CHAPTER SPENDS A DAY WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASS

Andrew Bowen, Marshall '11

March 2 marks the annual birthday celebration of our beloved brother, Theodor Geisel, Dartmouth ’25, better known as Dr. Seuss. Just about every member alive today had his books in our grade-school classrooms.

The Marshall Chapter honored the occasion with a community service project designed to integrate the Balanced Man Ideal into an educational initiative. West Virginia Gamma brothers went to an elementary school in Proctorville, Ohio, to talk to a first grade class about Sound Mind and Sound Body.

To incorporate Sound Mind, we had the kids select a couple of Dr. Seuss favorites, and we read to them as they enjoyed a healthy snack. Next, we had the kids compete in a math game. Each kid needed to complete basic multiplication problems. The student who completed the most problems in the allotted time was crowned the winner.

To incorporate Sound Body, we organized some physical activities in the school gymnasium. Groups of the kids were each led by a brother in a sit-up contest, push-up contest, long-jump contest, and class-wide game of red-light, green-light. Each kid was given a certificate including a picture of Dr. Seuss’s Cat In The Hat and the Balanced Man logo, along with their name on it. So at the end of the day, they were all winners.

The teacher, Jessica James, said that the program got positive reviews from the kids. “My children are still talking about how much fun they had,” she said, a few days after the program. The SigEps might have had more fun than the kids. Watching these kids look up to us while we shared our excitement about Sound Mind and Sound Body was more rewarding than any of us expected.
Brothers are already excited to plan this event again next year. Just a handful of brothers spent only a few hours with these kids, but were able to experience the importance of getting involved with our community’s youth and the gratitude it brings. Chapters should get involved with their community’s youth so brothers can see the amazement for themselves.

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