LONG REEF SLSC. Peter Kinsey 109

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1 LONG REEF SLSC The season started with an almost completely new Board of Management and I am pleased to say that the Board was immediately up, running and functioning well. Some 475 Nippers enrolled in our Saturday afternoon Nippers program with a large number of new ones, particularly in the under 6 to under 8 age categories. Much credit for this must go to our Nipper co-ordinator Stu Thomson with the assistance of Hana McKell and Paul Kapetas. It was unfortunate that many of the Saturdays saw unfavourable water conditions, meaning that water events could not be run. Later in the season, we found alternative venues and, in this regard, I wish to thank Collaroy SLSC who made their beach available should Long Reef Nippers require it. On the competition front the Club had a good season. The open women s boat crew combining with the Moruya women to win the George Bass Surfboat Marathon on the south coast. Our female crew members were Kylie Ryder, Marnie Gordon, Sophie Lovett and Margaret Pearson, with Dave Maguire as back up sweep. The Long Reef Vets masters surfboat crew won the NSW Championship (for the sixth year in a row), the ASRL Open Championship and the Australian Championship (for the third straight year) in the 260-years-plus age group. Crew members were Bruce Gaal, Peter Kinsey, Dave Sams, Malcolm MacCormick and Dave Maguire. And Dave Sams also won Gold in the years 1km beach run at the Aussie Masters. Long Reef provided a number of Officials in the boat arena at a number of carnivals. On the lifesaving front, we had 50 Bronze Medallions, 19 SRC, 24 IRB Crew, 2 IRB Driver s, 2 Spinal, 6 ARTC and 4 Basic Beach Management. The Club had a very successful Annual Dinner and Awards Night, which was enjoyed by all who attended and the aim of the board of management is to make it even a better event next season. Peter Kinsey 109

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3 COLLAROY SLSC Collaroy SLSC completed a third year of improving rescue services through the replacement and renewal of IRBs, boards and other related patrol and rescue equipment. The Committee set out to modernise our Club particularly our communications, through a fully revamped website in conjunction with proven bulk SMS messaging and targeted trees. The Club ran successful Bronze courses and put through a number of IRB drivers and crew, as well as other necessary awards. We continue to look for ways to encourage members to gain multiple awards so as to lessen the burden of patrols, which does seem to fall on those who have a majority of patrol required qualifications. We continued to support our junior ranks by providing opportunities to experience competition areas such as board and ski and boat rowing, as well as joining our long running and successful R and R teams. These experiences can only be offered by investing in equipment which we have been happy to do. But the investment by volunteer coaches is immeasurable and provides lifelong lessons about giving back to those who come through these programs after them. Our Sea Turtles program for disabled children from local schools and community was again popular and has room to grow. Our issue is catering to the numbers interested in experiencing surf and beach activities. I would encourage other Clubs to investigate the rewards of offering these programs not only for the kids involved but the satisfaction and enjoyment of being involved brings to the members, particularly the younger age groups. Please contact the Club if you would like information on this to set up one of these programs. As the Collaroy precinct becomes ever more popular due to improvement in facilities and expansion of the area as the primary beach access for the disabled, the demand on our patrols is greater than ever. This, combined with large groups of visitors from the Salvation Army complex at Collaroy, keeps our members ever vigilant and we are proud to say that we provide outstanding volunteer lifesaving services to all who visit Collaroy beach. We have a proud tradition in the march past arena and what a day to remember for the Collaroy Bears (men s team) when they won the gold medal at this year s Australian Championships at Maroochydore. It was the 13th Aussie march past title the Club has won since Our men s open beach relay team was looking to go back-to-back at the Aussies but had to settle for silver, while Dean Scarff was third in the open beach sprint final. Two of our boat crews, the Garricks (open men) and Cab Savs (under 23 women) both finished fourth in their finals. Greg Broome 111

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5 SOUTH NARRABEEN SLSC When I accepted the President s post, I was excited about the new adventure and developing the fun, social and supportive culture at South Narrabeen, whilst also maintaining the highest standards in Lifesaving and Education. In following those who have led this great Club before me, I set out to improve our overall position as a Club and to enhance the experience and enjoyment of our members as they committed their valuable time to keeping the public safe on our section of the coastline, and or work behind the scenes in the administration of the many Club activities. There are many people I would like to thank. First of all, our volunteer lifesavers for all their time and effort over the season. While earlier in the season there was limited beach to patrol, Southy continued the great status of No Lives Lost whilst our volunteer lifesavers were on patrol. A massive thank you to our Chief Training Officer, Matt Fordham. Matt s values of incorporating fun and support is a direct parallel with what our Club is all about. Through Matt s time, dedication and amazing Education team, South Narrabeen SLSC have been able to welcome to Surf Life Saving all our new Bronze and SRCs. Our training continues through the winter with IRB training, thanks to Grant Shapcott and his IRB training team. Marcial Nunura, Nick Hatch and John Taylor and also to Trish Newton and the TIPS team. A big thank you also to our Branch sponsors Streets, Lipton Ice Tea, URM, Dee Why RSL, Bill Buckle Auto Group, Westfield Warringah Mall, Cancer Institute NSW and RFi Group and to our Club sponsors. We would not be able to function without your generous support. Not forgetting our Club Committee. Thank you for your efforts. There were experiencing challenges throughout the season. I look forward to a more positive and productive season for all our members and the Club in season 2016/17. It is always great to see the South Narrabeen orange caps on the beach, and I thank all those members, young and old, who competed for our Club at a Club, Branch, State and Aussies level in Surf Lifesaving competitions. Ted Billet and Jack Cannon ran a very successful Bush to Beach program for the 11th year in a row. Ted, Jack and the Bush to Beach committee work tirelessly on grants and sponsors to make this a fun and enjoyable event for the kids of Brewarrina and the surrounding area. All the kids had a ball and It was great to see their smiles. It is with great pride that I had the opportunity to give Karen Shapcott the President s Award. The time and work she has put into the Club behind the scenes is second to none. The Nick Brice Life Saver of the Year award went to a very worthy recipient, Grant Shapcott, who has always been a focused leader in surf lifesaving at our Club. I must also mention the future of our Club, the Cadets of the Year, Ethan Shapcott and Emma Downham and Juniors of the Year, Kate Dampney and Brad Cross. Huge congratulations. Thanks to Branch President Doug Menzies, his deputy Shannon Job and the office team, Steve McInnes, Jen Huston, Belinda Dobson, To all members, from the youngest Nipper, to our treasured Life Members, I thank you for making South Narrabeen SLSC fun, social and supportive. Andy Cross 113

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7 NARRABEEN BEACH SLSC The season saw Narrabeen Beach SLSC s 120 patrolling members spend more than 4,300 hours patrolling at Narrabeen Beach where they carried out 25 rescues, 210 first aid treatments and 1,296 preventative actions. Thanks to all of our hard working Club members for their ongoing dedication and service to the community, in Narrabeen s 51st year, and the ongoing support provided by Sydney Northern Beaches Branch. As the season got underway our lifesaving patrol roster was maintained at our desired strength of 12 experienced patrols, thanks to the efforts of our Director of Lifesaving, Rob Cook. Rob s energy, combined with the dedication and training skills of Director of Education, Matt Murphy, saw our members achieve 43 new awards in all facets of surf lifesaving, including eight IRBC (IRB crew awards) which were largely made up of our upcoming Water Rats progressing from Surf Rescue Certificate straight through to Bronze Medallion and finishing off with IRBC awards for the season, also complemented by some of our new Club members. It was very pleasing to see our Club awarded fourth place in the Patrol Assessments at the annual Sydney Northern Beaches Branch Awards of Excellence night, largely thanks to the dedication and commitment of Narrabeen s Life Saving Team, supported by all of our members. Thanks also to Rob Cook who has stepped up to additional responsibilities as a trainee Duty Officer for SLSSNB ready to take on more duties going into the new season. A further highlight was the further growth of our Narra Water Rats youth lifesaving program where numbers increased to 23 dedicated young lifesavers. This group of very enthusiastic members also provided patrol assistance at Wet n Wild Sydney, assisted at North Steyne, and also patrolled at Garie Beach SLSC in Sydney region. This initiative, now in its fourth year, formed the foundation of most of Narrabeen s awards achieved in the past season. In further recognition for Narrabeen and the strength of our Narra Water Rats program was our very own Ella Cook, a long term Nipper and now SRC graduate, awarded SLSNSW Junior Life Saver of the Year. It s a first for Narrabeen Beach to be recognised at State level for this category of award. Narrabeen s 106 Junior members also had a great season and I congratulate all those Nippers who participated each week and attained their relevant Junior participation and competition skill evaluation awards. In surf sports, our members competed with distinction in Club, Branch, State and National Championships, and we hosted our annual Ocean Swim event at the commencement of the season, along with our traditional Junior carnival in January. Congratulations to our Club Sports Person of the Year, Mick Bowen-Pain, and Pete Grimes, nominated at Branch level for Coach of Year. Special mention to Narrabeen s Volunteer of Year Branch nominee Greg Gillespie and to Will McInnes nominated as Life Saver of Year, for there valuable contribution. Finally, to Jacob Hall also being nominated as Young Life Saver of the Year at Branch level. Narrabeen s financial position remains sound and we appreciated additional assistance by way of grants, such as the Federal Government Beach Equipment Safety Fund (BESF), which enabled Narrabeen to ensure all lifesaving and training equipment is well up to date. Narrabeen also thanks our major Club sponsors, Dee Why RSL Club, Henderson Logistics, Commonwealth Bank, while we also welcomed on board 7NEWS, as a major sponsor at the tail end of our season. They will be supporting us for the next two seasons. Thanks to our long-term sponsors ICR Design, Winston Hills Mall, Narellan Pools, and we further welcome Telstra Warriewood, as without their support, we could not provide such an outstanding community service. We also thank the valuable contribution of the Branch sponsors. A huge shout out to our highly experienced and very valued member of our Club, Kaz Marks. She was recognised with Outstanding Service Award by Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches Branch. Congratulations and well done to Kaz, from all your fellow Club mates. Narrabeen also welcomed one new Life Member in David Cook, and Distinguished Service being awarded to Jason Oakes, in recognition of his many years of service at Narrabeen Beach. In surf sports, our members competed with distinction in Club, Branch, State and National Championships. Tracey Lake 115

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9 NORTH NARRABEEN SLSC Firstly, to all members of North Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club, on behalf of our dedicated committee, thanks for being part of our great Club. We truly had a wonderful season. There are some people with outstanding patrol hours on our beach to keep you, your family and our community safe. Again, we can report that no lives were lost and much of the credit goes to our patrolling members. What makes our Club great? Our members, of course. Let me assure you that we do notice the valuable contributions of our Life Members, Active Members, Associate Members, Nippers,Trainers, coaches and helpers. Last but by no means least, to Mick Rogan and Brian Blackmore (Blackie), who are the backbone of our Club and, in my opinion two of our best members. They are wonderful people and it is such an honour for me to be your clubmate and friend. The past season has shown me just how selfless and good hearted those on the committee really are. I m sure if you look around the Club you will notice many changes since last year. Things I believe made the season special are: Our Lifesaving group with Glenn Jones, Gordy Coburn, Steve Haggett and Dale Ferrington really stepping up with patrols and the training of our members - five SRCs, 18 Bronze Medallions, 11 IRB Crew and five IRB Drivers. These guys were kept very busy. The Club swim on Sunday (11am) is always well attended. Thanks to Glenn for all his efforts in keeping the tradition going. The Café, Bar and Hall. Graeme Jephcote (Toppy) is the driving force here so we are all indebted to him Financially, Alan Rose has kept all in tip top order. Here, we have done very well. Our Nipper group yet again shone brightly in both Education and competition. Thanks to Darren Marshall, Mark Byrnes, Adam Cauvin and Rob Piper who lead the way with our future. Our Camper Nights were again a resounding success, led by Rod Higgins and our members. Best of the Best Boat Carnival held at North Narrabeen was again outstanding. Our members really stood up as a group and the weather was perfect. Our social events organised by North Narrabeen s own Molly Meldrum, Steve See Hoe, were a resounding success. We had bands and a comedy night. I am still laughing. The Alcolete Gym Junkies also added a new dimension to our Club. A reliable group of athletes who push each other to new levels of personal fitness. I hope the committee has done your Club proud during the season. Steve Maxwell 117

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11 WARRIEWOOD SLSC Warriewood SLSC volunteer members successfully delivered a safe beach environment during the patrol season to the local community and visitors. No lives were lost due to the commitment, focus and due diligence in ensuring prevention strategies are implemented. There is never a dull moment at Warriewood. It is a natural fun park for those with adventure at heart, featuring rock fishing, paragliding and blow hole jumping. This leads to numerous rescues being performed in the surrounding terrain. A key achievement for Warriewood was being awarded Branch Rescue of the Year and National Rescue of the Month where our members attended a ceremony at Parliament House, for the rescue of a fisherman who had fallen from a rock ledge. Our masters women s boat crew were out training at the time off Turimetta Headland and performed a text book rescue out of season in an isolated area. The accident could have been potentially fatal for the fisherman had the crew not been in the area at the time. Warriewood patrolling members are the pillar of the Club and throughout the season are providing critical, effective and enjoyable patrol services to the community. The season delivered another strong group of Under 14s doing their SRCs in September and are effectively undertaking patrol duties and keeping the Bronze members on their toes. Warriewood SLSC competitors had another great season with some fantastic results in all areas, in particular, the Masters men s beach relay team who won gold at the Australian titles. This was preceded by consistent results throughout the season at local Branch and State championships. The reserve men s boat crew who won silver at the State titles, indicating the renewed strength in the boat area. This was Warriewood s first medal in open boats in more than 35 years. Patrol is delivered though a tremendous effort from each and every member of the Club and enabled though our many generous sponsors. Warriewood values the relationship with all sponsors and is looking forward to further strengthening in the future. Warriewood hosted a number of events, starting with the Masters Twilight Carnival in October, the third round of SNB surf boat series in December and the inaugural Chieftain Challenge in May, The boat carnival boasted one of the best viewing spectacles, with the tough conditions on the day. The Chieftain Challenge was a fantastic event, comprised of short swims and sand runs from Bongin Bongin Bay to Warriewood Beach and open to the community. It is anticipated that this event will triple in numbers in the coming season as feedback from participants was extremely positive. Mona Vale SLSC provided support for this event and Warriewood acknowledges this partnership of collaboration that we will continue to develop in the coming seasons. Warriewood Nippers are some of the toughest. They met every Sunday at 10am for fun in the water and on the sand. Warriewood is fortunate to have a large and dedicated team of Water Safety officials and there s two water areas, one board, one swim, in operation and always have a posse of orange rashies ready to guide the kids in and out of the water, thus leading to another safe and incident-free season. The season delivered another strong group of Under 14s doing their SRCs in September. Matt Sheridan 119

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13 MONA VALE SLSC Mona Vale SLSC completed another very successful season in Our membership numbers continue to steadily grow in all areas of operations, but particularly in our Junior Club and with our patrolling numbers. This past season saw some marked changes in our patrolling statistics. Preventative actions are significantly greater, whereas rescues, first aids, ambulance attendances and other incidents are much reduced from previous years. Although this is partly attributable to surf conditions, the real story lies in the proactive and effective management of our beach by all of our members and, particularly, our patrols. Membership training and compliance continues to be one of our strengths. Led capably by our Chief Training Officer, Ross James, we continue on a per capita basis to be one of the leading Clubs in our Branch in most, if not all awards. Both personally and on behalf of my committee, I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone with whom I have had dealings in Branch, and my fellow colleagues in other Clubs over this time. It has been an interesting, fascinating, challenging and enriching experience, often with all of those things happening simultaneously. I would also like to thank those who support our Branch and surf lifesaving in general, namely our sponsors. Without their support and generosity much of what we strive to achieve would not be possible. It is particularly pleasing that it my tenure as President, and before then, in recent memory, not one candidate that we are presented for examination has failed to achieve his or her award. It s also very gratifying that our Club managed to meet the objective of being fully compliant with our Working with Children obligations within the prescribed time. My sincere thanks are extended to Life Member and VP Finance, Stephen Miles, to Aris Dimitriadis and to the large back-office team in both the senior and Junior Clubs who worked to achieve this unique milestone. In competition, Mona Vale continues to maintain its reputation as one of the pre-eminent competitive Clubs in boats. Not only did our Mona Vale Rocks A crew achieve national selection but they also won numerous medals, including a silver at Aussies. It was particularly pleasing to have all but one of our eight crews at Aussies make it through to the final day of competition. Less encouraging was the departure from our Club of a number of our young board and ski paddling group. Much time, effort and resources had been invested in their development and the risk that we face as a Branch is that if one or two Clubs build their teams to monopolise and dominate an area of competition then that is unhealthy and unsustainable in the longer term. To the future. Times of change are ahead for the management of Mona Vale. I am stepping aside as promised after my three years of tenure and so, too, are a few other key members of our executive. Mona Vale continues to maintain its reputation as one of the pre-eminent competitive Clubs in boats. David Sinclair 121

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