APPENDIX A

ORGANIZATION OF THE GIRLS’ HEALTH LEAGUE CLASSES

I. Preliminary Meeting

The mothers and teachers should be invited and urged to attend the meeting for the organization of a class. The success of this movement for the health of our girls and for the saving of our babies depends largely upon the interest and coöperation of the mothers and teachers.

The organizer should preside, and the school physician should be asked to explain the object of the league.

At this preliminary meeting membership cards should be distributed to those desiring to join the class. These are not to be signed until the girls have taken them home and secured the signatures of their parents or guardians. While everything possible should be done to make the club proposition attractive, no girl should be urged to join against her will. An unwilling member is not a good member.

In order to secure careful personal supervision and free discussion, a class of not more than twelve is desirable, but as many as twenty-four may be directed by an experienced teacher.

The form of membership card is given below:

Girls’ Health League

Under the Auspices of the

Public Health Department of the

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS

I desire to become a member of the Girls’ Health League, _______________________________________________________ and promise to do my part towards making others well and happy.

Name

__________________________________________

Address

_______________________________________

Date

__________________________

Approval of Parent or Guardian

________________

Attendance at lectures

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

(Check each lecture attended)

II. First Meeting of the Class

The membership cards should be collected.

The members elect a president, a vice president, and a secretary. The organizer and instructor are to be honorary president and vice president, respectively.

Membership cards are to be given to the secretary for filing. At each succeeding meeting these are to be checked to show attendance.

A card like that reproduced below should be filled out and forwarded to the headquarters of the Girls’ Health League.

Girls’ Health League

Under the Auspices of the

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS

State ___________________ Class Number ________

Town __________________

Class Rank ______________

Number of Members ______

Organizer ______________ Instructor ___________

Address ______________ Address __________

Date of Organization __________________________

III. Order of Business for the Meeting

Calling meeting to order by the president.

Calling the roll by the secretary.

Reporting the illness of any member.

A short quiz on the last lesson.

A twenty minutes’ talk by the instructor, followed by a half hour devoted to practical demonstrations on the subject of the lesson.

The following articles are suggested for use in the demonstrations:

Large-sized washable doll A complete set of baby clothing A bathtub Scales A pad for the scales Clothes basket for baby’s bed Mattress Sheets Stork sheeting Mattress protector Blankets Spread Two bath towels Two face towels Two wash cloths Toilet articles Utensils for preparing the baby’s food

The object of the demonstrations is to make the work of the league of practical value to the girls.

After attending three successive meetings of the class each member will be given a Girls’ Health League button, which is reproduced in the accompanying cut. The presentation of buttons signifies that the girls are members of the Girls’ Health League. On receipt of the button each girl agrees to do some definite act each day to make others well and happy.

CHILDREN WELL AND HAPPY

GIRLS’ HEALTH LEAGUE

IV. Finishing the Course

At the completion of the course each girl will be given an oral examination and will be asked to write an essay on the care of a baby. The following subjects are suggested:

What do you mean by personal hygiene?

What do you mean by home sanitation?

Give three reasons why a mother should nurse her baby.

If a baby must be bottle fed, what is the best substitute for breast milk, and who should direct how the food be prepared?

If a baby is bottle fed, how would you care for its milk?

What can you do to help save the babies?

Certificate of Graduation

Girls’ Health League

Under the Auspices of the

Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs

This Certifies that

_________________________________________________________

has satisfactorily completed the course of study prescribed by the Girls’ Health League in _____________________________

President of Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs Founder of Girls’ Health League

Chairman Public Health Department Date ________________________

The class average, together with one of the essays, should be sent to the headquarters of the league.

On receipt of the essays and the class records certificates will be presented to the graduates by the Public Health Department of the Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs. The form of certificate is given above.