SAFEGUARDING BEACHES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 11

SAFEGUARDING BEACHES

LIFE-SAVING IN TARANAKI

HEAD CENTRE REVIEWS SEASON. OPERATIONS DURING PAST YEAR. The report of the Taranaki head centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society, to be presented to the annual meeting in New Plymouth on Alonday, is as follows: — During the year 320 regular awards had been gained: Elementary 81, proficiency 132, bronze medallions 79, lion, instructors 11, teachers’ certificates 6, award merit 11; total 320. The Wigram Shield competition was won by Wanganui, with Taranaki second. This was a competition between the head centres on a basis of points for awards per thousand of population, and was controlled by the New Zealand Council of the R.L.S.S. The awards counted were from Alay 31, 1929, to -May 31, 1930, and hence were not necessarily the’same- as- those' appearing elsewhere in the Taranaki, centre’s report, as issued from July 31, 1929, to July 31, 1930. Head Total Total Points per Centre . awards, points, thousand. VYanganui 609 1880 26.01 Taranaki 320« 1111. 17.91 Wellington ...-•767 2801 11.07 Canterbury ..■ 662 25594 9.62 The Tabor Shield competition was.held at Opunake, and owing to the keen interest taken in life-saving work in that district there was an attendance of about 2000 spectators, the largest seen at any competition run by thh centre. The competition was held early in the afternoon after the preliminary march past of all competing teams. Opunako aga,in won, defeating East End by a small margin of lOij points.yEast Eud deserved great credit, as the team comprised very young swimmers. . In the pennant competition the judges pronounced New Plymouth Boys’ High School team the neatest and most proficient. The school’s water work gave them a margin of points over Old Boys, the runners-up. The result, of ,thee competition : was: High School. A. Old >Bpys; 1294, Fitzroy B 122. : , ; OPUNAIvE EFEICIENT. ' During the year Taranaki was represented at the New Zealand surf championships for the Nelson Shield by the Opunake Surf Club. The centre extended congratulations to tile club for maintaining such a high standard in life-saving as to have a team capable of representing- Taranaki at; the j New: surf 'championships.' '' The Brodie ClTp*Xvas' far competition by all the forms of the New Plymouth Girls’ High School, who were required to go through all’ methods of release, «escue,- and land drill as demanded in the society’s handbook’. The winning team y/aS Form 3c, captained by Alonica Joyce. Aliss O. J. Taylor was congratulated. upon the thoroughness of the training. . Demonstrations had been given by the East End Club ■ during the season, .not' only on ■ii’s-’owii 1 beach/ but? 'alsb ’ atWaitara. and’. Urenui." The i cefttf’e > was 1 indebted to all who' had‘ taken part in it. ,»•'? ... ~

The centre had concentrated more than it had ev6r done before in seeing that every beach under its control had been adequately provided with the necessary equipment, with the result that from Opunake to Urenui every beach where bathing took place, proper equipment had been provided. The following is a detailed list of equipment on each beach: —Opunake, 1 reel, belt and rope; Oakura, 1 reel, belt and rope;.. Paritutu 1, 1 reel, -belt and rope; Pari? tutu 2, 1 reel, belt, rope-and shed; Nga- 1 motu, 1 reel, belt and rope; East End; 2 reels, belt and rope; Strandon, 1 reel, belt, rope and shed; Beach Street, 1 reel, belt and rope; Waitara, 1 reel, belt ahd rope; Urenui, 1 reel, belt and rope. It would be understood that the supplying and erection of reels and sheds on the beaches had been a severe drain on the centre’s finances, and as the centre had a considerable amount of work to ’ do in the coming season a special endeavour would have to be ma,de to augment the centre’s funds. TRAINING IN SCHOOLS. ’’J It was estimated, that an average of 150 lives were lost by-drowning in the Dominion each year, and though the average had been substantially reduced since the inception "of the life-saving movement these figures showed the vital necessity for further education iu such matters. The centre trusted, therefore, that the keen interest in life-saving shown in many parts of its territory would continue to extend until it embraced the whole province. With this object in view the centre was concentrating 011 the school children, because very fine work was being done in some schools at present. The centre acknowledged the enthusiasm shown in the society’s work by the principals of both primary and secondary schools. Mr. F. W. Roydliouse, physical instructor to the Education Department, Wanganui district, was visiting the various primary schools in the district instructing pupils in land drill and resuscitation. The latter applied to electric shocks, as wel las to drowning. The land drill was taught between seasons; the water work could then, where facilities existed, be carried on during the coming season. Mr. Roydliousc was a. | member of the Wanganui Centre and an enthusiastic life-saving expert. .His work in the district would stimulate in-tere.-.t. The credit of the centre shown on the balance-sheet was £35. The centre had been at a big expense supplying and, erecting sheds and reels on beaches in and around New Plymouth. Further, the annual Government grant had been withdrawn. These were the reasons why the finances were so depleted.