c. That application for assistance • be made to the Royal Humane Society, St. John's Ambulance Association, and the Corporation of London.
d. That the expense of the life-saving classes be met by arrangement between the promoting clubs and the central com mittee, and by special subscriptions, and by grants from the Amateur Swimming Association if necessary.
The neglect of diving, floating, plunging and scientific swimming by ordinary clubs led, in 1891, to the calling of a meeting by seven gentlemen interested in swimming, for the purpose of founding a special club to encourage the arts named, and, in addition, to vigorously carry out by instruction, &c., the recommendations of the Amateur Swimming Association as to the saving of life from drowning. The first meeting was held on January 3, 1891, at Anderton's Hotel, London, and was attended by about sixty persons. A committee was appointed to draw up rules, and on February 7, 1891, a general meeting was held, at which it was resolved to term the society the Swimmer's Life-saving Society, and to make the teaching of the principles of life-saving its chief work. The name was afterwards changed to that of the Life-saving Society. On May 25, 1891, the first lecture on behalf of the society was delivered at the Polytechnic Institute, London, by Mr. Andrew Clark, F.R.C.S., and this lecture was followed by numerous demonstrations at club entertainments. Very great difficulty arose from the fact that the teaching could not be carried out systematically or uniformly. The instructions issued by the Royal Humane Society were used for resuscita tion practice, but the methods of rescue had to be made the subject of experiment. With the exception of a few meagre reports there was nothing to work on, and the methods of teaching by those clubs that were known to take an interest in the subject were crude. It therefore devolved upon the society first of all to perfect its organisation, and then, when in touch with the clubs, to formulate a scheme whereby such important instruction as that of the principles of life-saving could be regularly given, not only in swimming clubs, but also in schools and other educational institutions.
The executive held many meetings in 1891, but the sugges tions made at them were nearly all found to be impracticable, or else the system of teaching was too complicated to be easily intelligible. It. was felt that, apart from the mere work of teaching, the displays should in some form or other be made attractive to the ordinary public, so that when one was given they should attentively watch every movement. Eventually it was decided to endeavour to frame a simple drill which could be quickly learnt by swimmers, and a committee was appointed for that purpose. The Army Drill Book,' the 'Manual' of the Medical Staff Corps, and Lieutenant Torkington's Swimming Drill,' were taken as the guides for the work, but the MS. report had hardly been drafted when the North British Daily Mail' published a number of illus trated articles explaining a method of drill of a similar kind to that which had been prepared by the committee. This drill was the compilation of Mr. William Wilson, of Glasgow. It had been practised in Glasgow for a year previously, and the compiler had himself given prizes for proficiency, the South Side Swimming Club teams being the successful competitors.
The great aim of those who promoted the Life-saving Society was to raise swimming above the mere level of a com petitive sport, and to make its practice of use and benefit to the nation at large. It had hitherto been imagined by many clubs that the holding of races was sufficient to encourage the art, and that a man who could swim was naturally able to save life. That this idea was erroneous has been abundantly proved, inasmuch as many speed swimmers have found that in life saving practice their knowledge availed them very little ; indeed, in many cases they have actually failed to carry a passive sub ject in the water. Those who doubted this were soon convinced when they came to make actual trials, and were bound to admit that the fast methods of propulsion were not of much service when bringing a man to shore. To this may probably be attributed the desire for the foundation of some authoritative body for the promotion of those swimming arts which would be useful in saving life.