INSTRUCTION IN SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 23725, 5 November 1940, Page 2

INSTRUCTION IN SWIMMING

MEN m MILITARY GAMPS The desirability of swimming instruction being arranged for men in military camps was the subject of a remit by the Otago Swimming Centre to the annual conference of centres, which was held in Wellington last week and which appointed a subcommittee to go into the matter, the subcommittee bringing down a recommendation that the council should make immediate representations to the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Manpower, requesting that steps bo taken to provide swimming instruction for all men in the military and air forces. It was recommended that the council should stress the following points;— _ (1) That the military authorities be impressed with the urgent necessity of ensuring that every man in training, whether for overseas service or home defence, had some ability to swim or support himself in the water; (2) that they make the fullest use of swimming facilities where such existed in the neighbourhood of military camps; (3) that they take immediate steps to install suitable facilities in all military camps, first importance being given to instruction pools, and in addition recreation pools to be installed, it being recommended that stress should be placed on the advisability of an even water depth of not more than sft, the suggested dimensions being 100 ft by 33ift; (4) that suitable trained instructors be drawn from the ranks of the trainees, or that permanent instruction groups be drawn from men turned down as unfit for service overseas, it being recommended that such men receive a short course of instruction in the modern method of class instruction from competent swimming instructors; (5) that the N.Z.A.S.A. offers its fullest support and co-operation in bringing such a scheme into operation, the hope being expressed that the authorities would make the fullest use of its ability to advise ou the installation of facilities and tho provision of sound instruction ; (6) that the N.Z.A.S.A. fully endorsed the representations of the Royal Life Saving Society with regard to resuscitation and life saving. # The report came before last night’s meeting of tho Otago Centre, tlie chairman (Mr \v? A. Jenkins) stating that it was tho outcome of the Otago remit. Everyone at the conference recognised that something should be done • concernin'' instruction for soldiers who could not swim. Mr Jenkins said that it. had been the experience in most centres that the military authorities did not have the time in their training syllabus for regular swimming instruction, but it was hoped to improve this position as tho result of tho representations to the Government.