25.
"The Importance of Competent Personnel"
By
H, %. Craig, Supervisor of Swimming,
University of Illinois

The importance of competent personnel in swimming pool work is some-
thing which has been, I believe, rather frequently overlooked. For many years
inadequate salaries, discrimination between candidates for pool positions based
on other considerations rather than ability and poor preparation on the part of
candidates for positions, heve marked this field of endeavor.

Today, faced with a growing public recognition of the value of
recreation, of which swimming and aquatics form a very important phase, it behooves
us to. examine our thinking as to what detcrmines competency insofar eas the handling
of swimming «nd swimming pools are concerned. It will be assumed that most of us
ere interested in situetions involving pools to which the general public is ad-
mitted - pools maintained by and for the community certain questions of policy
must be answered,

First, should the pool operate on a fee basis, or should it be

open to all free of charge?

Second, should the pool promote free lessons for children in the

mornings?

Thitd, should the pool promote games, contests, pageants, etc.,

with the intent of entering more fully into the leisure time activities of the
comminity?

These, and similar questions should be answered fully in the minds of
_ the park board or other agency which hes the task of hiring personnel for their
pool. For knowing what is wanted in the way of a program mekes it easier to
employ the proper persons to carry it out. (Parenthetically it might be added,
thet I am one of these persons who believes pools should be used to the widest
possible extent by the community, giving free lessons to children, selling itself
in many other ways as an agency of highest value to the community. One who worrics
too mach how to make a profit with a swimming pool is doomed to many grey hairs
or the loss of them entirely. “hat profit one can gain from a swimming pool will
have to be the feeling of a job well done - a benefit in the social sense).

Starting then, from the premise that a community pool should operate
for the greatest possible community benefit, let us ascertain the personnel
necessary to operate the pool and discover if ve can what are some of the desirable
characteristics to look for when filling the positions.

First we have the manager. It is my belief that every municipal pool
should have a manger whose time is occupied fully by his managerial duties.

He should not be required to guard or do similar work. His task should be first to
see that all others of the staff are functioning efficiently.

Secondly, he should be responsible for the proper operation of the
pool according to the standards leid down by the State. This implies a knowledge
of the techniques of pool operation, the taking of various water tests and other
fundamentals of good pool operation.

Third, he should have a good knowledge and appreciation of swimming
and, whenever possible, should have preceded his present position with experience
in guarding work,

Fourth, he mast be an organizer canable of producing interesting and
attractive water shows, meets and similar events, as-vell as a broad and compre=
hensive teaching program,

Fifth, he should have some ability at writing and speeking - a big
help in advertising the pool and wheat it is doing for the community.

Sixth, he should possess some knowledge of simple bookkeeving methods.

Finally, he must have a pleasant personality and yet possess enough
iron in him to lay dom the law when the occasion varrents. It should be made clear