Serving the Interests Of the Motoring Public

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 245, 16 October 1940, Page 3

Serving the Interests Of the Motoring Public

REFRESHER COURSE FOR PATROLS To the motoring public the familiar uniformed A.A. patrol is an encyclopaedia of motoring knowledge. Throughout New Zealand these A.A. patrols are to I>e seen on the highways and byways ever ready to give service to the motorist and the service they offer is as extensive as it is valuable. Maintained out of the membership fees subscribed by members of Automobile Associations, Ihe patrols have to fulfill efficiency tests before they can bo considered as suitable for the exacting duties they have to perform. Recently the Feilding district patrol, Mr. K. Wilton, proceeded to Auckland for the purpose of attending the annual refresher coi/rse for A.A. patrols which is arranged by the Automobile Association (Auckland) each year. This course occupies a week and commenced on October 7. There was an attendance of 23 patrols including three from the Automobile Association (Wanganui). The business programme of the courst Commenced with a talk on school lectures and touring by Mr. Champtaloup, the Auckland Association’s touring manager, and some idea of the extent of the course may be gathered from the following subjects dealt with: School children safety patrol system, safetyfirst, engineering and mechanical, life saving and resuscitation, first aid, clorical work, insurance and a talk of points about the valuable work rendered on behalf of motorists by Automobile Associations. Particular attention aud stress was accorded the talk on life saving which was given by Mr. Allan Gardner, lecturer for the Royal Life •Saving Society. A knowledge of methods of resuscitation was stressed as being of the utmost value to patrols who, as qualified to render first aid, niay be called upon to apply resuscitation. Mr. Gardner demonstrated in the course of a very interesting lecture and tho patrols profited by this feature of tho refresher course. The opportunity was taken also to impress on patrols the value of school safety patrols, fn this connection the safety first campaign was taken to the schools where boys and girl 3 were encouraged to play a practical port in instructing the children generally in the exercise of care when crossing roads. To this junior safety volunteers, as they aro called, was given the task of controlling children at busy street crossings when going to and home from school. The movement has started in Auckland and developed rapidly with very encouraging results. Uniform coats are provided for the boys who are also supplied with a pennant which is used for signalling traffic. Pupils arc chosen from tho upper grade classrooms to form a school safety committee and then there is instruction in tho safety code which all are required to learn. Mr. Wilton.came home very much impressed with the practical value of this instruction to children and he. intends to tako it. up in Feilding where there is evident need for the children to have some guidance to bring home to them the dangers of tho roads to-day. A very profitable round the table talk and exchange of ideas took place duriug tho course when patrols had tho opportunity of comparing noies and generally checking up on the wide range of their duties to the motoring public.