President Update - December 2025

Welcome to the December edition of our Club Newsletter. The Blu-ing newsletter has been a feature of our club since the 1980’s so we hope you take the time to read through each of the sections as it contains the latest developments, acknowledgements and approaching events.

So, lets get straight into the newsletter starting with the Presidents update!

• Whilst we still have some weeks to go I’d like to use this forum on behalf of the entire Board of Management Committee to wish every member, their families and friends a very Merry and Safe Christmas. This time of the year is a special time but also is a sad time when we think about family and friends no longer with us. Always remember you’ll have a friend and a person to speak to down at your club, South Maroubra, a place where everyone is welcome.
• Nipper parking issues. Sadly the weather leading up to Sundays has not been kind which means any additional grass parking has not eventuated. You can rest assured we have made representations to Council on your behalf but due to circumstances beyond our control have been unable to secure a better outcome.
• As we enter the month of December so many volunteers in our club have already done us proud. Whether it’s our Lifesavers, Educators, Nipper Age Managers their Assistants, Water Safety, Coaches, Competitors, maintenance volunteers, Caretakers, leadership groups, some Life Members, BBQ cooks the contribution of so many has been remarkable and equally commendable. Remember ‘Great things in a Surf Club are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.

Here’s a quick list of achievements so far!

• Strong Patrols have been maintained
• Australia’s largest Nippers has been a run-away success
• Oktoberfest has been successfully delivered, our Boat and U/8 carnival was a great success
• A limited Nipper Sunday morning BBQ has been initiated as per your request
• CPR conversion training nearly been completed, *Competition has seen some very encouraging results for our members
• Fundraising by our IRB team is well underway with Santa photos so be sure to book in for your classic santa/beach/family photo
• Our Social Sundays have been going off with members and community just loving what we put on each week
• Club Hire of our bar and Heritage room has seen a major take up of this fun facility, * Our new Audio system has been fully installed, I’m sure you’ve noticed a big improvement particularly on Nipper Sundays and during the boast and nipper carnivals
• Members attending the U/13 Development camp
• Providing South Maroubra Patrolling members to Garie
• Summer Sunday meat raffle by Tracey
• Monday to Friday plus Sunday morning office assistance to members and friends

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So what’s coming up?

• Social Sundays continue every Sunday with a Happy Hour to be introduced soon (monitor our Club Facebook for more information)
• You’ve asked for it and we’re delivering. A New Year Eve get together 3pm to 9pm where you can BYO bbq meat, fish or other items or simply order pizzas to be delivered, we’ll be opening the bar and providing a great NYE music experience courtesy of our new AV system. All welcome kids can swim, play beach cricket and enjoy an afternoon before city fireworks which we’ll show on the big screen.
• Saturday 13 December Beach Stormers carnival starting around 7.30am for a several hours– a State run beach competition with the very best beach competitors in the State of NSW so be sure to pop on down to support South Maroubra’s very best sprinters, flaggers relay teams, distance runners. We’ll have a club bbq running and a great vibe on the beach.
• Sunday 14 December 2.30pm we’ll be hosting the “Okanuis’ rock and roll band on the grass area so be sure to come on down and enjoy some of your favourite hits. All welcome
• Sunday 21 December is last day of Nippers before a short break. Be sure to pop on town for Santas visit including the traditional goodies for our nippers from the balcony followed by a one man band live from 11am to 3pm.
• On the back of fantastic surf boast results we’re on the look out for 2 possibly 3 surf boat sponsors. The variation of sponsorship arrangements can be a one off sponsor (over 4 years so either $40k up front of 4 x $10k instalments p.a.). Option 2 is 2 x $20k sponsors sharing the signage space on the boat and third sponsorship is to taken over the front end naming rights on our existing competition boat worth $10k. (please feel free to speak to Boat Captain the very affable Nick Mellick). A simple email to [email protected] will get you in contact with Nick.

 
The above is a quick snap shot of our busy first three months of the surf season.

Thank you again, we’ve got plenty ahead of us and I ask two things of each of you. One is to keep an eye out when the call goes out for help and please respond if you can and secondly please stay in touch with day to day information by joining our South Maroubra SLSC Facebook site.

See you all at South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club

​Paul ‘Stretch’ Fownes APM OAM