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:
Vale Jan Nicholson
President’s Report
Board Update
Volunteering Opportunities - We need your help!
Life Saving Services Update
Training / Member Development Update
Skills Maintenance Sessions
Resuscitation (CPR) Courses
Season Launch ~ Social Event 🌮
Working Bee 🔨
Helpers Wanted - Carols by Candlelight San Remo 🚑
Bass Coast Series Registrations Opened 🏊🏃♀️
Upcoming Planting Days 🪴🌿
Vale Jan Nicholson
On Friday 10 November Jan Nicholson, the beloved wife of our Life Governor, Ron Nicholson, died peacefully at Beleura Private Hospital in Mornington after a long and brave battle with illness.
All of us who know Jan will greatly miss her lovely smile and warm personality. She was one of the most welcoming and friendly people you could meet. Jan had many friends at Woolamai Beach SLSC and we will all greatly miss her.
Jan spent a lot of time at Woolamai Beach and really became part of the fabric of our Club as well as supporting and helping Ron with events such as the Channel Challenge.
A memorial service to celebrate Jan's life will be held at St Michael's and All Angels Anglican Church, 28 Dalgetty Road, Beaumaris on Tuesday November 21st at 2pm. This will be followed by a celebration of Jan's life at the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron.
There will also be a livestream link for those who cannot attend the service at https://bit.ly/janicen
President’s Update - Jason Close
Hi everyone,
The patrol season is now upon us.
A lot of work has been put into getting equipment and the Clubhouse ready for the season. A huge shout out to the Patrol Leadership team, the Equipment officers and everyone who attended the working bee on the last weekend of October.
I was very impressed with the amount achieved at the working bee by a small number of volunteers ranging in age from 16 to nearly 80. We will have another working bee or two over summer so if you didn’t make the first one, there will be others. These are a very important way that we get our Clubhouse ready for summer and save the Club money by tidying, fixing and building things ourselves.
Do you want to be an asset to the Club?
As well as our working bees, there are also plenty of tasks throughout the season. If you would like to make a difference or have a parent or friend who would like to help, then get in touch with Dave and the Assets team via assets@woolamaibeach.asn.au . To find out about upcoming and current tasks you can also join the ‘Assets Woolamai’ group, this is the Club’s most dynamic and entertaining Facebook Messenger Chat group. Contact Dave for details.
Paella Night
Paella Night is locked in for 6 January 2024. The night will also be a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Club winning its first Australian Surf Boat Title in Glenelg, South Australia. All of the winning team members will be invited along for a special presentation.
Club Champs will be held earlier this day.
Keep your eye on upcoming newsletters and the Club members Facebook page for further details and how to book
The behaviour you walk past is the behaviour you accept.
At the recent patrol leaders forum, Brian Whittaker gave an excellent leadership presentation. One of the key messages that Brian left with us is that ‘the behaviour you walk past is the behaviour you will accept’. This is a very important message because our leaders can have a huge influence on the culture of our club and the manner in which our members act.
I’d like to take Brian’s message a step further and say that we can all be leaders when it comes to looking after our Clubhouse. The Clubhouse belongs to all of us. Its our home away from home and needs to be treated with respect. If you see someone doing the wrong thing, don’t walk past it -say something. This could be something as small as walking through the upstairs of the Clubhouse with sandy feet, not washing up after themselves in the kitchen, leaving the place untidy, kicking a ball around inside, leaving lights or air conditioners on in an empty room.
If you see something wrong, say something.
Australian Defence Vessel - Cape Woolamai
The Club has received an enormous honour recently, with the Royal Australian Navy naming a ship the ‘Cape Woolamai’.
The Australian Defence Vessel Cape Woolamai is a Cape Class patrol boat which is used by the Navy to contribute to the nation’s fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations. The ship’s moniker is ‘Intrepid 318’.
The Cape Woolamai has its home port in Darwin and in late September had a homeporting ceremony to recognise its introduction into service.
Myself and a number of our life governors have been in communication with Lieutenant Commander James Knight RAN who is the Commanding Officer of the ship. We have started to establish what we hope will be a long and successful relationship with the ship and its crew.
The ships crew have been provided with a few copies of the Wild About Wooli book and it has given them a great insight into our Club, its history and its culture.
LCDR Knight has indicated at some point in the near future some members of the ship’s crew will visit the Club.
LCDR Knight has provided us with an update about the home porting ceremony and passed on some photographs and a copy of his speech in which our Club received prominent mention.
The following is a short extract from the speech.
“It is a privilege to be in this position to bring a new warship into service and be able to form a connection with the Community of Cowes and Woolamai Surf Lifesaving club.
For those unaware, Cape Woolamai is a beautiful part of Philip island, famous for the Pinnacles rock formations (seen on our patches) and great surfing… though also known as being one of Victoria’s most dangerous beaches. These conditions require an ever vigilant and Intrepid Surf Lifesaving club, the proud and successful club is nearly 65 years old and has saved over 2500 lives, which is incredible….. but It wasn’t always so… A quote from a founding member 1959
“the area was desolate and Barren, no electricity, water supply or camping group. But one day Woolamai could be made into something really good”
this quote is analogous for what the crew faced when they proceeded down to WA to accept a newly built ship….at the time known only as HULL 815, it was 400 Tonnes of Aluminium, hundreds of untested systems, completely bare and uninhabitable but step by step, day by day the crew brought ADV Cape Woolamai to life and in turn was able to realise this modern capability.
Like the Woolamai Surf Lifesaving Club Our story will only continue to grow with upcoming deployments, operations, personnel will slowly change out though the original crew, those in front of you today will always be part of our DNA.
Well done Team – You Should be extremely Proud – Intrepid 318”
For further information about the ADV Cape Woolamai -click on this link ADV Cape Woolamai | Royal Australian Navy
See you down the beach soon.
Regards
Jason Close
President
Board Update
General Business
New merchandise being investigated.
Club still looking for a new Merchandise Manager, as well as several other roles currently being advertised.
Membership fees -small increase came into effect on 1 November.
Presentation Night 2024 options for dates and venues discussed.
Club Emergency Plan may need to be developed.
Director Update
See below updates from the board:
President - Jason Close
Concrete path at entrance to Clubhouse now completed. We are speaking to Phillip Island Nature Parks to generate ideas about small structures to deflect sand from the pathway. A representative of the San Remo Community Bank who funded the pathway visited in October for a Clubhouse tour and to take photos.
Paella Night is locked in for 6 January 2024. The night will also be a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Club winning its first Australian Surf Boat Title in Glenelg, South Australia. All of the winning team members will be invited along for a special presentation. Club Champs will be held earlier this day.
Keep your eye on upcoming newsletters and the Club members Facebook page for further details and how to book
Admin & Finance - Christian Born
If anyone is interested in donating, please get in touch. Donations can be fed into:
1- General Operations – supporting the day-to-day financial demands of the club
2- Alan Pitts Youth Fund – sponsoring development opportunities of the club’s young members
3- Development Fund – a fund created to support the club’s long-term financial future
Donate HERE - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/donate
To everyone who has already paid their membership fees, thank you very much!
To everyone else, please don’t forget to do so. Your membership cannot be finalised without it, which means your award skills maintenance cannot be processed. If you require any assistance, please reach out.
A reminder to our members with families, our residence is available for bookings if you need accommodation on the island (member rates!!). Please get in touch with Carole for any bookings enquires secretary@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Communications - Ryan Box
Bass Coast Series early bird special available until the 19th of November!
Patrol Roster is now out - see below
Volunteering Opportunities - We need your help!
As we fast approach the start of the season the Woolamai Board is looking for some help filling out these roles!
We currently have 5 specific roles to advertise, however if you have skills in other areas or are eager to help out in other ways, please get in contact as we won’t say no!
Read the position description for more information about the roles and reach out with any questions you might have.
Awards and Member Recognition Officer - Click HERE
Grants Manager - Click HERE
Member Protection Officer - Click HERE
BBQ Helper - Click HERE
Merchandise Manager - Click HERE
To apply to any of the roles - please fill out this form
Applications for these 5 roles will be close Sunday 19th November
Lifesaving Services Update
Dear Members
Please see below the Patrol Roster for the 2023/24 season! The patrol roster can be found on our website under Members > Patrol Roster. Each Patrol Group will also have the Patrol Roster and Key Contacts pinned to the top of their respective patrols.
Full Patrol Roster - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/patrol-roster
Patrol Dates
See below the patrol roster for the first half of the season. We would like to encourage members from all patrols to attend the November Patrols as we look to cover both Woolamai and Smiths Beach until the Lifeguards start on the 27th November.
Social Calendar
Our Patrol Leadership Team’s have worked together over the last month to create an awesome social calendar for our members. We will see our annual events such as the Channel Challenge and Cowes Classic run as well as Super Saturday returning for a second year! Super Saturday will host our annual Club Championships and Paella Night. Keep an eye on socials for event details.
As well as our club events, each patrol will be hosting their own events which will keep members engaged and work on team bonding. As per the calendar, each patrol will have the following:
Patrol Induction: All new members to the patrol (SRC/Bronze) will be inducted into their patrol group. This is a fun ceremony that is unique to each patrol and created a strong bond between members.
Patrol Major Event: The patrol leadership teams are allocated a budget to create an amazing event each season. We want to encourage as many members from the patrol (and other patrols) to attend their patrols major event.
Patrol Activities: We encourage members to stick around after patrol and participate in patrol activities. Patrol Activities are great for team bonding and getting to know your team members. Activities may include:
Team Dinners
Patrol Development
Patrol Games
Patrol Inductions and Major Events will be posted in the Patrol Facebook Groups, as well as the Club Events Calendar which can be located on the website here - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/events
Sandman Patrol
Last weekend the Sandman Patrol kicked off the 2023/24 season! Although the weather wasn’t the best, it was a great to see a few members show up.
Special mention to Kadek Humphris, River Henderson and Ayden Fawaz who attend patrol for some extra experience before Bronze Camp. The boys will be completing their Bronze Medallion at the upcoming Camp in December.
Saturday night was capped off with the famous Sandman Long Table Dinner, where the patrol cooked up Mexican!
See you at our next patrol!
Sandman Patrol Leadership Team (Yeah, Yeah!)
Training/Member Development Update
To keep up to date with Skills Maintenance Information, make sure to click GOING on the Facebook Event https://fb.me/e/96Bg4whNG
Skills Maintenance
Skills Maintenance Weekend will be held on Saturday 2nd December and Sunday 3rd December 2023. (SAVE THE DATE!)
Skills maintenance is intended to ensure all patrolling lifesavers remain proficient in their skills and display the appropriate knowledge and understanding of the patrol award criteria. All active Lifesavers are required to complete a skills maintenance assessment to show currency in the life saving award/s they hold and wish to retain.
To learn more about skills maintenance, click HERE - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/skills-maintenance
Practical Sessions at Woolamai 2023/24 Season
Woolamai Beach SLSC is running 2 skills maintenance sessions on the 2nd and 3rd December. Please make sure you book into ONLY 1 session. They are all the same just capped at 25 per session**
**If sessions runs out, more courses will be created
Saturday - 2/12/2023
When booking into the course, the Course ID can be used to locate the specific date. You only need to book into 1 of these courses.
1973049 (25 Spots Available)
1973050 (25 Spots Available)
1973051 (25 Spots Available)
Sunday 3/12/2023
When booking into the course, the Course ID can be used to locate the specific date. You only need to book into 1 of these courses.
1973044 (25 Spots Available)
1973045 (25 Spots Available)
1973047 (25 Spots Available)
You are only required to attended one (1) session on any of the given dates. Please register on the Training Portal.
Resuscitation (HLTAID009) Update
We will be running 1 Resuscitation (CPR) course on both days of Skills Maintenance to assist those that need to update their qualification.
If you have previously completed a Resuscitation (HLTAID009) course, please make sure to book in via the Member Training Portal. There are a limited number of spots available.
Date: Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd December
Course Time: 8:30am – 10:00am
E-learning: MUST be completed before the session*
To book into the course, please go to https://mt.lsv.com.au/login and filter for your specific session.
Course ID:
Saturday 2nd December: 1980489
Sunday 3rd December: 1980491
If you have any issues, please contact the training team via email - training@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Season Launch ~ Social Event
We are welcoming back our inaugural season launch social event on the 2nd December 2023 (straight after skills maintenance!) There is no better feeling than completing Skills Maintenance, having dinner and a beer with your mates on the deck, while watching the sunset go down over our beautiful beach
Event Details:
Dinner: Mexican (Tacos)
Drinks: At bar prices
Cost: $10 per head
RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/233190914012850
Please make sure to RSVP by 1st December to allow for catering.
If you would like to assist for an hour or so on the night, please contact Terry at memberdevelopment@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Working Bee
We’ve officially completed our first working bee of the 2023/2024.
A massive thanks to Tom, Marty, Campbell, Boo, Jason, Terry, Mole Man, Glen, and Life Governor John Thomson (Thommo) smashing it and everyone else who helped out on the day or with preparation! It was a long day but very rewarding. Keep your eyes open for the next working bee clean up as we start the patrol season.
A special thank you to our director of Assets Dave Ellison for organising the day!
Working Bees are essential to prepare our clubhouse for a busy Summer Season! Check out these photos from the 2014 Working Bee and the 2023 Working Bee!
2014 Working Bee
2023 Working Bee
2014 Working Bee
2023 Working Bee
There is still plenty of work to be completed so keep your eye out in the updates for future Working Bee dates during the season!
David Ellison
Director of Assets
E: assets@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Helpers Wanted - Carols by Candlelight San Remo
The club’s been invited to run a BBQ at Carols by Candlelight at San Remo on Friday 15 December. Various jobs from mid afternoon onwards: snag turning, food collection & prep, sales, transporting BBQ trailer, set up, clean up, & dancing/singing in Santa hats! Great opportunity to promote the club too.
Please contact Campbell Smart if you can assist lifesavingservices@woolamaibeach.asn.au
Bass Coast Series
Early Bird Special Until 19/11/23
Registrations are now open for the Cape Paterson Aquathon, San Remo Channel Challenge and Cowes Classic!
Our “Early Bird Special” is available until midnight on Sunday 19th November. Be sure to get in quick, as this offer won’t come around again this series.
We look forward to seeing you compete in our most exciting year yet!
Pricing is consistent for all 3 events with no increases from 2023
Early Bird (Until 19th Nov)
Individuals 18 Plus - $55
Juniors U/18 - $35
Relay Teams - $80
Standard
Individuals 18 Plus - $60
Juniors U/18 - $40
Relay Teams - $90
Upcoming Planting Days
Hi All,
In partnership with Phillip Island Nature Parks and DEECA, WBSLSC’s sustainability community invites our members to help revegetate our sand dunes surrounding the clubhouse.
We have 3 exciting sessions scheduled, which will involve planting vegetation to support the integrity of the dune post extensive sand works. No experience required!
WHERE? Meet at the Woolamai Clubhouse Gearshed
WHEN?
Session 1: Saturday 18th Nov 9am -12pm
Session 2: Sunday 26th Nov 9am – 12pm
Session 3: Sunday 17th Dec 8am – 11am
BRING:
Hat
Drink bottle
Gloves
WEAR:
Long pants
Closed-toe shoes
Sunscreen
As a thank you, lunch/snacks will be provided for volunteers.
If you are planning on joining in the fun, please RSVP to Louise - 0488 676 171.
Social Events Calendar
If you didn’t know, we have a Social Events Calendar! You can find that by clicking “Home” > “Events” - https://www.woolamaibeach.org.au/events
Callout for historic club items!
Hello to all Woolamai Members
From Graeme Clauscen, Club Historian
From the Archives a little bit of History !
S.L.S.A. Poster from 1977
Woolamai Aerial Photo 1987
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
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
