By RON LANE
HAPPY to relate the amalgamation between Noosa Heads and Peregian Beach is going well. On Sunday morning from 8am-10am, a group of 20 senior Nippers from Noosa and 12 from Peregian joined together to take part in an introduction course in CPR. Among the senior instructors from Noosa was Greg McLaughlin, Andrew Grzegozewski and Peter Landbridge.
Regarding the session Grzegozewski said, “All went well. After the CPR training, the whole group went to the beach where they took part in surf swimming and board paddling. It was a very productive morning with both groups mixing well.”
Noosa was not the only club to put their hand up on Sunday. On the beach, the afternoon patrol was manned by 11 members of the Mudjimba surf club. To give some idea as to the whole-hearted support that clubs are giving Peregian one of the Mudjimba patrol members was their club president Michael Hughes.
“We are only too glad to help. If a club is going through a hard time, we all share the burden, we do what we can to help. That is what being a lifesaver is all about,” Hughes said.
Michael Hughes is another great example of what the structure of the modern surf lifesaving clubs are all about; because for Michael like hundreds of lifesavers throughout the country, it is also a family affair. His three daughters are now also members, one having passed her bronze medallion another has qualified for her SRC and the third is now a under 12 Nipper.
On the work front, Brett Leckie senior representative of the Peregian Club has taken a chair on the Noosa Management Committee. Good to see and we wish him well. Working bees have also been very busy.
Greg McLaughlin and a team have worked towards upgrading training room facilities and the First Aid Room has been replaced with a brand new relocatable building at the northern end of the clubhouse. This will be fully fitted out and serviced as the First Aid Room.
A new key fob security system will also be implemented. This system will be similar to the system now in use at Noosa, and if used properly will increase security protection for all aspects of the Peregian Surf club.
The annual Ten Grand in the Hand Fund-raiser for the Sunshine Beach Club was a big success and club captain Scott Summers extends his thanks to all involved. Today at noon, Life Members and club members of the Noosa Heads S.L.S.C will gather at Drysdales Funeral Parlour to bid farewell to a fellow Life Member Keith King who died after a long illness. Keith, who started his career by obtaining his bronze medallion in the surf club at Alexander Headlands, joined the Noosa club in the early 1950s. He then went on to make his mark as a boat sweep. After a break from lifesaving, Keith returned to Noosa in the mid-1960s and resumed his career as a boat sweep, training both senior and junior crews. In 1970 and again in 1972 he was awarded the Lobin Cup as Life Saver of the year; and from 1970 to ’75 he held the office of club president. Also during his presidential years, he was instrumental, along with club mate Lloyd Pomeroy in assisting a group of supporters in their drive to raise funds for a new surf boat. The boat which was purchased and christened, Thank You Supporters, was launched in1972. During his term as president, Keith was awarded Life Membership for his outstanding contribution to the club. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
