Dear Potential Applicant This pack has been collated to provide you with information about our club s Surf Lifesaving Bronze Medallion program, plus prices and conditions of admission. We also include details about the application process. This season s Bronze Program will be conducted over the following dates. Sunday 14 December - Saturday 20 December 2014 Participants must attend every day of the program. The Point Lonsdale Surf Lifesaving Club prides itself on its community and its members. The club s proud history has developed over time and is renowned for its warm social environment. The club s core responsibility to is to provide effective lifesaving operations and promote a safe beach environment for the Point Lonsdale community and so by completing your Bronze Medallion at Point Lonsdale you agree to take on this responsibility. The Lifesaving Bronze Medallion is the basic qualification for any Surf Lifesaver and is considered essential for a lifetime in lifesaving. As an active club member, each Bronze Medallion holder is required to patrol the Point Lonsdale surf beach as part of our patrol roster. The Bronze week is treasured by each and every candidate, it provides a great opportunity to foster new relationships whilst also allowing candidates to develop skills and knowledge to not only become effective Surf Lifesavers but also give good grounding for both their professional and personal lives.
Places are strictly limited and expression of interest does NOT guarantee you a place. Instead the club conducts a selection process of all applications received, before offering a place to the successful applicants. There is no advantage to applying early, but you must apply before the deadline on 31 October. FIRST DAY On the first day of the program, the day will start with a sign-in at 9am and an introduction at 9:30am. This session will include a formal club welcome, an introduction to lifesaving, and more importantly lifesaving at Point Lonsdale. It also includes vital practical information about the week, and therefore a parent must attend with each Bronze candidate. At this introduction session, candidates will collect the following items: Caps Workbooks Manuals T-Shirts Timetable Parents are needed immediately after this session, to help drive candidates to a local pool for the mandatory swim test. See further details below.
INDICATIVE SCHEDULE Our schedule is highly weather dependant, so changes may be necessary. Generally days will start at 7:00 am with a run, followed by a surf swim. Breakfast will then be supplied at the clubhouse, followed by dry theory sessions. Morning tea and Lunch will also be provided before the afternoon practical sessions, typically finishing at 5pm. Every day of the program will consist of four elements of training: Physical Training Surf Skills Rescue methods and Techniques Lifesaving Theory Evenings are a time for candidates to relax away from the club in preparation for the following day, unless an evening theory session is planned. On one night during the program we hold a pizza and trivia night for all the participants. This is a compulsory part of the program. This night will conclude at around 10:30pm. Instructors over the age of 18 will be present to supervise.
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION This program is both physically and mentally taxing, and this nationally recognised award carries formal requirements for its training and assessment. Therefore the following pre-requisites must be adhered to. You must be Aged at least 15 years, for assessment on the final day. A financial member of Point Lonsdale SLSC, before the program begins. Able to swim 400 metres in 9 minutes or less, in a pool on the first day. Prepared to patrol the Point Lonsdale surf beach as an active member. If you accept a place in this program, you agree to take part in every activity that is involved in the program. If a candidate does not participate at an appropriate level as deemed by the instructors, they may be asked to withdraw themselves from the program. BRONZE RULES All candidates for Bronze must adhere to the following rules, otherwise the candidate may be removed from the program immediately: 1. For safety reasons you MUST obey all instructions from your instructors at all times. 2. You must attend ALL training sessions to be eligible for examination. 3. Strictly NO Alcohol. 4. Strictly NO Smoking. 5. Candidates MUST remain WITH THE INSTRUCTORS and the group at ALL times. 6. All candidates MUST obey the rules and regulations set out by Point Lonsdale SLSC, Life Saving Victoria and Surf Life Saving Australia.
APPLICATION PROCESS This process has been developed to ensure that each applicant has a consistent opportunity of gaining admission into the program, as well as making it efficient for administrators at our club and Life Saving Victoria. The process is as follows: 1. The applicant must comply with ALL conditions of admission, above. 2. You must complete the online expression of interest (EOI) form located on the club website, by the strict EOI deadline 11:59pm on 31 October. Places are limited, and applying does NOT guarantee a place. 3. A panel of the club s members will review each EOI individually, to select successful applicants according to the criteria summarised below. 4. The club will offer a place to all successful applicants, and will advise unsuccessful applicants of the outcome. We expect to provide these notifications by email around mid-november. When you submit your EOI, be sure to give a reliable email address which you check every day or two. 5. Successful applicants are given instructions for enrolling in the program. Enrolment includes taking club membership (if not already a member), filling a medical form, providing ID documents, and making payment. This must be completed at least a week before the program starts. 6. Unsuccessful applicants are offered a refund of membership fees, if they have taken membership before knowing the outcome of their application. The selection panel of instructors and committee members review each of the applications with strong regard to the following selection criteria: Any existing family history or involvement with the club. Intention to become an active patrol member at Point Lonsdale SLSC. Intention to compete on behalf of Point Lonsdale SLSC. Intention to complete all activities within the program.
All applications must follow this process to ensure a fair and reasonable opportunity for all applicants. Failure to comply may cause us to overlook your application, or may lead to withdrawal of an offered place on the program. REQUIRED EQUIPMENT Each candidate should have the following equipment for the program duration: Bathers suitable for swimming (Navy or Black preferably) Running Gear (Runners, shorts, etc) Towels (At least 2) Sun Protection (Sunglasses, hat, SPF 15+ sunscreen) Wet Weather Gear (Jumpers, tracksuit pants etc) Water Bottle (strongly recommended) Pens and Pencils Full-Bodied Wetsuit (strongly recommended) A small amount of money for emergencies MANDATORY SWIM TEST The club conducts this 400m swim test on the first day, at Bellarine Aquatic & Sports Centre in Shell Road, Ocean Grove. This test is compulsory for all candidates, regardless of whether the candidate has completed a similar swim test before. The club s instructors are required to conduct the test for all candidates. We ask parents to please make themselves available to give lifts to and from the pool for this swim test. We will leave for the pool about 10:30am on the first day, immediately after the introduction session. At least one parent must attend the introduction session, and all are welcome to stay for the swim test.
Fees are collected during enrolment, from successful applicants only. As shown, you can skip some items if they are already owned. You should also aim to regain the Patrol Bond most of our Bronzies achieve this goal every year. This table shows fees payable if you are offered a place on the program. ITEM DESCRIPTION PRICE Manual Ed.33 or Ed.34 Workbook Reversible Lifesaving Cap Breakfast/Lunch Pizza/Trivia Night Official T-Shirt & Bandana Admin Fee Patrol Bond Public Safety & Aquatic Rescue, edition 33 or 34 If not already owned from Cadets or a sibling. Compiled during program then submitted for assessment on final day. If not already owned. red+yellow / club colours Hot & cold daily. Including drinks and fruit. Pizza night with trivia including lifesaving theory. Worn during program and at final assessment. To assist the club in the running of the program. Returned after the end of patrol season, provided you patrol at least 16 hours during the season. $35 $5 $20 $50 $20 $35 $100 $200 TOTAL (in addition to club membership) $465 Club membership: if you are offered a place on the program and are not already a current member of the club, you must join or renew at an additional cost.
OTHER QUERIES Please contact the club office with any queries about the application process, program enrolment or membership issues. Club Office: 03 5258 1257 info@pointlonsdaleslsc.asn.au For any further information specific to the Bronze program at Point Lonsdale, please use the contact details below. Chief Instructor: Simon Hardham George Larsen VP Lifesaving: Peter Sutas 0418 317 854 (Training & Assessment) I am looking forward to seeing you all down at Point Lonsdale this summer! Kind regards, Peter Sutas VP Lifesaving (Training & Assessment) Point Lonsdale SLSC vplifesaving@pointlonsdaleslsc.asn.au