Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1921-11-24
Belt Kids Being
Taught Pleasant
Ways to Health

With government, state and county
officials of health departments Red
Cross nurses and m occasional volun-
teer hospital nurse, the local health
clinic committee and the supplemental
work of the teachers, the children OF
the Belt schools appear to be well
armed against the invasion OF disease
that Is, II instruction, example and
Fpessuxsi0a brings forth the desired eff
feet. The nutrition cissses are held
twice 4 month, the health clinic once q
month and various other schemes for
arousing interest in proper habits is
continuous. Ms it were. The lxteat is
the pledge TO perform specified health
chores" For the next 20 weeks the
children win make reports of their ef-
forts to their teachers. At the end
of that time all children who have per-
formed ~ chores or more each week
will be promoted to the rank OF
knight banneret." which title, in the
parlsnce of the modern health crusade
is the highest to which any pupil can
attain.
The first two weeks of faithful per
Torrance of the required number of
chores is sufficient merit TO promote
the pupil to the rank of page the
end of the fifth week sees his designa-
ton as a Squire" and at the end of
the tenth week he becomes a Knight"
Buttons are awarded the young "cru-
saders" at the end of each of these IN
tervals, to denote the rank they have
attained.
The health chores include the tasks
promoting cleanliness and regularity
of habits, and have for their object
the cultivation in the child Of q regard
for his own physical well being. Some
rooms in the local schools have estsb-
lished a few rules for themselves, and
in at least one room, If the cleanliness
chores are not attended TO voluntarily
by the pupils, q room captain and a
nurse, chosen from the boys and girls
of the room, make the fact known to
all their school mates following q reg
ular morning inspection.
The Montana Association for the
Study and Prevention Of tuberculosis
is in charge of the crusade work in
for its conduct.
The boys and girls in the nutrition
classes r making good progress to-
ward the average zone of weight for
healthy children. Sixty-six per cent
of them made an average gain of liz
pounds. OF the other 33 per cent half
of them had been Ill during the two
weeks between classes.
The nutrition class work is one of
the most important phases of work
which any school can carry on. There
are six such classes in this county,
which meet every two weeks, with an
membership Of 106. These
boys and girls are all more than Z per
cent under weight. and are trying TO
make gains to come up to what their
weight should be.
At each class meeting some speci-
fic instruction is given in nutrition
and in addition each individual Ease is
discussed and diagnosed and a remedy
Among the causes of the
hack of gain, sickness holds the first
place on the list, causing 80 per cent Of
the non-gains. These children are
more susceptible to diseases because
they have not sufficient reserve en-
energy to take care Of the germs that
enter the body. Other causes are lack
of sleep, drinking tea and coffee and
eating candy.
The highest gain made by any one
child during the last two weeks was
four pounds. The average gain of the
boys and girls Of these classes was ~
pounds. The average gain Of the up
to-weight children of the same age
would be 2h pounds per three months.
1t will thus be seen that these boys
and girls are making good progress
toward the correct weight zone.
Our modern educational system is a
most comprehensive. fearful and won-
derful thing.