"LEARN-TO-SWIM" CAMPAIGN

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 144, 10 February 1939, Page 4

"LEARN-TO-SWIM" CAMPAIGN

NOW IN FULL SWING Special to News. WELLINGTON, this day. The national “Learn-to-swim” campaign promoted by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association in conjunction with the New- Zealand Surf Life-saving Association and the Royal Life-saving Society has now commenced in earnest. Throughout New Zealand, wherever suitable bathing facilities exist and swimming or life-saving clubs operate, instruction will be given to children and adults by members of these clubs and other volunteers. So far as schools arc concerned, swimming lessons will mainly be conducted by teachers. 'Fhe most extensive of its type yet hold, the campaign has been supported by the Government through the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. K. Barry. Hundreds of swimmers have volunteered their services as instructors, their eagerness to co-oper-ate expressing the traditional alertness of swimming and life-saving club's to safeguard human life. Nearly 403,000 pamphlets explaining the official method of instruction are being circulated, and films depicting this method are available for exhibition in schools. Arrangements have been made for Education Boards to distribute pamphlets to school children. Officials of the National Committee of Swimming and Lifo.-saving, which is organising the campaign, are confident that, provided the weather is favourable, the campaign will be exceedingly successful. An appeal for the public’s co-opera-tion lias been made by Mr. F. G. Dunn, <>!' Christchurch, president of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. “As the authority controlling swimming in New Zealand,” said Mr. Dunn, “the Association realises that if its ambition to make every New Zealander a swimmer is to be attained, it must- have the full co-operation of all parents and nonswimmers. It therefore appeals to all those who cannot swim, or who have children who cannot swim, to make it their busiwess to get in touch with the secretary of the nearest swimming chib, so that arrangements may be made to provide the necessary instruction, which, of course, will ho entirely! free.

“Instructors have had explained to them hy qualified coaches the simplified method of instruction, adopted for the purposes of the campaign. Finally, the ' Association Avon Id point out that it is quite possible that valuable lives may he saved in the future hy those taught in the present great effort.” The interest of surf life-savers in the campaign was expressed hy the president of the New Zealand Surf Life-saving Association, Mr. P. Coira, who is also chairman of the National Committee of Swimming and Life-saving. “The surf clubs,” said Mr. C'oira, “will do all in their power to fulfil the objects of the campaign. As chairman of the organising committee I must comment oil the wonderful spirit shown hy swimmers and' surfmen alike, and hy others who an* assisting with instruction, especially in country districts. It is the duty of every non-swimmer to learn to swim during February. A .special duty falls upon parents to encourage their children to take lessons.”