Woolamai Newsletter - November Edition
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:
Presidents report
Board update
2022/2023 Patrol Roster out!
2022/2023 Patrol times
Memberships
Skills Maintenance - 2 weeks to go!!
Change of vaccination requirements
Nippers registrations open
Bass Coast Series Registrations Open!
Wild About Wooli! A 50 Year History of the Club
How to get a segment in next Month’s Newsletter
President’s report
Hi everyone,
The season is now upon us.
Last weekend Campbell Smart and Michael Butler ran an excellent half day course to induct this season’s patrol leadership group. We have a great mix of returning and new patrol captains and vice captains. Some highlights from the day were seeing how organised our gear room and equipment is this season and hearing from Louise Smith about the Patrol Captain’s Handbook on How to Make Your Events Sustainable. Ellie Ryan has done some great work in bringing this together.
Nippers enrolments opened at the start of the month and already we have over 300 enrolments. It will be exciting to see our program begin to return to pre-Covid numbers.
Our Membership Development team are busily planning this season’s Bronze Camps and Surf Rescue Certificate Program which will also see large numbers gaining awards.
For those who already have these and other awards please put 3 & 4 December in your calendar as this is the Club’s Skills Maintenance weekend. Sat 3 Dec is our season launch party so it will be a big weekend.
Victoria and other parts of Australia are currently enduring some of the worst floods in our history. Several of our members have generously given their time to assist Life Saving Victoria supporting the flood rescue and recovery effort. Mark Bain, Brendan Smart, Liam O’Brien, Hannah Tzimokas, Terry Aslanidis and others have all played key roles and this demonstrates our club and organisation’s role as a key emergency service.
One of our inflatable rescue boats WOL04V will remain with the State Emergency Service for the next month to continue to aid them in the flood response. Our boat has been an integral part of the emergency action plan, working inland with communities in Central Victoria and the Metro North West.
Recently I had the opportunity to give a short presentation to the Council of Life Saving Clubs Statewide meeting made up of delegates from each Club in Victoria. I spoke briefly about our Governance Charter and the work of our Sustainability Committee and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee. It was great to be able to share some of the great things our Club is doing and we received great feedback.
Its been a big month for grants, with the Club securing funding to re-roof the Clubhouse, purchase a new Side by Side vehicle, IRB trailers and carry out other works. A huge thank you to Brendan Smart and others who have helped with this tremendous work to enable the Club to continue its important operations and maintenance projects.
While we are kicking goals in many areas, there are some areas where there is room for improvement. Unauthorised access to the Clubhouse, setting off alarms and leaving the building unlocked is resulting in security company call out fees which are costing us money. Damage to equipment can also be costly and cause a lot of effort to repair. If you damage something or see something damaged or missing please report it to your patrol captain, a Board member or a member of the Gear and Equipment team.
We also still have some key roles in the Club to fill. Without people putting their hands up things don’t get done or too few people end up doing too much work. Please keep a look out for these roles which are advertised each week in our weekly newsletter.
See you down the beach soon.
Regards,
Jason Close - President
E: president@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Board Update
Decisions
Mark Donaldson to lead the development of the Club Strategy with support from Resilient Co, a firm run by former member Brett Ellis. An expression of interest for Club members to participate has been publicised.
The Club has prepared a draft lease which it will submit to Phillip Island Nature Parks for consideration.
The Club will purchase two rainbow coloured rescue boards to promote World Pride Day and highlight that we are an inclusive Club
General Business
Residence Accommodation fees being reviewed
Club is seeking quotes for Smiths Beach Rescue Base maintenance
Swellnet cameras and NBN have been installed at Clubhouse
Club Secretary role to be split in recognition of large workload
Green Patrol will take place in early 2023 to celebrate Club’s sustainability efforts
Director Update
See below updates from the board:
President - Jason Close
Following an expression of interest process the following members have put their hands up to form a Life Membership Nomination Committee -Troy Ross, Alan McLean, Clark Livingston, Brian Whittaker and Hamish Derricks. Jason Close to chair the Committee.
Following an expression of interest process the following members have volunteered to form a committee to steer the Alan Pitts Youth Development Fund -Bernd Neubauer, Noel Henderson, Alan McLean and Terry Aslanidis
This fund was set up in the early 2000’s (approximately) to enable members of the Club or the public to donate funds to support training and development opportunities for junior members.
Expressions of interest will soon be sought for the Club’s Judiciary Committee
Jason Close and Brendan Smart met twice in October with representatives of Life Saving Victoria to discuss a trial of electronic beach information signage which LSV is proposing to pilot at Woolamai Beach. This is an exciting project which will see Woolamai Beach receive the first sign of its type in Victoria. The sign which is likely to be located near the ramp to the beach will provide up to date information about the beach, beach conditions, patrol hours, life saving services, the club, the local environment and a whole lot more
Bass Coast Shire Council has recently confirmed that the retaining wall and dune stabilisation and revegetation work proposed as part of the Woolamai Beach SLSC Environs Management Plan will require planning permission. This means works will now be unlikely to commence until later in the season .
Vice president - Annie Coleman
Congratulations to those who have been successful in their application to the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For those who are interested please email me as we’d love to have as many voices and people as we can in this space. Thank you Everyone
Administration & Finance - Christian Born
The new season is upon us! We’ve received a good portion of memberships. Thank you for everyone who has done so (and a friendly reminder to those who have forgotten). Reminder, we all need to be financial members to complete our skills maintenance for the new season. I’ll everyone at our Skills Maintenance weekend :)
There are a number of support positions vacant, so if anyone has any interest in lending a hand in the running of our club, please get in touch with either myself or one of the Board. Some of these roles require you to be at the club, while others can be done purely remotely.
Lifesaving Services - Campbell Smart
Patrol leadership team set
26th Nov = season start
Gear inspection all good!
New Callout with decals arrived!
Drowning at Somerlands Bay on Tuesday 8th Nov. Club didn’t have any involvement. Call went to Water Police, which meant that LSV weren’t notified.
The club is operating as a callout service for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve (not patrolling). Lifeguards on patrol though.
Member Development - Terry Aslanidis
Club Bronze sitting at 60 EOI
Good numbers enrolling in SRC
Skill Maintenance sessions communicated
2x Resuscitation courses will be running on the skills maintenance weekend
Season open party on Dec 3rd.
Assets - Darrell Clark
A lot of maintenance work to be done at Smiths Beach -quotes being sought
Tesla Battery installed at Clubhouse and residence
A significant amount of maintenance projects underway and completed
Competition - Susan Fawaz
There has been some interest in the Adult Bronze to be able to assist with water safety
Water safety needs minimum of SRC, but for state comps, they need Bronze minimum
Needing volunteers with sufficient awards to assist with water safety.
There are some parents who are keen to assist, but we need to get them qualified
Junior Development - Tanya Pinnock
200+ enrolments so far
Lots of locals
Nippers team flat out
Social events proposed
Communications - Ryan Box
Patrol timetable for the season created and ready to go!
Bass Coast Series registrations open and lots of communication early on. More to come as the dates get closer
Update, newsletters, club comms continuing as usual
Sustainability - Louise Smith
Waste: Continued conversation with council regarding curbside collection at clubhouse. Council state unable to pick due to safety risk and club being outside the contractor’s collection zone.
Education team (Ellie Ryan): created a sustainability reference guide for PCs, refined sustainability education module for upcoming camps.
Junior sustainability committee update: committee plans to provide education session to nippers during theory time. Committee has undertaken planning for this.
Event planning: ‘Green patrol’.
Communications (Erin Close, Jasmine Kuerschner, Izzy Bulach): ‘Sustainability Sundays’ continue to gain social media engagement and promote broader community education
Planting days with PINPs – awaiting permits
Non-renewables (Hugo Richter): extensive research into shower heads. Hugo believes upgrading our shower heads to a WELLS 4 model will not only save significant amounts of water, but pay for themselves in one season
2022/2023 Patrol Roster Out!
The 2022/2023 Patrol roster is now out!
Make sure you have a look when your patrols are for the season ahead and get ready for another great season!
The second sheet has contact details of the lifesaving services team
Or have a look at the Patrol Roster page under members by clicking HERE
2022/2023 Patrol Times
Here are the Patrol Times for the 2022/2023 season!
These include a mix of both volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards.
Any changes regarding times will be communicated via our club Facebook page, or if in doubt make sure you have a look for signage near the beach as well as red and yellow flags before swimming!
Memberships
Hello everyone.
The season is fast approaching and If you intend to be a part of Woolamai Beach SLSC this season, you MUST renew/pay your membership. For all new and returning members renewing and paying your membership is compulsory before participating at any club or state activity (i.e. new awards or skills maintenance).
The club website includes a range of step by step guides to help you with your memberships. You can find these at https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/ under the ‘Members’ Tab of the website.
Current (Returning) WBSLSC Members
To renew/pay your membership, please visit Members Area and follow the prompts.
More information can be found here - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/renew
**Please Note: If you have forgotten your password, try to reset your password by clicking on ‘Forgotten username or password?’. If this doesn’t work, please contact membership@woolamaibeach.asn.au.
**DO NOT create a new account under any circumstance**
New WBSLSC Members
If you are wanting to participate in one of our programs as a new member, please follow the step by step instructions here - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/join-us
Current Programs that are on offer this season include:
Nippers (6-13 years old) - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/nippers
Surf Rescue Certificate (13-14 years old) - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/src-course
Bronze Medallion Camp (15+ years old) - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/bronze-medallion-camp
Adult Bronze Medallion Course (18+ years old) - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/adult-bronze-medallion-course
**Please Note: If you’re participating in any of the above programs, you will not be required to pay a membership as they are included in the course fee.
Membership Fees
Membership Fees will remain the same as previous years. Please note: the system was updated over the last few months and will calculate the correct membership fee as per your DOB.
**As this is still fairly new, there may be errors when completing your membership. if that is the case, please contact membership@woolamaibeach.asn.au
To view the membership fees for the 2022/23 season, please click here - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/membership-fees
Working With Children’s Check (WWCC)
Anyone over the age of 18 must have a valid Victorian WWCC to join the Club. This includes turning 18 during the season. If you applied for a WWCC for the first time, please send a copy of your card to membership@woolamaibeach.asn.au so it can be added to your profile.
Instructions on how to obtain a WWCC can be found here - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/working-with-childrens-check
Terry Aslanidis - Manager of Memberships
E: membership@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Skills Maintenance - 2 Weeks Away!
When is Skills Maintenance?
Saturday 3rd December & Sunday 4th December 2022
(You are required to come for only 1 of the days):
What can I do to prepare?
2) Ensure you have a valid WWCC
3) Complete Online Learning and Book into Skills Maintenance
What is Assessed on Skills Maintenance Day?
A full breakdown of what will be assessed at Skills Maintenance is listed in the link below:
https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/skills-maintenance-guide
Season Launch Event
Following Skills Maintenance, the club will be hosting its first event of the season! Come along for a social catch up, dinner and drinks on the Saturday evening. Please click going on the Facebook event so we can start organising dinner!
Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/2k7ygLIYL
Skills Maintenance Timetable
For more information, please read our skills maintenance page https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/skills-maintenance
Regards,
Training Team
Change to Vaccination Requirements
Life Saving Victoria has recently confirmed a change in approach to vaccination requirements.
In line with the LSV advice all members are strongly encouraged to have an up-to-date vaccination status, as outlined by age group on the Victorian Government's Coronavirus website.
This means that members without up-to-date vaccination status can return to Club activities.
However up-to-date vaccination status is a requirement for being employed by Life Saving Victoria
Members are also strongly encouraged to take a preventative approach to COVID-19, including being tested and staying at home if unwell, and maintaining good hygiene practices.
Click HERE to see the Frequently Asked Questions document prepared by Life Saving Victoria provides further information.
Nippers Registrations Open!
Join Nippers!
Registrations are now open for Nippers!
Spots are filling up fast with certain age groups already being sold out!
Click below to find out more.
https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/nippers
Click HERE to register
Bass Coast Series Registrations Open!
Registrations are now open for the Cape Paterson Aquathon, San Remo Channel Challenge, and Cowes Classic.
Little Penguin Dash registrations will open on the 21st of November.
Cape Paterson Aquathon
Sunday 22nd January 2023 @ 10:00am
San Remo Channel Challenge
Saturday 4th February 2023 @ 11:00am
Cowes Classic
Saturday 18th February 2023 @ 2:00pm
Little Penguin Dash
Saturday 18th February 2023 @ 10:30am
Registrations open 21st November 2022
Registration costs are consistent across all 3 events!
Early Bird (Until 20th Nov)
Individuals 18 Plus - $55
Juniors U/18 - $35
Relay Teams - $80
Standard
Individuals 18 Plus - $60
Juniors U/18 - $40
Relay Teams - $90
For more information on each of the events please have a look at the website pages HERE
Website: https://www.basscoastseries.com.au/
Facebook: Bass Coast Series | Facebook
Instagram: Bass Coast Series (@basscoastseries) • Instagram photos and videos
Thanks,
Bass Coast Series team
Wild About Wooli! A 50 Year History of the Club
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 December’s Newsletter - 8th of December
Cheers,
Ryan Box - Director of Communications
