From the President's Desk It finally feels like summer has arrived! It’s going to be an awesome summer ahead. Already a number of cool things have happened this season which I want to share with you all: - Whangamata Barry’s U23 Surf Boat Crew are in the running to be selected as the New Zealand open crew. After two fierce days of racing at the NZ Surf Boat Trials at Mt Maunganui, the selectors were unable to make a selection of the Open crew, however, the Barry's were the standout U23 Crew, and will retain their spot as the NZ development crew for the third year running if they are not selected as the open crew. Either way, the boys will be off to Australia in 2018 to represent New Zealand and Whangamata in the Trans Tasman Surf Boat Series. The decision will be made after racing at the Unichem Pharmacy Surf Boat Spectacular held at Whangamata on the 2nd of January, so make sure you come out and support the boys.
- The selection process has been completed for this summer’s paid lifeguard team who will lead our patrol services during the summer holiday period. I’m really proud to announce Stewart Gibson as our Head Lifeguard, ably assisted by Deputy Head Lifeguard Max Jones, and the core team of Natalie Wilson, Nic Hamlin, Tyla Rose, Matthew Millward, Callum Fulton, Conor Bradding, Mitch Hohaia. We will also see support coming in from Ben Goffin, Sophie Henson and Nathan Smith during the season. All volunteer lifeguards are reminded you are all welcome to patrol alongside the paid lifeguards – this is a great way to build your experience and expertise as a lifeguard.
- RELAX… We have secured a bar manager!! Huge thank you to Rod Marvin for leading the charge! For those that were not aware, with Kirk & Michelle moving on from Blackies we needed to re-shape our bar service. Be sure to pop up for a refreshing beverage and introduce yourself to Colleen Orchard during opening hours (which are generally every day from 5:00pm after Christmas as well as ‘club nights’ which will be notified on the club Facebook page and on the club calendar). A reminder that the surf club bar is a service for members (both active and associate). Please note, guest entry is at the discretion of the bar manager and in all cases, the member bringing the guest must remain responsible (and liable for any damage…!) for their guest at all times.
- Whanga Week is fast approaching and as always, many hands make light work. We need marshalls, lifeguards, registration desk people, water station people, money collectors etc for the events. It’s our annual fundraising and community awareness initiative – please support Whanga Week. A huge thanks to those members (and better halves of members… thanks Jenny) that have taken on Event Manager roles to oversee each Whanga Week event – Bryan Black, Rod Marvin, Jenny Hight, Sam Barclay + Junior Surf Staff, Clare Gatenby + Soren Nielsen, Ross Bradding and of course our legend patron Mr Richard Scelly QSM.
I’m looking forward to another magic summer at Whangamata. I was recently reflecting on ‘what makes it so special for me?’ The answer is very clear: it’s the people. Spending time with fantastic people that share my passion for Whangamata and our club. Seeing people grow individually and as a team throughout the summer as they learn new skills and train hard to improve themselves as lifeguards, as athletes and as people. Knowing that many families will enjoy a safe summer because of what our people provide in the community makes me very proud. So cheers to you WSLSC. Best wishes in the lead up to the festive period ahead. See you on the beach. Nathan Hight
From the Club Captain's Desk Patrolling What fantastic weather we are having at the moment! It makes everyone want to go to the beach and cool off in the water. It's our job to make sure all of those people swim between our red and yellow flags to stay safe in the water. In order for people to do that we need to have a full, positive and energetic team on patrol each weekend. Please continue to check the patrol roster and turn up to your designated patrol. If you can do a bit extra and pop onto another patrol then great! There are some great incentives for you to earn points for so get patrolling and weep the rewards! Equipment and clubhouse Over the winter we have obtained some great new equipment such as the patrol tower, signs, tubes, fins etc. Please treat all of our equipment with respect, use it correctly, clean it after use and then return it to its correct place. We are very fortunate to have such lovely equipment and in order for it remain in working condition we all need to look after it. A great team of people cleaned out the sheds and clubhouse towards the end of winter, it would be great to keep these area's clean and tidy. Once again this is our "home" and needs to be treated with respect. Accommodation If you are planning on staying in the bunk rooms this season then you need to have signed the code of conduct and returned to Andrea before your stay. If you are under 16 you need to have a parent sign the consent form and have organised a senior guard to act as a guardian during the time of your stay. If there are any issues with this then please contact me - Rash - 0211898890. Finally, from my family to yours I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing everyone in Whangamata during the summer holiday break. Cheers, Rash
Lifesaving Update Please keep an eye on the patrol roster as there have been some changes made. If you're unable to make your rostered patrol it is up to you to find a replacement. This season we're introducing rewards for clubbies that go above and beyond with their patrolling efforts - there's some epic rewards up for grabs, so get amongst it. Each hour spent on volunteer patrols accumulates a certain number of points, depending on the date of the patrol. Patrols during the Regional guard season are worth 1 point per hour, whilst patrols outside this period are worth 1.5 points per hour. Rewards are as follows - Attend every rostered patrol - $25 Bar Tab or Fin Belt
- 100 points - Club Togs or Lifeguard Jacket
- 125 points - Invited membership (Free membership next season)
- 150 points - Exclusive WSLSC branded 2017/18 shirt
- 175 points - CLub hoodie or Fins
- 200 points - Named Rescue Tube
- Lifeguard with the highest points - XCEL Lifeguard Wetsuit
That's all for now, make sure you check out our new website HERE to renew your membership for the season. If there is any other club news you want to know about in the future, or you have some news you would like shared get in touch and we will make this happen. Make sure you have liked our Facebook page and followed our Instagram account @whangmataslsc, as these are going to feature information regarding club events, lifesaving updates and sports results, all summer long. Yours in Surf, Trust Waikato Whangamata SLSC |
