Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-04-01
Schools in Practically Every County
in the State arc Organizing for
Junior Red Cross
Work.
REV. kEONIG ON COMMITTEE.
Organization has Three Purposes in
View and is to be Permanent
Organization.


county of the state and every state
in the nation are either organized
for Junior Red Cross work or are
organizing for these junior activi-
ties. Some counties in Iowa are al
ready fully organized, funds have
been raised and work is being done
to assist local chapters or branches
of the American Red Cross. Some
counties are now in the big drive"
for membership, while still others
are beginning to organize. The am
bition of the organizers is to enroll
every elementary school, public,
private and parochial, in the national
patriotic movement. If this purpose
is accomplished, practically 22,GO0,-
900 children of the land will thus be
affiliated with the American Red
Cross in its noble work.
The Junior Red Cross was organ
lied September 3, 1917, in the city of
Washington, by the United States
War Department, and as an auxiliary
to the American Red Cross, already
organized under the same depart
ment. Dr.. Henry McCracken, the ma
tional director, is said to have been
the author of the idea of enrolling
the pupils of the schools in a patri-
otto and servicable movement of such
magnitude.
Has Three Purposes.
The purpose of the organization
is threefold. To secure the assis-
tance of children and young people
in sharing in the tremendous burd-
ems the American Red Cross is now
bearing, is the first and most press
ing purpose. By the schools assist
ing in the local work in doing the
more simple operations, the regular
members of the chapters and
branches can give their time to the
major operations of preparing war
material and Belgian relief. The work
done by the schools is under the d.
rection of the chapter or the branch.
The second, and no less important
purpose of the auxiliary is to provide
means of teaching, through the
schools, the lesson of patriotism and
citizenship in the most practical way.
Through community and national
service, the schools thus become
laboratories for shaping right ideals
of citizenship. The third purpose is
the opportunity the organization will
offer the teachers of the schools tol
teach thrift and conservation. Con-
servation of time, of material, OF
food and of money are embodied in
the idea of the organization. Incl
dentally, the spirit of service and OF
patriotism will be carried by the
children into their homes.
Rev. kOenig on Committee.
For the convenience of orsaniza-
ton, the United States is divided in
to thirteen districts. Each district
has a director in charge of the work.
Iowa belongs to the central division,
comprising the five states of Michi-
gan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and
Nebraska. DR.. Ed G. Cooley, form
err well-known Iowa educator, is d.
rector of the central division, with
headquarters in Chicago. Each state
in this division has superintendent
in charge of the organization work,
who is assisted in the general plan
by an advisory council Of about nine
members, appointed by the governor.
The state superintendent of public in
struction is chairman OF the advisory
council. The advisory committee ap-
pointed for this state by Governor W.
L. Harding is as follows: Il
A. NJ. Deyoe, state superintendent
public instruction.
John r. Stacks, county superin-
tendent, CEDAR RAPIDS.
]. J. Mcconnell, superintendent of
schools, Cedar Rapids.
Pres. H. H. Seerley. Iowa State
Teachers college, Cedar Falls.
Archbishop J. J. Keane, Dubuque.
Bishop Austin Bowling, Des
Moines.
Rev. Henry A. Koenig, Webster
City.
Rev. H. Brueckner, Jr., Iowa City.
How Work is Carried On.
The work of organization is car
r;ed on in the various counties
through chapter school committees,
consisting of three or more members
appointed by the chairman OF the
American Red Cross Chapter. |
Branches play also appoint branch
schcol committees for tie same pun
nose if reuut sted by tlleir chapter. |