LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 8 December 1930, Page 3

LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY

EXECUTIVE MEETING

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE TESTS

I A meeting' of the general executSy* |of the Wellington Head Centre of th» Eoyal Life-saving Society was held recently, Mr. G. S. Hill presiding. A deputation from the Primary; Schools' Amateur Swimming Association met the executive to discuss th« conditions of the breast stroke certificate. Mr. Keen (headmaster of Berhainpore School) said it was the desira" !of £he headmasters and staffs to en.; courage swimming and life-saving ii the schools, but owing to their numerous tasks they sometimes , f elf; that they were overworked. He thought; it would meet the position, if a teacher undertook the examinations for the cc» tificafce and the headmaster certifiei that the examination had beeu carried out by a competent teacher and was iK accordance with the regulations lai# down by the Boyal Life-saving Society Mr. H. B. Fisher said, the,. Primary Schools' Association desired to assist the Life-saving society as much as pos» sible, and endorsed the views expressed by Mr. Keen.

Mr, Barry (headmaster of the Newtowri' School) said that the suggestion offered by Mr. Keen was carried oat by the swimming centre in regard to swimming certificates and if the Lifesaving Society agreed to these eondfc. tions, he felt sure teachers would do their best to help scholars to secure the certificates. The following resolution, was then unanimously approved by tba executive committee: "That the headmaster of the school concerned in th«l procuration of the breast stroke certificate be empowered to endorse the application for the issue of the certificates to the effect that the examinations had been carried out by a qualified examiner and in accordance -with the rules of the Eoyal Life-saving Society, and further that in the event of the headmaster not being able to secure thai services of competent examiners front his teaching staff, the services of exam' iuers of the Life-saving Society, be secured."

The secretary informed the .executive that the Nelson Shield competition, had been set down for a Friday at Wangs - uui. Strong exception was taken to holding the competition on such a da.r, as it was considered that Friday was recognised as a shopping day and that the people would not go to the beach to see a competition. Several members expressed the view that'the life-saving! competition had been forced into tKff background in favour of the swimming events. Objection, was also taken, ttf the holding of the race for the Aimetja Kellerman Cup (three miles) on tie1 Saturday afternoon when do doubt some of the competitors in the raca would have to compete in. the champion? ship events in the evening. . \ Strong exception was also taken to. the general arrangements made, and. the secretary was instructed to write to the Wanganui Head Centre and. the Dominion Council on the matter add to circularise the other head centres in. the Dominion. It was.considered that the Nelson Shield should be. held on: either a Saturday or a Sunday. The latter day was preferred, as every eeetioa of the community recognised that life-saving displays were not merely', sporting: events, but mamfesta^pns tfc .£]}« effieianrar o£ the tgptns t& *^^^'