The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-10
Modern Health Crusade
Three Million School Children
Enlisted in Movement

| New York, May 5.-W1th their lives
pledged to the pursuit of good health,
more than 100000 school children
throughout America have been en-
rolled in the Modern Health Crusade,
a disease prevention movement which
is being developed in the public
schools of the country under the aus
pices of the National Tuberculosis As
sociation and the Junior Red Cross.
it was announced today by Charles
NJ. DeForest, crusader executive at
the former organizations headquar-
ters here.
There are now crusaders in every
State in the union,' Mr.. DeForest
said .'The health creed Of the cru
SADIE has become a part Of the school
program in thousands of schools, both
rural and urban. It has also caused
innovations in the curricula of paro-
chial and private schools"
Among the larger cities where the
movement has been adopted in all OF
part of the elementary schools, he
said. ARE Baltimore, Birmingham
Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kan
sas City, Minneapolis, Newark. New
Orleans, New York, Philadelphia.
Providence. Portland (Ore), Seattle
and Washington, D. C. While primar-
| lily intended for elementary grades the
crusade has been taken up by q num-
Der Of high schools and in some
State the system is being taught also
/ to student teachers in normal schools
Enlistment in the movement IN
wolves something like passing ply
sical examination, as the recruit mus
! for at least two weeks follow Il dali!
Ihealth program. The child who lives
up to % per cent of the crusader s
health rules for two, five. ten and
fifteen weeks becomes successfully
page, squire. knight and knight BAN
neret in health chivairy In health
tournaments participated in by whole
classes and schools the crusaders so
"a jousting for germs
The health chores performance
of which each child is put on his hon.
or to record on special card over his
own signature, arc as follows:
i washed my hands before each
meal today: I washed not only my face
|
my finger nails today; | tried today tc
keep fingers. pencils and everything
| that might be unclcan out of my
mouth and nose: 7 drank glass Of
water before each meal and before
going to bed, and drank no tea, coffee
or other injurious drinks today: ]
brushed my teeth thoroughly in the
! morning and in the evening today; !
| took ten or more slow deep breaths of
fresh air today: I played outdoors. or
with windows open. more than thirty
minutes today; was in bed ten hours
or more last night and kept my win
dows open; tried today to sit up and
stand up 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 con-
stantly and to be helpful to others: l
took I; full bath on each day Of the
week that is checked
The success of the movement. ac
cording tc rs leaders. is due to the in
terest health aroused in the chill
dren ~ introducing the clements of
! n1ay 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.
Growth of the movement is indicat
ed by membership figures from States
leading in the crusade movement, as
! follows: Texas, 100000: Minnesota.
go. 900: Iowa 100000; Oklahoma.
175.o00: Oregon. $1,000: Idaho, "a.
557: Utah. $4,000: Kansas. 100000;
Arkansas $4,000: Alabama. $4,000:
Wisconsin,. $4,000; Pennsylvania.
$50, 900: Maryland $1,000: South
ICarolina. 27.GOG: District Of Columbia.
$1,000: Rhode Island. $4,000: and
New Hampshire. 5000.
The Health Crusade Movement is
not confined to America alone: not
withstanding the war the idea has
spread 20 foreign countries and enlist
ments have been reported from China.
] Corea Canada Cuba and France, Mn
! De Forest said.