The Holly chieftain., 1923-11-15
JUNIOR REQ CROSS
DROADEMs SCOPE
OF SCHOOL WORK
School Children Of America Establish
Correspondents With Schools in
Other Countries.

Otner countries.
An opportunity to greatly broaden
and enlarge the scope Of work Of the
school children Of America which was
opened by the action of the last annual
convention of the National Educational
Association in San Francisco, is being
developed by the Junior Red Cross of
America. A resolution endorsing in
very positive terms the international
school correspondence of the Junior
American Red Cross and urging
schools in this country to develop this
correspondence as far as and as thor
oughly, as possible. was passed by the
Association, and educators Of America
now are cooperating in the work.
A number of schools In America on
their own initiative already have or
ganized chapters of the Junior Red
Cross and established correspondence
with schools in Albania, Austria, Bel
gum, Bulgaria, CzechOslovakia.
France. Holland. Hungary, Italy,
Jugo-Slavia, Poland. Rumanla. Scot
land, Switzerland, South Africa and
New Zealand. In some cases. they are
getting most interesting replies. In a
few instances such AS Alaska. Hawaii.
the Philippines, Porto Rico and the
Virgin Islands. all of which are Ameri-
can dependencies, there is an exchange
OF correspondence material which rs
very helpful in working up the letters
going to the foreign children.
This work, SO far. has been carried
on chiefly In the primary and ihterIne-
diate grades of the public. parochinl
and private schools where Junior Red
Cross chapters have been organized.
but all grades may participate in the
preparation of the material. according
to the instructions sent out by the
Junior Red Cross Service in Washing
ton. and they include class letters. H.
lustrated or not. snapshots and post
cards: maps, drawings, photographs.
descriptions Of interiors OF homes and
schools. types of dress. games indus
tries and industrial processes cutouts,
hand work--in fact. almost anything
that one set of children is interested
In. because 1t is regarded as a certainty
that If children of one nation find
something Interesting. children of an
other nation, because they are chill
dren, will be interested in that same
thing.
Portfolios are good part OF the
correspondence and such portfolios
give motive for study and description
of America and American life on the
part of the senders while they stimu-
late the recipients to n like interest
In the affairs and happenings in their
own country. The benefit thereof Is
manifold. Children who hate geog-
raphy find their interest in this dry
study awakened by wanting to know
just where their letters are going. His
tory. also distasteful to many is made
a pleasant pastime for the same rea-
son. and languages become absorbinyly
interesting because the American chill
dren want to know something about
the difference in the words which they
use and those which their correspond
ents across the sea use to mean the
same thing.
Internationally, all this is of high
value. in the opinion of American edu-
Gators. internationally. il is of still
greater value. in the opinion of those
who are promoting the undertaking.
because It definitely promotes interna-
tionai understanding and friendship
and leads. therefore into International
peace. To the school. the teacher and
the community. ii presents new line
OF endeavor and new opportunity for
broadening the viewpoint. On the
Whole, educators az over the country
believe that IT is the longest step for
ward for international understanding
which has been taken in many years.