LIFE SAVING CLUBS

Evening Star, Issue 23124, 25 November 1938, Page 7

LIFE SAVING CLUBS

ST. HILDA'S ANNUAL MEETING DELEGATION FROM ASSOCIATION MISUNDERSTANDINGS REMOVED Misunderstandings that strained the relations between the Otago Surf Life Saving Association and the St. Kilda and St. Clair Life Saving Clubs were cleared up last evening, when a delegation from the parent body waited upon the annual meeting of the St. Kilda Club. The delegation consisted of Mr H. H. Henderson (president of the association), and Messrs H. D. Gillies, A. G. Beadle, J. R. Callender, and 3. M. M‘Arthur (of Wellington). Mr J. M. Stevenson, newly-elected patron of the club, occupied the chair. POSITION EXPLAINED. The, position was explained by-Mr-C. C. Dawkins, who referred to a.report in the Press of the annual meeting of the association at which, Mr Gillies had said that a lack of interest was being shown by the St. Kilda. Club. Members of the club had effected 40 rescues during the past year, and there had been no fatalities at St. Kilda. The only fatality of the season had been at St. Clair. The reels, which had been subjected to criticism at the association meeting, were, in his opinion, in good order. The club bad been described as practically dormant, and it had been suggested that it should disband. This type of criticism was quite unwarranted, and be wished to object very strongly. The St. Kilda Club was just as efficient as other clubs which had greater support from the public and from organisations. If, as had been indicated, the St. Clair Club was genuine in its desire to help the St. Kilda Club through the hard times it was experiencing, it could make a sporting gesture by closing its roll to new members and diverting them to the St.-Kilda Club. He was prepared to admit that the club could do with some reorganisation, and he would suggest that a committee should be set up to report on the condition of the club generally and make recommendations for improvements. With the object of stirring up interest in life saving, he would suggest further that a team should be invited to come down from the Lyall Bay Club, in Wellington, to give the St. Kilda men some competition and perhaps some valuable assistance. The club also needed a watch tower on the beach, and he thought efforts should be made to secure one and also to seek means of securing a modern pavilion.

ASSOCIATION’S VIEW. Mr Henderson, speaking on behalf of the association, said lie understood some umbrage had been taken at statements made at the annual meeting of that, body. He wanted to see the matter cleared up. He wished to assure the St. Kilda Club that the general tone of the meeting had been' one of helpfulness, and the association was anxious to ,find out what were St. Hilda’s difficulties and how it could assist to overcome them. There had been no delegates present from St. Kilda at the annual meeting, and the treasurer had reported that the club’s affiliation fees had not been paid for two years, and' that there was also some indebtedness on a reel. The St. Kilda Club had taken no' part in competitions , during the past season, though a few years ago its teams had put up creditable performances. “ I am sorry that your president, Mr J. J. Marlow, is not here to-night,” Mr Henderson continued, “as I had intended to inquire from him why the St. Kilda Borough Council _ had not given the club more financial assistance. The St. Clair Club has had a substantial grant from the City Council, but even so, it is unable to spend as much money as it would like, tor one thing, it is a scandal that we can pay only £2 10s a week to our beach patrols, whose work demands fitness and involves considerable risk. We would like this year to obtain a much larger grant so that the patrols may be kept on longer, and paid at a rate more in keeping with the services rendered.” He. repeated that the delegation had come to the meeting in a friendly spirit, and, suggested that the club members should be outspoken in putting their case forward. Mr A. Idour said the club members realised that the association wished to help, but they took exception in particular to a statement made at the association’s annual meeting by Mr Gillies. Mr Gillies said he had made the remarks complained of, but had not intended that they should appear in print in the form of a “ slap " at the St. Kilda Club, in justification of what he had said, he would remind the club that it had put a reel- on the beech before it had been painted, and it left reels on the beach, where they were interfered with and the lines were cut by irresponsible persons. Reels had to be properly cared for by keeping them under cover. Mr Dawkins: There is a person present to-night who owes his life to the fact that a reel was kept on the beach. Lines are cut all over New Zealand. The only way to judge a life saving club is by its results, and last season the St. Kilda Club saved 40 lives and lost none. CRITICISM! He went on to say that the Surf Life Saving Association had shown little efficiency last year. It had had only one meeting when it should have had meetings at least once a month. St. Kilda had saved 40 lives, and had received a grant of only £5 from the Borough Council. Apparently those lives were valued at only 2s 6d each. The St. Clair Club had received a great deal of assistance and support, and St. Kilda none, and while the former had had a fine pavilion presented to. it, the latter was housed in what was virtually a cellar, Mr Beadle said all reels should be kept under cover. St. Kilda was entitled to the same representation on the association as St. Clair, but the St. Kilda delegates were notable for

their absence on many occasions. The St. Clair Club was not in such a strong position that it could adopt Mr Dawkins’s scheme of presenting St. Kilda with members. Mr Idour said it was for the club to get its own members. They could not ask St. Clair to supply them as Mr Dawkins had suggested. LITTLE SUPPORT GIVEN. Mr Henderson said that such a suggestion had been considered by the St. Clair Club. “ I think the St. Kilda Council and the Improvement Society have treated you shamefully,” he continued. He understood that the club had given financial assistance to the Improvement Society when the positions should have been reversed. The St. Clair Improvement Society bad been very helpful to the Life Saving Club there, but St. Kilda had been in a very different position. Mr Wootton said the club bad given the St. Kilda Improvement Society £lO, and had been asked to purchase £2O worth of its debentures. None of that money could be recovered. After further discussion on ways and means of building up the resources of the St. Kilda Chib the delegation was thanked for attending the meeting.^

It was agreed to set up a committee to go into the position of the St. Kilda Club generally and then seek the co-operation of the association in carrying out whatever scheme might be adopted. Mr M. Stevenson, who occupied the chair, presented the club’s balance sheet, which showed that the _ club, commencing the year with a debit balance; had completed the term with over £9 in hand.

The report and balance -sheet were adopted without discussion. The following officers were elected: Patron. Mr J. M. Stevenson; president, Mr J..J; Marlow; vice-presidents —Messrs F. Jones, M.P., P. Neilson, M.P., J). C. Bannatync, O. Barsdell, Harrison, T. Wheelwright, C. C. Dawkins, and 0. J. L. White; treasurer, Mr J. V. Tresize; secretary, Mr P. Idour; assistant secretary, Mr I. Shaw ; hon. solicitors, Messrs Irwin and Irwin; hdn. auditor.'Mr W. Low; club captain, Mr M. Bell; deputy-club captain, Mr N. Williams; instructor, Mr R. A. Baker; committee—Messrs M. Bell, J. Robinson. N. Williams, J. Fitzpatrick, R. Harrington, G. O. Wootton, W. Williams, A. Smith; delegates to Royal Life Saving Society, Messrs S. Mason and R. A. Baker.; delegates to Otago Surf Association, Messrs C. C. Dawkins and J. M. Stevenson; delegates to Otago Swimming Centre, Messrs A. Idour and N. Williams.