Evening star., 1936-07-05
By James Nevin Miller.

y
~ ALLY round the armchair, all
- you swimming fans, and
hearken to a tale about a
4 college on the waterfront,
where play is work and work is play.
Where professors look like students
and, of course, vice versa; where the
Official garb is as close to Mother Ma
ture as the law allows; and where vir-
tually everybody sports that deep
bronze tan that you see so often on
the lifeguards at the bathing beaches.
Annapolis, Md. is the locale of this
paradox among the Nations educa-
tional institutions. It's the brain
child of the American Red Cross.
Yes, the college is coed, with 81
girl students and 48 men enrolled.
FACULTY members total Is. There's a
regular course of study for which a
diploma" or rather. a certificate. is
given. The course lasts only 10 days!
president" of the institution is
Henry G. Cheatham. curly-headed
young chap of about %, who halls
originally from Florida. Dean of
Women" is an attractive blond. Mrs.
Margaret Lewis, resident of Mary
land.
But don't get the idea that all this
Is a joke of some sort. It's very seri-
Gus busiress indeed.
This Summer marks the fifteenth
successive season in which the Red
Cross has conducted its system of Ma
tion-wide aquatic schools. Since 1922,
originally as First Aid and Life Saving
Institutes and later as National Aqua
tic Schools. they have occupied a
unique place in the world of water
sports. Thousands of swimming in
structors, camp swimming counselors,
physical and recreational directors
and first aid teachers have been
trained at these schools throughout
the years, and through the training
received have contributed greatly to
the advancement of safety and water
skill for the hundreds of thousands
who have come under their instruc-
ton.
From modest beginnings with linn
tied subject matter, the schools have
become training centers in which only
the most thoroughly proved methods
of instruction are presented. The sub
jects taught have been broadened to a
point where they can be said to cover
virtually every branch of water sports
and emergency first aid.
III TNDER the dictatorship of ma
tional staff member of the First
Aid and Life Saving Service. who is
assisted by a corps of especially Sc
1ected experts acting as instructors in
one or several forms of aouatics, stu
dents are assured of competent leader
ship and training.
Sites for the aquatic schools are
carefully chosen, first, for convenience
: of location in the territories to be
served; second. for adequacy of equip
ment. docks, diving boards. boats, ca
noes; third, for ample and healthful
facilities for living; and fourth, for
the natural beauty of their surround
ings. Many of the schools are con-
Quoted in regular organized camps,
while others are located at Summer
conference grounds or resorts. In
every case, use of the camp or grounds
and all facilities is granted to the Red
Gross without compensation in recog-
milton of the importance and esteem
in which these schools are held by
owners or directors.
Let's make a personal visit to the
Annapolis camp and see for ourselves
exactly what's going on. No guide is
needed. You simply follow the main
highway to Annapolis along Route so
and then, just before you enter the
city, watch for point where the con-
crete road makes a sharp turn to the
right. A sign says: Red Cross Camp.
Follow that couple of miles until 1t
merges with dirt road that leads into
the woods for few more miles.
Camp Pawatinika, property of the
Baltimore Y. w. c. A., and loaned to
the Red Cross for 10 days each Sum-
tner, Is ideally located in the heart Of
q deeply wooded promontory of South
River. Swimming facilities are ideal.
Chere's q small beach which makes