Evening star., 1960-06-26
Norfolk Sets Pace in Boating Safety
With Required Junior High Course
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor

Outdoor Editor
Mindful Of boating'S
phenomenal growth and
conscious that lack of
knowledge of the rules can
lead to tragedy, some COM
munitieS, such as Norfolk,
Va, are teaching school chill
dren to handle small craft
safely.
So far as can be determined,
Norfolk was the pioneer in this
movement. For three years
boating safety has been a re-
Quired course in the junior
high schools and $4,000 pupils
have been taught the funda-
mentalS.
Norfolk'S course was initi-
ated by Greyson Daughtrey,
director Of health and physi-
cal education for the public
schools.
Looking over the city's
waterways, which like those
near Washington are always
teeming with small craft,
Daughtrey decided something
should be done.
Since safety is a major
part Of the health and physi-
cal education program" he ex-
planned yesterday, Il felt it
was my responsibility"
Recognized Subject
So boating safety became a
recognized subject on Nor
folks curriculum just as auto
mobile driver training has
there and in many schools
throughout the Nation. And
why not?
Understanding Of boating
laws Is as basic to operation
Of O boat as is understanding
Of traffic regulations to driving
an automobile.
1t might be said that it is
even more important in a way,
because failure to set an age
limit for boat operators was one
Of the noteworthy omissions in
the new Federal Boating Safety
Act.
Daughtrey's course, indorsed
by parents, quickly became one Il.
Of the most popular in the
schools.
Since it started" Daughtrey
said. I'VE have received letters
from all parts Of the country,
requesting information on the
program and its operation"
The boating safety course is
part Of the health and physical
education program for the 7th
through the 18th grades. The
program also includes auto
mobile driver training, lessons
in swimming and first aid and
instruction in is different
sports.
The six junior high schools ;
devote one hour-long period a .
day to boating safety for 30 ,
days during the last semeSter :
Of the 9Th grade. 7
Taught are boat nomencla-
ture, boating and safety equip ;
ment. nautical terms, rules of :
the road, boating courtesy, {
buoys and aids to navigation, I
storm warnings and other re-
lated topics. 7
The final examination re- s
quires each pupil to plot all de-
tails. including the course r
cheek points and weather. for t
an imaginary cruise to and q
from q selected destination. S
Coast Guard Auxiliary HELPS t
In setting up his course
Daushtrey received the CO. .
operation Of the Coast Guard !
auxiliary and Norfolk marine =
dealers. '--o c
The Coast Guard Auxiliary l
supplies certain materials and =,
sends lecturers on request. The
marine dealers helped to OBJ =
tain the textbook" for the =
course. 1t is called "Outboard
Boating Skills," originally pub {
lished by the Evinrude Boating :
Foundation for the Boy Scouts, s
The marine dealers also loan a
. boat. motor. trailer and r
equipment to each school for +
demonstration purposes.
In addition to the reeula- v
tlon-size props employed, Lyn- il
wood Manuel, a teacher at Q
Northside Junior High, and $
some pupils built a water tank v
and provided it with minia- q
ture boats and buoys as a Wis V
ual means of teaching the use v
OF aids to navigation.
Closely related to the boating s.
course from the standpoint of O
water safety is the swimming r,
instruction.
Every 4th grader is taught to O