These competitions, which had been talked of for some
time, were renewed this year under such favourable conditions
as should ensure their continuation in the future. For the
Senior Eace we were lucky to secure a perpetual trophy in the
Donne Challenge Cup, further prizes for the Junior Eaces and
Diving being provided through the kindness of the Headmaster
and the House Masters. Eev. A. B. Wynne Willson, who has
had considerable experience in these competitions, and is doing
a great deal to foster and encourage the cause of swimming in
the town, kindly undertook the judging with Mr. Eobinson, the
captain of the Town Club. It is regrettable that most of the
bigger fellows entered only to scratch at the last moment, not
only a bad lead for the juniors, but also a source of consider-
able inconvenience to those who had to arrange the heats.
We are further indebted to Mr. Wynne Wilson for the following
report:—
It is pleasant to record that after a lapse of some years
swimming races and a diving competition have been re-estab-
lished. It is of great importance that the members of a school,
situated on the banks of a river, who indulge largely in boating,
should know how to enter the water and be thoroughly at
home in it when they get there. Further, the art of swimming
is worth cultivating for its own sake; it is useful, healthy,
gives a great deal of pleasure, and produces pluck and con-
fidence. Like all other things, if worth doing at all, it is
worth doing well: competitions foster the doing well. It may,
therefore, be hoped that next year the representation of the
School in these sports will not be left in the hands of smaller
boys, but that the Seniors will set an example of thorough
proficiency.
For the 200 Yards' Open Eace the winners of the three
heats, which had been swum off on Friday, entered. Travis
got away first, and kept an easy lead all the way. Horton was
second, Lewis having retired. In Travis the School possesses
a boy who may with care make a first-class swimmer. He
has a powerful, easy stroke, and for his size a very good pace.
Horton should practice a longer stroke, and take pains to
drive it home. The 100 Yards Junior was a very exciting
race, and until within five yards of the finish it was anybody's
game. Wheeler, however, just got home in front of P. Jones.
It was a very good performance by both boys.
For the diving there were fifteen entries, but only nine
came up to the scratch. Bach boy was given four trials, and at the end the three judges unanimously selected Travis,
Anthony, G. H. Grimes, and E. W. Davies as the best. After a
few further trials Travis showed his superiority, though only
by a narrow margin, over Anthony ; Grimes and Davies being
third and fourth. It cannot be said that any of the diving was
really good. None was graceful, and very little attention was
paid to coming up quickly and neatly out of the water. Lack
of practice is the cause of this chiefly, and in some cases it
was lack of knowledge. A short study of either the
Badminton, " Swimming," or the Life Saving Society's Hand-
book would be useful. Perhaps during another summer the
authorities may see their way to organising a Life Saving
Class ; the drill is useful and eminently practical, and has been
taught with great success in many public schools.