The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1919-05-05
HEALTH CRUSADE
BY SCHOOL CHILDREN OF U. S

New \ DIRK, May 5.-Wlth their lives
pledged to the pursuit of good health,
more than 100000 school children
throughout America have been enroll
ed in the Modern Health crusade,
disease-perVention movement which is
being developed in the public schools
o fthe country under the auspices of
the National tuberculosis association
and the Junior Red Cross, it was an
nounced today by Charles NJ. DeFor-
est, crusader executive, at the former
organizations headquarters here.
"There are now crusaders in every
state in the Union" Mr.. De Forest
said. "The health creed of the cru
SADIE has become a part of the school
program in thousands of schools, both
rural and urban. 1t has also caused
innovations in the curricula of paro-
chial and private schools"
Among the larger cities where the
moE ement has been adopted in all or
part of the elementary schools, he said
ave Baltimore, Birmingham, Cleve-
Land, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas
City, Minneapolis, Newark. New Or
lea MS, New York, Philadelphia, Provi-
dente, Portland (Ore,), Seattle and
Washington, D. c. While primarily
intended for elementary grades the
crusade has been taken up by num-
ber of high schools and in some states
the system is being taught also to
student teachers in normal schools.
Enlistment in the movement in
wolves something like passinb a physi-
cal examination, as the recruit must
for at least two weeks follow a daily
health program. The child who lives
up to rs per cent of the crusaders
health for two, five or ten and fifteen
weeks becomes successfully a page,
squire, knight and knight banneret in
health chivalry. In health tourna-
ments participated in by whole classes
and schools the crusaders go "a'joust-
ing for germs"
The health Chores, performance
of which each child is put on his honor
to record on a special card over his
own signature, are as follows:
i II washed my hands before each
meal today; l washed not only my
face but my ears and neck and clean
ed my finger nails today; l tried today
to keep fingers, pencils and everything
that might be unclean out of my
/ mouth and nose; | drank a glass of
water before each meal and before go
ing to bed and drank no tea, coffee or
other injurious drinks today; | brush
ed my teeth thoroughly in the morn
ing and in the evening today; | took
ten or more slow deep breaths of fresh
air today; | played outdoors or with
windows open more than thirty min
utes today; was in bed ten hours or
more last night and kept my windows
open; | tried today to sit up and stand
straight, to eat slowly, and to attend
to toilet and each need of my body at
its regular time; tried today to keep
neat and cheerful constantly and to
be helpful to others; | took a full
bath each day of the week that is
checked"
The success of the movement, ac-
cording to it's leaders. IS due to the
interest il health arouse in the chill
dren by Introducing the 'lSments Of
play and romance in the practice of
hygiene, and by definite program with
tangible rewards. So eagerly have
the children in certain sections of the
country taken to the daily "chore"
idea that toothbrush shortage is re-
ported in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin,
Iowa and Oklahoma.
The Health Crusade movement is not
confined to America alone; notwith-
standing the war, the idea has spread
to foreign countries and enlstments
have been reported from China, Ko
rea, Canada, Cuba and France, Mr.. De
Forest said.