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"THE PROMOTION OF A YEAR ROUND SWIMMING PROGRAM"
By
&. B. Murphy, Assistant Director of
First Aid end Water Safety, Midwest Bivision American
Red Cross

The American Red Cross has been making Water Safety its business
since 1914, hen it started the pioneer national movement in this field. Since
the beginning of this educational activity drornings in the United States have
been reduced about 46% elthough the increase in the swimming vublic has been
bettor than 400% along vith a population increase of 12% the past ten years,
Forever, the one dark spot. in this otherwise hopeful picture is the number of
people ho annually lose their lives by drovning (some 7,000) and the thousands
“ho manage to survive o terrifying experience of a near-veter tragedy.

Within the past few years and with amazing rapidity, ell
regulated facilities have brought swimming into its ov™m as Ameriéa's number one
recreation, Swimming is no longer that adventuresome pastime of small boys in
the old swimming hole as nearly every commnity now has well equipped pools and
benches. The reason for this popular growth in healthful exercise is more and
more Mother, Father, Sister, Broth r end even Grandina have been learning to
enjoy aquatic activity sefcly. In viewing these facts it is not surprising that
the annual toll in vater tragedics and the experiences of near-dromings have had
no effect in putting a damper on the enthusiasm of literally millions of persons
who teke to the vater annually.

The Red Cross Water Safety Service has grown from a membership
of one in 1914 to about a million life severs nov holding certificates. In
addition, there are the countless thousands of beginners who have learned to swim
through regular programs conducted by local Red Cross Chapters. Other great
nationel orgenizations, such as the Scouts and the Y's closely cooperate with
the Red Cross in promoting Aquatic Safety Education.

Let us consider briefly the manner of operation of Red Cross
Water Safety Programs. The National Headquarters are in Washington, D.C. From
there the 48 states are divided into three areas for the 3,700 chapters. The
Eastern Area, with 24 states, operates from Washington. The Midwestern Area,
vith 17 states, has headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri, and the Pacific Area,
vith 7 states, operates from San Francisco. Within the Midwestern Area, of
“hich Illinois is a part, there are 1,560 Red Cross Chapters and of that number
about 565 have reported activity in promoting Water Safety Programs. The State
of Illinois has 126 chapters of which 59 have reported as carrying Red Cross
aquatic activity.

Under the Life Saving Program some 81,000 people have been trained
in Illinois the past six years. A break-down of this number show 10,288 with
Senior Life Saving Certificates. 12,165 Juniors, 35,255 Beginners, 20,252
Swimmers and 2,029 Examiners. However, under the broadened program of Life Saving
end Water Life Saving «nd Water Safety Certificates since last September there
are over 300, 200 Senior and 180 Junior Certificate holders in Illinois,

In order to keep abrenst of the trends in increased facilities
end to keep pace vith the enormous increase in interest in swimming, the Red
Cross last year released a 262 page textook on Life Saving and Vater Safety.
This year a 266 page textbook on Svimming end Diving has been introduced ond
received public acclaim. Naturally this nev material has brought about the
broadening of Red Cross aquatic activity to include definite teaching material for
swimming courses and Life Saving and Vater Safety Programs.

To further cut the drowning rete and to improve svimming standards,
the Red Cross stresses skillful and intelligent participation in aquatics to
escope the misery and sorrow thnt often characterizes ill-considered and unskilled
performance, Water Safety education is that phase of education ~hich has as its
objective the prevention of accidents. In accomplishing this objective carefully