WHITE WATER: Hauck's new system (where a swimmer swims in shifts as well as heats) is the ultimate tribute to his powers of organization. With a few drawbacks, workouts run much more efficiently, the drawbacks being waves--tidal waves--created by teams shuttling in and out of the pool. If things get too bad we can always switch to a surfer's club. I think Harry had that in mind when he brought those fourteen foot surfboards from Virginia Beach. The quality of a workout is primarily an individual thing--if a swimmer wants to hurt himself he can--nevertheless, it's considerably more encouraging to workout in heats than to swim in schools (like minnows). Remember how it used to be? those days when "everybody came"? The swimmers would stand on the bottom and there wasn't enough room to baptize the person next to you? Even at Brennan things got thick once in awhile, and "Big Daddy" would stick up like a lighthouse on a pile of rocks. Now we're one step ahead of the growing membership thanks to the Hawk's new scheme. Quality has merged with quantity in a fantastic sweat-mill! What are the odds of holding this precarious system together? Do I hear whispers of secession from the Red team in the locker room? cries of bureaucracy? It seems the time has arrived to think of building our own pool....

THE BRIDGE (Hauck's corner): The PATTON SWIM CLUB has a proud history in Michigan aquatics. In it's short three-year existence, it has won most of the major state A.A.U. titles in swimming. In 1961, for example, Patton won Michigan State titles in the Boys 16 and under Championships, the Girls 16 and under Championships, the Men's and Women's One-Mile Championships, the Mens open Championships, and the Mens open Water Polo Championships. They also went the entire season without being defeated in an age group Team Championship. This record for one club in a single has no match in Michigan swimming history. In total, Patton has won three consecutive Boy's and three consecutive Men's State Titles in swimming and also has captured three straight State Water Polo Crowns. On the national scene, Patton has successfully defended its Senior National A.A.U. Men's Long Distance Team Championship.

Patton has set itself up as a target for new swimming organizations to go after and by doing so, has stirred up a frenzy of healthy competition among Michigan teams.

While this is an impressive record, and one that new members of Patton should be justly proud of, I feel that our greatest source of pride and self-satisfaction should stem from Patton's many contributions to the promotion and growth of competitive swimming in this area. Not a single meet goes by that Patton members do not supply a major portion of the timers. This includes Men & Boys, Women & Girls, plus Junior and Senior age groups, whether the meet be held in close proximity at Fitzgerald High or at far away Oscoda. Timing is a long, hot, tiring job, but one that is so very necessary to the life of a meet. No large age group meet could function without a great supply of timers. Patton has amply fulfilled this need in the past three years.

The ABC's have sponsored and conducted the Men's and Women's Mile for the past two years. Many a young swimmer with an ability to swim distance only, but who is limited to 50's and 100's in age group meets, has found his place in the sun at Patton's mile championships.

Without a doubt, Patton's greatest gift to the Michigan swimming world has been the annual Aquatic Award Banquet sponsored by the ABC's. The stimuli created by this social function extend throughout the entire season; with hundreds of athletes and parents eagerly awaiting its arrival. It not only provides awards for a year's hard training and competition, but acts as a show place for constituents of the program to show gratitude to their leaders.

Any amateur sport, such as swimming, can exist only as long as it is kept alive by the people who derive benefit from it. If we fail to plant a tree for every one we cut down we will soon be without a source of lumber. So it is with the