The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-30
superintendent e. A. Welch Tells Just
What the Organization Plans
to Do and How
Organized.
PURPOSE IS THREEFOLD
Secures Assistance Of the Children
Teaches Patriotism, and Aids
Teachers to Teach
Thrift.
LBy F. A. WEIGH, Iowa Superintendent

by f. A. WEIGH, Iowa Superintendent
Junior Red Cross.1
Today schools in practically every
county IN our state and every state IN
our nation are either organized for
Junior Red Cross work or are organ
izing for these junior activities. Some
counties In our own state are already
fully organized. funds have been rails
ed 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 mem
bership, while still others are begin
ming to organize. The ambition Of the
organizers is to enroll every elemen-
tary and every school. public, private
and parochial. In the national patriot
&c movement. II this purpose Is &C
complished practically 22.O00,000 chill
dren Of our land will thus be affiliated
with the American Red Cross in its
noble work.
The question has SO often been ask
ed as to the nature and purpose of this
now much-talked organization, that it
has been deemed wise to publish for
the general public short article ex-
planatory OF the plans and purposes OF
the Junior Red Cross, or the Junior
Auxiliary. For this purpose this ar
t1cle is being prepared. and every
daily and weekly publication Of Iowa
is being asked to grant space tor its
publication.
The Junior Red Cross was organized
September 3. 1917, in the city OF Wash
ington, by the United States war de-
partment, and as an auxiliary to the
American Red Cross, already organ
lied under the same department. DR..
Henry McCracken. the national direct
or, is said to have been the author OF
the idea of enrolling the pupils Of our
schools in a patriotic and serviceable
movement Of such magnitude.
Purpose 10 ThreefoId.
The purpose OF the organization Is
threefoId: To secure the assistance
OF children and young people In shar-
| ing in the tremendous burdens the
! American Red Cross Is now bearing.
is the first and most pressing purpose.
BY the schools assisting In the local
work in doing the more simple oper-
atoms, the regular members Of the
chapters and branches can give their
time to the major operations OF pre-
pairing war material and Belgian re-
lief. The work done by the schools
is under the direction Of the chapter
or the branch. The second. and no
less important purpose Of the auxfl-
iary Is to provide means Of teaching,
through the schools. the lesson OF pat
riotism 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 pur-
pose is the opportunity the organiza-
ton will offer the teachers Of our
schools to teach thrift conservation.
Conservation of time, Of material, Of
food and of money are embodied in the
idea of the organization. incidentally
the spirit Of service and Of Patriotism
will be carried by the children into
their homes.
For the convenience Of organization
the United States is divided into thir-
teen districts. Each district has d.
ector in charge Of the work. Iowa be-
longs to the central division, compris-