[Sidenote: “Sanitary Brigade”]
Miss Barry organized her first grade room into a “Sanitary Brigade.”
Every one’s own ten fingers were the private soldiers over which each
one’s face was the captain. One child in each row, appointed by the
teacher each Monday morning, was the Lieutenant General of his row, and
Miss Barry was the Major General of them all.
Each captain inspected his ten soldiers and demanded that each one—right
and left Thumbkin, right and left Pointer, right and left Longman,
Ringman and Littleman—be perfectly clean. Then the Colonel inspected the
captains and finally the General had a grand review of all the troops.
The captains and colonels made daily inspections. If they failed to do
their work well they were sent to the ranks and new officers appointed
in their places. In other words, if one did not keep his own hands
clean, some one else was appointed to be inspector and reporter of his
hands. If any one was found with unclean hands or face, a new colonel
was appointed for the row in which that child was found.
Inspection was made every morning and any reported disorder was remedied
in the lavatory. When there was no further need of scrutiny as to clean
hands and faces and when therefore the game had lost in interest, a
similar game was instituted that required clean teeth, brushed hair, and
clean shoes.