Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Stretch

Dear Members and Friends,

With less than a week left before Christmas, schools now in the process of breaking up for the year, families embarking on their annual holiday, our own Christmas Scramble and final 2024 Nippers is this Sunday (22nd December), on behalf of the Board of Management I would like to extend a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year to each of you. I also take this opportunity to thank our dedicated lifesavers who will be heading into a busy and often treacherous time of the year keeping bathers safe over the festive summer season, please if you’re rostered for patrol make every effort to attend or get a substitute.

To those that may be alone this Christmas please remember we’ll be opening the Bernie Kelly bar on Boxing Day 26/12 and invite you to come down and join us for a Christmas snack and a refreshment whilst watching the Sydney to Hobart yachts fly past around 12.30pm.

Whilst the first half of the season is now behind us, a great deal has been delivered to the membership which I’m sure most of you will have seen including the complete transformation of the old lifesaving room into a new multi-purpose/education room. Much hard work and time went into renovating that room, all we ask in return is that any room user please simply keep it in the condition you find it. In addition to this room, we successfully transitioned into the new Lifesaving Facility within the amenities block. What a great job done by a small group of members to turn that space into a productive, modern lifesaving facility all clubs would be proud to own. Thank you to those members that helped create this new space and again, lets all work together to keep the facility clean and safe.

So far this season, we’ve seen so many positive achievements in addition to the above. We said goodbye to Michelle Lo our Office Manager after 10 years running the office and hello to Tracey and Jen both bringing expertise with them plus 5 days per week in which the office will be open to service the 2,200 + members. 

I’ve also been thrilled to see our competition section, senior and nippers including beach, water plus our boat section all excelling. Its so exciting to see a whole of club effort to achieve the best we can be. Thank you to coaches, sweeps, water safety and all those who contribute in some small way to ensure our success.

On that note you will have seen a number of dispatches via social media and emails looking for a corporate or private sponsor for  a new Surf Boat which is being delivered very soon.  As we enter the season of giving, can I appeal to each of you to consider this sponsorship opportunity of $40k which is a 4 year sponsorship term with a variety of payment options available. If you can open a door or have a suggestion please, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected] .

You might be interested to know that our Social Sundays are on fire, with so many positive comments including the introduction of our members discount electronic card courtesy of much hard work by Uri the Finance Director. We have been enjoying record crowds each Sunday and Public Holidays and our functions in the Heritage Room have been at record levels so clearly were doing something members and the public really enjoy at a place they feel safe and comfortable at. By the way our annual Octoberfest was a great success with our other important fundraisers start in February 2025 with our Sportsperson Day (02/02/25).

This Sunday will be another Social Sunday plus live music from 11.30am to 4pm we hope you can join us plus we’ll be open Boxing Day and every Sunday in January including Australia Day on the 26/01/25 for our famous national day of celebration.

In closing, thank you to all that have made this year probably the best in recent times, we look forward to welcoming you into 2025 and please remember, we’re all volunteers, sometimes things don’t go as we would like but the best clubs put adversity aside, the members stick together and find solutions to the many challenges we will continue to face as a big diverse club.  

Cheers to you all and a very Merry Christmas.

Paul ‘Stretch’ Fownes APM OAM

President.