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The central binding agency to which these state societies contribute is headed by Mr. Allen. It is "a voluntary organization, composed of State and Provincial Societies; individual, active, sustaining, associate, and life members; and public and private officials of organizations directly coming in contact with the care, cure, and education of crippled children, which was conceived in the mutual desire of its membership to promote the welfare of handicapped children. It is not a child-caring society but one which seeks to promote that public intelligence and perfected co-operation with all child-caring agencies which will insure to crippled children everywhere the best medical attention and education suited to their needs. Above all, the International Society aspires, through personal contact with the crippled children and their parents to bring into the lives of these handicapped children the sunshine of normal human relationships and a realization that physical handicaps need not bar the way to success nor prevent the enjoyment of a happy, useful life."-1-

-1- Definition, Purpose, Objective Plans of the International Society for Crippled Children, published by a Special Committee, and issued June, 1924.

In addition to the officers (president, vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, and executive secretary), there is a Board of Directors, an Advisory Council of recognized authorities in the various phases of this work, and six committees, namely, the Education, Finance, Legislative, Professional, Publicity, and Public Relations groups. The first of these aims to sponsor and co-operate with provincial and state society educational programs, and national and international organizations which aim toward the development of adequate facilities for the education of the crippled child. The Finance Committee prepares an annual budget for presentation to the Executive Committee, ascertains that this money is thereafter available, and endeavors to raise an endowment fund to insure permanence in the work of the society. The Legislative Committee co-operates with the state societies in endeavoring to secure effective state legislation. On the Publicity Committee are the Director of the Bureau of Information, the Editor of The Crippled Child, a bi-monthly magazine published in the interests of the movement, and members in charge of Magazine, Rotary, Radio, Motion Picture, Educational, Professional, and Newspaper publicity. The Public Relations Committee achieves contact with other organizations, agencies, and institutions interested in this work.

Among international social organizations whose member clubs are doing local case work or co-operating with existing agencies, are Kiwanis Clubs, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Exchange Clubs, the King's Daughters, and the Lions Clubs. The Kiwanis Clubs, whose membership includes over 83,000 leading business and professional men in over 1,100 cities of the United States and Canada,-1- have adopted an official program to aid under-privileged children. A special committee on Service to the Under-Privileged Child submitted the following recommendations to the 1924 convention of the organization:

-1- Kiwanis Activities, Volume II, 1922-1923, p.1.

1. That a Committee on Service to the Under-privileged Child, a future citizen, be appointed annually by the District Governor of each Kiwanis District.

2. That a Committee on Service to the Under-privileged Child, a future citizen, be appointed annually by the president of each Kiwanis Club.

3. That a club should not start any line of service to the under-privileged child until thoroughly informed regarding it. It should get the necessary information by appointing a special committee to gather and present it in the form of a report. It should find out what is being done. It should get in touch with local, state, and national experts, social workers, college professors, health officers, and keep the matter before the attention of its members by special sessions and report.

At the Eighth Annual Convention of Kiwanis Clubs, held in Denver, Colorado, July 16-19, 1924, one hundred and forty-five clubs were reported interested in physically defective, or crippled, children. This work ranges from isolated case-work to the endowment of orthopedic wards, as was done at the Memorial Hospital, in Johnstown, Pa., or supporting a central orthopedic hospital, as sixty per cent of the Kiwanis Clubs in Indiana are reported to be doing.-1-

-1- 1. Annual Reports of Kiwanis Club Standing and Special Committees, Denver, June16, 1924.

Elks' work, although by no means confined to New Jersey, is outstandingly extensive and effective in that State. The New Jersey States Elks' Association appointed a Crippled Kiddies' Committee, which in turn recommended that the Exalted Ruler of every Lodge in the State appoint a similar group. Surveys were made in the various localities, and contacts were established with the various functional state departments. A medical advisory board supervised the clinical work, the State Department of Labor made available their entire medical and rehabilitation staff, equipment, facilities, and established clinics; the Department of Health offered the co-operation of Child Hygiene nurses for follow-up work; and educational facilities were provided by the Department of Education, under the state laws of 1921. In June, 1924, fifty New Jersey Elks' Crippled Kiddies Committees, aided by the Department of Health, were holding clinics, providing braces, casts, and other necessities, operating convalescent homes, sending children to hospitals for care and treatment, conducting outings, and doing similar valuable work.