function checkNum(str, min, max) {
	 if ((str.length < min) || (str.length > max))
	 {
        alert("Date of Birth must be exactly 10 characters")
        return false
	  }
  	  var mm  = str.charAt(0) + str.charAt(1)
      var dd  = str.charAt(3) + str.charAt(4)
      var yy  = str.charAt(6) + str.charAt(7)+ str.charAt(8)+ str.charAt(9)

    if (str.charAt(2) != "/" || str.charAt(5) != "/" ) 
        {
		alert("Try the MM/DD/YYYY date format, please.(1)")
        return false
        }
	if  (yy == 0 || mm == 0 || mm > 12 || dd == 0 || dd > 31)
		{
            alert("Try the MM/DD/YYYY date format, please.(2)")
            return false
		}
	if  (mm == 4 || mm == 6 || mm == 9 || mm == 11)	
		{
		if (dd > 30)
			{
		      alert("Invalid date 2")
      	      return false
			}
	else	if (dd > 31)
			{
            	alert("Invalid date 3")
		      return false
			}	
		}
	if ( mm == 2)
		{
		div = yy / 4
		if (div == 0 && dd > 29)
			{
			alert("Invalid date 4")
		      return false
			}
		if (div != 0 && dd > 28)
			{
			alert("Invalid date 5")
		      return false
			}
		}
// if the date is valid, check is it is after today's date
           todaydate = new Date()
           todaystr=((todaydate.getMonth()+1)+ "/" 
                     +todaydate.getDate()    + "/" 
                     +(todaydate.getYear()+1900));
           var todaymm  = parseInt(todaystr.charAt(0) + str.charAt(1))  
           var todaydd  = parseInt(todaystr.charAt(3) + str.charAt(4))  
           var todayyy  = parseInt(todaystr.charAt(6) + str.charAt(7) + str.charAt(8) + str.charAt(9))
           if (Date.parse(str) > Date.parse(todaystr) )
            {
            alert("Enter a date before today's date, please.")
            return false
            }
            else { return true }                      
}