Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-07-30
General Superintendent Thor.
mann Tells Local Members Of
the Work and Its Scope.
OVER 10000 IN SERVICE
An Appropriation and a State
headquarters are Needed, He
Says, In New Jersey.
COMPLIMENTS CAPT, BAYARD
The Auxiliary is Also Touched Upon
and Its Opportunities Described
Local Corps Numbers 26.

At a meeting of the local branch
OF the United States Volunteer Life
Saving Corps at Bayard's s Beach, last
night, General Superintendent George
A. Thormann, of New York, was
present and gave an interesting lee-
ture on the organization.
Mr.. Thormann said that life saving
was first started in Holland in 1760.
In 1774 the Royal Humane Society
in England took up the work, and
in 1891 the Royal Life Saving Soefe-
ty was established In England and
did much good
From that time the progress in the
life saving line was rapid and few
years later the United States Volun-
teer Life Saving Corps was organized
as national body in this country.
There are corps in New York, New
Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,.
Connecticut, California, Georgia,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland
and District of Columbia, a total
membership Of $4,000. New York
appropriates $4,000 annually for
the maintenance OF the corps, but
Mr.. Thormann said New Jersey, as
state, does not aid the work.
The organization through Neh
Jersey, however, is extensive and In
all probability a bill will be intro
duced at the next session of the legfs-
lature relative to the matter In
that case, after the bill providing for
an appropriation was passed, the
corps in this state would have a state
headquarters. -
'The duties of the cofpS. a
Mr.. Thormann, are to rescue the
drowning, aid the injured, act as a
safeguard to the public and teach
swimming The members are re-
warded for their bravery and an
other of its good features Is that It
encourages unselfishness.
Unquestionably, the work of life
saving on inland waters must, sooner
or later, receive the unanimous sup
port Of all It's work is broad and
far-reaehing and the organization
will soon be one of the greatest in
the country"
Mr.. Thormann said that attention
should be paid to proper organiza-
tion and discipline and that activity
on the part of the members of the
local corps would bring about good
results. New rules have been made
and as the local corps has but twen-
ty-six members it is only a sub
division. To be a full division the
membership must be increased to
forty-five.
The newly-organized auxiliary
corps were present and were spoken
to by Mr.. Thormann, who said that
they We're valuable branch. of the
work
az tbtni, vo, ba,,o - s,i1at,t
captain in Mr.. Bayard," said
speaker, "and under his guidanceSf
hope to see the local corps progress
and some day own a house, boat and
all the necessary apparatus Of q first
class division"
Mr. Thormann said that J. Van
Pelt was vice commodore of this
division and that it Is his duties to
see that the rules and regulations,
general and specific orders, are en-
forced throughout his sub-district.
Mr.. Van Pelt was not present and as
Mr.. Thormann stated that he had not
been very active here and successor
may be appointed.
The address lasted over an hour
and after he had concluded Mr..
answered a number OF
questions. He was given hearty ap-
plause and before leaving shook
hands with those present. Not a de-
tail was omitted by Mr.. Thormann,
and one thing that he laid stress on
was that the local corps should be-
come active and follow the rules.
A meeting of the local corps will
be held shortly and a reorganization
effected as none of the present Off
GERS have received their commissions
from headquarters. A member OF
the corps will also call on a number
of citizens and ask them to donate
small sums to further the work. The
when donated, is not handled
by the solicitor, but is sent direct to
the New York office.