PHYSICAL WELFARE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 24, 14 November 1944, Page 3

PHYSICAL WELFARE

LEADERS FOR CHURCH GROUPS "A very pleasant development in tlic national field of physical welfare and recreation is the. increasing willingness of church organisations to take advantage of the assistance offered by the Department of Internal Affairs in the planning of suitable recreational jDrogrammcs for their young folk and in the training of leaders for physical recreation activities," slates the Minister, the Hon. W. E. Parry. "This progress is in accordancc with the assurance given to a deputation of the Inter-<clmrch Council that the Department's officers would be glad to co-operate with the leaders of the churches' youth movements." "During the past six months G3 church organisations have, asked the Department's officers lor instructional help which has been readily given. The result is that 540 leaders have been trained or are under training for .church groups and the benefits of this coaching will go to a large number of young folk throughout the Dominion. This service of the officers already runs to more than 1000 hours ■ despite shortage of start' depicted by the war.'' It. is mentioned that on a membership basis the leading participants in the Department's service are: Combined church organisations 41 per cent: Catholic 26; Anglican 11; Presbyterian 8; Methodist 6%; Baptist Usually the training course for the leaders who arc chosen by the church is of 100 hours spread over a period. I'n addition to theory and practice of physical welfare and the course is concerned with methods of organisation and personal qualifications for leadership. Finally the trainees arc tested in an examination and those who have reached a!' satisfactory standard receive the Government Recreation Leaders' Certificate. They are then ready for duty with their local organisations. The Department's officers continue to be available for consultation in regard to programmes or other matters and for the arrangement of suitable refresher courses for improvement of leadership . "This helps for the church groups fits in with the departmental officers' leader-training activities for other organisations'' concludes Mr Parry. "In the near future I shall be reviewing the whole question of developing an adequate service for all sections/ of the community. The big ideal is the widest, possible cooperation of enthusiastic voluntary leaders with the" departmental staff which will be increased to the extent required when the conditions become favourable."