Vice President - Fi Blackmore

 
 
 

Celebrations & achievements

This season was a series of contrasts: highs, such as

  • The delivery of bronze, SRC & IRB camps & seeing these graduates contribute to and strengthen patrols;

  • The energy of events,  such as the stunning Channel Challenge with a record number of entrants;

  • Camaraderie of social gatherings, like the boisterous trivia night; and  

  • Being selected by the Block as the location for competitors’ challenges, with a huge opportunity to showcase our beaches, lifesaving activities & water safety messaging, and being the beneficiary of refurbished areas of the clubhouse.

There were also multiple challenges, including:

  • The Forrest Caves & Kilcunda drownings which directly involved our members as first responders as well as rapidly backing up locations and processing the adrenaline, reality and aftermath of these difficult situations;

  • Turnover among some roles, with others in the club stepping up at short notice to ensure program delivery and stability;

  • Continued reduction in volunteers, a COVID legacy which has left hundreds of sporting, service and community organisations without the arms and legs so necessary to support the increasing complexity of volunteer clubs.  Woolamai Beach SLSC is unfortunately no exception to this frustrating reality which provides growth opportunities but, at its worst, overextends developing leaders and places a high level of responsibility on more experienced directors and managers; burnout is a real risk.

Huge thanks to

We have several directors who are stepping down at the end of this season. To Campbell Smart, Annie Coleman, Ryan Box and Dave Ellison, thank you for all the multitude of tasks, phone calls, emails, inspiration and simply damn hard work that you’ve given the club.  Some of this is readily visible to our members but often it’s unseen and unheralded.  Thank you xxx

And big thanks to the many members who’ve lifted above and beyond this season: whether it’s been ensuring the amenity and security of the clubhouse, the sustainability of its components and the surrounding dunes, financial security in obtaining & acquitting grants, unpacking boxes of merchandise, communicating key messages and dates, correcting award assessments, celebrating great moments from our past, running requals, entering data into Surfguard, cooking patrol dinners, vacuuming sand from the carpet, charging radios, caring for member welfare and speaking up for things that matter, counting gear, setting up beaches, preserving archival materials, driving members to patrols and events, refuelling boats and the callout, turning sausages & vegie burgers on bbqs, or standing on the flags on a cold and windy day.  And many many more activities.  Collectively they add up to a strong and meaningful culture and welcoming place to be.

What we do – saving lives - matters.

Join us again next season as we continue to evolve our great club.

Fi Blackmore

Vice President

 
Woolamai Beach SLSC