Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09
Majority Of Bands
Self-Supporting.

WA Va SAAA9' ~ members, Duh
this number varies. Frequently a public
school numbering fifty or sixty scholars
will all be enrolled in one band. In
communities where the movement is not
yet we'll Established there may be several
schools represented in a band numbering
less than twenty. The officers are elected
annually and the president wears a spe-
cial gold-finished badge furnished by the
American Humane Society. This society
also helps the bands to secure their men,
bership badges and literature when nee
essary. The majority of the bands in
the American public schools are not
only self-supporting, but frequently raise
money to contribute toward some HUI
name movement in their locality.
For instance. the school children of
Kansas City. through their Bands of
Mercy. gave Christmas dinner Of oats
to more than thousand horses who
have blanket fund to purchase horse
blankets for drivers who are too poor to
provide them for their own horses.
This year the Bands of Mercy in the
public schools Of Mason City, Iowa, are
writing prize essays upon humane sub
jects. In the lower grades such titles
as The Kind of Home Cat Prefers
and How Children May be Kind to
Birds" are given. In the higher grades
practical observation is stimulated by
such subject as The Transportation
and Treatment of Cattle on the Railroads
in the United States" AS the spring
approaches the Bands Of Mercy will give
attention to this study and protection of
wild birds. During the winter in many
places food has been provided for them
by careful little hands. Building. ma
terials for the nest will now be proffered
by the same hands.
In Milwaukee the boys Of the manual
training classes. most of whom are men,
bers of the Band of Mercy, will aid the
work by making attractive bird houses,
which will be placed in suitable localities
under the direction of the different bands
The board of education Of Milwaukee
has supplied large number of artistic
designs of houses meeting the require
ments of bird tenants. These are in
colonial, mission and various other styles,
SO that In building the bird houses the
students are also acquiring some ideas
of practical architecture.
The practical value Of the Band OF
Mercy work lies in the fact that children
trained to know
Teaching of Mercy an animals re,
Has Practical Value. needs will be
better able TO care for them in the future.
All animals which are well kept and
properly cared for have higher COM
merclal value than those which are ne
elected and allowed to suffer. The men
i'm charge of the cattle cars will take
more care to see that the stock does not
suffer from thirst or bad ventilation in
the long journey across the continent il
they have had Band of Mercy training.
1t has been proved that the docking OF
horses and dogs tails tt nds to lower the
physical condition of the animal as well
as to detract from its natural appearance.
The fashionable belle who has belonged
to a Band of Mercy will neither require
nor permit her animals to be 50 manned.
The Band OF Mercy works also with the
Audubon Society for the Protection of
Birds and actively opposes the use of
millinery that causes the slaughter OF
birds for plumage.
A striking example of the influence of
the Band of Mercy upon a little newsboy
was given in Chicago recently Far out
on the ledge OF a roof of high building
chung q trembling little kitten with an
injured paw. How it had gotten there
no one knew, hut it seemed unable to
make its way down and chung to the
edge Of the roof, crying piteously. A
crowd began to gather, when suddenly