LIFE-SAVING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 11

LIFE-SAVING

DOMINION PROGRESS

A RECORD YEAR

"It is with the greatest satisfaction that we are able to record the issue of 6534 awards for life-saving "ability during the year ending May 31 * 1938, n states the twenty-fifth annual report of the New Zealand Council of the Royal Life-saving Society.

"This is the highest humber ever Issued in any one year in this Dominion and one that reflects the greatest credit upon each One of the several hundred instructors who have been responsible. During the last ten years alone, over 40,000 awards have been made, the figures for each of the ten years being:—l92B-29, 3092; 1929----30, 2762; 1930-31, 3753; 1931-32, 5771; 1932-33, 4783; 1933-34, 25«0; 1934-35, 3348; 1935-36, 3742; 2936-37, 2308; 1937----3», 6534.

"With the exception of the 795 primary schools' breaststroke certificates and 129 resuscitation certificates, each of the 6000 awards made this year was subject to the candidate concerned I going through the necessary 'training under a qualified instructor, and satisfying one of the society's examiners lof his or her ability, not only to save life from drowning, but also to restore to life an apparently drowned person. The rigid conditions of examination laid down in the society's handbook have been strictly observed, and examiners have had no hesitation in failing candidates whose work was not up to the necessarily high standard required by the society for a pass. "Over 90 per cent, of these awards have been made to children in the primary, secondary, and technical schools of the Dominion and to students in training at the teachers* training colleges* and, although we gratefully acknowledge the Education Department's willingness; to assist off to the fullest possible extent,, most of the work by both teacher and pupil has had to be done out of school hours. And even with examinations completed, there has been a vast amount of detailed work done by branch secretaries and the council's award secretary in connection with the preparation of certificates and medallions for presentation to successful candidates^ It must be remembered that all this work: is done in a purely honorary capacity by piembers of the society, and that, were it possible to value it in terms of £ s d, it is worth thousands of pounds each year to the community, , "The activity, in this connection, of each branch and sub-branch is shown as follows:—Auckland, 1532; Welling, ton, 1689; Canterbury, 1063; Gisborne sub-branch, 112;- Hawke's Bay, 344; 1 Manawatu, 243; Nelson sub-branch, 176; Otago, 508; Taranaki, 428; Wanganui, '43&. Total,. 6534, Wellington's/total is a record for the Dominion. ...