The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-05
VERMONT RED CROSS
IN THE WAR
The Junior Red Cross by Harry S
Howard of Burlington


Howard of Burlington
A desire to interest children in the
Red Cross came to Pres. McCracken
of Vassar college and he suggested a
plan thai would not interfere with
the regular membership and yet get
Red Gross instruction into schools
and thus teach pupils to be patriotic
and helpful to their country in time
of war. His plan was adopted and
authorized by the Red Cross War
Council and consists mainly in having
schools that apply become Red Cross
School Auxiliaries.
First, school or grade in a school
applies through its principal or
Branch to become appointed an Aux
iliary. A blank containing ques-
tions as to how many pupils there are
and name and address of the school,
and how much money they can raise,
as it is necessary to have 25 cents per
pupil or its equivalent, like material
to work with, before an appointment
can be made. Each child of the
school is supposed to pay 25 cents
each year IL dues and thus become
Junior Ped Cross member, but if
donations are made to cover the
amount required, all the schools pu-
pills become Junior members and are
entitled TO wear the regular Red
Cross membership button furnished
them by the division or chapter to
which the auxiliary belongs. On re-
ceipt of the schools application and
points a school committee of Red
Cross adult members and teachers to
take charge of the Junior work, by
helping the teacher, by getting the
material to be made into Red Cross
supplies for our soldiers and sailors
and by getting from the American
Red Cross all information necessary
for the instluction'and interest of the
children. Then the branch also ap-
points a treasurer of the school fund
whose duties are to receive the dues
and no school becomes AIRED Cross
Auxiliary until enough money is
raised, OF its equivalent guaranteed,
to equal the total amount necessary
for the entire school or an entire
grade. This insures enough funds
to begin the work, which consists in
using a portion of each day in school
ties allow for teaching the pupils all
about the Red Gross, it's object and
history-and the needs of our army
and navy-by having them make such
articles as children can, like the
simplest hospital supplies, comforts
and picture books and games for the
wounded men.
The following is a list of such
useful articles chat are much needed
at the front and are prescribed by
the American Red Cross, and as fast
as supply is finished it should be
turned over to the supply commit
itee of the branch to which the school
auxiliary belongs. Several hundred
pairs of splint straps made of web
bing and weight bags made of cot
ton in two sizes, in.x7 in. and
5in.x8in. There is a great demand
for these articles by the surgeons at
the front. The weight bags are filled
with shot or sand after they arrive
in France and are used with the
supply of dressings. 1t is sug-
gested thai school auxiliaries prepare
some of the following articles fol
which patterns are now issued pa
ljamas, hospital bed shirts, bath
robes and convalescent robes, BED
jackets, bed socks, undershirts, un-
derdrawers, bandaged foot socks, op-
Grating leggings, operating masks
ice-bag covers; hospital linen anc
other supplies for which no patterns
are issued like sheets, pillow slips
plain towels, bath towels, wash
cloths, handkerchiefs, comfort pill
lows, bright colored bags for the mer
to use in the hospitals for their small
personal belongings; mattress covers
need not be supplied for American
\ hospitals but should be. for French
hospitals. They should be made o.
ticking with French seams; bee
spreads, also old linen, any size, il
good condition, is wanted. Children
like to knit mufflers and squares 8 in
in size to be made into afghans fol
hospital beds.
"a drive for Junior Red Cros!
, 4 Work with the slogan AN Auxiliar!
in Every School" was held through
j., out the country between the birth
days of the great American patriots
Lincoln and Washington, Februar.
, II to p, with the object not of rails
ing money but of inculcating in tn,
minds of school children a true pa
triotisn through self sacrifice for tn
L. Z Il e