LIFE-SAVING

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 13, 16 July 1934, Page 10

LIFE-SAVING

LONCUET MEMORIAL SHIELD

A general falling-ofi in the number of schools competing for the Longuet Memorial Shield is commented upon in the twenty-fourth annual report'of the Wellington Head Centre of the Royal Life-saving Society. The shield was donated by the Wellington Rotary Club in memory of the late Mr. S. A. Longuet, who lost his life at Otaki in endeavouring to save a Maori girl from drowning, and is available for competition among girls' secondary schools.

When the shield was first made available for competition in the 1931-32 season, eleven schools competed, while during the 1932-33 season six schools took part. During the past season,' three schools only entered, and while the committee regrets to see this apparent lapse of interest in the trophy, it is fully realised that the conditions governing the competition are such that it is very difficult for any of the larger colleges to win. A sub-commit-tee was set up by the executive to endeavour to find a more equitable system of allotting points for the shield, but its report has not yet been received. It is hoped, however, that the conditions will be amended before the next competition takes place, and that this will result in a very much larger entry for the shield.

Under the present system, the trophy is awarded to the school with the highest number of awards in relation to the number of pupils attending. Each award is given a points value, from the elementary certificate, which is worth 2 points, to the diploma, which is worth 20. Of the three colleges which competed this year, Solway College, Masterton, gained first place with a total of ,57 awards, having a points value of 194 and a competition value of 204. St. Matthew'^ Collegiate School, Masterton, was second with 127 competition points, and Featherston District High School, with S2 points, was third. .