Telephone: 0467 475 263 Postal Address: PO Box 49, San Remo, VIC, 3925 Web: www.woolamaibeach.org.au Email: secretary@woolamaibeach.asn.au

In this Edition:

President’s Update
Board Update
Vale Glen Thomson
Presentation night - Ticket sales close Tuesday 14th 5pm
Flash Merch Sale!! Sunday 19th May
Annual General Meeting - Saturday 27th July
LSV Awards of Excellence Nominations
Help us win a new IRB
Smith’s Beach Rescue Base - Donations needed
Callout for historic club items!
Wild About Wooli Holiday discount!

President’s Update - Jason Close

Only a few days until Presentation Night. This is the night of the year where we celebrate all of our achievements of the past 12 months and acknowledge those who have won special awards and those who have pushed themselves and gained awards and qualifications.

Its also a great night to catch up with everyone, reflect on the season and close out the 2023/24 summer.

Presentation Night is also an important night for those members beginning their life saving journey as this is where they will be presented with their Surf Rescue Certificates and Bronze Medallions.

This year there will again be a strong turn out of life members and Peter Moate will be welcomed as the Club’s newest life member.

We also have some very special guests attending. All will be revealed on the night.

The Block

As many people will know, the 2024 season of ‘the Block’ TV show is being filmed on Phillip Island.

I can confirm the rumours that during the April school holidays, the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club received a visit from the Block.

During the visit, the Block contestants took part in a challenge at Woolamai Beach.

Some of our Club's lifesavers also got to join in some of the fun on the beach. Our lifesavers, inflatable rescue boat crew and jet ski operators also helped keep safe the contestants who went in the water. And of course we really enjoyed having the Block upstairs in the Clubhouse.

Filming took place for a week and you will see quite a few of our members playing cameos on the show.

The Block and our Club worked together and the results are amazing and we can't wait for everyone to see.

It was therefore really nice that the Block was able to lend a hand to help us make some improvements that will have lasting benefits to the Club.

The benefits that the show has already brought to the local economy have been incredible and we are very grateful to have been a part of it.

As the show doesn’t go to air until August or September this year, we are unable to say too much more or show any photos just yet.

However if you visit the Clubhouse, come to the Presentation Night after party or to one of our winter working bees you will see some of the results.

To find out more about the Block's visit, you will have to tune in to the show when it airs later this year on Channel 9.

Board positions available

In the lead up to the AGM we will be advertising several Board positions to replace Board members who will be stepping down after a few years of distinguished service. At this stage we are looking to fill the following positions:

Vice President
Director Lifesaving Services
Director Communications
Director Member Development
Director Assets
Director Lifesaving Services

These are very important roles that shape and steer the Club.

A Board member will usually lead a small team who will assist them in delivering their portfolio responsibilities. Typically the Board meets once a month, sometimes face to face, sometimes online.

The Club doesn’t run itself so if you are thinking about putting your hand up, then get in touch with myself or one of our current Board members and we can answer any questions you may have.

There are also a number of non-Board roles which need to be filled to help our Board members focus on their already busy roles. We regularly advertise these roles via our newsletter and Facebook ads.

Thanks for your help -April working bee

On Sat 27 April we held an end of season working bee. The main focus was to tidy up the kitchen, training room, bunkrooms and gear room.

A huge thank you to Fi Blackmore, Maddie Hungerford, Susan Close, Janine Lloyd, Erin Close, Phoebe Clark, Jordan Kuerschner, Lachie Casey, Josh Broughton, Ash Smith, Louise Smith & Dylan.

How you can help keep the Clubhouse in shape

We would love to see more people attending our working bees and there will need to be a few to carry out basic maintenance, tidying and preparing the Club for next season.

Our Club provides free accommodation to patrolling members but we are reaching a point where we are having to regularly employ cleaners or pay for maintenance due to lack of member assistance as a result of those staying at the Clubhouse failing to keep it tidy.

If you are a member or the parents of a member who stays regularly at the Clubhouse, we would really love to see you assisting in tidying up during patrol weekends over summer or at some working bees.

One concerning aspect of the recent working bee was the amount of food and drinks found in bunkrooms and other various parts of the Clubhouse. The only place for food or drink is in the kitchen or in a sealed container. When you leave the Clubhouse, please take it with you. Whilst our Club receives wonderful support from Shoreline Pest Control, we don’t want to make their job harder by feeding mice and rats over winter.

A lot of personal belongings were also found and these have now made their way to the lost property box in the gear room and will eventually be thrown out or given to charity. Whilst members are welcome to stay at the Clubhouse, it would be appreciated if personal belongings could be taken home when you are not at the Clubhouse as this also makes cleaning more difficult.

Vale Peter Webb

The Club has experienced some more sad news this month.

Peter Webb, the eldest son of life members Barb and Tony passed away last week following illness.

Peter did his Bronze Medallion at Woolamai Beach SLSC in 1982 and was the older brother of Matthew, Ivan and Andrea.

Peter was 58 and is survived by his wife Christina.

See you at presentation night

Regards

Jason Close - President@woolamaibeach.asn.au

President

Decisions

The Board made the following decisions:

The Annual General Meeting will be held at the Clubhouse on the afternoon of Saturday 27 July followed by drinks and a social event or dinner. This breaks with past practice of holding the AGM on a Sunday morning, but will be trialled this season to attract greater numbers to the AGM and incorporate a social event.
The Board endorsed proposed changes to the Club’s Constitution in relation to the composition of the Development Fund Board. The Constitution requires at least one of the 5 members of this Board to be a Life Governor. The Constitution is proposed to be amended to enable a Life Member to be appointed should a Life Governor not nominate for a role. A second proposed change will enable an ordinary member to nominate should a Life Member not nominate for the Life Governor position on the Board. This will be referred to the Annual General Meeting to be voted upon by members.
The Club will be loaning an IRB (just the hull, not the motor) to South Melbourne Life Saving Club for the duration of the IRB competition season. This will enable several Woolamai Beach SLSC members to compete for South Melbourne as our Club does not have an IRB team.
The Board endorsed electrical upgrade works at the Clubhouse to proceed. A council grant has been applied for and the result will be known in May. Once this occurs the contractor will be appointed.

General Business

The Board discussed Presentation Night organising. Several VIP guests have RSVPed and will be in attendance at the event which will take place at the Silverwater Resort, San Remo. Awards have been organised. Length of service awards will not be presented this year due to difficulties accessing information and the workload involved in going through records
A number of minor works and documentation need to be completed by the contractor of the Clubhouse retaining wall in order to receive a Certificate of Completion for the building permit. The contractor has agreed to complete these in May.
A Council health and prescribed accommodation inspection of the Clubhouse will take place on 3 May.
The Club has lodged a grant application with the San Remo Community Bank for the Smiths Beach Rescue Base refurbishment project. Brendan Smart’s contribution to this application whilst based in London was acknowledged.
A draft proof for the updated Clubhouse entrance sign/notice board has been prepared.
Two newspaper articles about the Club (end of season wrap/Smiths Beach Rescue Base) appeared in the Phillip Island San Remo Advertiser and featured interviews with Jason Close, Brendan Smart & Campbell Smart.
Nippers enrolments may open in early September. The feasibility of introduction of a coffee cart is being considered. Nippers budget will be submitted following AGM.
The letter providing notice of the AGM is being drafted and will be distributed in the weeks following Presentation Night.
Succession planning for next Board was discussed. Jason Close, Fi Blackmore, Christian Born, Jules Hay intend to renominate.

Director Updates

Vice President - Fi Blackmore

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Presentation Night and celebrating a Very Big Year.

Director of Administration and Finance - Christian Born

The Club’s financial year is officially passed. Thank you to everyone who has supported our club this season. As we do each year, we will be completing our annual financial audit in May. Audited financials will be distributed to members once the audit is complete in the lead up to our AGM which is being held in July.

If you would like to donate, please go to our donation page at https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/donate , all donations will receive a tax-deductible receipt upon completion. Otherwise, please email administration@woolamaibeach.asn.au if you would like a tax invoice beforehand.

Director Junior Development (Nippers) -Jules Hay

Nippers committee met for the second time post 23/24 season at the start of April, low turn out – only 5 people. We discussed a few small items of business and allocated some tasks to those who were present

Vale Glen Thomson

We were very saddened to hear the news of the sudden passing of Glen Thomson, a former member of the Club.

Glen or 'little Thommo' as he was most commonly known was the son of our Life Governor John Thomson.

Following in his father's footsteps from a young age, Glen joined the Club in the 1980s and did his Bronze medallion at Woolamai Beach in 1984.

Glen was a keen surfer and patrolled and competed at the Club for a few seasons through the mid 1980s.

Glen was the Junior Male Club Champion in 1983-84 and again in 1985-86.

Along with Oscar Carlson, Ron Nicholson, Scott Tannahill, Brian Whittaker and Evan Owen, Glen was a joint winner of the 1981-82 Darren Adams Memorial Trophy for a courageous rescue he undertook even before gaining his Bronze medallion.

Glen was 55 years old and is survived by his parents and sisters.

Presentation Night - Ticket sales close Tuesday 14th 5pm

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Presentation Night is a chance for our members, partners, families and supporters to reflect on the season that was. It’s a time to welcome our latest brigade of Bronzies, to celebrate the new awards strived for and achieved, to recognize the difference our service makes and to honor those members who have made outstanding contributions in 2023/24 season.

Event Details

When: Saturday, 18th May 2024
Where: Silverwater Resort - 17 Potters Hill Rd, San Remo VIC 3925
Time: 6:30pm arrival for a 7:00pm start - 10:00pm
Dress Code: Formal Attire

Limited parking is available at the venue. A bus will be provided, to transport members between the clubhouse and the venue for no cost! For those wishing to use this service, please meet at Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club no later than 6:00pm. This transportation is limited and will only involve a single trip in each direction.

Tickets

To purchase a ticket, visit our events page. https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/events

Cost includes a 2 course meal (dinner & dessert) as well as pre dinner nibbles. Drinks are at bar prices.

Ticket Prices
Junior Members (Under 18 on 18/5/24)- $60
Senior Members (18+ on 18/5/24) - $80

**Please note: Ticket sales close Tuesday 14th 5pm!

There will be no option to purchase tickets on the night. For all further enquiries, please contact Campbell Smart at lifesavingservices@woolamaibeach.asn.au or a member of the board

Accommodation

Clubhouse
Those wishing to stay at the club must follow our accomodation policy. https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/accommodation-policy This includes filling out the form on this link PRIOR to staying at the club.

Residence:

Those wanting to stay at the residence please contact Carole to organise. email secretary@woolamaibeach.asn.au

Silverwater Resort
For those wishing to stay the night at Silverwater please see instruction on how to use the promotional code for a discounted stay! click HERE

After Party

Following the formal presentation night, all members are welcome to join us back at the club for more drinks and a boogie! Drinks and nibbles will be available at the bar.

Sincerely,

WBSLSC Board

Flash Merch Sale! Sunday 19th May

Round out your Wooli weekend by checking out the merch end of season sale.

All items at least 50% off. Help us clear the storage cupboard!

Great for keeping on feeling the Wooli love after preso night (or staying warm when checking out the next aurora).

Sunday 19th May - Time TBC, stay tuned for an update on our facebook page

Annual General Meeting - Saturday 27th July

Hold the date. This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the Clubhouse during the afternoon of Saturday 27 July.

Following the meeting the Club bar will open and there will be a social event. Standby for details.

While its been a tradition to hold the AGM on a Sunday morning, due to declining numbers in recent seasons, we have decided this year to hold the AGM alongside a social event to give everyone yet another reason to come down for the weekend.

Give it a go. Come and support the future direction of your Club.

LSV Awards of Excellence Nominations

Nominations for the Awards of Excellence 2024 are now open until 11.59pm Sunday, 26 May 2024

The event will be held on Saturday, 10 August 2024 at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.

There’s plenty of categories as seen below. If you’re thinking about nominating for an award please get in touch with a board member! This season we’ve been looking for an awards and member recognition officer. If you think you can help out with any of this process please get in touch as we’re always looking for help to make out applications sparkle

Member Recognition Manual

Please see the 2024 Member Recognition Manual.

Nominations are open for the following awards:

LSV State Outstanding Recognition Awards:

Life Saving Victoria Life Membership
President’s Certificate
John Wishart Memorial Medal – Lifesaver of the Year Graeme Long Memorial Medal ‐ Volunteer of the Year
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
Beaurepaire - Club of the Year
Dr Nigel Taylor ESM Innovation Award
Janet Jones OAM Inclusion Award

Lifesaving Operations Recognition Awards:

Beach Lifeguard of the Year
Rescue of the Year
Volunteer Trainer of the Year
Volunteer Assessor of the Year

Council of Lifesaving Club Award:

Administrator of the Year

Membership & Leadership Development Outstanding Recognition Awards:

Club Nipper Program of the Year Award (inc. Starfish Nipper Programs)

Nipper Program Volunteer of the Year
Community Education Award
Junior Lifesaver of the Year
Youth Lifesaver of the Year

Aquatic Sport Outstanding Recognition Awards:

Coach of the Year
Official of the Year
Emerging Official of the Year
Athlete U14 + U15 of the Year
Youth Athlete of the Year (U17‐ U19)
Open Athlete of the Year
Masters Athlete of the Year
Team of the Year (U14/U15)
Team of the Year (U17 to Open)
Masters Team of the Year

Education Awards:

Education Instructor of the Year
Swim and Survive Partner of the Year

Read more HERE

Help us win a new IRB

We need your help!

We’ve got the opportunity to win an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) thanks to Ampol.

We need your help to click on the link below and write an entry.

Feel free to think outside the box whether its using AI and Chat GPT to fuel your creativity ;) or keep it simple and focus on the benefits that a new IRB would provide the club.

To enter, simply share in 100 words or less why your club needs this essential equipment. The competition ends on Sunday 26 May 2024. Good luck to all participating clubs! Win an Ampol branded IRB Hull for your club in 2024! (jotform.com)

Enter HERE

Click HERE for more information

Smiths Beach Rescue Base Repairs - Donations needed

Unfortunately since it’s inception the Smiths beach tower has been stripped down by the harsh weather conditions from the beach.

The rescue base is need of urgent repairs and maintenance (including re-painting in oil-rig spec paint) in order to avoid Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issues / the structure becoming condemned; and to ensure that the two structures can continue serving the Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP) / Bass Coast Shire Council (BCSC) residents and visitors and Life Saving Victoria (LSV) lifeguard service over the next 20-25 years.

The required works includes

Wall panel works
Stair removal and replacement
Insitu painting works

We’re on our journey to raise 138K

If you’d like to donate to this cause please head to https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/donate and select ‘Smiths Beach Rescue Base’ when filling out the donation form.

For more information on the rescue base head HERE

Callout for historic club items!

We now have a new email address historian@woolamaibeach.asn.au which is a great way to send in any photos or historic information you might have for the club’s records!

Hello to all Woolamai Members

From Graeme Clauscen, Club Historian

From the Archives a little bit of History !

I am currently working on the Club’s archives and cataloguing a lot of new items that have been given to the Club.

It is proposed that all of the items in the Club archive will be digitized and uploaded to Victorian Collections where anybody can access all of the items, on line.

The family of Dennis Harris recently provided a large number of photos and documents collected by Dennis over many years.

This is an appeal for donations of items of Historical interest to Club Members past and present. I am looking for the following:

Club Garments

T Shirts, Tops, Shorts, other Any item of clothing with the Club Name/Logo on it, condition not important.

Photographs

Color or black and white photographs of Club activities over the years 1959 -2022. Where possible, detail of, Location, Date, Names, and any other relevant info.

General Memorabilia

Any item of Club interest, Medallions Trophies Certificates Pennants etc. In other words if it is part of Woolamai History I would like to know about it and see it.

IMPORTANT. PLEASE PROVIDE – NAMES DATES TIMES LOCATION AND ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION

If you would like to donate any item that would be great, if not we will photograph the item and return to you.

Best Wishes

Graeme Clauscen

If you would like to contact me, 0412 789 499

historian@woolamaibeach.asn.au

gcsanremo@bigpond.com

Wild About Wooli! A 50 Year History of the Club

Discounted for the time being get in quick!

Want a segment in next Month’s newsletter?

Hi all,

If anyone would like to submit something for next month, the best way to do this is send me an email at communication@woolamaibeach.asn.au with a title for the segment, and text of what you’d like to be included as well as any pictures or images and I’ll be sure to add it in.

Deadline for May’s Newsletter - 8th of May

Cheers,

Ryan Box - Director of Communications

Email: communication@woolamaibeach.asn.au

Woolamai Newsletter - May Edition