GOOD PROGRESS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 121, 24 May 1941, Page 10

GOOD PROGRESS

PHYSICAL TRAINING SCHEME FOR HOME GUARD "The physical training scheme for I Home Guard units continues to make good progress throughout, the Dominion," stated the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, in a review of officers' reports for the past month. "Men in country districts are remarkably eager to take advantage of the exercises conducted by the numerous instructors trained by the Department's officers. For example, in the Marlborough Sounds district all the Home Guardsmen are in the physical training classes. In the Whangarei area 4000 of the 5000 guardsmen enrolled are members of similar classes. In the scattered Poverty Bay-Wairoa district there are 190 instructors for 3600 men; in the Waikato 162 instructors for about 6000 men; in South Canterbury, 140 instructors for 3600 men; in Southland (not including Invercargill), 242 instructors for 7500 men. These instructors are all voluntary workers. "At present the Department has only 23 men officers who are kept very busy indeed," said Mr. Parry. "The demand for their expert services in the general field of recreation as well as in the training of Home Guard instructors has grown so greatly that additional appointments have become necessary-. Successful innovations in several areas were in the appointment of liaison officers by Home Guard commander's to act in the interests of physical training and recreation between the instructors (trained by the Department's officers) and the Home Guard officers in the localities concerned. In several places the Department's officers are giving physical training courses to staffs of fire brigades. Lunch Hour Recreation "Community services of the men officers have included valuable help i in the formation of sports clubs and the training of teams. Progress is ! being made in Auckland in the organising of lunch-hour recreation for staffs of industrial and commercial firms. The past few weeks have brought a great increase in the number of leaders trained by the Department's officers for the formation and maintenance of "keep-fit" classes of Women's War Service Auxiliary units. The officers and the leaders are also helping in the promotion of various recreational activities for women and girls. These achievements include Happiness Clubs and Girls' Life Brigades. "Although the war has increased manual tasks for women in countrv districts because of the enlistment of farm workers, they are managing to find time to attend "keep-fit" classes. An interesting experiment is being made in Wellington with suitable warm-up exercises for a class of shop-girls before they begin work during the winter."