News: Neillsville, Wis. - Swim Test (9 August 1928)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Campbell, Ure, Unger, Zimmer, Walk, Kurth, Neverman, Van Natta, Olson, Butler

----Source: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) August 9, 1928

The photo above was contributed by Mike Warlum from the Warlum Family Album.  Based on the billboard sign on the shed and the swimsuits, it was likely taken in the 1920-1930 timeframe.

Swim Test (9 August 1928)

Heavy Rain Mars Swim Test - Ned Campbell, the Red Cross representative, was here last Wednesday and spent the day here.  He and Melvin Ure went to the swimming pool at 2 p.m. and met a large group of the boys and girls and gave the "Beginners’ Test" and the "Swimmers’ Test" to quite a large number.  The Beginners’ Test requires the ability to swim 50 feet. The Swimmers’ Test is more severe: the boy or girl must be able to swim 100 yards, swim 50 feet on back, make a surface dive, also straight dive into water 8 to 10 feet deep and touch bottom. Those who passed the Beginners’ Test were Bob Unger, Genevieve Zimmer and Leona Walk.  Those who passed the Swimmers’ Test were Gretchen Kurth and Margaret Neverman.

The following passed all the requirements of this test except the straight forward dive: Gay Van Natta, Jeannette Zimmer, Margaret Olson and Lucille Butler. This is of course also fully qualifies them for the Beginners’ Test.

The rain on Wednesday evening made it necessary to abandon the demonstration.

Thursday Mr. Campbell and Melvin Ure went to Greenwood, but the recent rains had raised the river so high that it was not possible to do any of the work there.

Later Melvin Ure may go up when the water is at a proper stage in the pond and give the tests and the life-saving demonstrations.