A Working Plan for Colored Antituberculosis Leagues

Part 1

TREASURY DEPARTMENT Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service of the United States

A WORKING PLAN FOR COLORED ANTITUBERCULOSIS LEAGUES

C. P. WERTENBAKER

Surgeon, United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service

WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1909

A WORKING PLAN FOR COLORED ANTITUBERCULOSIS LEAGUES.

Reprint No. 39, from the Public Health Reports, Vol. XXIV, No. 36, September 3, 1909.

By C. P. WERTENBAKER, Surgeon, United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service.

There was published in the Public Health Reports of May 28, 1909, Volume XXIV, No. 22, a plan for the organization of colored antituberculosis leagues, which contemplated the organization of a league in each State, with a branch in every colored church.

Experience has shown that after such leagues are formed difficulty arises in getting to work in an effective way, because the work is new in character and those engaged in it have had but little, if any, experience. It is to meet this difficulty and supply a practical guide for the work of the leagues that this is written.

ORGANIZATION OF A STATE LEAGUE.

The object of the state league is to organize the church leagues, to bind them together and render more effective their work. The caring for patients and work of a similar character are properly the function of the church leagues.

There need be but little ceremony in organizing a state league. A few leading colored men and women, preferably from different parts of the State, but not necessarily so, meet and proceed to organize the state league.

The constitution and by-laws for state leagues should be adopted, followed by the election of a president, a secretary, and a treasurer.

It is desirable that the constitution and by-laws recommended in “The Plan” be adopted in all essential particulars, so that there will be uniformity in organization and work. They have been adopted in all the States that have organized thus far, and it is believed future organizations should also adopt them.

The president then appoints a committee, the president and secretary being members of it, to select a vice-president for each county in the State. (The plan contemplates that there shall be a vice-president for each county, whose duty it is to organize a branch league in each colored church in the county.)

The selection of the county vice-presidents should be made with a good deal of care. Suitable persons who will actively carry on the work should be chosen for these positions. The vice-presidents should be authorized to appoint one or more representatives in each community to help them organize the leagues in the churches and arouse interest in the work.

It can not be impressed too strongly on the vice-presidents that the success of the church leagues in their districts will depend upon the amount of attention given the work. The organization of a branch league in a church is merely the starting point; the real work is done after the organization is completed.

The president and secretary of the state league should call for regular reports from the county vice-presidents, showing the number of church leagues in their respective counties and a statement of the work done in each.

If any of the church leagues are not prospering, the president or the secretary of the state league should visit or write to them and learn what is the trouble, and give needed advice and encouragement. Officers of the state league should consult frequently and freely with their state board of health and enlist its sympathy and aid in their work. The closer the leagues keep in touch with the health authorities the better will be the results obtained. Both the state and local health officers will be glad to give their best efforts to help along this work. They are in a position to do a great deal to assist both state and church leagues, and the leagues should work in harmony with them.

CHURCH BRANCH LEAGUES.

Organization.—In order that the members of the church in which it is proposed to organize the branch league may understand thoroughly the objects of the league, the minister or other competent person should explain clearly the purpose of the league and what it is expected to accomplish. He should inform them that relatively many more colored people die of consumption than white people; that very few colored people get well of the disease, partly because they do not know how to take care of themselves and partly because many neglect to do so; and that the object of the league is to teach the well how to preserve their health and prevent their contracting consumption and other diseases, and the sick how to regain their health. If too poor to take the necessary treatment, it is the purpose of the league to help its members to do so.

After the foregoing has been thoroughly explained, the church branch of the state league should be formed by the adoption of the constitution and by-laws given for church leagues in the plan of organization published in the Public Health Reports of May 28, 1909. After this has been done, the officers required by the by-laws should be elected.

The secretary then takes the name and address of each of the members, and as soon as a member has paid his dues he is given the certificate of membership, properly filled out, and signed by the president and secretary of the church league.

The certificate of membership given to each person joining the league has printed on it information and instructions which, if followed, will tend to protect the individual from consumption.

An attempt has been made to make the certificate large and attractive, and it is expected that the members will value it to such an extent that they will frame and hang it in a prominent place in the home, where it can be frequently seen, and that the sanitary maxims that it contains will be learned and followed.

In organizing the church league it is well to have a number of the certificates on hand to supply the members as soon as they pay their dues. The form of the certificate will be found in the plan of organization for these leagues. The certificate can be printed at a local printing office, but if this is not practicable, or it is preferred to buy them, very handsome certificates printed in black and red, with a large red seal, and the name of the state and church branch league, can be bought for about 6 cents each, by the hundred.

The amount of the annual dues to be paid by each member can be changed by each league to suit the necessities of the community. The dues should be so small that no one will be kept out of the league by not being able to pay them. However, as the dues will be the chief source of revenue with which the league expects to do its work, they should not be made smaller than is actually necessary.

Part 2

The money paid into the league as dues goes to form a fund that is disbursed by the church league collecting it to help those of its members who contract consumption. How much this help will be will depend upon the amount of money the league has at its disposal and the needs of the individual. But whether this help is much or little the having the certificate of membership and belonging to the league will give information that will teach one to protect himself and his family from disease. This means less sickness, consequently less loss of time from work, therefore more money, more comforts, and more happiness for all concerned.

The vice-presidents and organizers should see that the four standing committees required by the by-laws of the church leagues are promptly appointed and that they understand their duties.

As the work of each church league will at first consist largely of educating its members as to the cause of tuberculosis and the way to live to keep from getting it, the committees, and especially the ones having charge of “sick,” “sanitation;” and “information” should be especially active. They should learn all that is possible about their respective subjects so that they can teach the other members.

In joining the church league one also becomes a member of the State Colored Antituberculosis League. Members of the state league and church branch leagues wear a button showing their connection with the leagues.

Membership.—Membership in the church leagues should not be confined to the members of the church organizing the league. As a rule it is better that the members of each church join their own church league, but if for any reason their church has no league there should be no objection to their joining the league of some other church. Those who are not members of any church should also be allowed to join the league.

Details of the work of a church league.—As soon as the church league is organized the president should appoint the four standing committees required by the by-laws to serve for one year, viz: “Finance,” “Information,” “Sick,” and “Sanitation.” The details of the work to be done may then be considered. One of the first of these is to ascertain how many of the members have or are suspected of having tuberculosis. This duty devolves upon the committee on the sick, which should get from the secretary a list of the members, giving the name and address of each. This list should be gone over and every member carefully considered. It is probable that the greater number of the members are personally known to the committee, and thus it can be told at once whether they are sick or well.

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