SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 22444, 15 September 1936, Page 4

SWIMMING

KIWI CLUB'S ACTIVITIES YEAR’S OPERATIONS REVIEWED The annual report of the Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club, to ho presented at the annual meeting on Tuesday night next, states inter alia: — The season has been without doubt one of the most successful in the history of the Kiwi Club, and the tremendous membership increases marked another milestone in the progress of the Kiwi Chib. Standing as it did at 300 at the end of last season, the membership reached the total of 369 active members, making the Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club one of the largest numerically in the Dominion. The junior strength of the club is something on which, the committee and club officials can take great pride, standing at the fine total of 252. Competitively, the season was one of the best in the history of the club, and the success of its representatives in the national championships and at the New Zealand intermediate and junior championship meetings was highly gratifying indeed. Financially, too, the season has been a good one. The success of coaching in the club was fittingly illustrated last season, and the club is deeply indebted to the City Council for the facilities provided by the granting of club hours to carry out this most important phase of the club’s work. Club hours were held from 6 to 7 p.ra. on Tuesdays and 8.45 to 9.45 p.m. on Thursdays, but because of the big accession in membership and the need for further facilities for coaching an extra session had to be sought, and this position was met by the club being granted the use of an hour on Saturdays from 6 to 7 p.m., this session being shared with the Boy Scouts and Boys’ Brigade, to whom, the club is indebted for their co-operation. Special attention was paid to the younger members at the Saturday session as well as on Tuesday _ night, wliich is the main coaching night of the club. The fruits of our efforts in this diirectiion of looking after the : younger members was most - markedly apparent during the season, for intermediate and junior members of the club were prominent at all the carnivals that were held, and the support accorded by them at the club’s own special intermediate and junior carnival was most gratifying. The club had a most successful year at water polo, the A team winning the A grade competition and the Donald Stuart Banner for the first time, while the B team filled the position of run-ner-up in the B grade competition, a play-off with the Dunedin Club being necessary to decide the winner of this competition. The success of the teams and the enthusiasm shown by the players may be attributed in a very large measure to the efforts of the coach, Mr Don Watson, who attended regularly every Thursday night throughout the season, and spared no time or trouble to assist in raising the standard of water polo in the club. M. Taylor captained the Otago A team which won the New Zealand, water polo championship at Dunedin in February, and the club was also represented in the A team by P. E. Mathieson and Reg. Geddes. The club was represented in the Otago B team at the Nfw Zealand water polo championship by D. Shanahan (who captained the team), D. Pickard, and A. Thomas. At the end of the season, Dr William Evans made a very handsome donation to the club, and your committee unanimously decided that this money should be used in the purchase of a trophy to he known at the Dr William Evans Challenge Trophy to be competed for annually. Many New Zealand records, were broken by members of the Kiwi Ciub during the season, and to those who were successful in this direction your club tenders its congratulations. Geoff. Chambers made a special attempt on the 76yds junior boys’ breast stroke record of 58sec, which he established himself earlier in the year, this attack being made on September 23, 1935. Chambers was successful in reducing the record to 56sec, time which was approved by the New Zealand Council Miss Islay Purdie established two ‘ New Zealand records at the New Zealand intermediate and junior championship meeting at Hamilton, her times being 64 4-ssec for 100yds and 2min 50 3-ssec for 220yds, both of which were approved as New Zealand intermediate . records by the council. The club captain, P. E. Mathieson, established two New Zealand back stroke records, his winning tine at the national championships in the 150yds back stroke championship being Imin 42 4-ssec, which was 3seo faster than his-, own New Zealand record. Later he was given an official trial over 100 metres, and returned 71sec unpaced, but owing to the requisite notice of the attempt not being given this could not be given recognition. A little later, however, he lowered the Ne,v Zealand record by covering 100 metres in 72 l-ssec on April 22. The club feels highly honoured that Matlxieson should have been invited to make a tour of Victoria and New South Wales, along with Walter Jarvis, of the St. Chair Club. Mathieson had a wonderfully successful tour, and. actually lowered the Australian record for 220yds back stroke by covering the distance in 2min 38 l-ssec, but owing to a technicality in regard to the starting command not being complied with, the record could not bo recognised. Subsequently, however, Matlieson established a new Australian record for 400 metres back stroke of snin 41 3-ssec set up in Melbourne. He won the New South Wales 110yds back stroke championship in 75sec, and in none of the places at which he apreared was he seriously extended. He missed the Australian 100yds back stroke record on one occasion by l-ssec, doing 66sec in Sydney, and ho also set new Victorian records for 150yds and 200yds back stroke. Despite the strongest efforts on. the part of the Otago Ceitre ; Mathieson was not included in tie New Zealand ■team for the Olympic Cames, and subsequent events indicated that he would have been well placed in the Olympic 100 metres back stroke final. During the season the club hold a parents’ night at the club hour, this being very largely attended. The visitors had an opportunity of witnessing the young members bring coached and special displays were given by the younger members, as well as by prominent and civers in the club.

Subsequently, the parents were entertained at supper by the club committee. A similar function is to be held on October 6 next. Other functions held by the club were two carnivals, a junior and intermediate social, a series of euchre evenings, club picnic, ‘ Star ’-Police carnival, D.I.C. carnival, and the usual series of handicap and championship races throughout the season. The club’s representatives performed with great distinction at the Otago championship meetings, and this was especially the case at the intermediate and junior championships. The club was strongly represented in the Otago teams at both the New Zealand national championships at Dunedin and the New Zealand intermediate and junior championships at Hamilton. At the senior meeting P. E. Mathieson won the national 150yds back stroke title for the second time in the record time of Imin 42 4-ssec, and A. Thomas was second; Reg. Geddes was second in the 220yds national men’s breast stroke championship and also won the 100yds invitation breast stroke scratch race; D. Freeman was third in the national men’s diving championship; Mrs E. C. Isaacs was second in the national ladies’ diving championship; Miss I. Purdie, being still intermediate, did not compete in championship events at the senior meeting, but won the 50yds invitation ladies’ scratch race in 29sec. At Hamilton Miss Purdie won the 100yds New Zealand intermediate girls’ free style title in the New Zealand intermediate record time of 64 4-ssec, which also equalled the New Zealand ladies’ record, and l the 220yds intermediate girls’ free style in the record time of 2min 50 3-ssec. Miss W. Duma was second in the 75yds intermediate girls’ breast stroke championship; Miss Pope won the New Zealand intermediate girls’ diving championship; and G. P. Chambers was second in tlxe New Zealand intermediate boys’ breast stroke championship. To the coaching of the ladies’ captain. Miss M. Boulton, the success of Miss Purdie and Miss Dnnn during the season was due in no small measure. Largely due to the enterprise and energy of Miss M. Boulton and Mr A. Thomas, a new branch of activity was commenced this winter by the formation of a Kiwi Girls’ Basketball Club, teams being entered 1 in the association’s second and fourth grade competitions with a very fair measure of success. The second grade team was fifth in its competition when this report was prepared, and the fourth grade team was sixth. Mr A. B. Armour is the Basketball Club’s president. Miss A. Brown is club captain, and Mr A. Thomas hon. secretary. The club is very proud of the fine performances of M. Passmore, whose remarkable efforts a very short time after having his first lesson have been the subject of reference in Australian and New Zealand papers. At the age of _l2 Passmore, who was unable to swim, entered the baths for the first time on May 13. 1935. and nine days later gained a certificate for 300yds, though he had not been in the water every day during that period. He gained his first certificate on Monday, May 20, when he swam 50yds. Within three weeks of his first appearance at tho baths he had gained five certificates—primary, life-saving, 50yds, 300yds, and half-mile, an accomplishment which it is claimed has not been equalled in Australia or New Zealand. In less than eight months of actual swimming he succeeded in covering the distance of 3 miles 53 l-3yds (160 lengths of the baths). His age at the time was 13 years. Passmore’s instructor from his first lesson and throughout has been Mr A. Grieg.