junior membership and school activities

red cross pin

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.

[210]

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 co?peration, 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.

[211]

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.