Amongst the young people of today, there are many programs outside of the schools and colleges that are of the utmost importance. One of these is the Surf Education Program. Run by the Queensland Surf Life Saving Association its purpose is to educate out youth in all aspects of life at the beach: fun in the surf, beach safety and awareness of the Surf Life Saving Movement: and its role in their every day family visits to their local beaches.
Under the control of Education Manager Sacha Tapara-Beaton is a staff of 25 personal ,all of whom must be fully qualified and active bronze holding members. Regarding the training Sacha said, “Our programs can go for 4 to 5 weeks, with the day starting at 9 and going through to 3pm or anywhere in between. The team size could be 30 to 180 at any given time, and under the supervision of at least two instructors. We start off with a talk on general surf lifesaving and beach safety. The day will then consist of swimming, board paddling and rescue procedures: this will then continue over a 4- week period.”
But it is not just for the smaller kids but also for the high school students: for these the major difference is that the program can go for a total of 8 weeks with more emphases on basic rescue procedures as well as first aid. When this is completed, you can rest assured that the students will take away surf skills that they will have forever.
However, the success of such programs will without a doubt, depend on the character and experience that the training team members possess. When we look back over some twenty years’ we remember such trainers as Greg McGlocklin and former paramedic Steve “Frecko” Freckleton (still helping out) who started their first program working out of the Good Shepherd College. Now they have some 25 schools engaged in programs. Another trainer whose contribution has been outstanding has been Donald McKill. Donald who is now in year 10 as an instructor, is also heavily involved in the Seahorse Nippers, that organisation who specialises in working with children with special needs. “When we work with the young kids the smiles on their faces as they train on the beach makes it all worth- while: also, we know that what they learn will stay with them for years to come.” Another very dedicated member of the training team is Kara Gardner. Kara who is now in her fifth year summed it up well when she said, “This is indeed a team with great dynamics and lots of fun.’’
Another very successful aspect has been introducing the program into the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community. This came about following a discussion between Jack Lewis a senior Noosa member, and Steve Freckleton. Lewis was of the opinion that a visit to Cherbourg would be a great opportunity to introduce the students to life at a beach and also give the them an inside to what surf lifesaving was all about. Steve took his advice and a visit to both Cherbourg and Muggon, where all the young spent time at the local pool, was organised and the concept was fully explained. This was so well received, that children from the community visited and took part in the program training. “It goes without saying that they loved every minute of their training; it was time and effort well spent,” said a training team member.
For the Noosa club it is also interesting to note that Murgon, the small country town adjacent to Cherbourg, is the home town of many Noosa lifesavers: some of whom such as Kerry “Pencil” Sorensen and Mike Horner went on to achieve the high honour of being awarded Life Membership.
The fact is the Noosa club has thrown its full support behind this Education Program and for this it is to be applauded. But above all the number of long serving local lifesavers who stepped up to accept the responsibility of making the programs a total success, should be acknowledged. People such as McGlocklin, Freckelton, McKill, Gardner just to name a few. In doing so, they have without a doubt saved many a young person life. And that is what surf clubs are all about: the protection of human life, be they young or old. This Education Program is something that not only the club but also the community should take pride in. The time and effort that our people have put into this project should acknowledged.
