By Ron Lane
For the Noosa club, three members being named as recipients of major local awards has put a good finish to the season. Chris Grandemange, Lara Porter and Lilly Tindal were the three named.
In the first instance, veteran member Chris Grandemange received the Noosa Electorate Queensland Day Award.
Presented by local member Glen Elmes, the award was in recognition of his outstanding volunteer work as a patrolling member of the Noosa Club; in particular his dedication and input to the IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) team, both as a driver and instructor for their training teams.
Apart from his normal beach patrol obligations, Chris is also on the IRB 24-hour call out Emergency Squad.
This is the second time that Chris has received a major award in the last two years.
For Chris the first came at the end of the 2015/’16 season, when Noosa awarded him the coveted Lobban Cup as the most outstanding lifesaver of the year.
It is interesting to note that his son Keaton, who works as a lifeguard at Main Beach, is also a member of the Emergency Squad and as such has teamed up with his father on several occasions for midnight call outs, with father Chris as driver and Keaton part of the crew.
The other two members to be acknowledged are Lara Porter and Lilly Tindal, who were awarded the Queensland Community Foundation, 2017 Maroochy Achievers Award. Lara, a 14-year-old student, who joined the Noosa Nippers as an under-7 in 2008, was recognised for her outstanding work during the season.
Lara, who holds the Surf Rescue Certificate, has completed 49 hours on the beach, and has also worked as a volunteer assistant age manager for the under-10 nipper age group. Then, add to this the fact that during the four-week Seahorse Nipper season, which involves every Saturday morning, she works one-on-one with the children with special needs, taking them through a range of activities to provide fun and stimulating learning experiences.
For Lilly, a 15-year-old student, she started her career in Noosa in 2009 as an under-10 nipper. Also a holder of the Surf Rescue Certificate, she has completed 36 hours this season and also does similar work for the Seahorse Nippers. Along with Lara, she is also an assistant age manager with the under-10 nippers.
To top things off, these busy young ladies this season, as a part of the Surf Rescue Champion Life Saving Team, won a gold medal at the Australian Titles in the under-15 First Aid Competition section. They also won medals in similar events at the Sunshine Coast Branch Championships. At the recent Sponsors Breakfast for the Noosa Club, Lilly and Lara were called on to demonstrate resuscitation techniques on the new AED Manikin. The 80 plus in attendance were impressed by the maturity of the girls.
When 15-year-old Lilly Tindal won the gold medal at the recent Australian Titles, little did she realise that she had written her name into a unique part of the history of the Noosa club. Way back in 1988, her mother, then Michelle Jaques, also won a gold medal at Aussie Titles when her cadet R&R team won this blue ribbon event. For a mother and daughter to win gold medals at the Aussies, some 29 years apart, is not only great it is something that the club should definitely acknowledge.
Over the hill at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club members are reminded that their annual general meeting and election of officers will be held on Sunday, and club captain Scott Summers is requesting that all members attend; a good AGM can be the start of a great season.
