The Red Cross Youth is one of the six major services of the Philippine Red Cross.

Its mission is
to educate and empower the children and youth in the spirit of Red Cross through constructive
trainings and effective leadership, and provide opportunities for directing and harnessing their
energy and idealism into worthwhile humanitarian activities.
 

Major Objectives

1. Advocacy and inculcation of humanitarian values and character building.

2. Protection of life and promotion of community health.
3. Service and solidarity.
4. National/International friendship, understanding and education for peace.
5. Dissemination of the Red Cross 7 fundamental principles and IHL.

History

A proposal to associate young people with the Red Cross by the Ladies Committee of Monrovia
was submitted to the Vth International Conference of the Red Cross in 1892. This proposal was
turned down which shows that it had to take time for this idea to gain grounds. However, on
national level, several successful attempts had been made to involve young people in Red Cross
work. In the Netherlands during the Franco-Prussian War, school children made bandages out of
old linen. In Canada, during the Boer War, School children worked for Red Cross under the title
Maple Leaf. In the United States of America, children and young people helped the American
Red Cross alleviate the suffering of the San Francisco earthquake victims. All in a span of 36
years.

From the beginning of World War I in several countries, young people were involved in the
efforts of the Red Cross to bring assistance to war victims. By 1918, youth sections were
organized in Canada, Australia, Italy and USA.

The creation of the former League and now International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies in 1919 and the increased emphasis on peacetime activities of the Red Cross
that motivate the setting up of a coordinating body of national societies, contributed to a great
extent to the rapid success and expansion of the youth program of the Red Cross. In 1921, Youth
sections were created in 8 more countries: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Great Britain, Hungary,
New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. This was followed the following year by
France, Japan, Romania, and Sweden.

It was in 1922 that the Youth Program of the Red Cross was officially recognized and supported
by Resolution No XVIII adopted by the General Council of the League of Red Cross Societies.
Finally, the Youth Bureau was created in 1923.
Expansion of the RCY Program to young people outside the schools or other than those
attending educational institution were embodied in one of the General Councils` resolution. The
First World Conference of Educators was convened in Paris aimed at strengthening the
participation of the teaching profession in the young program of the Red Cross and emphasized
the supplementary teaching role of the Red Cross in schools. In 1935, 51 countries had JRC
sections with a total membership of 15 million with a three point program bringing the motto "I
serve".

Until such time during the Second Conference for the Educators which restated the three point
program adding Dissemination of Red Cross Ideals and International Humanitarian Law as its
fourth objective. Other pressing resolutions followed from then on to the present with the Board
of Governors fully aware of the indispensability of young people within the movement.
 

Brief History and Development of RCY in the Philippines

When the Philippines Board became the chapter of the American Red Cross in 1917, it included
Junior Red Cross (JRC - former name of the youth program) among its activities. The Director of
Education (Now Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports) who was elected chairman of JRC,
directed the work of 6,000 children in JRC in the schools of Manila. JRC activities included the
sewing of comfort articles and making surgical dressings for soldiers at war and planting
vegetables in school gardens.

From 1922 until the outbreak of World War II in 1941, the JRC dental service became the major
program with school children contributing 30 centavos each as their annual membership fee and
in return they received an American JRC pin. By 1941, there were 184 dental clinics all over the
country. A total of 898,333 children were inspected, 495,086 of which had defective teeth and
108,035 given treatment.

In October 1946, the JRC dental service was formally turned over to the government. From then
on, it has become an integral part of child health in the Philippines.

After the liberation, the first JRC enrolment campaign under the new Philippine Republic was
conducted in October 1946. Enrolment of elementary school children in JRC was on a group
basis. Schools join by class or section with a membership fee of PHP2.00 per class.

In 1948 the Philippine Junior Red Cross Magazine was published with Mrs. LORETO PARAS
SULIT as Editor and at the same time Director of Junior Red Cross. Activities carried out in
school were along the lines of health, service, and international friendship. The decade 1961-
1970 recorded an increase in the JRC enrolment from 3 to 4 million members from 12,000 public
and private elementary and secondary schools.

The adoption of the program for college student on January 28, 1969 solved the problem of
young people who would want to continue serving through the Red Cross after graduation from
high school. It aimed at developing the spirit of humanitarianism and social service through
active and direct involvement in Red Cross activities.

Another new important program which was approved by the Board to include not only school
children but also young people both in and out of school until 25 years of age. The change in
name of the program from Junior Red Cross (JRC) to Red Cross Youth (RCY) was approved by
the Board on March 31, 1970.

Membership

Red Cross Youth Member - any youth who has paid the annual membership dues for the Red
Cross Youth.

Red Cross Youth Volunteer - a member of the Red Cross Youth who has undergone basic
orientation about the Red Cross Youth and The Red Cross in general.

Categories of Membership

Junior Red Cross Youth (JRCY) - In other organizations, one maybe considered a member
without paying any fee. In the Red Cross, the PRC considers as members those who contribute to
the fund campaign and those who donate blood but their contribution are not considered
membership fee.

However, in the PRC Youth Program, one becomes a member after paying the membership fee
(at present, general membership fee is P35.00). A JRC member may become a volunteer at the
same time but a volunteer can not become a member unless he pays his membership fee.

The youth arm of the Philippine Red Cross has always been registered under a class enrolment
concept. School authorities assist the Red Cross in the collection of membership fee in school,
but proper coordination and series of meetings with DECS officials, teachers and even the
parents are to be done in order to the local Red Cross chapters to have opportunities to explain
the components of the membership fee and where this goes.

Junior Red Cross members are elementary students whose age ranges from 7 to 12. They are
formed into school council with the active JRC Adviser as their guide and adult leader who
facilitates and assist the council in recruiting, organizing and training JRC members in the school
or institution.

Senior Red Cross Youth (SRCY) - Originally, the Red Cross Youth High School belongs to the
JRC category of the Red Cross Youth Program. There was no clear delineation of responsibilities
nor with the activities. The program of the high school students were the same as that of the
elementary students.
This caused a problem! The high school students are too old for program being offered to the
elementary students and yet they are young for the activities being done by the college students.
And so, the need to reclassify the high school students and create activities that suits their age
level was identified and addressed by the PRC.

In January 1995, the Board of Governor approved the separation of the high school students from
the JRC category. With that, they would no longer be called JRC members but instead Senior
Red Cross Youth, a step higher than the JRC and a step lower than the College RCYs.

College Red Cross Youth (CRCY) - The Red Cross Program for college students was approved
by the Board on January 28, l969. Its primary aim is to develop among the students the spirit of
humanitarianism and social service through active and direct involvement in Red Cross
activities.

According to information received by the Youth Bureau of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Red Cross program has grown much wider partly because
new trends in educational methods favored participation of young people in action, i.e. "learning
through action", and recently also in planning and decision making and because young Red
Cross members have gradually become more than just recipients of direct educational programs.

The Youth have identified themselves more and more with the ideas of the Red Cross, through
learning about its principles and tasks. In view of this, they have become Red Cross volunteers of
the same value as the adult members, for they come to the Red Cross not only to learn to get, but
also to actively participate in the life of the Red Cross, to render services where needed.

Community Red Cross Youth (CommRCY) - Red Cross offers services not only to those in
schools but also to the young professionals and community based youth. The program for
Community Red Cross Youth was approved by the Board on July 20, l969. A Leadership
Training Course was adopted and patterned after the LEAD (Leadership, Education, Ability, and
Development) program of San Pablo City. The aim is to train the youth to serve themselves and
their families through the Red Cross and use their time by learning a trade for their livelihood.

This particular category of the youth program was known before as the Out-of-School Red Cross
Youth (OS-RCY). However, in a Board meeting held on 5 October l993, it was approved that
there shall be a change in nomenclature: from Out-of-School to Community Red Cross Youth.
The proposal to change came up due to the supposed negative connotation being given to the
term "OS-RCY".

Other Categories (by rank, specialization, or title)

-National Youth Council
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as coordinators of their respective areas during the
biennial national gathering (National Youth Congress).

-Chapter Youth Council

Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as coordinators of the school councils within their
respective chapter's areas of jurisdiction.
-School/Community RCY Council
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as officers of their respective school or community
Red Cross Youth Councils.

-National Trainer
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed the Red Cross
Youth National Trainers Training. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct or
facilitate the different Red Cross Youth Training Courses.

-Leadership Trainer
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a Red Cross Youth
Trainers Training on Leadership. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct or
facilitate the different Red Cross Youth Leadership Training Courses.

-HAPE Educator
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed an Educators
Course for HIV – AIDS Prevention and Education. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth
to conduct a dissemination session on HIV – AIDS Prevention and Education (HAPE).

-DAPE Educator
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed an Educators
Course for Drug Abuse Prevention and Education. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth
to conduct a dissemination session on Drug Abuse Prevention and Education (DAPE).

-RCY IHL Disseminator

Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed the Training of
Disseminators for IHL. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the IHL Office to
conduct a dissemination session on IHL in schools.

-RCY DRT Trainer

Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a DRT Trainers
Course. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the Disaster Management Services to
conduct Disaster Management Trainings for the youth.

-RCY Debriefer
Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a Critical Incidence
Stress Debriefers Course. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the Social Services to
conduct Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing for the youth. (CISD)

Programs & Services

Annual International Youth Friendship

-Exchange Project is a youth cooperation project betwwen the Japanese JRC/RCY Division and
the Philippine Red Cross Youth Red Cross Youth Department involving selection of vulnerable
public elementary schools in the Philippines and distribution by the Japanese RCY members of
school supplies to pupils and students, and sports equipment to select schools. The school
distribution is the entry point for a more comprehensive program of youth interaction and
international exhange of correspondence between the two societies, with intensified youth
membership. The program also involves the actual exchange of RCY members between Japan
and the Philippines through the annual "Mt. Fuji International Youth Exchange" held every
November.

Junior First Aiders' Program

-An institutionalized program with an exclusive set of trainings activities for Junior Red Cross
members (elementary students) aims to develop or enhance the potentials of Junior Red Cross
Youth members to become good leaders and train them on how to administer Basic First Aid.

The JFAP will also give them opportunity to practice their learned knowledge and skills in their
school clinics through coordination of possible duty schedules with the school administration.

National RCY Advisers' League Conference

-A national biennial gathering of active and registered Chapter Youth Council Advisers from the
Philippine Red Cross Chapters nationwide, where they share experiences and best practices
among themselves and undertake, plan out strategies and methodologies to further improve the
structure and performance of the Red Cross Youth Councils in the shools and in the
communities.

National Youth Council Meeting

-The Red Cross Youth Department, throuh the Manager, is responsible in facilitating the regular
and Executive Council Meeting of the National Youth Council Officers. They usually meet every
quarter to discuss and plan for relevant and productive National RCY activities.

National Youth Congress

-The highest deliberative body of the Red Cross Youth, which is convened biennially with
qualified chapter RCY officers and members (15-25 years old) in attendance from all over the
country in order to discuss relevant strategies and plans to continually intensify quality
leadership among RCY and develop youth programs for the future. The congress, which is
highly participatory, is designed to draw the youth's interest in bringing out the best in them. The
Congress venue is selected alternately within Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao islands.

Red Cross Youth Month

-A special time to make the public more aware of the Red Cross Youth activities at the National
Headquarters and in the chapters. This month-long celebration is mainly designed to intensify
promotion of the RCY programs though the tri-media with the active participation of the Red
Cross Youth Star Volunteers and motivate more and more young people to join the Red Cross
Youth organization. As designated also on the Ten Most Outstanding Red Cross Youth members
from the chapters who excel in leadership and other fields of humanitarian services.
Red Cross Youth Star Volunteers
-A special group of wholesome celebrity from the entertainment industry screened by the Youth
Committee. As role models for the Red Cross Youth, these volunteers undergo same qualifying
trainings on leadership and commit to promote and endorse the youth programs of the Red Cross
in tri-media, and support the fund generation initiatives of NHQ and the chapters.

National Youth Camp

-Also known as the SuperCamp Philippines, is a 5-day camping for Junior and Senior Red Cross
Youth members (9 to 16 years old) to enjoy the wonders of nature and enrichment of teamwork
experience through wholesome outdoor games and other environment-friendly competitions,
leadership enhancement indoor sessions, and opinion-sharing over vital youth issues.

Ten Most Outstanding Red Cross Youth

-An annual search for outstanding Red Cross Youth volunteers who have rendered unselfish
service of excellence to the Philippine Red Cross. It aims to recognize the volunteers for their
invaluable support and contributions to the PRC through the Red Cross Youth Programs.

Most Outstanding Chapter Youth Council

-A national recognition on how a Chapter Youth Council can make a difference by way of
providing service to, advocating for, with the vulnerable people in the communities. The general
criteria of this award are: Impact of the different projects to the community, participation of the
youth/youth mobilization, innovativeness/creativity or ability to use technology, promotion of
the 6 major services of the Philippine Red Cross, Principles of Red Cross and of the Red Cross
Youth Objectives.

Youth Instructors' Training Course

-A crucial youth activity participated in by RCY members (17-25 years old) who wish to become
Youth Instructors for Leadership and are certified to capably conduct RCY trainings such as
Youth Volunteer Orientation Course, Leadership Formation Course, Basic Leadership Training,
HIV/AIDS Prevention Education, Drug Abuse Prevention Education and International
Humanitarian Law - Children Involved in Arm Conflict.

Pledge 25
-A project of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) - Red Cross Youth Deparmtent (RCY) in support
of the drive on voluntary blood donation. It is a group of young blood givers where members,
after being motivated to become voluntary blood donors, will pledge to regularly donate blood 3
to 4 times a year starting the age of 18 until they reach 25 years old. After this period, they will
be joining other blood donors' group as : Blood Galloners' Club of the National Blood Services
(NBS) for their regular and continuous blood donation.

Training
Non-Instructors Courses
Youth Volunteer Orientation Course (YVOC)
-The course aim to acquaint the future volunteers with the details of the Red Cross Movement
and create pride on their part for being involved in a worldwide Movement for Humanity. If need
be test the participants understanding by creating activities wherein they have to show off their
knowledge on Red Cross Matters.

-Likewise, this course hinges on the idea that for us to love the organization that we are in, we
must know the details of the organization in which we are part of. Thus the Red Cross as well to
be respected, people must first understand what the Red Cross is. Respect press opposes
knowledge.

-This course is recommended to be discussed in all categories of membership. However, in a

trainer's course prospective trainers must know and understand in details the various facets of the
Red Cross Movement.

Leadership Formation Course (LFC)

-The course aims to prepare youth participantsin becoming full-fledged members through
assessing ones strengths and weaknesses, clarify and re-assesses their values and integrating Red
Cross Youth corporate values to further increase leadership ideals.

The course also provide activities and group dynamics to further increase social relations and
understanding their needs and interest that will motivate them, inherently.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Education (HAPE)

-A basic dissemination course aimed to provide proper education on the prevention of HIV and
AIDS.

Drug Abuse Preventive Education (DAPE)

-A basic dissemination course aimed to provide proper education on the prevention of drug
abuse.

Pledge 25 Donor Orientation

-This half-day orientation aims to provide basic information about Pledge 25 and Voluntary
Blood Donation of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) which focus on the importance of blood
donation and the role of youth blood donors. Voluntary blood donation needs youth participation
and this orientation will be a valuable source of information for potential blood donors especially
for the young.

*http://www.redcross.org.ph/rcy