SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTERS.

White Ribbon, Volume 22, Issue 255, 18 September 1916, Page 4

SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTERS.

CRADLE -ROLL, L.T.L., AND BAND OF MERCY. CRADLE ROLL. Aims of the Department: To teach irtTithers that alcohol is a racial poison. To train up a race who will not know the taste of alcohol. Dear Fellow-Workers, — Our World’s Superintendent, Miss Porritt, sends us the following message: “Children are the nation's greatest asset. Surely it should be our duty to see that ihese little ones are protected from the foe, Alcohol, which is more destructive to us as a nation than Germany and her allies.’’ We are humbled as we realise how strong a position this alcohol foe holds in our nation at present, and now', whilst the spirit of patriotism burns strongly w-thin us, we should be willing to make a gigantic effort to save the coming race. Let us cwr remember that to b gin with the cradle is too late. Our desire is that the very beginnings of life may be free from the paralysing effect of alcohol, and on this point seek to provide reaching for fathers as well as mothers.

If we are accomplish ,hi> gigantic task we must learn to co-opeiate with other workers, and iO “take ou 1 work in.o what is already going on.” For example, we must seek to win over Jo our side the midwiv. s, maternity nurses, and all who have to do with the young. Again I wish to draw attent on to the fact that as each new Union is organised, they invariably take up Cradle Roll work, hut in many of the older and larger Unions this work is not yet begun, or has been allowed to lapse. As well as enrolling the babies, wo must aim at winning the mothers over to the ranks of total abstinence Will Superintendents make a note of this, and report the number of mothers who have joined the W.C.T.U. after their babies have been enrolled? Many of the medic; 1 temperance leaflets may, with advantage, be used in the work of this department, especially ‘Safe Remedies in Illness, ’ “Save the Babies,” “Alcohol Injures Children,” “Alcohol and Nursing Mothers.” These may he sent with the birthday caid, or may be left

when calling upon the mother. Leaflet, “How to Organise the Cradle

Roll,” free. Pledge Cards, is per dozen. Birthday Cards, c>d per dozen. Certificates, to send with the Bth year birthday card, 2d each. “Purity” leaflets for mothers, 5d per packet L.T.L. The meeting of a model Loyal Temperance Legion, as demonstrated by Mrs Duxfield and her Okoia Legion at Convention, has had the result of stirring up members to take up the work of this department. Several Legions have been organised, and there has been a steady^demand for L.T.L. literature. I have been notified that the four junior and four senior Lesson Manuals are now unobtainable, as the charts and four other manuals more than take their place. The following is “A Word to Teachers” from one of these manuals: — “This little book ‘About Ourselves' follows the line of *A Handful of Hints.’ At first sight it will seem to be simply a collect on of stories, bu* the real subjects are Alcohol and Cells, Muscle, Nerve, Blood. Heart, Lungs, Stomach, Skin, Brain, and Character. Only the essential facts are given concerning the relation of alcohol and tobacco to the body as a whole and to its different parts. “The ‘things to remember’ at th* end of eac h chapter will clarify the subject in the child’s mind, and the questions in the ha> k of the book wl’l be helpful to the teacher. If she Will ust* ‘A Handful of Hints’ in preparing the lesson it will afford further illustrations, and give variety ;o her teaching. “Concerning the blessedness of such work as this, a certain writer has said: ‘I would rather plant a single acorn that will make an oak of a century and a forest of a thousand years, than sow a thousand morning glories that will give joy to-day and are gone to-morrow. For the same reason I would rather plant one living truth in the heart of a child, that w ill multiply through the ages, than scatter a thou-and brilliant conceits before a great audience that will flash like spa i s for an instant, and like sparks disappear forever.’ This highest kind of opportunity is within the reach of all, for anyone may gather a

group of children together and tell them stories.” The following extract is from the Preface to “Temperance Tales”: “The ten stories gathered here, partly from history and partly from fiction, will be found to contain ten distinct stories along temperance lines. The teacher will be able to bring out each lesson far better than can be done by the printed page, provided she has clearly in mind the one particular truth she wants to emphasise. All details should be made subservient to this. In every case the kernel thought is briefly suggested in a foot-note. “It has been said that the child's mind is ‘wax to receive and marble to retain.’ If these ten truths are taught him from the beginning, in an attractive way, they will prove a safeguard in the t mes of temptatior that are sure to come later.” The L.T.L. Handbook and “Parliamentary Rules for Boys and Girls” are supplied free. L. P.L. Pledge Cards, is per dozen L.T.L. Badges, 3s Co per dozen 8 Graded Charts on Alcohol and Tobacco, size 24 x3O inches, with Manual, 7s Gd set A Handful of Hints, Sd each Temperance Tales, Sd each About Ourselves, Sd eaih About Our Country, Sd each Anti-Cigarette Speaker, Sd each Frances Willard Reciter, No. 17, Sd each Bugle Notes for the Home (*or young children), Sd each Medal Contest Reciter, No. 7, Sd eac h Medal Contest Reciter, Nos. 15, 20, 21, Sd each It is Written (Bible Stories for boys and girls), Sd each Marching Songs (with music), Nos. 1, 2, and 4, Sd each Marching Songs (with music), No. 3, lod each Questions Answered, is 4d each Memory Gems (to hang in schoolroom), 3d each Programmes. A Lark in Monotuck Hall *jr seniors), is 2d each F ranees K. Willard Programme, Sd each A Temperance Tally-Ho Trip, Sd eac h temperance Pleas in Columbia’s Court, 8d each Entertaining Morents with Great People. Sd ea<~h A Sick Baby, 8d each

Prohibition Axemen, 4d My Temperance Dolly T !*mig with music), 4d each BAND OF MERCY. In the L.T.L. Handbook every Legion is urged to have i Band of Mercy. Mrs Mary Lovell, our World’s Superintendent, has prepared a Catechism on the ‘Duty of Merry.” The motto is: “Love, Mercy, and Justice to Every Living Creature,” and the children are reepi rt c! to sign the following pledge*: “l will tr\ to be kind to all living creatures, and will try to protect them from cruel

usage.” Mrs Lovell, in .1 recent letter, naid: “From many years of effort for th * promulgation of the huminjf, idea, I have become absolutely convinced of the fact that as almost all of the worst crimes contain the element of cruelty, the earnest teaching of the lessons of humaneness from the pulp't and in the schools is the surest method of eradicating or counteracting the tendencies to brutality and cruelty, which seem to be natural to a very large majority of human beings.” Plan of Work. Endeavour to secure the observance of a Humane Sunday and Be Kind to Animals Week; persuade pastors to preach on the duty of universal kindness ; see to the publication and enforcement of humane laws; secure further humane legislation. The following resolution is recommended for meetings. It ha> been passed at many W.C.T.U. Conventions : Whereas almost all crime contains the element of cruelty; and “Whereas the systematic teaching of the law of kindness to every living creature has proved to he a sure preventive of crime; therefore, “Resolved that we recognise the fundamental need of such teaching, earnestly recommend it to all educators, and pledge ourselves to favour legislation prescribing it.” Booklet: How to Organise and Conduct a Band of Mercy, free Band of Mercy Pledge Cards, 3d per dozen Bund of Mercy Catechism, 4d per

dozen A Packet of B nd of Mercy Leaflets, 3d

Trusting to have a full report from all Unions before December 3 ,S L~ Yours in White Ribbon Bond', CLARA M. NEAL, Dorn. Supt. Pahiatua. { Gisborne, llurac, 1916. E nga hoa Aroha, Tena Koutou. Ki a te rapu rapu mai pea o koutou whakaaro kite pumke e kore nci e tae atu to tatou Kai-w hakahaere-Ropu a Te Mari Woodhead kia koutou. Otira, na rung.i i te raruraru i pa ki tona tinana, ara, na te mate, na reira i kore ai e tae atu. Heoi kanui ano te koa ake o te ngakau no te mea, kua pai ake tona mate. Ahokoa kei roto ia i tenri raru raru, engari kai te mahara tonu mai ia ku koutou. No reira, he ngakau tum.mako atu tenei kia koutou e nga Hoa Aroha, kia La ha kia maia koutou kite mahi kite hapai i nga mahi a to koutou Ropu kia timataia na e k >utou. I’era ano pea te wa e kitea ai tetnhi atu wahine, hei Kaiw hakaliaere nu> te tunga oTe Mari Woodhead. Otira ko te tino hiahia o matcai whakaaro, kia kaha koutou ki to peehi 1 nga mahi kino a te waipiro, e tuku nei i a tana, ite tangata kite po; mate* tangata, mate tamnriki, mate kainga, ite kino o tenei kai. E nga hoa Aroha, ara a koutou tatnanki, o koutou hoa kua tukua atu nei e koutou kite whawhai mo te tika, mo te ora, mo te Kara hoki o to tatou kingi tanga. Otira, ko te mea e tino tukino nei i a koutou tam.mki, me a matou hoki ko te kai nei, ko te waipiro. Tangohia e tatou ko te tauwira a te kingi o Ruhia. ara kaore ana hoia epaki te waipiro. He aha nga hua? E rongo ana tatou ko Ruhia te tino iwi e kaha ana kite whawhai. No reira, tohu tohungia, a koutou tamariki e hia haere ana ki te whawhai, kia kaua e pa ki tenei kai. Heoi ra, kai te tum.mako atu matou kia utua mai e koutou tenei Reta, kia noho mohio ai matou kia koutou mahi, me to koutou ahuatanga. Heoi kia ora koutou katoa, Heoi ano, No tenei Ropu W.C.T.U. N. F. WALKER (Hckeretari). Fox Street, Gisborne.