LEARN TO SWIM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23691, 24 December 1938, Page 16

LEARN TO SWIM

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME Organisation of the National Learn-to-swim Campaign, which is being promoted this summer by the National Committee of Swimming and Life-saving with financial assistance from the Government, is well advanced. The campaign is being organised according to the plan agreed upon by representatives of the major swimming and lifesaving associations at a conference arranged in Wellington recently by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry). Various district committees are responsible for local organisation, and all have reported keen interest on the part of the public in the campaign and a general readiness to cooperate. There has been an enthusiastic response to the appeal for 1000 voluntary instructors, and it is anticipated that this number will be exceeded. Members of swimming and life-saving clubs especially have entered into the spirit of the campaign. The general secretary of the National Committee (Mr N. A. Ingram, of Wellington) is at present making a Dominion tour with the object of co-ordinating local efforts. A visit was recently made to Dunedin and Christchurch by the chairman, Mr P. Coira, of Wellington, who expressed himself as being well satisfied with progress. An organising tour in Auckland province has also been undertaken by Mr W. O. Stockley, of Auckland. In addition to the classes conducted by instructors, swimming will be taught by means of 400,000 instruction pamphlets issued to school children throughout the Dominion and to adults also. A quantity of films will be made for screening in schools, and recordings will be prepared of talks by prominent swimming coaches. A standard system of teaching swimming was drawn up at a conference of the most experienced New Zealand coaches, held in Wellington a fortnight ago. Six of these coaches will tour various parts of the Dominion next month for the purpose of explaining the system to the voluntary instructors. The teaching of swimming is not the only object of the National Committee. Water safety has been given its close attention, and it proposes vigorous efforts for educating bathers in means of safeguarding their lives. Demonstrations by surf life-saving teams form part of this section of its activities. The period of the campaign is from November 1 until March 31. February is the month chosen for concerted effort, and plans are directed toward having the bulk of instruction given then.