SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 125, 24 November 1930, Page 4

SWIMMING

WORSER BAY CLUB

The season of the Woreer Bay Amateur Swimming and Life-saving Club was opened on Saturday. The ceremony was held in the open air, in the presence of a good number of supporters of the club. Among those present were Mr. P. Coira, chairman of the .Wellington Swimming Centre; Mr. N. A. Ingram, of the Royal Humane Society, and secretary of the Island Bay ' Surf Club, and representatives of the Lyull Bay, Island Bay, and Maranui Lit'c-saviug and Surf Clubs. ■ Tlie opening ceremony ur;is held over until 3.30 p.m., to allow for the arrival of Mr. R. Semple. M.P.. who was to make the opening address, but as Mr. Semple did not arrive until even later, owing to an accident to his car, tile club's president, Mr. W. H. Gerrie, declared the season open. Mr. Gorrie made an appeal for more active support of swimming. When Mr. Semple arrived, he said, he intended to ask him questions about municipal tepid baths for Wellington, and the withdrawal of the Government's subsidy to the Swimming Council. Owing to the coldness of the weather, swimmers could not take to the water in the bays until late in the season, but with tepid baths they could train all the year round. Mr. Coira wished the club a successful season. At the Wellington centre, he said, they knew the disabilities under which the Worser Bay Club was working. He urged the younger people in the district to join the club and so keep themselves fit, and at. the same time help others. The club was one of the oldest in Wellington.. In the past the members had done much hard work for the club, so if the present members did not keep up their support all their efforts would have gone for nothing. Mr. Ingram asked local residents to support the club. He appealed to club members to support the Royal Life-saving Society. He regretted that the Government had taken away the subsidy to the Swimming Council, on the plea of economy, as the subsidy was barely sufficient for the issuing of certificates to the children. The club, he said, should try and hold a gala day on the beach. As an example of the growth of life-saving interest, Mr. Ingram mentioned the formation of a surf club at Nelson that week. Mr. Semple spoke of the value of the service done by the life-saving clubs. New Zealand, he said, was surrounded by water, so it was necessary for surf clubs to advance swimming, as it was necessary for boating clubs to teach the first principles o£ navigation. Not sufficient encouragement was given by the Government and the City Council to boating and swimming. Tlie Government had taken away, the grant to swimming, and ho would give it no peace until the grant was restored. The matter of the municipal tepid baths was still under consideration. He considered tepid swimming baths were not only a civic but a national necessity at Wellington. . During the afternoon a combined runout was held, and there was a 50yds swimming race for members of the Worser Bay Club. Afternoon tea was served.