The Bondi Surfer No. 10628 May 2020
Intro & WelcomeJust after the last Surfer we had two changes in rapid succession to the COVID conditions, first easing beach access and opening craft room and then opening the beach completely. Apologies that these comms will occur at random times as we are driven by the advice coming from Federal/State governments and then interpreted by SLSA or Council - so there may always be a slight timing mismatch. We will only provide the advices when they are 100% clear and we can meet the conditions. At present, only members with personal or assigned craft can access the Club, and the gym and changerooms remain shut. Clearly members would like to regain access to the gym and changerooms and these moves are being telegraphed by government to occur "soon". When they do reopen, there will be different conditions on use from pre-COVID and this will also be driven by external advice, so please remain patient and wait for the advices to come through. We have held off on sending out renewal notices over the past few weeks given the great uncertainty for members and the inability to access club facilities, however we will be sending these out in the near future when the gym and changerooms are usable again. You will note we still have our Presentation Night set for 27 June at Easts. Based on current advice we will be able to have 50 people at an event from 1 June, and thus we have been holding off moving this event as I am still of the belief that Presentation Night is best held face-to-face. If they can have 20,000 people at a rugby match by July then there is a possibility this might go ahead! If we have to adjust the timing, we will provide advice closer to time so please leave the date in your calendar for now. Likewise we continue to hold the 19 July date for the AGM, but we must have a 40-person quorum as a minimum and usually have near 100, so it will be heavily dependent on the government conditions at the time. The AGM can be held as late as October and I would prefer we do that as a club together. In either case, we will televise the event for those at higher risk or uncomfortable with mass gatherings. You will also see the Pavilion is being cleared out at present as work on the restoration of the Pavilion will start in July and take over a year. Our own renovation planning is going well and we hope to be able to share designs with members in the next month or so. We have put together a series of short videos to explain the reasoning behind the need for a renovation for the Club, please check them out here - if you are a professional editor or VoiceOver artist let me know as happy to improve these! This weekend, the Branch will be holding an online presentation of the Awards of Excellence. This year we have finalists in 17 categories including Club of the Year so please watch the show here from 4pm on Saturday 30 May to see how we go. Well done to everyone nominated, you are great representatives of the Club. Brent Jackson Events & RemindersKey Dates
Find more information on the Club Facebook page. Awards SeasonThe Nominees Are ...The 2020 Sydney Branch Awards of Excellence will be held virtually this year, with winner announced via Facebook and YouTube from 4pm this Saturday (30 May). The awards celebrate individuals and teams who strive for excellence and have made a positive contribution to the Surf Life Saving community over the season. Bondi's nominees are:
To tune in to the awards presentation, click on the links for Facebook or YouTube. And The Winners Are ...As usual, Nippers President Narelle Moore went above and beyond with the production of the Nippers Virtual 2019/20 Annual Presentation video. You can watch all the action by clicking on the link. Congratulations to all our Nippers on a challenging season. The Nippers Perpetual Award Winners for 2019/2020 are:
The Nippers' Most Outstanding Competitor Award winners are:
And the Nippers Age Champions are :
The final announcement of the presentation was the Nipper leadership for the 2020/21 season - Captains Declan Fletcher and Jessica Ryan and Vice Captains Timothy Simon and Anoushka Juma-Ross. AdministrationAnnual General MeetingWe are coming up to the time of the year where we set up roles for the coming year. If you are currently in a role, but are planning to step down, please let Brent know so we can start looking for a replacement. If you are interested in doing more in the club and would like to consider a role, please speak to Brent or the relevant Director to express interest and learn more about what is involved. Pep Font will be stepping down after five busy and successful years as Deputy President, so please make contact if you are interested in this role. Club ContactsHow to nominate for a club role - you can speak to the President or Directors, and fill out a nomination form that will come out with the AGM notice. How to submit issue to board - send an email to secretary@bondisurfclub.com How to participate in a committee or working group - If you know which section it is part of you can send an email to the section (see the details in the Officers list at bottom of Surfer). If you are unsure you can send an email saying how you would like to help to secretary@bondisurfclub.com or president@bondisurfclub.com and we will try and match up the role. Catching UpSurf's Up at BondiSince NSW's coronavirus restrictions were eased on 15 May 'Swim and Go' and 'Surf and Go' users at Bondi have been joined by those using the beach to walk, run and "sunbathe". The 500-person limit still applies to all beaches and fence and access points remain in place but beach access is now available at all times.. The beach was closed again last weekend with swells of up to 10m recorded off Sydney's coastline and people warned to stay out of the water. There were plenty watching from the cliff tops and a small group of surfers at Ben Buckler. The waves were even bigger that this footage of a 1938 Surf Race at Bondi we found in the archives. Check it out. Need to Talk?If at any time you feel stressed or you would like to talk with some confidentially about an issue you may be having at home, work or at the Club, we have a free Chaplain service for our members. Please feel free to reach out to Marty Nezal via email chaplain@bondisurfclub.com. Keeping In ContactCyril Baldock and Director of Lifesaving Damon Somerfield both rang our oldest living member Peter McIntyre on the 80th anniversary of his membership of the Club on 12 May. Now 95 years old, Peter talked Damon through how incredibly proud he was when he became a member of our club at the age of 15. At the time he met a member who had been at the club for eight years and thought how impressive those years of service were! Baby NewsOrmsby IRB Crew Gwen Cavrois gave birth to Eugene Motte on Monday 4 May at 1:20pm. He follows hot on the heels of PC Tom Levi's daughter last month. Mum, son and Dad are all now happily home and enjoying family life. If you have any news - births, engagements, weddings, anniversaries - that you'd like to share, email the Surfer Editor. Bondi MemoriesIf you're looking for something to while away the days until the season restarts in September (only 121 to go), you may be interested in Terry Jenkings' documentaries Bondi Forever and Bondi Guardians. Terry's family have had a long relationship with the Club. His father “ Bondi Bill” Jenkings was a Life Member and Patron and uncles Harry and Frank were long-time members. Terry's mother Noreen as President of the Social Committee in 1930s and the family ties continue with current members Michael and Natalya Pollard. The documentaries have been shown around the world by National Geographic and have been part of the airline entertainment on Qantas, Air New Zealand and American Airlines. Click on the links below and enter the password "rjmedia" to watch them. Charity Begins At HomeMany have been spending more time in the kitchen of late cooking up a storm. Bondi's Our Big Kitchen (OBK) is there to help if your results aren't quite meeting expectations. Less mess, less fuss and you'll be doing good too. OBK is a not-for-profit, industrial kitchen on a mission to educate, empower, and support people in need through meaningful volunteer experiences. Last year they distributed over 80,000 meals to disadvantaged Australians in Sydney. Now, they're selling raw cookie dough so you can bake up treats at home to share with family, friends and neighbours to bring together our community and for every kilogram purchased, you are helping OBK feed two people in need. You can place your order with OBK and pick up from them in Bondi. Cookie dough is $10 per kilogram and you can choose either chocolate chip or oatmeal dough. OBK also let us know about a charity that needs people prepared to roll up their sleeves. Thread Together (based in Banksmeadow) gives brand new clothing to homeless and disadvantage in the community, They need help to unload boxes from pallets, sort clothing, repack it into new boxes and reload it back onto pallets. Check out the Thread Together website and, if you want to get involved, fill in the volunteer's section then follow up with a phone call the next day. Marketing & SponsorshipAs a member benefit, you are invited to join the invite-only friends and family ecommerce site for Australian Vintage. Enjoy exclusive site-wide discounts and free shipping across some of Australia’s most famous wines brands including McGuigan, Nepenthe and Tempus Two wines to name but a few! Sign up here and take a look. Patrol in FocusIn the Footsteps of a LegendBy Bondi's AoE nominee for Junior Volunteer of the Year, Charlie Watts The mighty Jeppesen patrol is named after Carl Jeppesen (Jeppo), a hero of Black Sunday. On that day Jeppo and his son leapt into action, much like we do every time we don our patrol gear. Following in Jeppo’s footsteps, the modern day Jeppesen patrol has a great many positive attributes such as our amazing all-female leadership team - PCs Felicity MacArthur and Belinda Hartmann and VC Sarah Forde. We also have an all-female IRB team (driver Alex Ayscough and crew Sarah Forde), who pick up all the stray swimmers that even our fastest board paddlers can’t reach. The early end of the season and the closing of the beach affected all of us in many different ways. For some of us it was the friendships that we would miss, for others the water and the feeling of accomplishment a rescue gives you, and for all of us the on-patrol snacks - often cakes and ice blocks! Our patrol has welcomed some new members this past season and they did very well to fit right in. From being helping hands on the beach to partaking in board training with great enthusiasm, the new bronzies have shown their calibre and become valued members of our tight knit group. From clearing surfers who had strayed between the flags while on a board to keeping a watchful eye from the tower, we all play a vital role on the beach. I'd just like to extend a huge thank you to our patrol captains and vice captain who are always there with a quick piece of advice, or a cheeky comment about North Bondi’s radio use. They keep our rotations short and snappy, and allow us to scan the water constantly. Over the course of our shortened season, the Jeppesen Legends did 26 rescues and almost 1,000 preventions. One of the rescues I remember most vividly was a mass rescue at south on March 21, that last morning that Bondi was open and accessible this season (the beach was cleared by 3pm that afternoon). Leilani Egan and the full-time lifeguards worked together to pull three people out of Backpackers'. Leilani handled the situation so well that she was offered a job next summer. The entire patrol was very impressed and very proud of her. My role on the beach usually involves me being sat on a board (preferably my race board) and looking back to the beach. I can see everything that's going on and hone my board skills. When I'm not on my board I'm on the beach, keeping a watchful eye over the flags with the help of the binoculars in the tower and patrol mates on the beach. Becoming a bronze medallion this year was a worthwhile experience, I learned new experiences and gained new friendships in the Icebreakers group. One of the things I learned was spinal management and I pray that I never have to use it. Being fully proficient on the beach is an achievement I have long yearned for. I now feel very capable on the beach and I am very confident in my rescues and my ocean ability. Being a surf lifesaver has taught me many skills. From my newly found people skills, to the obvious, such as surf swimming and race boards (my favourite activity on the beach). The Jeppesen patrol has shown me a true almost family-like acceptance. And this season although cut short, was filled with its fair share of the serious moments, the slightly hairy and sketchy ones, and of course, the fun and enjoyable moments we shared, either down south in the wind and the rain or on ice duty on a bluebottle infested day. Jeppesen Patrol Team: Felicity MacArthur PC, Belinda Hartmann PC, Sarah Forde VC and IRBC, Alex Aynscough IRBD, Richard Nicholas IRBC, Joseph Carrello IRBC. Members: Mitchell Daley, Verity Newlove, Georgina Cleveland, Alex Falvey, Brett Pattinson, Natalie Simon, Isabelle Ulliana, Laurie Young, Andrew Rizkalla, Phillip Partridhe, Jake Forster, Gino Farina, Alexandra Wilson, Amanda Cooper, Chloe Shelsher, Charlie Watts, Sophie Kington, Georgia Corona, Amelia Jacobson, Ruby Hathorn, Molly Griffiths, Vicki Lin, Chloe Davis, Leilani Egan, Jack Simon, Harrison Cox-Nugent. Life Member on Patrol: Andrew McEncroe. Jeppesen is named after Carl “Jeppo” Jeppesen. Jeppo was one of our greatest members. He was Club Captain on Sunday 6 February 1938 (Black Sunday) After this day an American doctor commented on what
he saw saying “there are no men in the world like your lifesavers ... this is the greatest labour of love in the world”. Jeppo's life was an outstanding one, Life Member of Bondi SBLSC, Mayor of Waverley, serving as an officer in World War II, and he established the Solomon Islands Surf Club along with Tom Meagher. He was also President of Bondi Diggers Club. Jeppo was an extremely fit man; he walked to work every day of his life from Bondi to the City. He was everyone’s friend and was one to always lead a song at Bottles or other social occasions. In 1954 he was presented to H.M Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his service to the community. Life Member Q & ATop: The 1934 mural by D.H. Souter which completed the series (you can read more on the Souter murals below) features Stan McDonald (left next to the surf reel) . Bottom: Stan McDonald in his Chief Beach Inspector's uniform ; Basiil McDonald; competitors in the Stan Mac Relay; and Surf-o-planes on Bondi. Part of the Bondi Family for 93 YearsThis month’s Life Member chat is a little different - it features a family rather than a single person. The McDonalds are as much a part of Bondi Beach as the sand and surf. Michael Fischer sat down with Stuart McDonald as he shared memories of his father Bas and grandfather Stan and their close ties to Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club. Stuart, you come from a long line of McDonalds in Bondi Surf Club. Can you tell us the original connection with your family? So tell me about some of your grandfather's achievements. Your dad was famous for running the hire shop down on the sand. How did that business come about? When and why did the hire shop close? And what happened to all those black surf-o-planes that older members have such fond memories of? What official positions did Stan and Bas hold in Bondi SBLSC? How exactly did the famous Stan Mac Relay come about? With such a proud record, your family must be keen to maintain it. Do you think many
younger members are aware of your family’s close connection with Bondi SBLSC? Stuart, what has been your involvement with the Club? Peter Stapleton recently reminded us that Bas managed the Rugby tour of the USA. Did you go too Well thanks Stuart. Any further thoughts or comments? What's Been Happening at the ClubA Walk with HeartOn Friday 8 May, Club President Brent Jackson was joined by elite athletes from a variety of different sports, Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, the Wayside Chapel's CEO Jon Owen and its Bondi pastor Graham Anson and Club members for a walk (in twos) from the Surf Club to Wayside to deliver food and supplies to Wayside's Heart Cafe. It was part of an initiative called Play for Lives spearheaded by SBS sports presenter Craig Foster which is harnessing the "spare time" of our sports stars to make sure those who might otherwise fall through the cracks during the current crisis continue to be cared for. Meals using the supplies were then prepared by volunteers at Heart Café for that day/night’s Wayside Chapel drop offs/collections. Thanks to Abril Vitte, Rozanne Green and Jean-Paul Buhagiar for providing some red and yelllow, to Chris Selby for arranging the event, and to Narelle O'Rourke Moore and the team who made all the packages up. Zoom HappeningsOn Monday 18 May, James Stewart hosted our first Virtual Beach Tech event on Zoom for those working in tech and the start-up industry. More than 30 people dialled in to watch the short presentations and Q&A sessions by Kuba Tymula, Olivier Brisse, Jono Casley, Christian Eckelmann, Siobhan O'Toole, Ben Ewens, Michael Gencher and Vijay Solanki. For those looking for moments of mindfulness in the COVID chaos, Chris King has been running a guided meditation. It on in our Zoom Cafe every Wednesday night from 7:30pm. Check the Facebook page for links to each week's session. Anyone who wants to join events in our Zoom Cafe can do so by clicking this link and entering the details below. Meeting ID: 207 512 8775 From the ArchivesMore documents from the archives filling us all in on the Club's early history. The 1916-17 Annual Report records the opening of the new Clubhouse on 2 December 1916 and the first of the Souter murals mounted on its walls. The series of allegorical murals painted by David Henry Souter depicted the brave lifesaver as heir to the traditions of the ANZACs and the Australian bushman. Souter went on to be Club President for the 1920-21 season and completed the series in 1934 when he painted two final works. The Souter murals are now displayed in the Australian National Maritime Museum. The 1918-19 Report refers to many surf carnivals being cancelled on account of the Spanish Flu epidemic. So this year wasn't the first time! You can read them by clicking on the links below: Member BenefitsFor great Clubbie discounts, look out for the Bondi sticker at friendly local businesses! Don’t forget to check out the Member Benefits poster in the Club to discover new businesses supporting us. Director of Marketing, Sponsorship and Merchandise OfficeWinter Office Hours SLSA Code of ConductThere can be many instances where we feel stressed or annoyed about recent experiences whether at home, work or at the Club and we may express ourselves differently than we otherwise would when we are not annoyed or stressed about something. No matter how we feel, as members of SLSA we must adhere to the policies of SLSA, namely the Clause 3.5 Code of Conduct in Appendix B of SLSA Member Protection Policy in particular clause 3.5.1, which reads as follows: “3.5.1 General Code of Conduct ARTICLES FOR THE SURFERIf you have an interesting article concerning a member, past or present, please direct them to editor@bondisurfclub.com Photo submissions: photos@bondisurfclub.com Phone: +61 2 9300 9279 Office Bearers 2019-20
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