LIFE SAVING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 533, 16 August 1932, Page 11

LIFE SAVING.

Scheme to Form N.Z. Surf Association.

POSITION' OF LOCAL BODY

The formation of a New Zealand Surf Association, a step proposed by the Canterbury Surf Association some time ago, but definitely proceeded with by the Wellington surf clubs, was dealt with at a meeting of the Canterbury Association last evening. Mr B. O’Neill, representative of the Wellington Head Centre on the New Zealand Council of the Royal Lite Saving Society, was present and explained the tentative constitution submitted by the body in Wellington. The subject was then discussed in committee and will be further considered at a later stage. Whether or not Canterbury will affiliate with the proposed Dominion body is the question that has to be decided. Some concern was expressed by members at the prospect of the Royal Life Saving Society, a body with which the Surf Association in Christchurch does not see eye to eye in the conduct of surf affairs, having a big share in the control of surf work in the Dominion.

Mr O’Neill said that, though Canterbury had made a tenative move to form a New Zealand Surf Association, Wellington had had the proposal in view for some years. There had certainly been irritation in Canterbury, because it was felt that the R.LS.S. in the first place was not the body to carry out surf work and because it did not possess on its management committees people with the necessary technical knowledge to govern the surf side in a manner most advantageous for the advancement of the work.

The New Zealand Council had agreed to accept the constitution submitted to it from Wellington as a basis for further operations and it had undertaken to relinquish control of all surf work in favour of the new body. Mr W. H. Benson, president of the Canterbury Association, pointed out that under the new proposed constitution the local association would become defunct and the work of the past fifteen years would be handed over to someone else to take credit. Under present arrangements the clubs were perfectly happy, though they had never been antagonistic to the R.L.S.S. as a body.

After Mr O’Neill had dealt further with the subject and had answered several questions, the meeting went into committee for an informal discussion of the proposal as it affected Canterbury.