meeting at Babson Institute in Wellesley, approved, over NSA opposition, a greater Boston Student Council Governments conference.

Frederic D. Houghteling 50, the only representative of the Harvard Student Council at the meeting, voted against he group's constitution. Radcliffe's Student Government delegates cast their votes of it.

Local NSA officals, who attended the meeting as representatives of their student councils, interrupted the chief debate--over the new group's constitution--several times. They claimed that the document should have been discussed section by section, and that one article--which placed first because it suggested alternative methods of financing and required a vote of the delegates--should not lead the agenda.

Houghteling Blasts Logrolling

Both objections were overruled, and Houghteling, who is regional vice-chairman of NSA, announced at the end of the one hour and ton minute debate, "I shall have to report to my Student Council that a five page document (the constitution) was pushed through almost without discussion. I do not think they will prove of it."

Final vote was 24 delegates for the constitution, four against, and nine abstaining.

Double-Barrelled Opposition

NSA leaders have opposed the group in the groups that the rival intercollegiate organization may 1.) block NSA's efforts to coordinate all colleges around Boston in the national program of projects and 2.) may serve to spread "anti NSA propaganda," because some local schools were not Association members.

Of the 24 colleges at Babson, the majority were, however, loyal NSA members. Only Babson Institute and Northeastern University voted against membership in the Association.

Boston College, which sent delegates to an earlier meeting, is currently trying to break its NSA membership ties.