LIFE SAVINS CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 20051, 17 December 1928, Page 1

LIFE SAVINS CLUB

ST. GLAIR PAVILION OPENED The St. Clair -.Lifo Saving Club was favoured with line weather conditions on Saturday afternoon, when the new pavilion was opened and the swimming season was commenced. Judging by the number of visitors to live bcaeh a successful year is ahead. The pavilion, which has recently been completed, will serve as a groat convenience to bathers for years to come. The Life Saving Club prepared a programme for the opening, and also commenced the swimming season so as to bring the pavilion into Use at once. To ■ raise further funds members of the chib sold badges to visitors on the esplanade. Mr 11. H. Henderson (president of the Life Saving Chib), in introducing Mr J. S. Douglas (deputy-mayor), expressed his pleasure at having a line day for the opening, as bad weather had previously been experienced on such occasions, thus marring the pleasure of those who wished to ,speml the afternoon at the seaside. Mr Douglas, after apologising for the unavoidable absence of the mayor, congratulated citizens and members of the club on the manner in which they had worked to raise money to erect such a 1 andsome pavilion. He wished the club every success in the ensuing season. Mr C. H. Haywaid (chairman of the General Committee of the City Council) apologised for the absence of Mr J. H. Hancock, the chairman of the Ocean Beach Domain Board, who keenly associated uhnself with anything of that nature. He made reference to the loss of one of their most active men, the late Mr Fenwick, who was always ready to help-the club. On behalf of the City Council he eongrafnnttd the club on .tins amount of money raised during the carnival, and on tho useful way in which it was spent. The cost of the pavilion was £2.488, this being paid by the St. Clair 'lmprovement Society and the City Conned in equal amount;. £1,244 each. .Approaches were being made from the pavilion to the beach, towards the cost of which tho Ocean Beach Domnin Board was donating £2-jO. For improvements made at the St Clair baths the Improvement Society had donated illso, while another £m) was to be spent on a wall which was being cor • smicled on the road to tho Second Beach. The council was providing a footway from the Esplanade to tho baths’ patli at a cost of approximately £BB, of which amount tho Improvement Society was contributing onethird. The alarm boll was given by the council and erected in a prominent place for £lB. He then went on to ray that St Clair beach at the present time was one of the finest in Australia and New Zealand, and that citizens should take pride in having such a beautiful seaside resort to visit/ He congratulated the Life Saving Club on its valuable work in the past, and hoped that the membership would grow each year.

Mr F. 0. Bridgman (president oftiic St. Glair Improvement Society) said that the aim of the society was to assist in improving the St. Clair beach and to make it up to date. The last carnival had been faulty in some respects, being organised in a hurry, but they had succeeded in raising half the cost of the pavilion, and they were thankful to the '.City Corporation for its subsidy. Mr J. London, representing the Royal Humane Society, stated that that society hud been ealeld upon at different times to bestow honours on brave life-savers, a duty which was always a pleasant one to perform. Mr Henderson the speakers for their presence that afternoon, also the St. .Clair Improvement: Society and the City Council for their assistance in the past. He suggested that a patrolman should be employed on the beach during -holiday time, but this question would be dealt with * at the next Life Saving .Club meeting. Besides the sneakers for the afternoon, Crs W. I’egg and 1). Larnnoh were also present. After the opening ceremony tire lifesaving team gave an exhibition, and 1 then children’s races wore lield on the beach.