The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-20
JUNIOR RED CROSS PROVES OF
GREAT Benefit TO CHILDREN

when children give up buying long,
juicy, sour pickles of their own &C
cord and are proud to do it, you know I
results have been accomplished said |
Miss Frances Berry, chairman of the
Junior Red Cross, in summarizing the |
years work. II believe the Red Cross
has made far greater impression on
the children than people realize.
Although the Junior Red Cross has
been organized for some time, Miss
Berry stated that no definite working
program had been made out until last,l
February, when a series of campaigns
were arranged. These activities in
cluded seven general heads: Health,
thrift, conservation, community SER
vice, gardening, nature study, history
and development Of the Red Cross,
| and social service, each of which were
featured for two weeks.
Children Compose Board.
The board of directors was COM
posed of one representative from each
of the grade schools, and two from
Garfield and High school, but each
school worked out its own activities
as seemed best
In some schools each room organ
/ lied with president, vice-president,
secretary and treasurer, holding meet
| ings at stated times and carrying out
the work as club. Other schools
had "four-minute men" to present the
subjects, wrote articles, gave reports
of famous Red Cross workers, or
made posters and representative draw
ings.
The health campaign was the great
est and was continued throughout the
entire semester, although it was feat
ured only for the two weeks.
At Whitewater school the children
seemed to have a particular tendency
towards lunching on sour pickles. Be-
fore the campaign began, so per cent.
Of the children on the Fairgrounds
would be seen standing about with
twisting, contorted faces and eyes
watering while they tried to consume
huge pickles, and the whole grounds
fairly reeked with the strong acid.
Now pickle is almost a stranger in
the school,
Trained as to Habits.
In matters of health the children
were told not only what habits they
were to form, but why they should
form them, and means were taken to
show the practical results. In some
schools blackboard records were kept
each day of the number who had
brushed their teeth, and sometimes
the children would elect an inspector
for clean hands. One Warner school
enthusiast made poster showing a
tooth brush with the motto, Don't
be Stacker"
Right eating was especially insisted
upon. In one room at Whitewater the
children themselves would pass judg-
ment on each lunch, and then tell why
an apple or sandwich was good,
while pickles or candy or pie was bad.
This interest in proper food was so
general that even kindergarten chill
dren showed the influence. At Starr
school the smallest beginners proudly
would call their teachers attention to
the fact when they brought graham
crackers for lunch; and at Warner
school one little girl was heard to re-
mark with sad wisdom, MOL don't
bring cake for lunch any more. 1t
tastes good, but you mustn't eat it
just by itself"
Own Thrift Stamps.
The thrift and conservation cam.
paign applied especially to the thrift
and war savings stamps, and resulted
in $3.50 worth of stamps being
bought between January and April 10
making a total of more than $4,000
worth being owned by the Richmond
children.
Community service made an espe
cially strong appeal to the children oil
the lower grades, Miss Berry stated
This included cleaning up the school
grounds, making posters advocating
swat the fly" and making public
places in general as clean as possible
although the children were not urged
to pick up dirty papers since there
was such a possibility of them con
tracing diseases in that way.
The intense community spirit which
was developed in this campaign might
be shown in one "four-minute speech
which a third grade boy at Sevastopo
made to the kindergarten, when he be
4 came so enthusiastic in urging every
boy and girl to help make FairvieN
the most beautiful part of the city thai
: he earnestly pleaded, And if any Of
: you know somebody that's sick and
2 needs his house painted, just buy &
) can of paint yourself and paint as
much as you can for him" 1t might
! be added, however, that the body Of
o kindergarten housepainters failed tt
, materialiZe.
i Gardening Taken Up.
q Gardening was taken up under the
direction of the garden supervisor
z with interest also directed towards
: protection Of birds, through the Junior
= Red Cross nature study. Bird houses
!. bird books and posters were made il
y all the schools, and some rooms KEEP
!. lists of birds which the pupils hat
/. seen.
l. Writing letters to French orphan
r constituted a part of the social SCI
!. vice program. Hibberd school ais,
had sale of toy rabbits for the bene
9 fit of their French orphan fund Post
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