WOMEN’S SWIMMING

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1935, Page 12

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

MEN BLAMED FOR DECLINE

VIEWS OF. CORRESPONDENT

(By

“Beltman.”)

In connection with women’s swimming at New .'Plymouth “Beltman” has received the following letter from a correspondent of the Daily News:— From an article that appeared in your paper recently I understand that men’s swimming clubs at New Plymouth, or at least sections of them large enough ;. to gain attention for their opinions, are anxious to exclude women from membership. The reason for this movement I cannot definitely decide but I consider that if it is successful the clubs in this town, and the New Plymouth club in particular, are failing to carry . out promises made by them on previous occasions.

Some six years ago the New Plymouth men’s club asked the New Plymouth ladies’ life-saving . club to amalgamate ■with it. Then a flourishing organisation the life-saving club, through its president, Miss E. L. Dowling, refused to merge its identity in a combined body and decided to carry on as it had in the past. At that time there was a group of extremely competent women swimmers in the town and they must 'have seemed desirable acquisitions to ■the men. In any case the Fitzroy and 'New Plymouth clubs launched a vigorous drive to enlist women members. With promises of coaching and a full club life they approached all women interested in the sport and their efforts

were successful. The number of women members increased to a surprising ex- < tent and the old-established life-saving club suffered in consequence. « # « » Of course the men did not entirely absorb the women’s club. There were a certain number who joined the mixed blub to participate in social activities rather than to swim. And there were a few like Miss Bessie Gay ton who loyally stood by the women’s' club. It became seriously weakened, however, and began to cater for life-saving more than the average swimmer likes. Miss Gaytoh was appointed centre secretary and soon after when the life-saving club was almost defunct and was certainly moribund, she joined the mixed club.

If the promises by which the men won their membership at that time had been fulfilled we would not now find such a dearth of competent women swimmers at New Plymouth as there undoubtedly is at present. But the men, having forced the women's club out of existence, made no attempt to bring on their newly acquired members. Now they are evidently tired of them and wish to exclude them altogether. If in the first place they had kept their pledges, even though these were informal and verbal, they would have built up a strong body of supporters who would have been invaluable both in actual club activities and in providing draw 'cards at carnivals. As it is they have allowed the standard of women’s swimming to drop until it is no longer interesting even to them. I do not think that New Plymouth can support more than one senior women’s club and not even one if the men are attracting a certain number of enthusiasts. Though 'probably the personnel of the men’s committees has changed completely in the last six yeais, the clubs should surely try to maintain uniformity of policy from year to yean They should consider whether they have fulfilled their obligations and whether the somewhat lamentable state of women’s swimming in the town to-day is not in large measure due to them.