Member Development
The breakdown of members completing courses for the 2022/23 season and comparing to the previous season is shown below.
**Note: These statistics are based off training and requalification at Woolamai Beach SLSC
Training Statistics
*LSV State Courses
**No course ran due to COVID-19
Courses Booked
Total Training Hours
Our members spent a total of 741 hours of “course delivery” this season. This is equivalent to approx. 30 days of running courses and does not factor in the number of hours/days of preparation prior to a course commencing.
Training Summary
Looking back at the 2022/23 season, the training and assessment team delivered a number of awards for our members making it one of the biggest deliveries in the last 5 years. With over 30 courses delivered and over 300 members requalified, we set our members for the beginning of a very jam packed season!
Being able to function back to normal post COVID has been a relief. No more restrictions on course capacity & travel restrictions. With that being said, we topped off yet another milestone of 49 candidates completing the popular club Bronze Camp and 50 canadines completed the 3 day intensive SRC course.
This season we welcomed back a few courses including the UHS/Club Advanced Resuscitation Techniques/First Aid Course, UHS Year 10 First Aid course as well as welcoming back our friends from the Frank Dando Sports Academy after not being able to run the program since 2019.
Our UHS partnership is still very strong all thanks to the dedicated teachers and past students who attend to run these courses. Our calendar was filled with other courses such as Side-By-Side Vehicle (SSV) courses and Resuscitation courses to ensure our members are up to date with the current regulations.
As our Bronze Camps grow, naturally, our Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) courses will grow. This season we separated our IRB Driver and Crew courses to allow for more members to train in these awards. The Driver course was held during the Labour Day weekend whilst the Crew course had the worst weather all season during the Easter Long Weekend.
We finished off the season strong providing an SRC course in our second-year partnership with Bass Coast College. This saw 37 students across the Wonthaggi and San Remo Campus come together in a live-in camp to complete the 3-day award.
Skills Maintenance
After 2 years of multiple Skills Maintenance Sessions being run due to capacity limits, we were fianlly able to go back to our Annual Skills Maintenance Weekend and host a Season Open Party!
Skills Maintence is an annual training requirement for members if they wish to patrol for the season. The day consists of activities in SRC/Bronze/ART/IRBC/IRBD/SSV which provide members on up to date training requirements for the seaosn.
This seasons numbers were down significantly from last seasons.
Training Team
Each year, our team of Trainers/Assessors/Faciliatros (TAF’s) grow more and more as members want to take part in training. With over 50 TAF’s in team, 32 are now qulaified to teach at least 1 SLSA course.
Out of our 33 courses, 33 trainee TAF’s became fully qualified including a record 10 Trainee Trainers and 2 Trainee Assessors in our Bronze Camp alone!
The training management team are thankful for all the trainers who gave up their time to help with the delivery of lifesaving awards, skills maintenance and other WBSLSC programs throughout the season.
Moving into the future of training, we will continuie to grow and support our training team to deliver the highest standard of training to our members.
Membership & Leadership Development Summary
This year we didn’t have many Woolamai members take advantage of the LSV Youth Development Programs that are offered.
Each year LSV run an U13, U15 and U18 Youth Development Programs which are designed to develop interpersonal skills, create statewide networking and broaden members undertanding of lifesaving.
This year, the following members took part in these programs:
U13 Youth Development Program: Oscar Tuctan
U15 Youth Development Program: Archer Dodd
U18 Youth Development Program: Alex Lee, Coco Stafford & Emily Ross,
Woolamai Beach SLSC will continue to develop members internally and push for members to participate in these leadership oppotunites/programs run by LSV.
SEAL’s
After a long 3 year break, the SEAL’s Prgram is back up and running. The SEAL’s program is an integrated and structured pathway for personal and professional development and is aimed at improving the skills and knowledge of a group of members who are committed and eager to become elite patrollers and leaders of the club.
12 members have commited to the 6 month program, where they learn about themselves, set goals and learn more about the emergency reponses sturcture that Woolamai and LSV provides to the community.
Woolamai Youth Leadership & Development (WYLD)
WYLD is made up of current youth members within the club and was established to help gain confidence in youth members to take on leadership opportunities and to establish youth development programs that will increase youth member retention within the club.
We are excited to re-form the WYLD Team after a 2 year break as we look to continue to promote youth development and opportunities within the club. Members on the WYLD Team include:
Ellie Glenk
Declan Lawton
Oscar Goodger-McGrath
Sophia Hungerford
Other Development Opportunities
There are always volunteering opportunities availble at Woolamai. As our membership grows, it gives us the chance to develop programs that no other club provides. This season I am looking for members who are passionate about developing members (especially our youth members). The team is always growing, and there is plenty of space to join!
External Development Programs
The Lifesaving Development Camp also know as ‘Dev Camp’, is a week-long live in camp, where participants complete new awards such as Advanced Resuscitation Techniques, First Aid, IRB Crew or Driver, and hone in their skills with realistic lifesaving and first aid scenarios. In his 3rd season running the camp, Campbell Smart along with 4 other Woolamai members led the Dev Camp that saw a total 36 members including 11 Woolamai Members complete the program.
The Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund
The Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund was established in memory of Life Member Alan Pitts who passed away in 2010. 'Pittsy' was one of Surf Lifesaving's great characters who always saw the best in others and believed that Surf Lifesaving was a way of life that offered young people a 'life-changing experience' to develop their character and become the best they can be!
The primary goal of the Fund is to provide financial support to assist aspiring junior lifesavers to participate in a wide range of leadership and self-development programs as well as participating in competitive activities.
The Fund provides financial support and guidance to enable younger members of the club to fulfill their potential in Surf Lifesaving. The grants recognize and assist individuals who demonstrate the best of lifesaving – integrity, leadership and loyalty – and who have the potential to make an ongoing contribution to our Club, surf lifesaving and the community.
An Advisory Board, selected by the Board of Woolamai Beach SLSC, administers the Fund. The Advisory Board comprising Bernd Neubauer, Alan McLean, Noel Henderson and Terry Aslanidis, has established guidelines to assist in ensuring that grants are applied to deserving recipients who will benefit from financial support.
Lifesaving Victoria holds regular Leadership Development Programs for young and aspirational lifesavers. The Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund is pleased to have assisted several young Woolamai lifesavers participate in LSV Programs during the course of 2022/23.
Donations to the Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund are tax deductible and can be made via the Club’s website.
The Advisory Board of the Fund look forward to supporting more young Woolamai members through their lifesaving journey.
Bernd Neubauer
Chair - Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund Advisory Board
Special Thanks!
The continued support from all our volunteer trainers and assessors who take the time and help with our courses is overwhelming. The more members that get involved in training, the more opportunities we can provide back to the club.
Terry Aslanidis
Direct of Member Development