SWIMMING

Southland Times, Issue 21197, 25 September 1930, Page 8

SWIMMING

ORETI SURF CLUB. FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. The approach of the swimming season was heralded last evening when the first annual meeting of the Oreti Surf and LifeSaving Club was held. The president, Mr R. M. Strang, was in the chair, and there was a gratifying attendance of members. The annual report stated: For the first season of a new club, the members can congratulate themselves on having made it a very successful one. The committee wishes to congratulate the members who have gained their bronze medallions and awards of merit, and also Mr H. Giller who gained his honorary instructor’s certificate. At the beginning of the season, the City Council granted the club the use of an area of land at the Oreti Beach, and the Oreti Beach Association kindly erected a hut and a look-out station. The hut up to the present has proved satisfactory, but with the growing membership, the club is in need of a more commodious club-house, Mr E. R. Wilson, the club’s patron, has already drawn up the plans for a new building. The erection of this will be the biggest obstacle the club will have to face in the future and it is evident that every member will have to give his greatest assistance to furthering this object. Throughout the summer months, the members of the club were in attendance at the beach every Saturday afternoon and Sunday. It was decided to patrol half a mile of beach, and a course of quarter of a mile on either side of the road was marked off and people advised to bathe within those limits. The club gave a demonstration run-out every Sunday afternoon, and on three occasions a collection was taken up which resulted in £4 5/6 being added to the funds. At a swimming carnival at the Municipal Baths on June 4, a team gave a demonstration with the reel, and Mr A. J. Kingsland explained the working of the team in action to give the public an idea of the position and duties of each member in a practical demonstration. By the end of the season the membership had grown to 18 members and one junior member, and for next season we should have our full quota of thirty members. By means of donations collected by the members and £5 granted by the Invercargill City Council, the club was able to purchase a new reel, made in Wellington, for £2O. Mr J. B. Thomson kindly donated a Stretcher and a medicine chest was anonymously given to the club, so that now it is furnished with up-to-date equipment. The club now possesses two reels, and the members will be able to use the old one for practice and keep the other for demonstrations. The members of the club have been instrumental in checking outbreaks of fire in the marram grass, and the council has left the club in charge of several beaters in case of emergency; but although in the past members have extinguished several tires the club cannot be expected to do so whenever they occur, as their first duty is to safeguard the beach. The present clubhouse and lookout have been painted, and the club-house has had spouting put on the roof, and a tub attached for a water supply. Thanks to the members,' the club is in a good financial position and one of the biggest items of expenditure, the cost of the new. reel, will not have to be repeated for some years, so that the prospects of the club, from a financial point of view, arc very bright for the coming season, if the receipts can be made to equal those of last season. The committee hopes that with further service, and a larger membership, the club will become an invaluable asset to the beach.

In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, the chairman said he wished to congratulate the club on the season just closed. Undoubtedly it was capable of giving service to the public. As years went on people would use the beach more and it was necessary to have a competent body of swimmers in readiness to give help. The club possessed the equipment and the swimmers for the work. It was necessary, however, to have a commodious club-house at the beach, where any person in need of assistance could be taken’ and it was necessary also to have the members decently housed. That was not in any way deprecating the house erected by the Oreti Beach Association. For the purpose of erecting the house Mr E. R. Wilson and himself intended to approach various trade associations in the town. The members deserved congratulation for the manner m which they had set out to help themselves. •

The motion was seconded by' Mr A. J. Kingsland and carried unanimously. Office-bearers for the ensuing year were elected as follows:—Patron, Mr E. R. Wilson (re-elected) ; president, Mr R. m' Strang (re-elected); vice-presidents, Messrs J. D. Campbell, C. L. Grange, J. Kingsland,

J. Wilson, F. T. Blick, A. G. Weavers, F. G. O’Beirne, T. Boyce, A. E. Broad, J. H. Tapper, J. Colquhoun and Dr. Stanley Brown; hon. examiner, Mrs F. Scotten; hon. instructor, Mr J. E. Salisbury; club captain, Mr A. J. Kingsland; club deputycaptain, Mr J. Dobbie; hon. treasurer, Mr J. McNeilage; hon. secretary, Mr K. Broad (re-elected) ; hon. auditor, Mr J. Officer; delegates to Southland Swimming Centre, Messrs J. Wilson, K. Broad, and E. Foster; delegates to Royal Life Saving Society, Messrs R. Tuck and R. Calder; committee, Messrs J. E. Salisbury, G. Rask, N. Kidd, E. Gumbley and IV. T. Springford. It. was decided to refer the matter of. purchasing a car to transport members to the beach to the committee.