The Smith Mountain Lake Water Safety Council meets monthly to discuss issues related to recreational activities such as boater education, vessel inspections and the No-Wake Fireworks initiative -- activities designed to improve boating safety on the lake.

At the group's April meeting, an issue concerning an advertisement in a national magazine came up during the discussion of new business. One member asked for the group's reaction to an ad he saw in Boating magazine.

The ad for State Farm boat insurance urged readers to "Leave your worries in the wake" and was illustrated by a child's arm reaching out of a boat and down into the water in an apparent effort to touch water splashing up from the prow.

Several council members agreed that the illustration was hardly worry-free.

"Clearly, it was suggesting a blatantly unsafe boating practice as accepted -- even recommended -- safe boating behavior," said WSC member Tom Merriman. "And in a national boating magazine, no less."

Council members agreed that State Farm most likely did not realize its ad included an illustration of a flagrant safety violation. The consensus was that they should call the concerns to State Farm's attention.

"I could see the issue right away," said Casey Morgan, a lake-area State Farm agent who agreed to bring it to the attention of officials at corporate headquarters.

Morgan made contact by e-mail with an employee in State Farm's advertising department.

"It took her a minute to fully appreciate the concern," Morgan said. "But then she was horrified. No one at the insurance corporation had noticed the safety violation it portrayed.

"Within minutes, I received an e-mail confirming that publications were being instructed to cancel all remaining insertions of the offending ad -- even the ones where a last-minute-change expense would be incurred. Obviously, there was a determination not to mistakenly represent an unsafe boating practice," he said.

"We're pleased we could be of service," said Peter Lewis, WSC chairman.