POPPY DAY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 10

POPPY DAY

AKKANCKMKNTS l-'Olt AIM'K AI, sn.tiKsnoN 'io siitly i;ad(.i;s to schools Arrangements for the -ale «>f poppies till Poppy Day. which ti.: year will occur on April _u. wine made at a meeting of the Poppy Day committee of the Ketumed Soldiers' Association and delegate ■" from the suburban associations la.-: night. The Beckenham. Addington. Linwood, Burv.ood, Sydenham. St. Albans. \Voo!.-ton. St. Martins, Richmond, and Sprey d<>n suba. sociations were represented at th. meeting. The Rev. F. T. Road, uho presided, welcomed the delegates [rum the suburban associations ami explained that this year it was proposed to issue paper badges free to school children, who would be asked to bring pennies. Some o| the schools were willing to assi-t by selling poppies, and ho urged the suburban associat ions to assist their local schools in every way possible. In previous years tlie secondary schools had sold huge numbers of poppies. A further question to be discussed was that of the boundaries to be recognised by the suburban associations for the Poppy Day collections. A member stud that the idea of collecting pennies from the children would, perhaps, tend to cheapen Poppy Day. "The impression has got round that the children have to buy the badges,'' said one member. "Thev had to buy them in Duneclin iast year." said another member. Radges Given Free

The chairman said that ho wanted 1o make it cle;ir thai the bridges would be given tree In the children and would entail no obligation. He had been asked to attend the next meeting of the Headmasters' Association and explain the position. The badges were the gilt oi' the Heturn cd Soldiers' Association to every child attending a primary school. The pennies which the children would voluntarily brim,' would be used to buy poppies, and these would be used by the schools to make wreaths for An/.ae Day. A member said that though the headmaster of the West Snreydon School (Mr G. Parry') had been under the impression that a penny would be charged for Ihe badges, lie had promised his sunnort. Mr \V. K. I.cad ley said thai the badge proposal was lull of complications. What if the Headmasters' Association was against the proposal? he asked. Further, the badg' was too much like any other badge distributed lor any other street appeal day. "I think it will need more than a deputation to the lleadm.'istcrs' Association 1o drive it into the heads of the public that the bad Res are for children only." hj:: said. Another member supported Mr Leadley in his contention that tin badges were likely to he used by the parents. ''The children take the badges homo; the parents wear them on Ponny Day. raid the sellers are placed in a very d:ilk-nit position." he stated. Mr I,cadk\v moved: "That it lie a recommendation 1o the e\ec;;":ee that the matter of '.he >ch<«ol had a -: hi- lel't o\ rr i;:: I'l atter <!»• «rpmi:.«tion iiad vaaid om ItV.-.-hra • ters' Association." This was carried. The delegate.- from the roluoivr, associations promised to a-;is' in the Poppy Day appeal. It was decided to leave the )>>•>. vision of the johools with poppio. in th.e hands of the associations concerned, provided that whore tlie schools were not supplied the district was canvassed from house to house. The rector of Covby. Northamptonshire, was preaching ins sermon. hi the middle of it he stepped suddenly ami : asps'(!. A labourer. sitting directly Ulx'i'i!; the iadp:t. v. u.- hkirofv drinking v, hnky irora a bottle! The mar was fscvicd !1- .Mated afterwards that he took the drink as a protest H£»niiisl the lector's temperance sermons.