By RON LANE
DESPITE not coming home with a medal from the National IRB Titles held at Mooloolaba on the weekend, the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club came home with their heads held high. For not only did this comparative rookie team have crews reach the quarter finals, but above all one of their teammates, Chris Grandemange, received the high honour of carrying the Australian Flag and leading the official march.
“Oh boy I was stunned, I didn’t know what to say; it was one hell of an honour to carry our country’s flag. I think that we should all be proud that someone from Noosa was chosen to do this,” said the stunned Mr Grandemange.
The titles were indeed a success with some 38 clubs in attendance including one from New Zealand. In all about 1500 competitors were involved and despite a total lack of surf everyone was happy with the carnival.
Noosa competition captain Chris Vaughan said, “The competition through our racing season has been a good grounding and experience for all our people and this will be a major benefit for our IRB teams during the summer month patrols.”
Open competitor and driver Mehdi Swaleh said, “I feel that we were a big improvement on last season, not as green as last year. For next season, we have to increase our work load, really set our goals and also recruit new members.”
Sarah Arch, aged 18, is one of the young lady drivers who is really starting to make a name for herself. Sarah who started last year as a crewie but has now moved up to driver was happy with the racing season. “It has been good. This season we worked and trained more together than before. Like Mehdi said we must aim at getting more new members; this will be a big help if we can achieve this.”
With the patrol season fast approaching, Noosa will conduct their first proficiencies on Saturday and Sunday a new bronze squad will commence training for their bronze medallion.
Over the hill at Sunshine Beach, our brothers in arms on Monday, started their winter training programs and club captain Scott Summers has started drawing up patrol rosters for next season. On Friday evening, the Surf Life Saving Sunshine Coast Awards of Excellence will be held at Maroochydore and Sunshine Beach has several members nominated for awards; we wish them well. For them, it has been a great season and further recognition at branch level would round things off nicely. Also this weekend Sunshine will send a team of Open and Master competitors to the Gold Coast to compete in the State Pool Rescue Championships.
Hardwork, dedication and loyalty, are three of the factors that go towards making a good lifesaver. If these factors are not present in members, then clubs will suffer for they are also the ingredients that go towards the making of leaders.
This year at Sunshine Beach Surf Lifesaving club two senior members, Bill Twigger and Warick Redwood, who without a doubt possess these virtues, were awarded their club’s highest honour: Life Membership.
For Bill Twigger and Warick Redwood, it is indeed an honour well earned. Both members have racked up 20 plus years of service and while doing so, both have held positions such as club president, club captain, training officers and served as actives on committee for many years.
They have stayed with their club through some turbulent years and their loyalty has never been questioned. As with all voluntary organisations the road is not always smooth; so at times when the going gets rough, those that possess the three named factors will always prevail. Congratulations to both.
