The rich odor and white steam
floating up from hot chocolate in the air carried a most direct appeal to one
who had ridden for an hour or more over rough country roads on a brisk autumn
afternoon. The last child of 86 which attend the White School in Verona Township was just being served by a tail young man, Elmer Gordon, his teacher.
The child took a cup and spoon from
a small table in front of the tiny kitchenette and handed it to Mr. Gordon who
filled it with coco and gave him a paper napkin and straw with which to drink
his milk. Every child is required to bring his own bottle of milk to school
daily. Then the child marched back to his desk, spread his napkin on top of it
and took the food from his tin dinner pail which he had brought to school.
When, all of his classmate were ready he began to eat.
"The aim of the hot lunch is
first of all to 'keep good health. As the children are not allowed to eat
before every one is ready and not allowed to go before everyone is through it
not only insured a slowly eaten meal and thus better health but also encourage
better table manners," said Mr. Gordon.
The children do all the work from
making the tables and shelves to the cooking of the hot lunch, and cleaning up
afterwards. Besides the hot lunch to insure better health conditions in his
school Mr. Gordon has a tooth brush and fingernail policeman. Each morning the
toothbrush policeman goes to a chart which is on the wall and calls the roll. If
the kiddie whose name called has brushed his teeth twice before he answers
"Present" and receives a gold star. If he does not answer he does not
receive a star and is punished for not having brushed his teach by having to
wash the woodwork in the kitchenette or some like task.
As soon as this policeman has
finished performing his duty each child places his hands on top of his desk and
the finger nail policeman inspects his fingernails. If they are not clean the
child must go clean them.
Capital Times - November
10, 1923
