SCHOOL SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 18 December 1928, Page 15

SCHOOL SWIMMING

"A SPLENDID YEAR" BENEFITS OF SUMMER TIMIS An encouraging statement in regard to the fostering of. swimming among school children is contained' in the annual report of the educational oflietr of the Wellington Centre of the Amateur iSuimwing Association (Mr. H. K. Fisher). "It has been a splendid season from almost all points of view," says the report, "the one drawback still being the need for greatly increased facilities for tlie encouragement of this, tho most important of all forms of sport. The baths accommodation for the City of •Wellington, for instance, is woefully inadequate, -especially in tlie case of the women and girls. Tho question of baths and more .baths is one of iirst civic importance, and still remains a question to be really seriously tackled. "Of all forms of exercise, swimming has derived the greatest benefit from the operation of tlio Summer Time Act last session. It is sincerely to be hoped that that Act will eventually be permauently restored. Thanks to the splendid efforts of Mr. J. H. ,M. Finlayson and Mr. E. H. Fisher, a schools', association was formed and a carnival held. It would have done any enthusist. good, to be present and to have seen . the far-reaching effect the association had oh the largo number of schools that entered. The headmasters" and teachers loyally backed the suggestion. that all schools should on recount of certificates make their distribution, the occasion of ceremony and have officials, prominent citizens, -and parents present. Ono or two schools iv particular set splendid examples in this respect. Another contributing factor to the success of the season (in the Hutt Valley) was the gilt of splendid public baths to the citizens by the "Messrs. Kiddifovd. Those baths were responsible for the issue of a large number of certificates to three of the main schools of the district. "A feature of the returns of tho past season is the large increase in the number of certificates awarded in the city and suburbs of Wellington. Jn this connection it is worth noting the increase in the. number of certificates awarded for the whole district in" tlio past three seasons—viz., 1925-26 (310), 11)2(3-27 (1335), 1027-28 (1032), last season's figures easily breaking the record established the year before. Still there is plenty of room for development, and there is work enough, for an officer to visit schools and give the whole' of his time for quite throe months of tlie year to encouraging the hundreds and 'hundreds of potential youthful swimmers in the community. But there must be more bathing accommodation. "Besides tho swimming certificates issued there were standard time certificates, life-saving certificates, championship medals, and the special certificate for any school that produced over 50 per cent, of swimmers from tho standard classes." After Mr. Fisher had submitted his report at the meeting of the Wellington Centre last night, the chairman (Mr. P. Ooira) congratulated Mr. Fisher on the Buccess that had resulted from his energetic endeavours towards the fostering of school swimming.