Junior Red Cross Circle...Contribution By Western Australian Children.
One of the subjects I am extremely interested in researching and writing about is how children and young people in Western Australia contributed to our great State's cultural and social life.
While researching a previous post "Subiaco State School And The Junior Red Cross Circle...(1936)" I found that throughout the early years of Western Australia many children in both the city and country became members of the Junior Red Cross Circle. The Junior Red Cross Circles were part of school and community life for many children and young people that enabled them to contribute to their community not just here but to communities around the world and gain life skills. The local newspapers, both in the city and country recorded many of these contributions over the years.
The Youth and Education Services, Australian Red Cross (1914 - ) webpage states the Australian Junior Red Cross Circles "was founded in New South Wales in August 1918 by Mrs Eleanor MacKinnon, initially with the aim of involving children in the support of recuperating soldiers who were using existing Red Cross facilities, and then extending to concern about the needs of the children of soldiers. Over the years, the Junior Movement's aims have evolved to focus on the development of an humanitarian ethos amongst young people, through education programs, and activities that encourage active citizenship and community participation."
By 1943 there were 121 Junior Red Cross circles in Western Australia with approximately 4000 members. The age of members ranged from school aged boys and girls to the age of 19. They were involved in a range of activities. Some of those activities included having stalls, bazaars and concerts to raise funds, collected magazines to distribute among hospitals, stamps that were sent to the Red Cross headquarters, writing to penfriends around the world and attending special talks and event evenings. "...But the fundamental idea which lies behind the formation of the Junior Red Cross is to foster in children an interest in and knowledge of the children of other lands ... to plant the seed of international goodwill... (Western Mail, 30 December 1943).
In 1949 a newspaper reporting on the work of their Junior Red Cross Circle wrote the aim of the circles had three main objectives... "(1) rendering service to the community (2) care of personal health, and (3) international cooperation. Health plays and other information regarding personal hygiene are supplied to circles by the Red Cross Society in Perth.
The Junior Red Cross members in every continent and through the exchange of international school correspondence, they have the opportunity to become acquainted with and to learn about their fellow juniors in the various countries in the world. The correspondence is in the form of a portfolio, whish is prepared collectively by the group and includes drawings, composition, stories, photographs, and anything which tells juniors in other parts of the world something of the life of the people of the country from which it is sent. Where necessary, the portfolios are translated by the Red Cross..." (Kalgoorlie Miner, 2 April, 1949).
The Find and Connect webpage state "...It is unclear when the Junior Red Cross Society ceased to exist. Management of the records relating to Homes associated with the Junior Red Cross Society has passed to the parent body, the Australian Red Cross..."
The articles and photographs are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Western Mail, 16 December 1926.
JUNIOR RED CROSS BANNER.
The banner of the Junior Red Cross Society of Australia. The gift of the British Junior Red Cross members, it was presented to Miss P. Robertson, the secretary of the A.R.C.S., at a meeting of the British Junior Club Committee In London, in 1925. In making the presentation, the chairman of the British Red Cross (Sir Arthur Stanley) said that the banner was intended to be a message of friendship and good will to the boys and girls of Australia and a reminder of the fact that the Red Cross is part of the life of the whole Empire. Junior Red Cross Circles have been formed at Fremantle, Northam, Bridgetown Augusta, Dongarra and Walkaway. The banner is being exhibited in Perth.
References
Junior Red Cross Circles at Find and Connection https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE01627
Youth and Education Services, Australian Red Cross (1914 - ) athttps://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0717b.htm
