FITNESS WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1939, Page 4

FITNESS WEEK

OPENING TOMORROW

A FULL PROGRAMME

Complete arrangements have been made for Physical Fitness Week in Wellington, which will commence tomorrow with a massed parade. Over 30 units, including the Tramways Band, the Boys' Brigade, Boy Scouts, hockey representatives, New Zealand Fencing Society members, baseball players, commercial gymnasia, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band, Wellington Regimental Band, Caledonian Pipe Band, athletes, and V.M.C.A. representatives will participate, It is estimated that over 1500' people.. 500 of whom wil] be school children at the head of the procession, will join in the parade.

The parade will proceed through the city to the Basin Reserve, where the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) and the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) will officially declare the celebrations open. One of the finest physical displays ever seen in Wellington will be staged at the Town Hall tomorrow night. Experts in the various fields of sport will take part and the programme will include folk dancing, fencisg, apparatus work, singing, and acrobatics. The massed parade and display at the Basin Reserve in the morning will emphasise massed activity, but in the concert at the Town Hall it is intended to portray the work of small specialised groups.

The committee has gone to considerable trouble to make the concert a truly international one. Maoris, Chinese, Japanese, Italians, and representatives of central European countries have been invited to participate. England, Ireland, and Scotland will be represented.

On Sunday there will be a combined yacht clubs' picnic at Worser Bay with an attractive programme on land and water. Exhibition tennis matches will be given at Miramar in the afternoon, and in the evening special church services will be held. A troupe of gymnasts, from prominent physical culture schools will give displays on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week between noon and 2 pan. on the plot of land adjoining the Women's Rest Room in Manners Street. On Friday, February 24, two decorated floats will proceed through the main streets with groups giving demonstrations on top.

"NIGHT IN VENICE."

On Monday evening exhibition basketball games will be given at the Basin Reserve and the Public Service swimming championships will be held at the Thorndon Baths. The Wellington Swimming Centre'f carnival will take place at the Thorndon Baths on Tuesday evening, and at 7.40 p.m. there will be a Y.W.C.A. girls' "get fit" programme. On the following day there will be a women's club luncheon at the Y.W.C.A. and in the afternoon a Public Service athletic meeting at the Basin Reserve. The general organisation of the programme for the "Night in Venice" carnival to be lield on the afternoon and night of Wednesday is complete. The programtae for this carnival includes swimming races, band music, acrobatic and -wrestling items, rowing, yachting, and speed boat events, community singing, folk dancing, ballroom dancing, and a host of. other entertaining features. On Thursday evening at the Rex Hall, Hataitai, a programme will be presented by the Kilbirnie Amateur Wrestling £.nd Sports Club. The eastern suburbs primary schools' athletic meeting will be held at Hataitai Park next Friday morning.

A splendid programme has been arranged for Saturday, February 25. In the morning and afternoon the provincial athletic championships will be held at the Basin Reserve, also during the afternoon the Peck Shield harbour swim will be held. The grand finale to the celebrations will take place at the Basin Reserve in the evening, when many interesting and spectacular events will be seen.

On Sunday, February 26, the Wellington Surf Association will stage a gala afternoon at Lyall Bay, when the public will be given an opportunity of seeing methods of resuscitation and rescue drill.