HOW TO SWIM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 142, 10 March 1908, Page 5

HOW TO SWIM.

LESSONS IN THE BATHS. ■■ Tho small boy with a largo towel round his iicclc is a frequent figure in tho Weliingitdn streets, especially near tlio water fronts and in tho vicinity of tho batl'.s. It does not require a great effort of memory for adults to recall tho happy (lays when they, too, proudly carried their towels, munched apples, and told of the number'of "strokes" they could swim. It was strokes, not distances, that measured tlioso boyish feats; but one day, iii an additional burst of confidence, tho arms would go oil', working and the legs kicking until the strokes were beyond numbering, and then camo tho joyous cry, "I can swim all . right now I" Then thero followed the /first- header off the into deep water, and tho buoyant kick-out across the baths. Confidence had come. And every confident swimmer is an asset to tho nation. , ' V Probably : the,''-proportion of boys who cannot swim is very .small in Wellington. Many owe their accomplishment in this direction to the gratuitous assistance and guidance of Mr. T:-:''Shields, - who;-on- -Wednesdays, betakes ■himself to To, Aro Baths, and there issues an 'open, .invitation ■ to all boys to como and be .'taught.- Mr. Shields- has adopted this pastifae for soino years. It is an interesting spSctaclo to'see him with'a boy at tho end ■ofii'.line, which is attached to a rod, playing f-.K'n' embryo-' swimmer 'liko a huge fish, and calmly imparting instruction. " Hold up your. head. That's'right. Now, throw the water behind you, bring up your feet, and kick out." '.Very soon* the frantic movements of the child become more'rhythmical. " That's-the way. You will swim very soon. Some boys have learned to swim in an afternoon, some even rtt tho end -of ' twenty minutes' instruction. - Their -next; step, is to practico assiduously, for every boy who can swim2so. yards yitbout a break can win a "proficiency 'V.certificate from the .Government. With the water available, and the teacher, this feat should bo within tho reach ,of. all .boys. A. largo number,of the certificates havo already been won by boys who havo'-been taught. .. " Tiiero are country schools,.' however, whore the water facilities are not available, but Mr. Shields advocates that school exercises should include those -which .■ aro identical with the actions of a swimmer in the water. Tlio hands should be brought to tho front,-thrown out'and'far-back. Nothing ; could,-bo more beneficial for expanding the chest. The kicking f-strokes "could also be practised. In this way'fhalf the lesson could bo learned, and whe.ri water was available tlio stroke of tho swimmer. would como naturally. Not only country, lint at all schools,' Mr. Shields advopates. the- inclusion of tho swimming stroke-in tho!repertoire of exercises.