Chapter VIII: Part III: The American Red Cross

Junior Membership and School Activities

THE JUNIOR RED CROSS

In September, 1917, President Wilson sent out a letter from the White House in Washington to the school children of the United States.

He told them that the President of the United States is the President of the American Red Cross, and he said that the Red Cross people wanted the children to help them in their work.

Their work, you know, is to help all those who are suffering or in need.

Such work is so beautiful that it is really doing golden deeds.

Now read for yourself this letter from the President of the United States which belongs to every school child in America.

A PROCLAMATION

_To the School Children of the United States_:

The President of the United States is also President of
the American Red Cross. It is from these offices joined
in one that I write you a word of greeting at this time
when so many of you are beginning the school year.

The American Red Cross has just prepared a Junior
Membership with School Activities in which every pupil
in the United States can find a chance to serve our
country. The School is the natural center of your life.
Through it you can best work in the great cause of
freedom to which we have all pledged ourselves.

Our Junior Red Cross will bring to you opportunities
of service to your community and to other communities
all over the world and guide your service with high
and religious ideals. It will teach you how to save
in order that suffering children elsewhere may have a
chance to live. It will teach you how to prepare some
of the supplies which wounded soldiers and homeless
families lack. It will send to you through the Red
Cross Bulletins the thrilling stories of relief and
rescue. And best of all, more perfectly than through
any of your other school lessons, you will learn by
doing those kind things under your teacher’s direction
to be future good citizens of this great country which
we all love.

And I commend to all school teachers in the country the
simple plan which the American Red Cross has worked out
to provide for your coöperation, knowing as I do that
school children will give their best service under the
direct guidance and instruction of their teachers. Is
not this perhaps the chance for which you have been
looking to give your time and efforts in some measure
to meet our national needs?

(Signed) WOODROW WILSON,
_President._

September 15, 1917.

How do you suppose the school children of the United
States felt when they read this letter from the
President?

It is a wonderful letter. It does not read like a
letter from a great man to little children.

It is different from most of the letters which grown
people write to children, for the President writes to
the children asking for their help, just as if they
were grown up.

Indeed, when the grown people read the letter they
wished that they could be school children again,
because there was no Junior Red Cross when they were
young, and they had to wait to grew up before they
could help the Red Cross do golden deeds.

You see, when they were young, everybody thought, “When
the children are grown up they will help us.” Then they
waited for them to grow.

Are you not glad that you are able, while a child, to
do helpful work for your country?

Now let us think about some of the golden deeds which
the Red Cross does.

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN TIMES OF PEACE

Of course, in times of war the Red Cross is very busy helping the soldiers, but do you think that it is idle in times of peace?

No, indeed. The Red Cross is always listening for a call of distress, and is ready to aid any people who are suffering.

One day in 1912 the Red Cross heard the people who lived along the banks of the Mississippi River calling for help, for the river had been so swollen by rains that it had risen high and overflowed its banks in a dangerous flood.

Do you know what happens during a flood?

Name all the different things you see on the little
island in this picture.

Why do you suppose the people are all staying there
instead of rowing off in the boats?

Because they are expecting the relief launch of the
Red Cross to come and take them to a safe place. The
water is flowing too swiftly for the little boats to
cross in safety. They would probably be carried against
a tree and upset.

Many houses have been carried down the river during
this flood, so you can understand how glad the people
will be to see help coming. In this next picture you
will see how the Red Cross answered the people’s cry
for help.

This picture shows a Carnegie Library which was used
by the Red Cross as a relief station during the
Mississippi flood.

The Red Cross spent thousands of dollars during this
flood, saving many lives and helping hundreds of flood
victims.

Can you name some of the things the people needed?

What do you suppose they think of the Red Cross?

Imagine that a great wind storm or cyclone should come
very suddenly whirling through your city, tearing
down houses, uprooting trees, and leaving thousands
of people homeless—who would be the first to help the
people who were hurt?

This is just an example of the way the Red Cross is
standing ready to help in time of need.

If you read the _Red Cross Magazine_ you will learn
about hundreds of golden deeds which the Red Cross is
doing, for the work of the Red Cross in times of peace
and at all times is to help people in distress and need.

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN TIMES OF WAR

The work of the Red Cross during war is

First. To care for and nurse the wounded among our own soldiers and sailors, and even the wounded of the enemy who fall into the hands of the Red Cross.

Of course, in order to do this, millions of people who are not doing the nursing can make the articles needed for that purpose. What can the Junior Red Cross do to help?

Second. To care for the families of the soldiers and sailors who have given their services to their country.

How can the Junior Red Cross help?

BEFORE THE DAYS OF THE RED CROSS

Do you suppose that people always felt that they should help everybody in such ways?

No; the Red Cross is not yet sixty years old.

War is thousands of years old.

In olden days when soldiers fought, there were no kind Red Cross nurses to care for the wounded. There were no faithful Red Cross dogs to search for wounded soldiers after the battle was over.

Often the suffering men died of neglect when proper nursing would have saved their lives. But no one ever thought of sending a band of women nurses to wars to help the soldiers, before the days of Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale

Florence was a little English girl who always said that when she grew up she would be a nurse.

She felt sorry to see any living creature suffer and always tried to help it. Sometimes it was a bird with a broken wing or an injured rabbit that she tended.

All the neighbors brought their sick pets to her. The little nurse finally had so many patients that her father gave her a corner of the greenhouse for a hospital. The animals learned to love her and she had many friends among them as you may imagine.

When she was a young woman nursing in a London hospital, England’s soldiers were sent to war with Russia’s soldiers. They had to travel in ships all the way to the Crimea in Russia. You see, they were a great distance from home.

News of their terrible sufferings reached Florence Nightingale in the hospital. Taking a band of nurses with her she went to nurse the wounded soldiers in that far off land.

When the nurses arrived there, they found thousands of sick and wounded men lying on the hospital floors with no one to help them. At once the brave nurses began to take care of the soldiers as kindly as your mother takes care of you when you are ill.

Do you wonder that many who would have died, lived and were grateful all their lives to he nurses?

Of course there were no gas or electric lights in the rough hospitals of those days, so that Miss Nightingale always carried a lighted lamp when she made her good-night rounds. The weary soldiers looked for the gleam of the lamp in the darkness and were made happy by her words of encouragement. That is how she came to be called “The Lady of the Lamp.”

The story of Florence Nightingale and her brave band spread far and near. It touched the hearts of people everywhere, and made them think about what could be done to relieve suffering even before the days of the Red Cross.

TELL A STORY ABOUT THIS PICTURE]

HOW THE RED CROSS CAME TO BE

Among those who heard the story of what Florence Nightingale and her brave nurses did for the soldiers, was Henri Du-nant, a kind-hearted Swiss gentleman.

He remembered it several years afterward when he was present at a terrible battle between the soldiers of Austria and those of France and Sardinia. He saw thousands of wounded soldiers dying almost without help.

In a book which he wrote about their sufferings, he asked the question, “Why could not the people of all countries make plans to care for the sick and wounded during wars?”

And from his question came the great Red Cross work in which we all have a part.

The Red Cross is more wonderful than any war, for it comes from the kindness in people’s thoughts.

We hope that long years from now there will be no war.

But we cannot expect to have wars cease until the _people_, and not the _kings_, of the great countries of the world make their own laws.

Henri Dunant and Florence Nightingale were like the children of to-day when they were little. They liked to play the same kinds of games that you do.

When Florence played nurse with her dolls she did not dream of the great good she would do for the whole world.

It may be that some of the boys and girls who are now reading this story will be like Henri Dunant and Florence Nightingale, and will grow up to do great and noble work for others.

QUESTIONS

I

What do you think of people who help other people in
trouble?

What do you think of people who do not help people who
are in need of help?

Do you realize that the work of the Red Cross is
entirely the helping of people who need help?

Did a good neighbor ever come to your house and help
your people in time of illness or trouble?

You would be glad to help other people in just some
such way, wouldn’t you?

Are you not glad that the Junior Red Cross gives you a
chance to pass such kindness along?

II

Mention some of the good deeds which you know the
Junior Red Cross has done.

Have you ever sold Red Cross Christmas seals? What does
the Red Cross do with the money made from the sale of
Christmas seals?

How old is the Junior Red Cross?

It is a pretty young baby to have accomplished so much,
isn’t it? But do you know how fast it has grown?

When you see a person wearing a Red Cross button, you
know many things about that person.

Here are a few of the things that are shown:

1. Kindness. 2. Helpfulness. 3. Love of one’s country.

Can you name others?

THIS LITTLE DOG’S MISTRESS SAYS THAT HE IS TOO YOUNG TO ENLIST NOW, BUT WHEN HE GROWS UP HE WANTS TO BE A RED CROSS ARMY DOG.]

HOW I CAN HELP THE RED CROSS

IN TIME OF WAR

AND IN TIME OF PEACE

1. By belonging to the Red Cross and trying to get others to belong.

2. By learning to save in order that suffering children elsewhere may have their share of food and clothing.

3. By helping to prepare some of the supplies that wounded soldiers and homeless families are in need of.

4. By reading stories of relief and rescue so that I can tell others about the Red Cross.

5. By learning to be a good citizen of my country even before I grow up.

The Junior Members of the Red Cross try to share their good things with those who do not have them.

The members of the American Red Cross have two flags.

This boy has two flags. Why?

Do you have two flags?

Do you wear a Red Cross button?

Has your school an American Red Cross School Auxiliary
banner?

Do you know that the American Red Cross serves the
government of the United States, and that the members
of the Red Cross are the best citizens of our country?

The Red Cross means being good neighbors—working
together.

THE LADY OF THE LAMP

A PLAY

Characters:

Florence Nightingale, the nurse
Frances, her sister
Flossie, her doll
Harry Miller, Doctor Make-believe
Old Roger, the shepherd
Captain, the hurt dog
Mr. Vicar, the minister
Soldiers, doctors, and other nurses