THE "CLEANEST" SPORT

Evening Star, Issue 14534, 9 December 1910, Page 2

THE "CLEANEST" SPORT

SEEF BATHING CLUB FORMED. ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. 'llia the cleanest sport of au"* was the way the Mayor of St. KMa (Mr D. C. Cameron) referred to surf bathing •rchflst predding over a public meeting in ,' the Bungalow Tea Booms last night. The \ meeting was convened by Messrs J. Lang, C. H. Street, J. Deaker, and H. T. Ward, and had for an object the formation of a surf bathing club in Dunedin. Tho room could not liokl the crowd, who comprised many ladies. The attendance, a3 a matter of isct, was remarkably good, which proves that many people are really anxious to two tho most made of a magnificent but longneglected asset—the Ocean Beach, one of the finest stretches of sea beach in the ■ Southern Hemisphere. One speaker at the : meeting—Captain Fordham—spoke ae one •who knew, saying that our Ocean Beach is better than the famous Manly Beach, being ■wider and having Oner sand. He mentioned, too, that on Wednesday morning , there wcro 200 sitrf bathers at Ocoun / Beach, ~ J Everything being so favorable —enthuI siasm, able speakers, a lovely beach, and 1 hundreds of enrf bathers—there was little more to do than form a club, appoiut officers, enrol members, and go homo rejoicing \ that at last the good people of Dunedin •svero going to make use of a great gift. All this was done, and tho name of the I new club is the Pacific Surf Bathing Club \ —<a title which makes the club appear as an I institution anyone may join and bo weli come It is scarcely necessary to give a gt»»ai j deal of tie Temarks made by the different speakers, who were: The Mayor, Messrs J. ML Callaway, J. A. Park, H. L. Tapfcy (of iho City Council), W. Davidson (president of the local Life-Having Society), M. Cohen, A. G. Fenwick, and Cr Goto (St Kilda). ATI tho speeches were brief and crisp, each speaker apparently being convinced that «urf-bathing is a "delight apart. They all ■ dealt with essentials, such as the nece&sity for forming a club, appointing energetic • officers, obtaining support from the Domain ! Board in the form of dressing sheds for j ladies, life lines, danger signals, and so | on, and finally aiming at true co-operation ! with the Life-saving Society and those ! patient people who press hard for public ! swimming baths in tho City. Mr J. M. Gallaway, as an old resident of St. Kilda, said ho was glad to see the district tpfc'"g the initiative in the matter. He referred to the snecess of surf bathing Jn other places, and said he did not know jf any greater pleasure in life than surf iathing. Anything he conld do to forward the movement he would do gladly. Mr Park (president of the Swimming Association) pointed out that before one could V in tho position to enjoy thoroughly pithing in the surf one liad to learn to /wim, and then ho sought all the surf .fathers' support in the matter of obtain'.'!;!; Jiublic swimming bathe in tho City. He *eierred to the help his Association had got from ladies iu tho City, and assm-cd the mooting that a 6urf bathing club would leeeive the Association's support. Cr Tapley pi-ondscd the club all the ehp"fcort it was poseibio for him to give, and Jrave it as his opinion that the only danger |n surf bathing lay in foolhardiuess. He referred to the necessity for the placing of life lines at different planes on the beach, •the marking out of dangerous places, and \ tho erection of dressing sheds. They should 1 -apply to tho Domain Board for these. .' Mx W. Davidson said that the local Lifey.eaving Society would bo ready with their •heartiest support. He made tho ladiesstare / by mentioning that seven girls of WanI garmi College had gained certificates for ) being able to swim three miles—say, from j the Post Office to St. Clair. j Mx Cohen said that people who mustered \ so numerously on such a night were obj YJoasly determined to do something. And i what tho people of Dunedin wanted wad i determination to do the right thing. A mighty lot had been said about the beach, , and it was time that the peoplo pressed forward to make frdl nse of so valuable an '•easel* He spoke of the delightful beaches Jie had seen in the Old World, and after Referring to tho pleasure surf bathing ;6eexned to give to thousands of men, \vo;snen, and children at Homo, he instanced what had been done at Durban (Natal). There the Corporation had got the Legis.lature to vote £IOO,OOO to provide a beauty lepot on the sea front and a place of de'ights dear to children. To-day that expenditure returns 10 per cent., largely re presented by increased tramway traffic—an -excellent example to follow. ! Mr A. G. Fenwick aaid that a surf bathclub could reckon on tho support oi everyone from the St. Clair end of the *eacn. There was. no use in having a club lor each district; it would be infinitely Jjetter to have one dub for the whole bench. (—(Applause.) It was resolved to form a club with tko , iiamo provicujsly mentioned, a motion in \ caD. it the Ocean -Beach Surf Bathing Club .'being withdrawal. The following officers wore appointed:--IPreaident, tho Mayor of St, Kjida (Mr D. 0, Cameron, jiui".) ; vicc-picsideute—Drs ■Sydney AlU'-n, Colqulioun, Itoberts, Messrs J. F. M. Fr.iscr, J. U Marshall, J. M. iiaUaroy, H. L. Tapley. A. G. Fenwick, J. 55. K. Sibbald, Mitscs, Hustings and Bren'San.; secretary, Mr U. T. Ward ; treasurer, jir J. Deaker; auditor, Mr J. Mnthewdini; »mraitteo—Messrs D. Sairr, C. 11. Street. y Laiug, J. Ritchie, J. Dow, Q. M'Kin3on, C. F. Johnston, Captain Fordham, Garbutt, Freeman, ;uid Mulhotland. , Mr J. C. K. Sibbakl moved that the r.dub approach the Domain Board and ask yifreni to set apart spaces whereon to erect Jefesliera for the me of surf bathers, and to JBurvejr all \hc beach for tho purpose of •marking off dangerous spots and good ♦daces. He spoke in support of his motion, was carried unanimously, it being yfche belief of tho meeting that a combined would impress the Board. i The gist of Qui!-' Fordham's speech has j already been pi- , but lie also mentioned, pxhm seconding Mr Sibbald's motion, that Ski, Lyell Bay, Wellington, last week there 'jpexe about 2,000 men and women jn the fmL He vnw no reason why there should Jtot be as many eurf bathing of a morning fill St. Clair fivo years hence. \ Mr Doaicr (the treaEurer) rraide a good thegijniijjr, collecting from many a membership fee of 2s 6d, the amount decided upon ladies, of course, will not be asked to Say a fee)* It -was mentioned that the club to have strict regulations regardling bathing apparel '. The enthusiastic, meeting ended agreeably jibr the ladies, who were given tea before 4going honw in tho rain.