The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-10
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. c.
KNIGHTS OF HEALTH.

than the old, for it is an organization
of school children and their crusade
! is in search of health.
When the knights of the middle
ages flourished, dirt and disease were
/ an accepted part of existence. The
! famous Order of the Bath originated
when a youth presented himself be-
/ fore the king for knighthood in so
odoriferously and disgustingly dirty
| state that the king suggested that, the
! meeting be adjourned while the young
| cavalier took an intensive scrub. The
| results of the unusual bath were so
| pleasing that cleanliness became more
| popular, tho it was never a hobby
with the old crusaders.
Now, all the delightfully."- mouthfill-
ing words of chivalry and the best
features of the crusades have been re-
vived as an irresistible means of in
teresting children in the gloomy bust
| ness of ear washing. going to bed
early, and abstaining from tea and
coffee
The, idea has worked. Eight mill
lion school children in different parts
of the United States have gone en-
| Enthusiastically in quest of health
| Some of them have been crusading for
two years, and the interest of the
young squires and knights is still at
high pitch
And this is really remarkable, when
you stop to consider how long your
remarks on health would be remem-
| bered if you were to get up before
| school and advise the children in plain
| language to "clean your teeth, be-
cause II you don't they will decay and
4 hurt you" This is what mothers and
| teachers have been saying all along
with varying success. But when
| cleaning teeth becomes part of the
work necessary for page to advance
| to the rank of squire. and when the
| boy across the aisle is piling up points
toward a knighthood by taking bath
every day, cleanliness becomes de-
sirable estate.
How 1t Started.
The story of the crusade was told
us the other night by the man who
started it, Charles DeForest, the cru
sader executive who is connected with
! the National tuberculosis association
Several years ago. Mr.. DeForest felt
| that his little son was leading too care
| free an existence, and that he should
! have some kind of work to do-eome-
| thing on the, order of the chores of his
own boyhood. AS no appropriate odd
jobs could be found, Mr.. DeForest
made out a chart and wrote on it
eleven health chores, such as Il played
but doors or with the windows open
more than thirty minutes today" and
| Il washed my hands before each meal
| today" At the end of the week the
/ points were added, and if the boy had
a satisfactory number, he was re-
J WaTQeQ Dy a small increase ONSE
regular allowance.
| When a plan was wanted for teach
! ing health to school children, MIR. De-
! Forest elaborated his little game and
decked it out with the trappings of
! chivalry.i After two weeks probation.
a child who got 81 points out of a pos
sible rs, by doing the health chores,
| became a crusader. In three weeks
more he was raised from the low rank
of page to that of squire. Then, in
five more weeks of healthiness-all te-i
| corded on his own chart and vouched
| for by his parents-the squire became
| a knight, and eventuallya knight ban
neret.
| Each year, Mr. DeForest has had to
add new features to meet the children's
demand for something new. The
knights pin, which is plated with a
very thin coat of gold, is different each
year. New ranks, too, are devised.
such as knight advanced order and
then Knight banneret advanced order,
which entities the holder to wear a bit
of scr%sHt or purple ribbon with the
badge.
The Round Table
! This year the newest feature Is a
round table. suggested by King Ar
thurs famous board. To win a seat
at the round table, a knight has to
| collect required number of points
| by athletics, correct posture and
/ u.
| 1t is all very real and important to the
children. The story of the old knights
| is taught In most schools, so that they
know enough of the dashing heroes of
the Middle Ages to be eager to initiate
| them.
Here in the District OF Columbia,
and in several states, the crusade has
been made part of the public school
curriculum, with each teacher in
charge of her grades progress.
one clever teacher wrote play in
which long spotted dragon, Disease,
tormented flock of dirty, sick-look-
! ing people, until the King Good
Health with his knights of the Tooth
brush. Bath, and other symbols of
cleanliness, came riding in to slay the
dragon and march off bearing his
ferocious head in triumph on a stick.
Schools that make good progress in
the health crusade enter their record
each year in a national tournament
| The Field of the Cloth of Gold-and
I the winning state is awarded the silver
banneret cup, until one state shall
win the three legs by three years of
record-breaking crusade work. Iowa
now has the cup. With these devices
and other incidental attractions, the
cooperation of the children and their
parents IS maintained
Here In the district, Vice President
Marshall and General Pershing have
awarded honors on different occasions.
Baker, the son of the secretary of war.
when he won the right to enter the
advanced order. And the Prince of
Wales bought the first Red Cross
| Christmas seals from a little health
crusader during his visit here last
fall.
Something new is always being
done to keep the fire of the cFiIdren's
| interest burning steadily. The re-
suits show that instead of a flare of
enthusiasm and clean teeth and faces.
followed by a slump into CRIME and
untidiness. the project spreads and is
taking on look of permanence.
Chinese Crusaders.
In China. few schools are strug-
Cling against considerable odds to Join
the health crusade. The number of
children organized Is insignificant in
a country of 400. 600, 900 people, many
of them starvation poor. But it is
regarded as an encouraging start, for