LIFE-SAVING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1000, 17 June 1930, Page 14

LIFE-SAVING

ORGANISATION ADJUSTING CONSTITUTION AUCKLAND MOVEMENT While the Auckland Swimming Centre was quarrelling last evening, 15 life-saving enthusiasts were occupied in repairing the organisation of the Auckland head centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society, whose leading officials recently resigned. It was the first meeting since the division which lost the society its officers, and Mr. R. Smith, who occupied the chair, found that the minutes of several previous meetings had not been confirmed. These omissions were corrected on the vote of those present who had attended the meetings immediately prior to the division in the society. The secretary to the Wellington head centre, Mr. N. A. Ingram, was called upon to address the meeting on the methods practised in Wellington, where life-saving organisation was extremely strong. Mr. Ingram spoke of the improved competition rules introduced by Wellington and the methods of fostering interest in life-saving work in the schools. Mr. Ingram left with the meeting a copy of Wellington’s constitution—it being found that Auckland had previously been operating without a constitution —and a subcommittee was appointed to report to the centre on the rules to be employed in the future. Mr. Ingram said there was no reason for Auckland’s not being the leading life-saving centre of New Zealand. The talent in New Zealand’s largest centre was excellent, and the beach facilities were abundant.

Mr. Smith appealed to the meeting to strive to place the centre on a sound basis. Unless that were done, he would not venture to say what would happen. Mr. A. B. Coleman remarked on the progress of life-saving in Auckland in the past decade, saying the ground work had been largely due to the enthusiasm of the surf clubs. The secretary, Mr. J. Langlev, read a letter from the Canterbury head centre asking for support in approaching the International Federation of Amateur Swimming to have paid beach patrolmen eligible in amateur competitions. It was contended that payment for service where a patrolmen actually risked his life was completely different from the acceptance of money in competitions. The Auckland Society agreed to sympathise with Canterbury s opinion, but it could not support the proposal. On the motion of Mr. Coleman, it was agred to apply for the holding of the New Zealand surf and life-saving championships at Auckland next February.