SWIMMING CENTRE

Evening Star, Issue 22144, 26 September 1935, Page 4

SWIMMING CENTRE

CARNIVAL ARRANGEMENTS The Otago Swimming Centro met last night, there being present Messrs S. Brown (in tho chair), D. Thomson, C. J. Leeden, A. Findlay, D. C. Bannatyne, J. 0. Byrnes, W. Williams, E. H, James, E. Sonntag, J. M‘Taggart, D. T. Woodfield, and E. C. Isaacs’ (secretary). “LEARN TO SWIM WEEK.” The Town Clerk advised that it had been agreed by the City Council to assist the centre as i,n previous years in the matter of preparing and forwarding , circulars in connection with “Learn to Swim Week,” from November 4 to November 9. Tho City .Council at its last meeing also decided to make the centre a grant of £l,O towards the expenditure that would be involved in the effort. The centre had also been granted the free use of the Baths for the purpose of the swimming carnival with- which the “ Learn to Swim Week ” concluded. KIWI CLUB FIXTURES. _ Tho Kiwi Club applied for permission to stage the ‘ Star ’-Police carnival at its club hour on Thursday, November 14, the club’s annual carnival on Tuesday, January 14, and the club’s annual harbour swim on Saturday, January . 18.—The application was granted, subject to the programme for the club’s carnival being approved. SCHOOLS’ RELAY. The secretary of the Primary Schools Sports Association (Mr J. M. Briggs) wrote stating that at tho last meeting of his executive it was decided to co-operate with the centre in staging a primary schools event at the New Zealand championships, as suggested by the centre. It was also decided to recommend to tho centre that the event be a mixed relay for children under 14 years of age. It was decided to adopt the recommendation of the Schools Sports Association. CHAMBERS’S RECORD. Tho Chairman expressed the pleasure of centre members at the successful attack made by G. P. Chambers, of the Kiwi Club, on his own New Zealand junior boys’ 75yds breast stroke record of 58sec, which he had reduced to 56sec. Mr Brown also congratulated Mr A. Greig on the successful results of his efforts in coaching Chambers. It was decided to write to Chambers congratulating him on the success of his attempt on the record, and also to send a letter of appreciation to Mr Greig. OTAGO RUGBY SUCCESS. Mr Brown expressed the centre’s pleasure at the fine performance of the Otago Rugby team in winning the Ranfurly Shield, and on the motion of Mr Woodfield it was decided to send a letter of congratulation to the team through the Otago Rugby Union. Mr D. C. Bannatyno was appointed to officially represent the centre at the civic reception being tendered the team to-night. GENERAL. It was decided to include a canoetilting contest on the programme of the Labour Night carnival on October 28, and to invite the St. Clair Life Saving Club to stage the event. The City Council advised that it had granted the centre its usual water polo and training hour from 8.45 to 9.45 on Tuesday nights, and it was decided to hold tho first representative practice of players next Tuesday night. THE YEAR’S ACTIVITIES. The annual report of the centre, which will be presented at the annual meeting to be held on Monday, October 7, states:— The year under review was the most successful in the center’s history, both as regards the progress made by the sport and the great success scored by Otago in the New Zealand championship competition. During the season four new clubs were affiliated, the Toko, and Cromwell Amateur Swimming Clubs’ affiliations being approved by the New Zealand Council early in the season, while the Balclutha and Roxburgh Amateur Swimming Clubs were affiliated a little later. Application for affiliation was also made by the Wanaka Amateur Swimming Club, which possesses some very keen officials, but its affiliation has yet to be confirmed. This club and tho Lawrence Amateur Swimming Club are at present awaiting affiliation, which will bring the number of clubs in Otago to 16, while the swimmers attached to the affiliated clubs number in the vicinity of 2,000, which, of course, is easily a record for Otago, and makes this centre one of the largest in the Dominion. With so much activity promised during the coming season the centre confidently expects to see a still further increase in the number of swimmers taking part in the sport, and the problem to be faced in the near future will be that of increased baths’ accommodation. The highlights of the season were the tour by the Australians, organised by the centre, Otago’s success m winning the War Memorial Shield at the intermediate and junior championships at Tiraaru, the fine_ showing made by the Otago team, which was runner-up for tho Yaldhurst Shield at the national championships at Audkland, the number of New Zealand records broken by Otago swimmers, and tho exceptionally largo number of carnivals staged during the season by the centre, clubs, and various regatta committees.

_ After dealing at length with the activities of. the past season, the report goes on to state:— “ The annual 4 Learn to Swim Week ’ was conducted by the centre from November 5 to November 10 at the Municipal Baths, while the Zenith Club cooperated by holding classes at the Y.M.C.A. Baths. It is proposed this year to assemble all of the instructors from the clubs who offer their services a fortnight before the campaign so that n definite rota may bo arranged. The is greatly indebted to the City for its assistance last year and again in regard to the forthcoming effort to be held from November 4 to November 9. The Toko, Club, showing great enterprise in the first season of its existence, held a ‘ Learn to Swim ’ campaign from November 26 to November 29.”

After two years of negotiation the tour of the South Island by the Australian'swimming champion and Australian diving champion was brought to fruition by the centre during the season. The team was to have comprised Mr Dudley Hellmrich (secretary of the New South Wales Amateur Swimming

Association) as manager and coach, Reg. Clark (Australian Empire Games representative, 100yds back stroke champion ot Australia, and also one of the foremost tree-style swimmers in Australia), and Harry Tickle (high divine champion of Australia and runnerup 0 in the Australian springboard championship). Unfortunately, at the last minue illness in the family prevented Mr Hellmrich from making the trip. Everywhere they went the Australians made a wonderful impression by their fine sportsmanship, and by their efforts to make a success of the carnivals. A high standard of swimming was shown at both the Otago intermediate and junior championship carnival on December 12, and at the senior championships on January 31. The times in the men’s events were generally very good but competition among the ladies was rather limited, and the times suffered accordingly. The centre was represented at the New Zealand intermediate and junior swimming championships at Timaru by one of the strongest teams it has ever sent to this meeting. With no fewer than seven wins, the Otago team was successful in winning the War Memorial Shield, with Auckland as runnersup, Otago’s team to the national championships at Auckland was small, but it was the most successful senior combination that has ever gone from Dunedin, and finished ns runners-up to Auckland for the Yaldhurst Shield, every competitor contributing points. During the season several New Zealand records were broken, by Otago swimmers, P. E. Mathieson, of the Kiwi Club, shattering no fewer than three, one of them twice. G. P. Chambers of the Kiwi Club, who was in his first season of competition, lowered the 75yds junior boys’ breast stroke record of 69 3-ssec (previously held by Reg. Geddes) to 59' l-ssec on January 16 and on May 11 lie reduced it further to 58see. Owing to an unfortunate misundertsanding it was announced that Miss W. Dunn, an intermediate member of the Kiwi CIII9, bad established a New Zealand ladies 100 metres breast stroke record of Imin 39 3-ssec, but, good though this performance was, the record had previously been broken by Miss J. Webster, of Auckland. However, Miss Dunn s time stands as tin Otago record, and has never been beaten by an intermediate swimmer. , The centre has never hesitated to impress upon the authorities the big part the swimming clubs are playing in encouraging and popularising the sport of swimming, and that the City Council is sympathetic toward us has been shown in various ways during ,the past year. The most important innovation, of course, was the provision of club rooms at the baths for the uso of the centre and clubs. Thanks are due to the council for its decision to repair the seating at the baths, which should be a boon in view of the number of important fixtures arranged for this season. The centre was also granted an hour for water polo at the baths each week. The centre has pleasure in reporting that it was successful in its application for the 1936 New Zealand national championships, and these are to he held in Dunedin on February 15, 1/, 18, An innovation this year is the holding of a country clubs’ conference on the day of the annual meeting, as is also the proposal to conduct a country clubs’ championship meeting annually at one or other of the country towns. The suggestion came from the Toko. Club originally, and it is proposed that the first meeting be held at Milton. During the season swimming suffered severe loss by the deaths of some prominent supporters of the sport, among them being Miss Olive Crowley, who won the Otago ladies’ diving championship on one occasion, and was a competitor at most carnivals. Mr P. T. Ruston and Mr E. L. Macassey, who passed away within a few weeks of each other, were both staunch supporters ot swimming.