HONOUR KING-PIN OF WHANG ARE l SWIMMING

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1948, Page 3

HONOUR KING-PIN OF WHANG ARE l SWIMMING

“I DO look forward to that day when Whangarei will have its own municipal swimming baths.” The Mayor of Whangarei (Mr W. Jones) said this at a complimentary social night for Mr G. S. Reid, retired president of the Whangarei Amateur Swimming Club.

“This town is going ahead,” said Mr Jones, “and the construction of baths will lie entirely with the people. "If the people want new swimming baths, then we officials will see they get them.” Referring to Mr Reid, Mr Jones said: “Whangarei could not have had a more enthusiastic swimming teacher.

Northland, has been the king-pin o Whangarei swimming.”

Mf Jones then presented Mr Reid with two armchairs, on behalf of the club.

Replying, Mr Reid said that any baths which were built in Whangarei should be tepid and should have a filtration system.

“Before we had obtained even the school baths, Mr Reid was teaching our young people to swim.

“I have had older people, even up to the age of 60, approaching me for instruetion,” he said.

“This kind of teaching is a most .mportant thing in a child’s education. "Every now and then we read of loss of life in the water, whereas if the victims had been taught to swim competently they might still be with us. "Mr Reid, who was official coach jor

“More such people would be eager to swim if we had tepid baths.' Mr Reid said that he derived great pleasure from instruction. “I would go hundreds of miles to teach swimming,” ho said.

Mr Reid then expressed his thanks to the club ior the presentation.