The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-11-18
RED CROSS IN THIS STATE

should We support the Red Cross when
there Is so much to be done at home? ?"
In answer TO these questions, it might
De well 10 tell what the Red Gross
has done in South Dakota since the
adoption of its peace time program.
Local chapters of the Red Cross
nave established twenty loan closes
IN South Dakota which are equipped
Tor emergency relief. These loan
closets consist of a supply of hot wa
ter bags, bed pans, first aid materials,
an inyalid's chair, stretchers, sheets,
blankets, pillows, pajamas and other
sick room and emergency supplies, SO
that when a disaster or epidemic does
occur, the necessary supplies are al
ways available. The local chapters
outfit and maintain these loan closets.
Through the Red Cross, the local
chapters in South Dakota have en-
ployed twelve public health nurses.
Ten of these nurses are entirely f.
nanced by the Red Cross and two are
affiliated services. The duties Of these
nurses include making health survey
of all children of school age, estab-
fishing health clinics, %instructing the
mothers in prenatal care, the correct
food for the growing child, and other
infant welfare advice, beside nursing,
organizing and conducting classes in
first aid, home hygiene and care of
the sick. Due to the lack of public
health nurses, there are many chap
ters who wish nurses that have been
unable to secure them.
Because of this shortage of public
health nurses and the great need of
them, national Red Cross h~eadQuar-
ters has appropriated 5 2 $500 to pay
the salary Of an instructor for the
course in public health nursing, which
is being given at the University of
South Dakota at Vermillion. As the
cost of the course is $1,000 a year,
local Red Cross chapters through the
state have donated $4,000.
The course is under the supervision
of Miss Hughes and, though still in
it's infancy, is achieving splendid re-
suits. Many chapters are Offering
scholarships for this course. South
Dakota registered nurses, who would
not have entered public health work
if they had had to go to Minnesota or
some other state university outside
of South Dakota to take this train
ing, are entering at Vermillion.
over 1900 women in the state, feel
ing their lack of knowledge in caring
for sick members of their families, en-
rolled in Red Cross classes in home
hygiene and care Of the sick during
the past year. One thousand three
hundred siXty-two women received Ger
t~ifcates. There were twelve classes
in first aid, and go students COM
pleted the curse. Six counties in
South Dakota have established regu-
lar courses in home hygiene and care
of the sick in their high schools, and
at normal school in Aberdeen the
teachers in training are compelled to
take this course.
with the cessation of production
activities, many of the chapters turned
their workrooms into rest rooms, max
ing them a light, airy, well furnished
room where people can go to rest and
clean up after long drives to town.
These rest rooms are maintained by
the local chapters.
All chapters in South Dakota are
extending information service to eX-
service men. This service includes
help with compensation papers, con
version and reinstatement of insur-
ance, vocational training, federal aid
and all other governmental matter.
5000 cases have been handled by the
Red Cross for e~X-service men within
the past year. Six of the North Da-
kota county chapters employ trained
executive secretaries who take care
Of this work.
At the McKennan hospital in Sioux
Falls where there are 25 ex-service
men. who are medical and surgical
patients. the Red Cross has employed
Miss Margaret Sharp as Red Cross
worker. In addition to furnishing re-
creation for the patients, Miss Sharp
takes care Of all matters pertaining
to governmental aid.
The Red Cross, through the civilian
relief department, has been Of great
assistance in helping the disadvan-
tagged families to get back on their
feet. after being overtaken by sudden
disaster. This work of the home ser
vice department cannot be masured
in value alone, and has
proven II be of incstimable value to
the community as well as to those
more particularly concerned.
When you, Mr.. and Mrs. American
citizen, consider that one out Of every
five children born dies before reach
ing the age of one, and that the child
might have been saved had the
mother been properly instructed in its
49,. IN aA-t &c Tho