Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24
BOYS ARE URGED
TO LEARN TO SWIM
Star, Y. M. c. A. and Red
Cross Sponsor Free Classes
to Aid Safety.

The call of Summer weather soon
will send thousands of youths Of Great
er Washington in search of out-of-doors
sport, desirable but some times hazard
Gus.
With the coming of warmer days
throngs of boys, many of them I'M
skilled in even the rudimentary princi-
pies of swimming or life saving, will
venture forth on the Potomac or nearby
streams or ponds where they will be
drawn by tho still inadequate supervised
swimming pools in the District.
The oil swimming hole, in short is
about to come into Its own for another
season of hilarious. though often dam
gerous, recreation and fun.
Needless of the hazards that Turk In
Inducements and kettle bottoms" to
be found in inviting swimming and
boating places, these youngsters will
search them out for day or evening
OF splashing about or canoeing and
boating.
Daily Lessons for Boys.
With a view to minimizing this dan
ger. which vital statistics show Is real
and not fancied, The Star. In co-opera-
ton with the Young Mems Christian
Association, Is sponsoring "learn-to-
swim" campaign to be conducted In
connection with "learn-to-swin" week
at the boys department of the Y. M.
G. A., 1882 g street, April to Z.
Daily swimming lessons will be offered
free to boys between the ages Of 10 and
10 who are non-swimners and who are
not disqualified BY physical disabilities
gerous to them. In the pool at the junior
Y. NJ. G. A. Building. The intensive
course will be under the direction OF
corps Of experts.
Fatalities Sound Warning.
Ample warning of the necessity Of
teaching youngsters to swim Is to be
found In the fatality statistics compiled
annually in the ONCE of the superin-
tendent of police Of Washington. Rec
ords made public yesterday by Maj. Ed
win B. Hesse revealed that ~ persons
lost their lives in the District last year
by drowning. The year before the total
was 10. And each year previously SINH
lar records were compiled of the toll
taken by death In drowning cases.
While some of this loss of~life, un-
doubtedly, could not have been pre-
vented, Ii Is believed certain that some
OF the drownings here would never have
occurred had those lost been able to
swim, even a comparatively short dis
lance. There have been cases, In fact,
In which dozen or two strokes In the
water would have carried to safety some
water over his depth or who suddenly
was thrown from canoe or boat.
Red Cross Co.operates.
The American Red Cross Is cooper
ating with the Y. NJ. G. A. In the
Learn TO Swim campaign and during
tina week of April z will provide expert
swimming instructors to augment the
staff of the boys department In teach
ing the rudimentary principles of SWIM
ming. This has been made possible by
Longfellow, field director of the Red
Cross in charge of life saving and first
aid work
It Is not expected that many nom
swimmers will be turned into expert
swimmers during the short intensive
course Of free lessons, but most OF the
900 boys who entered the classes last
year learned to swim short distance
and were believed started well on the
way TO be experts. It is the hope OF
James G. Ingram, director of the boys
department, that all In the classes this
year will be able to swim so feet by the
end of the week.
Star Urges Boys to Learn.
After overcoming their fear of the
water and learning the elementary
principles of strokes, breathing and
floating in swimming. the youngsters,
it Is believed, will master the art be-
cause OF the pleasure associated with
this out-of-doors sport.
The Star urges all boys between the
ages of 10 and Is who are non-swim-
mers to fill out the accompanying APP
plication and enroll for the training
course. The purposes Of "Learn-to-
Swim" week are to make available to
every boy the pleasure of swimming, to
enable him to take care of himself in
case of accidents and to be ready to
assist others who may be endangered by
inability to swim.
Fill out the application blank and
send 1t to the Boys Department, Y. M.
G. A.
Learn to swim!
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