The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-09-19
! COMMENT ON WORLD
! EVENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In summers past, Copenhagen's resi-
dents enjoyed watching thousands Of
visiting country children gazing in
rapture at points of interest as they
were being expertly guided through
the city's streets, while Danish farm
ers chuckled over the inept attempts
at milking made by children reared
in the capital.
This interchange, during summer
vacations, of city and country children
has done much to further the demo-
cratic ideals of Denmark and to
broaden the vision of the children Of
the nation.
Whether these children of Denmark
will continue their carefree happy
holidays depends entirely on the eff
feet of the present Nazi invasion on
that peaceful little country.
The origin of what is now known
by the unwidely name Of the Copen-
hagen Communal Teachers Society's
Holiday Colonies started in the cholera
year of 1853, when humane and hos
pitable farmers all over the country
invited poor city children to vacation
with them. Since then the idea has
grown to such proportions that until
today vacation time has meant mi
grafton of school children from city
to country and from country to city.
Teachers of Denmark both sponsor
ed and supervised the plan. Contri-
buttons were gathered through the
Copenhagen press. The State Rail
ways gave transportation, for which
the city paid 1919; private railways
and steamship companies granted
large reductions in fare.
The Society for Provincial Child
ren's Holidays in Copenhagen has
been able to send approximately
$4,000 country children to Copenhagen
each summer at almost no cost to the
children. School dormitories, other
wise closed for the summer, were
made available, and although the trips
were short-from three days to a
week-the itinerary was so carefully
planned that the more important edu-
cational institutions were visited.
About half of Copenhagen's $4,000
school children spent several weeks of
their vacation in the country either
at holiday colonies or at private
farms. And if their outfit was not
all that could be desired for sturdy
country living, the Children's Bureau
gave helping hand.
X X X
Year after year the teachers or
ganizations expanded their holiday
colonies until there were special col
onies for a large number of weakly
children. In various parts of the
country where the colonies were stu
ated, local people displayed warm
hearted sympathy through gifts to the
commissariat, and local doctors gave
freely of their professional services.
The holiday places have usually been
at the seaside, and each group was
in charge of two teachers.
After three weeks of fun and frolic
the child was returned home, but rec
ords kept of increase of weight dur
ing the holiday acted as a guide for
the school doctor. The questions Of
nutrition and hygienic care were con-
sidered just as important in the Danish
school as was the instruction, and it
is in this regard that the holiday col
onies made one OF their great contri-
buttons.
Holiday Homes" among the farm
ers Of the country has become an in
stitution in Denmark. This, too, was
organized by the teachers. Often a
child returned to the same farm year
after year, and was followed by a
younger sister or brother.