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Percy Jakeman 1925/26
Percy Jakeman was one of the most influential figures in the history of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club. He was born in Liverpool, England, in 1892 and arrived in Australia in 1913 before enlisting and serving with Australian Forces in France, where he was injured in action during the Great War.
After the war he took up farming at Buderim. He was an excellent swimmer and diver and a key advocate for the Mooloolah River Sports Club, of which he was a founding member, to shift its focus and become a lifesaving club.
By Easter 1923 he had become an honorary instructor for the Royal Life Saving Society. He later joined the State Board of Examiners, a position he retained after the Royal Life Saving Society’s 1931 amalgamation with SLSAA.
He took over from inaugural lifesaving club President Bill Bell in 1923 and went on to serve in the post for 27 consecutive years until his sudden death in 1951.
He was appointed Life Governor of MSLSC – its highest level of recognition –in 1925/26 and a Life Trustee in 1939.
William F Bell 1925/26
William Bell came to Buderim with his parents around 1885 at the age of 13. He was a farmer and timber cutter and a prominent local figure, known to all and sundry as “Uncle’’ Bill. This was perhaps because he was 50 and something of a father figure when he became the first President of the Mooloolaba Sports and Life Saving Club, the body that evolved into the present-day Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club.
“Uncle’’ Bill was a ubiquitous figure in the Club’s early days, not only as an administrator and long-time instructor but, despite his age, as a dedicated competitor, able to match it alongside his much younger teammates.
He also became the Club’s first boat captain when Mooloolaba acquired the first surf rescue boat on the North Coast, The Spray, in 1930.
He was awarded Life Membership in 1925/26 and was appointed a Life Governor in 1929.
Vince J Crosby 1930/31
Vince Crosby was a foundation member of the Mooloolah River Sports Club that, in 1922, became the Mooloolaba Sports and Lifesaving Club. He took over as its Secretary in 1923 at the age of 17 and continued to serve in that capacity until 1941 when he was forced to stand down due to his wartime commitments. For 15 of those years he also served as Club Treasurer.
He was a strong swimmer and a core member of the MSLSC’s competition squads in the early years, but his greatest contributions were made as an administrator and fundraiser. He was instrumental in conceiving and helping to execute the ambitious plans for construction of the new Clubhouse opened in 1939 and its subsequent extension.
According to Robert Longhurst’s 75 Year History of the MSLSC, he was very protective of the Club’s good reputation and made sure members’ conduct was exemplary and that patrols remained vigilant and professional, thereby leaving a legacy that underpinned the culture of the Club for generations to come.
He played a key role in the restructure and transition that followed amalgamation between Royal Life and the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia in 1930/31 and was prominent in the establishment of the new North Coast Branch.
For many years he also played an important public relations role for the MSLSC and the lifesaving movement through his media work as a local correspondent for both local and Brisbane newspapers.
He was also appointed a Life Governor of the MSLSC – its highest level of recognition – in 1939.
William J Daley 1944/45
Bill Daley was already a champion lifesaver when he joined Mooloolaba in 1939. He had been a member of the Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park Club for 10 years and captained the team when it represented Queensland at the first Australian Championships officially contested by the State (at Bondi 1930), during the amalgamation between the RLSS and SLSAA. He represented Queensland in National R&R competitions at three more Australian Championships: in 1933, 1935 and 1939.
Bill provided an invaluable injection of talent and experience when he switched his allegiance to Mooloolaba later in 1939, particularly during the challenging War years when, with Arthur Parkyn, he played a pivotal role ensuring the Club’s survival. He served as Club Captain in the 1940/41 season and, from the following season through to the end of the War, he juggled three roles – as Club Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Instructor.
Beyond the Club, he also served as an instructor and examiner at Branch, State and National levels and held the post of State Superintendent of Instruction and Examination from 1948 to 1955.
For many years Bill Daley was the chief coach of the Western Districts Swimming Club and utilised these skills to help develop several national champions for Mooloolaba, including his son Barry and Daryle Payne who were part of the National Title-winning senior R&R team of 1955.
Bill’s long period of service and dedication to lifesaving in so many different capacities resulted in him being awarded Life Membership at all levels of the lifesaving movement. His Life Membership of Mooloolaba, awarded in 1945, was followed by Life Membership of SLSQ and SLSA in 1952/53 and of the Sunshine Coast Branch in 1991/92.
William J Isles 1944/45
After gaining his Bronze medallion in March 1936, Bill Isles established himself as a valuable member of R&R and March Past teams through the late 1930s and early 1940s. He was a member of the successful Senior R&R team that broke through for a Bronze Medal at the State Championships in front of a home crowd at Mooloolaba in 1941, the final year of competition before all contests were abandoned due to the outbreak of War in the Pacific.
Bill was a strong all-round contributor to the Club, known affectionately as “The Mighty Atom’’ for punching well above his diminutive size in the competitive arena.
He obtained his Instructors certificate and helped conduct Bronze medal training for new recruits and many of the servicemen from staging camps in the region who were interested in learning surf lifesaving skills.
One of Bill’s greatest contributions was as a prolific fundraiser and key organiser of many social events staged for this purpose. He also served as a Delegate representing the MSLSC at the North Coast Branch from 1944 to 1947.
Arthur B Parkyn 1944/45
Arthur Parkyn joined the Mooloolah River Sports Club at 14 and quickly proved his worth as a champion all-round lifesaver. He went on to become the MSLSC’s longest-serving member and devoted more than six decades of his life to its activities as a competitor, Club Captain, instructor, administrator, Club President and wise elder statesman.
He made his mark at a relatively early age, winning the Club Championship for 11 consecutive years from 1928. During this period he competed successfully across all disciplines, winning four State Championship medals (a Gold, two Silvers and a Bronze) in R&R, Surf Boat and Beach Sprint events.
Arthur combined his lifesaving service with a teaching career that took him around the state but still served as Club Captain for seven seasons during the 1930s and as Chief Instructor for six seasons between 1937 and 1946. Even while away teaching he maintained his commitment to ensuring children were taught to swim, introducing classes in rivers and pools wherever he was posted.
He was the first lifesaver from Mooloolaba to represent Queensland (at an Inter Dominion competition held at Bondi in 1938 where he was the standard bearer) and also became the Club’s first international representative when he was selected as Vice-Captain of the Australian touring team that travelled to Hawaii in 1953.
He was so influential in passing on Australian lifesaving techniques that he was invited back to coach both the Hawaiian and US teams that took part in a special international carnival at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Three years later, in recognition of this service and his influence in the formation of a national lifesaving movement in the US, he was awarded life membership of the United States Lifesaving Association.
Arthur played a critical role in reinvigorating the Mooloolaba Club after he took on the Presidency in 1970. He remained in the job for seven of the next nine seasons, during which he presided over the Club’s second “Golden Era’’ of State and National success.
He was also a dedicated administrator at Branch, State and National levels, serving for eight years as Branch Superintendent and for a number of seasons as Branch, State and National Referee at Championship Carnivals. Arthur remained an esteemed and inspirational figurehead for the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club and many generations of its members until his death in 2008.
He was awarded Life Membership of the MSLSC in the 1944/45 season, Life Membership of SLSQ in 1972/73 and Life Membership of SLSA in 1975/76. He was awarded an OAM in 1999 and in November 2023 will be inducted into Surf Lifesaving Australia’s Hall of Fame.
William J Daley 1944/45
Bill Daley was already a champion lifesaver when he joined Mooloolaba in 1939. He had been a member of the Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park Club for 10 years and captained the team when it represented Queensland at the first Australian Championships officially contested by the State (at Bondi 1930), during the amalgamation between the RLSS and SLSAA. He represented Queensland in National R&R competitions at three more Australian Championships: in 1933, 1935 and 1939.
Bill provided an invaluable injection of talent and experience when he switched his allegiance to Mooloolaba later in 1939, particularly during the challenging War years when, with Arthur Parkyn, he played a pivotal role ensuring the Club’s survival. He served as Club Captain in the 1940/41 season and, from the following season through to the end of the War, he juggled three roles – as Club Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Instructor.
Beyond the Club, he also served as an instructor and examiner at Branch, State and National levels and held the post of State Superintendent of Instruction and Examination from 1948 to 1955.
For many years Bill Daley was the chief coach of the Western Districts Swimming Club and utilised these skills to help develop several national champions for Mooloolaba, including his son Barry and Daryle Payne who were part of the National Title-winning senior R&R team of 1955.
Bill’s long period of service and dedication to lifesaving in so many different capacities resulted in him being awarded Life Membership at all levels of the lifesaving movement. His Life Membership of Mooloolaba, awarded in 1945, was followed by Life Membership of SLSQ and SLSA in 1952/53 and of the Sunshine Coast Branch in 1991/92.
William J Isles 1944/45
After gaining his Bronze medallion in March 1936, Bill Isles established himself as a valuable member of R&R and March Past teams through the late 1930s and early 1940s. He was a member of the successful Senior R&R team that broke through for a Bronze Medal at the State Championships in front of a home crowd at Mooloolaba in 1941, the final year of competition before all contests were abandoned due to the outbreak of War in the Pacific.
Bill was a strong all-round contributor to the Club, known affectionately as “The Mighty Atom’’ for punching well above his diminutive size in the competitive arena.
He obtained his Instructors certificate and helped conduct Bronze medal training for new recruits and many of the servicemen from staging camps in the region who were interested in learning surf lifesaving skills.
One of Bill’s greatest contributions was as a prolific fundraiser and key organiser of many social events staged for this purpose. He also served as a Delegate representing the MSLSC at the North Coast Branch from 1944 to 1947.
Herbert Gold 1950/51
Herbert (Bert) Gold obtained his Bronze Medallion in February 1938, but his surf club experience was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. He was among the first wave of MSLSC members to enlist.
By then he had already made his mark as a boat rower, having been a member of the team that won a Silver Medal in the Spray at the 1939 State Titles at Mooloolaba, alongside Arthur Parkyn and three of the Thomson brothers.
He returned to the Club after the War and became one of its most active contributors in the reconstruction effort across a number of fronts. He also served as Boat Captain in the 1947/48 season.
Bert continued to be heavily involved in Club duties until 1959. During these years he was a key organiser of fundraising initiatives, following on from his initiative in the late 1930s to run community song nights at the Pacific Theatre.
Ronald C Tallon 1955/56
Ron Tallon joined the Mooloolaba SLSC straight out of school in 1943 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in January 1944 alongside his brother Jack. When lifesaving competition resumed following the War, he played a key role in Mooloolaba’s competitive resurgence and the “Golden Era’’ that followed. He then went on to become one of the most effective administrators of the lifesaving movement at State and National levels.
Ron was a champion R&R competitor in teams that won consecutive Branch titles in 1945 and 1946, followed by Bronze and Silver Medals in the same events at the subsequent State Titles.
He served for two seasons as Chief Instructor up to 1950 and was elected Club Captain for the 1952/53 season. He also served as Club Secretary in 1946/47, 1947/48 and for part of the 1949/50 season before taking on the role again in 1954/55.
Following a career transfer to the Gold Coast in 1955, Ron joined two South Coast clubs, Southport and North Burleigh, serving in administrative roles at both and as founding Executive Officer of the South Coast Branch, which he helped run for 21 years.
He was also successful as an Instructor, leading the Queensland team of 1961 to the State’s first success in interstate competition and took Southport’s R&R team to an Australian title win in 1964.
Over the following 25 years Ron (affectionately known as “Boppo’’) held key roles at Queensland State Centre both at Board and Executive Committee level, which included 25 years on its Selection Committee. At the national level he was National Council Committee member for more than three decades from 1968 and a member of the Australian SLS Selection committee for more than two decades from 1978. During this same period he was also actively involved in the revision of the SLS manuals used in Australia and in World Life Saving.
In recognition of his dedication and service to Australian Surf Life Saving over so many years he was honoured with an OAM in 1985; Life Membership of SLSQ in 1959 and Life Membership of SLSA in 1971. In 1976 he was also awarded Life membership of SLSQ Nippers in recognition of the pivotal role he played in establishing Junior lifesaving Clubs in Queensland. In 2006 he was inducted into the SLSA’s Hall of Fame.
Charles W Inwood 1955/56
Charlie Inwood earned his Bronze medallion in December 1944 and went on to become a widely respected and inspirational leader of the Mooloolaba SLSC. His contributions were wide ranging and included success in the competition arena, in the numerous leadership roles he took on and in carrying out some courageous lifesaving feats.
He won three State Championship medals in the prestigious Senior R&R event – a Bronze at Burleigh Heads in 1945, Silver at Mooloolaba the following year and Gold, again on the home beach, in 1950. He was a very popular Club Captain for three-and-a-half seasons through the late forties and early fifties before stepping back into the role in 1958 to take charge of preparations for the first Australian Championships carnival ever held north of Brisbane, which entailed a full year of planning and preparation. In between these stints he also served as Chief Instructor (1948/49, 1950/51,1953/54 and 1954/55) before taking over as Club President in 1959.
Charlie’s lifesaving feats included delivering critical first aid assistance to survivors of the Wirraway aircraft crash on Maroochydore Beach in 1950 and an attempt to save a young boy trapped under the plane. His determined actions against the odds also resulted in the successful rescue of seven club members who had been washed out to sea in bad weather in 1947.
At a time when the Club was struggling financially, Charlie was the driving force as Club Captain behind countless working bees that continued for several years to prepare for construction of a greatly extended Clubhouse in the mid-1950s. He was also a tenacious fundraiser, heavily involved in all the Club’s attempts to raise much needed funds and the organiser of many Brisbane House to House collections that were a financial lifeline for the Club for many years.
Charlie was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1955/56 and Life Membership of the North Coast Branch in the 1961/62 season.
Jack B Dearlove 1956/57
Jack Dearlove’s long association with surf lifesaving began at the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1946. He got his Bronze Medallion in January 1947 and quickly advanced to obtain his Instructors and Examiners Certificates in the following two seasons.
It was no coincidence that his tenure as Chief Instructor between 1950 and 1955 coincided with the most successful period in the Club’s history to that point. He coached both Senior and Junior R&R sides to a number of State Title medals and two National Title successes – the Senior R&R team that won Mooloolaba’s first National Title (in any event) in 1955 and their Junior counterparts, who topped the podium the following year.
Among Jack’s innumerable contributions to lifesaving, one of the most significant was his role in the trial and introduction of new resuscitation techniques. One of his initiatives as State Superintendent of Instruction and Examination (a position he held for 11 years from 1956-1967) was to establish a Resuscitation Committee to investigate potential improvements to long-standing practice. He later volunteered to be anaesthetised as a test patient in a hospital trial set up to demonstrate that Expired Air Resuscitation (mouth-to-mouth or nose) methods could practically be used by lifesavers on the beach. The introduction of EAR was then followed by the introduction of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Jack’s skills as an instructor, honed through his years at Mooloolaba, later resulted in his appointment as Instructor of the Australian representative teams that travelled to the United States in 1965, New Zealand in 1967 and South Africa in 1969.
As a member of SLSQ’s Appeal Committee he was responsible for overseeing one of its biggest fundraisers, the annual RNA Show lucky ticket sales from 1955 to 1977.
His long and celebrated career as a State and National administrator culminated in his elevation to the role of Chief Superintendent of the SLSA for a record 13 consecutive seasons from 1966 to 1979, during which time he also doubled up as Australian Championship Carnival Referee.
During his tenure he was also heavily involved in the establishment of the World Surf Lifesaving Association, serving as Chairman of its Education Committee from 1971 to 1977 and as Competition Convenor of World Surf in the 1977/78 season.
He was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1956/57, Life Membership of SLSQ in 1961, Life Membership of SLSA in 1964, and an MBE in 1977. On the international scene he was awarded Life Membership of World Lifesaving in 1983 and was awarded a “Grand Knight of Lifesaving” by International Lifesaving in 1994.
Francis O Venning 1958/59
Frank Venning was not only one of the founding fathers of the Mooloolaba Surf Lifesaving Club through his pivotal role as the key advisor in its formation, but of the lifesaving movement in Queensland through his role as head of the Royal Life Saving Society.
He was born in London and became a champion swimmer and diver, later becoming a protégé of William Henry, founder of the Royal Life Saving Society.
Frank migrated to Australia in 1908 at the encouragement of Australian Olympic Swimmer (Sir) Frank Beaurepaire after meeting him at the 1908 London Olympics then, in 1910, set about resurrecting the almost defunct Queensland Branch of the RLSS.
He served as its Secretary from 1910 to 1915 and from 1920 to 1947. During this time he played a hands-on role in helping to set up most of the lifesaving clubs north of Brisbane and a number on the South Coast.
In 1922 he was invited, along with colleague Joe Betts, to demonstrate and instruct members of the Mooloolah River Sports Club in lifesaving and resuscitation methods, which led to the formation of the Mooloolaba Sports and Life Saving Club soon after.
Frank, widely known as “Pop’’, was the key figure in the RLSS’s amalgamation negotiations that resulted in the formation of Queensland State Centre under the umbrella of the SLSAA in 1931. He became its inaugural Secretary until 1934, while also continuing to run the RLSS Queensland Branch, which retained responsibility for still-water lifesaving.
He went on to serve as Vice-President of the SLSAA from 1934 to 1946 and 1953 to 1955.
During these years he maintained strong links with the Mooloolaba Club where his sons were members and, after retiring, moved there to live. This allowed him to take on the role of MSLSC President from 1954 to 1957.
He was made a Life Trustee of Mooloolaba SLSC in 1939 before being awarded Life Membership in 1958/59. He was made a Life Member of SLSQ in 1961/62 and was inducted into the SLSA Hall of Fame in the 2003/04 season.
He was honoured by the Royal Life Saving Society with every one of its awards and served as a Life Governor of RLSA London and Queensland. He was awarded an MBE in 1963.
Jack G McCarthy 1960/61
Jack McCarthy joined the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club in 1938 after two seasons with South Coast club Palm Beach, where he obtained his Bronze Medallion and Instructors award. He spent a number of seasons as an active patrolling member and Instructor at Mooloolaba and also served as an Examiner for the North Coast Branch. He went on to serve as Club President for a total of 10 years across three different timeframes – the 1953/54 season, 1957 to 1959, and 1960 to 1967 – in that time earning the nickname of “the Senator’’ because of his comprehensive knowledge of and adherence to the Club’s By-Laws and its Constitution. He was also a stickler for club discipline in an era when it was under challenge from external cultural influences.
Jack’s attention to operational and administrative detail proved a great asset during two significant Club building projects, in the mid-1950s and again in 1967/68.
His long and diligent service during a challenging period of the Club’s history was acknowledged by the naming of a surf boat in his honour in 1966.
Jack’s service to surf lifesaving extended beyond Club level. He was Secretary or Assistant Secretary at State Centre for nine years up to 1955 and was also on the Queensland State Board of Examiners from 1948 to 1951.
He was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1960/61 after having been awarded Life Memberships of SLSQ and SLSA in the 1957/58 season.
Thomas V Keegan 1961/62
Tom Keegan was encouraged to join the Surf Club by his work colleague Jack Dearlove in 1949 and followed a similar early course in the lifesaving movement as an Instructor, Examiner and administrator. After he gained his Bronze Medallion in January 1950, he added his Instructors Certificate in the following season and his Examiners Certificate not long after, later serving as Chief Instructor for the 1954/55 season.
Tom then took over as Club Secretary from 1955 to 1958 before serving as Club Treasurer for eight consecutive seasons from 1957 to 1965.
As a qualified electrician he also made an invaluable contribution, volunteering his trade skills where needed and spent many hours helping to fit out the newly extended Clubhouse between 1955 and its final completion in 1959.
He was also a very active participant in North Coast Branch affairs, serving as Branch Treasurer and Club delegate through the early 1960s. He went on to join SLSQ’s Board of Examiners and was part of an instructional delegation sent to the Philippines in the early 1970s.
Harold M Hughes 1963/64
Harry Hughes earned his Bronze Medallion in January 1949 and quickly settled in as one of the Club’s most prominent all-rounders, involved in a wide range of club activities as well as competition events.
He competed for the Club in R&R, as well as in craft events on board and ski, before making his mark as a skilled boat sweep. He served as Boat Captain from 1957 to 1961 and again from 1962 to 1964, during which he not only swept the Club’s Open Boat crew to a historic State Title win at Bundaberg in 1960, but also steered the Reserve Grade Boat crew to a Silver Medal at the same event. He followed this up with another State Title win with a Junior Boat crew at Surfers Paradise two seasons later in 1962.
Harry’s all-round skills made him a valuable member of the six-man Mooloolaba team that beat some of the most competitive clubs in the State to win an innovative competition run in the late-1950s by service organisation the Jaycees. They won in each of the three years the competition was staged, securing the prize of a Jaycee motorised surf boat on each occasion.
After a brief stint away from the Club because of family and work commitments, Harry returned to the fold in the early 1970s and steered the Open Boat crew of 1970 and 1971 to Bronze then Silver Medals at State Titles at Maroochydore and Southport.
Harry served as a Mooloolaba Branch Delegate for three seasons from 1956 to 1959 and was a very active social secretary for a period, during which his talents as one of the Club’s most prolific and effective fundraisers came to the fore. It also ensured success when he spearheaded the fundraising effort to acquire a new surf boat in 1961, however, this boat, appropriately named in his honour, was destroyed in a cyclone two years later.
Harry maintained a close association with the Surf Club for many decades after he retired from active involvement and was always highly respected by younger members who had rowed in his crews.
Walter G Dearlove 1964/65
Wally Dearlove became a member of Mooloolaba in 1947, the year after his brother Jack, and obtained his Bronze Medallion in January 1948.
His organisational and leadership qualities were quickly recognised, as evidenced by his election as Club Captain for the next three seasons between 1948 and 1951.
He later served as a Branch Delegate for the Club before taking on the role of President in 1966. He remained in the post for four consecutive seasons during which he became known for his more collegiate leadership style. Characteristic of this approach was that he was always ready to step in and plug gaps when the Club was short of resources and willingly took on the role of club cook, while also serving as President during the 1960s. His efforts in the cookhouse were legendary and always appreciated by the members.
Like his brother, Jack, Wally maintained a long and productive association with the Club, which awarded him Life Membership in 1964/65.
Arthur M Carlisle 1965/66
Arthur Carlisle’s Life Membership award came 30 years after he had first joined the Club. He gained his Bronze Medallion in March 1934, followed by his Instructors Certificate in 1935 and went on to serve as Chief Instructor in the 1936/37 season. He was also appointed to the Club’s Management Committee set up in the same season to deal with disciplinary issues.
Arthur returned to the post of Chief Instructor in 1940/41 when membership ranks had been severely depleted by the War effort and was also part of a special Surf Life Saving Crisis Committee set up to liaise with military and civil authorities during the War years when Australia was on high security alert and Mooloolaba was deemed a potential invasion point for the Japanese. In this capacity he also helped lobby authorities for special consideration regarding petrol rationing in order to get the small number of available members from Brisbane to the coast so patrols could be maintained.
His involvement continued after the War, but it wasn’t until 1966 that his role during this difficult period was recognised with Life Membership.
John (Jack) L Phillips 1966/67
Jack Phillips got his Bronze Medallion in January 1955 and in subsequent years progressed through the training and testing ranks, earning his Instructors and Examiners Certificates. He later served as Chief Instructor for three seasons (1963/64, 1970/71 and again in 1974/75). He captained the Club in the 1964/65 season and then again in the 1975/76 season.
Jack was also a great recruiter for the Club and coached many of its R&R teams through the late 1960s and early 1970s. This included the Junior R&R side that won a Bronze Medal at the State Titles in Mackay in 1969, before winning Gold the following year with Charlie Raines as Instructor.
He was also very active in North Coast Branch activities after first serving as a Club Delegate in 1959/60. He returned to this role 20 years later to complete two more stints in the early 1980s. He served on the Branch Board of Examiners from 1964 through to 1970 while also doubling up as Branch Registrar from 1966 to 1971. Jack then served as North Coast Branch Delegate to Queensland State Centre from 1980 to 1982.
John (Jack) Watts 1968/69
Jack Watts joined the Mooloolaba Surf Club in the mid-1950s and went on to provide unstinting service, most notably during the 15 consecutive seasons he served as club secretary. His service, from 1962 to 1977, was the second longest continuous tenure in the famously time-consuming position in the Club’s history. He then stepped up to take over the Presidency in the 1977/78 season, before returning as Secretary for the 1978/79 season.
This level of commitment and dedication was mirrored in his North Coast Branch activities where he also served as Secretary from 1962 through to 1980 and as a North Coast Branch Delegate to State Centre over the same period.
Jack was also a key figure in the establishment of Mooloolaba’s Nipper organisation, the Mooloolaba Midgets, in 1968 and served as its inaugural Secretary.
Many of his fellow club members remember him as the energetic organiser of numerous successful Brisbane House to House collections, which were a significant source of funding for the Club between the 1960s and 1980s. He was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba SLSC in the 1968/69 season and Life Membership of the North Coast Branch in the mid-1970s.
Francis F Cahill 1969/70
Frank Cahill joined the Mooloolaba SLSC in the 1957/58 season and obtained his Bronze Medallion in May 1958. He very quickly took to Surf Boat rowing and was a member of the Club’s competitive boat crews for a number of seasons through the 1960s.
He served as Vice-Captain of the Club in the 1965/6 season, then took on the role of Boat Captain for three seasons from 1969, during which Mooloolaba enjoyed something of a resurgence in competition performances. He swept the Reserve Grade Boat crew to a Silver Medal at the 1971 State Titles at Southport and repeated the feat the following season at Yeppoon, where he earned another Silver Medal for the Junior Boat crew.
Frank served as Club Deputy President from 1970 to 1972.
Pierce J Berigan 1970/71
Pierce Berigan, widely known as Percy, joined the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1954 after spending the first of his many decades of active involvement in the lifesaving movement with the Southport Club.
He was a Reserve Grade coach of the Brisbane Brothers Rugby League Club and transferred some of these skills to lifesaving coaching, particularly for beach sprint and beach flag events. Percy was also an astute recruiter of potential talent for the Surf Club, but his most enduring contribution was as its Publicity Officer between 1967 and 1980, 1981 and 1984 and again from 1987 through to 1993 – all up a record 22 seasons.
He managed this role while also serving as Publicity Officer for the North Coast Branch, which later became the Sunshine Coast Branch, over many years and as State Centre’s Publicity Officer from 1968 through to 1975. Away from Mooloolaba, it was his voice that was most recognisable among the lifesaving fraternity – he was a prominent surf carnival announcer at both Branch and State levels for more than 30 years after starting in 1968.
Percy also made a substantial contribution in the establishment of the Club’s Nipper organisation and served as Chairman from its inauguration in 1968 through to 1985. As he did for the Senior Club, he also served as Nipper Publicity Officer at the Club, Branch and State levels. In addition, he served as President/Chairman of the North Coast Branch Nippers Board for 17 years and was part of the team responsible for the formation of the Nippers Division at National level.
Percy was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club in the 1970/71 season, Life Membership of the North Coast Branch in the mid-1970s and Life Membership of Surf Life Saving Queensland in 1990/91. He was also awarded Life Membership at all equivalent levels of the Queensland Nipper movement. His long and tireless service was also recognised with the award of an OAM in 1987.
Charles R Raines 1971/72
Charlie Raines earned his Bronze Medallion in November 1960 and quickly established himself as one of the Club’s leading R&R and Surf and Belt-race competitors. He got an early taste of success in 1961 at the Maroochydore State Titles where, while still a junior, he was part of the Senior R&R team that very narrowly missed out on a Gold Medal. He followed up this second placing with another Silver Medal in the Junior Surf Teams at the same event and two Bronze Medals – in the Junior R&R and the Junior Surf Race. Gold did come in the following season when he was part of the victorious Senior Surf team that won the State Title at Surfers Paradise.
Charlie served as Club Captain for three seasons from 1965 to 1968 and as Chief Instructor in the 1969/70 season, when he coached the Junior R&R team to a State Title victory at Maroochydore. He returned to the club captaincy in 1978 before taking on the Presidency in the following season.
Charlie was also very active in the North Coast Branch, serving as its Team Manager from 1975 to 1980, as Deputy Superintendent in the 1976/77 season and District Supervisor in 1978/79.
Raymond R Dawson 1972/73
Ray Dawson was awarded his Bronze Medallion in November 1960 and was an active club member and Instructor through the early 1960s until a brief hiatus caused by series of job transfers. He returned to active service in 1968 and took on the role of Chief Instructor for the 1968/69 season when the Club was going through something of a slump. He reintroduced rigorous weekend training programs that commonly included run-swim-runs to Kawana and back and R&R training, laying the foundation for the Junior R&R State Title win in the following season. He represented the MSLSC on the North Coast Branch Board of Examiners for two seasons during this period.
After another work transfer and another absence, Ray returned to the Club in 1976 and was once again Chief Instructor. He also became a very familiar week-day presence on Mooloolaba Beach after taking on the job of beach Inspector (later Lifeguard) which he continued for many years. Ray was scrupulous in maintaining high standards in both beach safety and interactions with beach users. He also initiated a number of projects during this time to regenerate and preserve the sand dunes, leaving a legacy that is still evident today.
Ray was among the first four club members to gain a power boat license after the advent of jet rescue boats and was the first person to fill the newly created post of IRB Captain in 1982.
Douglas C Mactaggart 1973/74
Doug Mactaggart joined the Mooloolaba Surf Club in 1943 and earned his Bronze Medallion early the following year. He was another successful all-round competitor, applying his talents across several disciplines. He also served for a time on the SLS Crisis Management Committee that operated in the latter part of WWII.
Doug earned his first State medal as a member of the Senior R&R team that came home with Bronze from Burleigh in the first season of post-war competition in 1945. The team went one better the following year, winning a Silver Medal when the titles were held on the home beach. He was also a prominent member of the Club’s March Past team through this era and was a good runner, earning a State Bronze Medal in the Musical (Beach) Flags event at Alexandra Headlands in 1948.
Doug served as Boat Captain three times – from 1945 to 1948, in 1949/50 and again in 1951/52, a contribution that was recognised by having a surf boat named after him in 1970.
A successful businessman, he later become a very generous club donor.
Trevor A Webb 1974/75
Trevor obtained his Bronze Medallion in November 1956 and was a very active member across all aspects of club life for a number of decades. He competed for the Club in a wide range of disciplines. He was a member of the Reserve Grade Boat crew that won a Silver Medal at the 1960 State Titles in Bundaberg and was part of the Mooloolaba composite team that won the three Jaycee competitions in the late 1950s.
After gaining his Instructors and Examiners Certificates in the 1960s he served as the Club’s Chief Instructor in the 1971/72 season and on the North Coast Branch Board of Examiners.
Trevor was one of the first Club members to gain a Power Boat Operators award soon after jet rescue boats were introduced into surf lifesaving in the mid-1970s and spent many hours at the helm as well as carrying out after-hours maintenance.
He was also among the small group of loan guarantors who provided the security that allowed the Club to obtain the critical funding needed to build a new clubhouse after the fire of 1979.
Stanley Inwood 1975/76
While Charlie Inwood headed north to begin his lifesaving service with the Mooloolaba SLSC, his younger brother Stan Inwood, who was always known around the Club as Sid, headed south, earning his Bronze Medallion at the Burleigh Heads SLSC in the early 1940s.
Soon after, he enlisted in the Navy during WWII and was serving on HMAS Hobart when it was torpedoed in the Solomon Islands.
He remained in the Navy until 1954 and resumed his involvement in surf lifesaving when his son, Allan, joined the Mooloolaba Surf Club in the 1960s. He then played a very active role across a range of club activities, including logistics, administration and fundraising and supported and mentored many of the younger members of the Club during this period.
He served as Club President on three occasions – the 1976/77 season, again in 1979/80, and for the 1984/85 season. He also served as Team Manager for the Club for a number of seasons in the early 1970s and was a club delegate to the North Coast Branch from 1971 to 1976.
Sid played a pivotal role in rallying the troops during the dark days after the clubhouse fire and was a very hands-on presence during the endless rounds of fundraising activities, including hotel raffles in Brisbane and at the coast. He and his wife Shirley were tireless in their efforts in the kitchen and around the Club during this time, taking over catering activities every Friday night as well as putting on weekend barbecues, thus providing a much-needed morale boost to the members during this challenging period. They also organised a number of memorable fundraising functions.
Sid continued to be actively involved in club affairs through to the late-1990s and served on the inaugural Supporters Club Committee from 1992 to 1997.
Patrick M Parsons 1976/77
Patrick joined the Mooloolaba SLSC in late 1965 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in April 1966. He was a strong surf swimmer and R&R competitor, winning a Silver Medal in the Junior R&R at the 1967 State Titles at Moore Park. He also enjoyed success competing for Mooloolaba in First Aid competition, winning a Silver Medal with Mark Hunt at the same titles at Moore Park and a Gold in the event two years later in Mackay, a first for the Mooloolaba Club. Pat earned his Instructors Certificate in 1968 and went on to qualify as an Examiner in 1974.
He served as Club Captain for the three seasons from 1971 to 1974, after which he became very actively involved in jet rescue boat operations. He was among the first four members to gain their Power Boat Operators Awards and became only the third lifesaver in Queensland to qualify as a Power Boat Examiner.
Pat was also very generous in the contribution he made to the Club’s Nipper organisation in its formative years, helping to set up and run training sessions on the beach and regularly attended their pool training nights in Brisbane.
He was active at the Branch level, serving as District Supervisor on the North Coast Branch Board of Examiners for the 1973/74 season and as a Power craft Examiner for the 1976/77 season. Pat was among the small core of senior club members who stayed right through the aftermath of the clubhouse fire in 1979, helping out with interim building alterations and helping to guide many of the younger brigade through the significant challenges they faced during this period.
John E Western 1977/78
For a total of 30 years of his 61-year membership, John Western (always known in the Surf Club as Joe) served the Mooloolaba SLSC simultaneously as both an active competitor and key administrator. In this latter capacity he played a critical role in ensuring the Club’s survival through some of the most challenging periods in its history.
After earning his Bronze Medallion in 1961, Joe quickly gravitated to boat rowing, getting his first taste of success as a member of the Junior Boat crew that won Gold at the State Titles at Surfers Paradise in 1962.
He has filled the post of Boat Captain for a total of 10 seasons: first in 1966 and then later for four seasons leading up to 1978, before he returned to the role 20 years later for another three stints – the 2001/02 season, from 2003 to 2005 and again for two seasons from 2017.
There were many milestones during his long and illustrious career as a boat sweep, including his selection as sweep of the Queensland team at the 1978 Australian Titles, the first person from Mooloolaba to earn this recognition.
Other milestones included: taking the Junior Boat crew to a Silver Medal at the 1977 State Titles, winning Bronze with the Senior Boat crew the following season, taking Gold with the U18 Mens Boat crew at Marcoola in 1990 and a Bronze Medal the following season with the Reserve Grade Boat crew. He also swept the first women’s crew ever to compete for Mooloolaba in 1992, before taking the women’s crew of 1997 to a historic State Title win at Mackay, a feat he repeated at North Kirra in 2000. Joe also swept a Masters Mens Boat crew to a Gold Medal at the National titles in 1998.
For many years Joe combined these demanding competitive duties with even more demanding administrative roles as either Club Treasurer or Secretary.
He first served as Club Treasurer from 1967 to 1970, before returning to the role in 1978 and continuing through six of the most financially challenging years in the Club’s history – the period of reconstruction after the Clubhouse fire.
This entailed having to ensure the Club’s survival through endless fundraising and husbanding of limited resources to keep it going, as well as helping to secure the finance needed for construction of a new Clubhouse. He then had to manage Club finances and repayments at a time when interest rates were hovering around 20 percent.
After a short break when he took on the role of the first administrator in the new Clubhouse, Joe returned as Treasurer in the 1984/85 season, for part of the 1985/86 season and then again in 1990/1.
He then switched to the role of Club Secretary, serving four stints across an extended period of 16 seasons, including for an unbroken 13 years from 1993 to 2006.
During this time Joe played a key role in the establishment of the Supporters Club in 1992 and served as its Secretary from 1993 until 2005.
Joe and his wife Judy were also among the small group that agreed to become personal loan guarantors for clubhouse construction projects in both 1980 and 1992.
Joe later returned to active administrative duty in 2016 as the Club’s Vice-President during another financially challenging period
He was awarded Life Membership of the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1977/78 and was made a Life Governor in 2008.
Graham G Kingston 1976/77
Graham Kingston, universally known as “Kingo”, provided many years of valuable service to the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club in a wide variety of roles. After joining in 1961, he obtained his Bronze Medallion in March 1962 followed by his Instructors Certificate. He spent a number of seasons through the late-1960s and 1970s as an active Instructor, helping to put many members through their Bronze training. He also served as Gear Steward for the eight seasons from 1968 to 1976 and doubled up as Clubhouse Director and Radio Officer for a couple of these seasons. He was one of the mainstays of the Club’s popular Learn to Swim lessons during his service, helping to ensure the children of visiting holiday makers and locals learned water safety skills.
Graham was also tireless on the fundraising front and was the Club’s longest serving and most diligent representative on State Centre’s Appeal Committee. During the five years he represented Mooloolaba on the committee he had a 100 per cent meeting attendance rate at a time when its disbursements from large fundraising activities such as House to House collections and RNA Lucky Ticket sales were vital sources of funding for Mooloolaba. Graham also served as a Club delegate to the North Coast Branch for three seasons.
James A Hoban 1979/80
Jim Hoban joined the Club as a cadet member in 1965 and gained his Qualifying certificate in 1966, followed by his Bronze Medallion in 1967. He was an enthusiastic club member and a solid all-round competitor across a range of disciplines including surf and belt racing, R&R, craft and ironman. The highlight of his competitive career was being part of the Junior R&R team that won the State Title at Maroochydore in 1970. He also became the first Mooloolaba competitor to win a medal in Ironman competition when he placed third in the Junior event at the same carnival. Jim continued to compete in Restricted Surf Race events, earning a State Silver medal and a Bronze and also in Belt Racing, making a number of State finals and the National final at Kingscliff in 1978. He then switched his focus to R&R coaching, pulling together strong teams of young swimmers in the early-1980s, before an enforced absence due to work commitments. After a work transfer Jim then spent more than 20 years in Sydney while still retaining strong social links with the Club, before returning in 2017 and becoming very active on the Old Boys/Past Member committee. He was invited to join the MSLSC’s Centenary Committee in early 2018 and embraced the challenge of planning and preparing for its Centenary activities, most notably in the compilation of this 100 Year History.
David H Andersen 1981/82
David Andersen became heavily involved with the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club as his grandson Peter Graham progressed from title-winning Nipper through to a multiple-title-winning senior competitor.
He became a tireless worker around the aging Clubhouse during the 1970s, carrying out numerous maintenance and improvement tasks as the need arose, but made his greatest contribution after the new Clubhouse was built. With finances still on a knife-edge, he took on most of the painting ahead of the official opening until he broke both his ankles in a fall from a ladder while completing the job.
David was also heavily involved in fundraising activities through this period both for the senior and junior divisions of the Club and became a mainstay at the traditional house-to-house collections, both in Brisbane and at the Coast. He was always a willing volunteer, often behind the scenes, in many of the demanding roles carried out by his daughter, June, and her husband Don, a long-time Gear Steward and Team Manager. This included helping to service and maintain gear as well as helping to store equipment for the Club after the fire.
He was the oldest of five generations of the Graham family to become involved in the Mooloolaba Club and was honoured with Life Membership at the official opening of the new Clubhouse in November 1981.
Daryle G Payne 1981/82
Daryle Payne was introduced to the MSLSC by Bill Daley in the early 1950s and quickly stamped himself as one of its strongest swimmers and best competitors. He was a great belt swimmer who, in 1953 won a State Silver medal in the Junior Belt race, followed by a Bronze in the same event at the Nationals. The following year he was a member of the Junior R&R side that won the State title at Greenmount and the upward trajectory continued in the following season when he earned Gold Medals in both the State and National championships as a member of the victorious Senior R&R team, a feat that led to Mooloolaba being recognised as the Premier Club in Australia for that year.
After he finished competing, Daryle remained very actively involved in the Club as a coach and mentor and served as Chief Instructor three times between 1957 and 1979. He also served as Club Captain from 1961 to 1963. During this time his superb belt skills made him a very effective lifesaver, never more so than on the epic occasion in 1961 when he and junior Dave Houston battled heavy seas for three hours to complete a rescue.
After his days of active service Daryle stayed heavily involved with the Club in a variety of unofficial capacities right through to his later years and was one of the most respected and well credentialled of its retired members.
His extensive contribution was recognised by the awarding of the Life Membership medal in the 1981/82 season.
Bryan P Collins 1983/84
Bryan Collins joined Mooloolaba in 1968 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in January 1969. He quickly found his niche on the sand and spent many seasons as a prominent beach sprint and flags competitor. He was part of the Bronze Medal-winning Junior Beach Relay team at the 1970 Maroochydore State Titles and through the 1970s made a number of finals at State and National level, while also representing the Sunshine Coast Branch on three occasions.
Bryan earned his Instructors Certificate in 1970 and was heavily involved in Bronze training before his call-up for National Service. He then earned his Examiners Certificate in 1974.
On the administrative front, Bryan served the Club in various capacities during the 1970s and 1980s, including as Vice-Captain, Vice-President, Publicity Officer and Team Manager.
He was also one of the hard-working senior members who remained active in the aftermath of the Clubhouse fire and, with his wife Ann, was among the group of loan guarantors who helped secure the funding for construction of the new Clubhouse in 1980.
As with many of his peers, Bryan then turned his hand to coaching and spent many seasons guiding his own children and many others through their Nipper, Junior and Senior years with the Club.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Bryan served for many seasons as Team Manager and Beach Coach for the junior club and was pivotal in the very successful Cadet program of the 1990s that aimed to help graduating Nippers make the transition to the senior club.
During this time Bryan also served on the Sunshine Coast Branch Board of Examiners, was District Supervisor for Awards and Examinations and carnival Beach Referee.
Bryan continued coaching beach event competitors through the 1990s and was instrumental in steering the U16 Girls Beach Relay team to a National Title in 2000 and the U18 Girls Beach Relay team to a National Bronze Medal in the same year.
Graham R Dakin 1986/87
Graham Dakin gained his Bronze Medallion in March 1969 and, during the lengthy period of active service that followed, he regularly topped the roster for the most patrols done in a season, as well as for the most proficient patrol member
Graham qualified for his Instructors Certificate in the 1973/74 season and then switched his focus to administration. He served as deputy under long-term Secretary Jack Watts from 1974 to 1977 then stepped up to take over from him in 1977.
He was also a Club Delegate to the Sunshine Coast Branch from 1977 through to 1983 and became Branch Secretary in 1985, remaining in this post through to1993. He also doubled up as Registrar for the Sunshine Coast Branch Nippers from 1979 through to 1982, before taking on the role of Registrar for Queensland State Centre Nippers between 1982 and 1985.
Under the guidance of long-term mentor Percy Berigan, he also became a very active, long-serving Publicity Officer for the Club and Branch in both Junior and Senior divisions covering a couple of decades. Through the 1980s Graham also followed Percy Berigan’s lead to become a regular carnival announcer, broadcasting at Branch, State and National Titles from 1980 through to 2005, during which time he developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the colours of every Australian surf club. He also announced at World Championship events during this period.
Graham was awarded Life Membership of the MSLSC in 1987 and was awarded Life Membership of Sunshine Coast Branch in 1994.
Allan J Inwood 1987/88
Allan Inwood was awarded his Bronze Medallion in March 1969 and quickly developed into an all-round competitor in beach events and R&R competition. He was a member of the Junior Beach Relay Team that won Bronze at the 1970 State Titles and won the Club’s Champion Lifesaver competition in 1972. He was a member of several R&R squads during the 1970s and gained his Instructors Certificate in 1973,followed by his Examiners Certificate two years later. He served as Chief Instructor of the Club in 1975/76 and was a North Coast Branch Delegate from 1971 through to 1974.
Allan was also among the hard-working group who remained active during the critical reconstruction effort following the Clubhouse fire and the mammoth fundraising task that continued for many years after it.
Beyond the Club, Allan served as a carnival official and went on to serve in jurisdictional roles at Club, Branch State and National levels. He was Branch Superintendent from 1983 to 1986 and was a member of its Board of Examiners for two decades through to 1998. At State level, he was appointed Deputy Superintendent Carnivals and Competition in 1986, then Chief Director of Surf Sports from 1988 to 1993. During this time he was co-carnival referee for State Championships from 1986 through to 1993.
He also served as SLSA National Carnival Referee for six years from 1992 and covered the same role at World Championship ocean events at Cardiff in 1994, Durban in 1996, Auckland in 1998 and Manly in 2000.
Allan has been recognised for his extensive service to the surf lifesaving movement with Life Membership awards at all levels of the movement: Life Membership of the MSLSC in the 1987/88 season, Life Membership of Sunshine Coast Branch in 2003, Life Membership of SLSQ in 1999 and of SLSA in 2003. He was also a recipient of an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and on Australia Day in 2019 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
Graeme B Coghlan 1987/88
Graeme Coghlan joined the Mooloolaba Club after a chance encounter at the Ithaca Baths with senior club official Alf Roberts in 1956 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in 1957. He went on to earn his Instructors Certificate in the 1958/59 season and became a quintessential member through the 1960s – an all-round competitor, contributor and clubman.
He took on the role of Gear Steward in 1958 and two years later juggled three official roles as Clubhouse Director, Radio Officer and North Coast Branch Delegate.
Work and family commitments saw him withdraw from active duties through the 1970s but, like many of his contemporaries, he returned to the fold in the early 1980s, serving as Assistant Treasurer for three seasons from 1982 to 1985, before taking on the Treasurer’s role for the 1982/83 season when the Club’s finances were on a knife edge. He was also part of the group who agreed to put their own assets up as security for the loan that allowed the Club to rebuild.
Graeme then played an important role in developing Mooloolaba’s IRB capability following a slow start due to funding difficulties. He was just the second person appointed IRB Captain in the four years to 1986 and over the subsequent two years he was instrumental in efforts to build the fleet and increase the number of accredited drivers and crew.
Denis W Gordon 1989/90
Denis Gordon, always known in the Club as Gus, joined the Club in 1962 and earned his Bronze Medallion in May 1963. As was typical of that period, he contributed widely and competed in a range of disciplines. He was a good oarsman but was also part of the Junior R&R team that won a Bronze Medal at Forrest Beach, Ingham in the 1963/64 season.
Gus remained active in the Club for almost six decades and achieved a unique status as one of the most popular and respected role models for members across every one of those decades. In characteristic fashion, he was a linchpin in the period following the fire and played a huge role in rallying the troops and maintaining morale.
From the mid-1980s, Gus turned his hand to Surf Boat coaching and sweeping and, with a keen eye for new talent, he helped build the Club’s reputation as a force in boat rowing competition. One of his proudest achievements was training the U18 Men’s crew to a State Title win at Marcoola in 1990 after a serious setback.
This was matched by his role in 1997 securing Mooloolaba’s first ever boat medal in National Titles, when he swept the Reserve Grade Men’s crew to a Silver medal, following on from the Gold they had won at the earlier State Titles.
Gus served as Boat Captain for a total of seven years from 1982 to 1986 and 1995 to 1997.
David J Jewry 1989/90
Dave Jewry joined the Mooloolaba SLSC in 1957 at the encouragement of work colleague and long-time member Lex Muirhead. He began his Bronze training under Arthur Parkyn but, after a work transfer to Darwin, he completed his training as a member of Casuarina SLSC.
He rejoined Mooloolaba in the early 1960s and in the 1963/64 season he took over from his brother Doug as Club Captain after Doug moved to Alexandra Headland to compete in R&R competition. He was on the very active Social Committee through the mid-1960s and was therefore heavily involved in fundraising activities through this period. He also served as a Club Branch Delegate in 1965/66 and again in 1984/85.
Dave stepped up to mark as President during a critical period in the Club’s history following the fire of 1979 and served in this role for three and a half seasons through to January 1984, playing a vital role in overseeing the rebuilding program and the Club’s revival through these challenging years.
Dave and his wife Robyn were among the group of members who made the commitment to personally guarantee the bank loan that allowed the Club to rise again, a gesture they repeated for the next major Clubhouse upgrade in 1992.
Some 23 years later, Dave stepped into the breach again in 2015/16 at a time when the Club was in another precarious financial position. He successfully steered the Club through this difficult period for three seasons until the 2018, resetting the standard for the core functions of surf lifesaving and laying the foundation for ongoing governance and risk-management strategies.
Stephen R Finney 1990/91
Stephen Richard Finney, always known in the Club as Richard, joined Mooloolaba in 1969 and earned his Bronze Medallion in December of the same year, before gaining his Instructors Certificate three years later. After qualifying as an Examiner, he served as a member of the Queensland State Board of Examiners from 1980 until 1988.
Richard has been an active boat rower for most of the past 40 years of his Club membership after achieving early success as part of the Senior Boat crew that won a State Title Bronze Medal at Kurrawa in 1978, before taking out the 20km Carlton Cup Surf Boat Marathon at Cairns in 1979.
Richard took on a series of administrative and leadership roles through the 1970s, serving as a Branch Delegate, Assistant-Secretary in 1972/73, Assistant Treasurer in 1976/77, Surf Boat Captain for the 1979/80 season, Clubhouse Director in 1980/81 and Club Captain for the 1985/86 season.
He was also one of the senior members who worked tirelessly to keep the Club going after the fire, both on the beach and in the intensive rounds of fundraising.
Richard continued to compete in Surf Boats in the Masters Division through the 2000s earning a tally of four Gold Medals at State level and four Golds, two Silvers and a Bronze at National Titles.
Sonny J Day 1990/91
Sonny Day joined the Club in 1966 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in December of that year. He was heavily involved in all Club activities through to the mid-1970s when family and work commitments took over. However, he returned to the Club in the early-1980s and guided his own children, Nathan, Shannon and Ryan through their very successful years of active service.
Sonny found his niche in the IRB arena, quickly earning his credentials as Crewman, Driver, Instructor and Examiner. He filled the post of IRB Captain from the 1990 to 1993 and again from 1995 to 1997. During this period, he spent countless hours patrolling, operating and training an increasing roster of crews in both patrol service and at carnival events. In the 1990/91 season he put in more than 200 patrol hours.
Sonny was also instrumental in developing the Club’s competition stocks in the IRB space after the Club made its first foray into competition in 1990. As IRB Team Manager he built up a formidable competition team resulting in a stellar performance at the State Titles just a year later, when the Mooloolaba team won eight of the eleven events it contested and was crowned overall State Champion Club. It went on to win five medals at the National Titles in the same season.
Robert D Jewry 1991/92
Doug Jewry first joined Mooloolaba in 1959 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in August of that year. He very quickly established himself as a top-line surf swimmer and R&R competitor, winning a Bronze Medal in his first year of competition with the Junior Surf Team at the 1960 State Titles.
He came away from the 1961 State Titles with a Silver Medal in this same event, along with another Silver while competing with the Club’s Senior R&R team, and a Bronze Medal in the Junior R&R, before going on to win a Bronze with the Junior Surf team at the National Titles at Moana. The following year he was part of the Senior Surf Team that won the Gold Medal at the 1962 State Titles at Surfers Paradise.
Doug took on the role of Mooloolaba Club Captain for the 1963/64 season before handing over the reins to his brother, Dave, when he moved across to the Alexandra Headland Club to be able to continue competing in R&R after Mooloolaba was unable to field a team.
He returned to Mooloolaba in the mid-1980s and served for two years as Chief Instructor (1986 to 1988) before taking the helm as Club President in the 1987/88 season. With an unbroken 20-year tenure in the role, he then became the second longest-serving President (after Percy Jakeman) in the Club’s history.
In this time he steered the Club through a number of significant challenges to its eventual emergence as one of the strongest and most financial Surf Life Saving Clubs in the State. Pivotal to this evolution was his role in conceiving and executing the plan to establish the Supporters Club in 1992 to secure the lifesaving club’s financial future.
During his tenure Doug oversaw the transformation of a Club that at the start of his term had a Net Asset Value of $150,000 to one that had a $4.2 million valuation by the time he stood down at the end of the 2006/07 season. During this time he oversaw a near four-fold increase in Club membership, a six-fold increase in the number of surf-lifesaving awards gained by members and massive growth in the numbers of beachgoers.
Doug and his wife Bev were among the groups that provided personal guarantees for bank loans taken out for Club construction projects in both 1981 and 1992.
Gordon Winch 1992/93
Gordon Winch transferred across to Mooloolaba in the 1976/77 season from the Bribie Island Club where he had established a reputation as a champion ski paddler. He earned his first medal for Mooloolaba in the same season, with his second placing in the Senior Single Ski race at the State Titles. This earned him selection in the State representative team for the 1977 National Titles.
Gordon first served as Chief Instructor in the 1977/78 season before stepping back into the role in 1980/81 during the critical transition period after the fire, when he also took on the daunting responsibility of Building Committee Chairman, which entailed countless additional hours to get the new Clubhouse out of the ground.
He and his wife Lynn, who was also a tireless worker for the Club, also agreed to become loan guarantors to secure funding for the Clubhouse rebuild.
Gordon served as MSLSC President in the 1986/87 season and was a Club Branch delegate the following year, while also continuing to compete in single and double ski events.
In the early 1990s he was one of the key movers in the push to introduce Masters level competition and represented the Club in initial talks with SLSQ.
Gordon then became one of Mooloolaba’s first Medal winners at State and National level in this new mature-age division eventually winning a total of 10 State medals, three of them Gold, and two at Nationals.
David K Houston 1993/94
David Houston holds the distinction of completing one of the most difficult rescues ever carried out off Mooloolaba Beach just weeks after he had completed his Bronze Medallion training in 1961, an epic three-hour effort in massive seas.
As well as being a strong surf swimmer Dave proved to be a very handy oarsman. He was a member of the crew that won a Junior Surf Boat State Title at Surfers Paradise in 1962 and he continued rowing in Mooloolaba’s senior boat crews through the mid-late-1960s.
Through the ‘60s Dave was very active in the Club on a number of other fronts – he served as an Instructor from 1963 through to 1967, Boat Vice-Captain for the same period and as Clubhouse Director for the 1966/67 season. He was also a very busy Social Committee member in the mid-60s overseeing many successful fund-raising activities including the Surf Girl Quest, Christmas concerts and the annual tent-to-tent collections held over the Christmas period.
Dave stepped in to help steer the Club in the mid-1980s after the fire, serving as Vice-President in the 1983/84 season then as President for part of the 1984/85 and 1985/86 seasons. He also served as a member of the Supporters Club Management Committee for a number of years through the mid-to-late 1990s.
Dave’s commitment to the Club was also borne out by his and wife Jan’s agreement to provide personal guarantees for loan needed to rebuilt the Clubhouse in 1980 and again to cover the next major extension in 1992.
Judy Western 1994/95
Judy Western was the first woman to be honoured with Life Membership of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club for a contribution that began many years before women were allowed to become surf club members in their own right.
She was a mainstay of the Club and part of the hard-working generation of female supporters who worked behind the scenes to support a range of Surf Club activities, including catering and fundraising, while never being allowed to set foot inside any part of the Clubhouse apart from the kitchen.
Judy officially stepped up to take on the demanding role of Club Secretary when the Club was at its lowest point, providing critical support for her husband and treasurer, Joe, and President Dave Jewry in the period following the Clubhouse fire.
For the next five years she was the presence on the ground, working at the Club up to six days a week to hold things together and maintain morale among a severely reduced membership.
During this time, she helped to rally the troops in the massive fundraising task that saw this small band of “stayers’’ raise $100,000 from pub raffles in just 18 months, an effort that continued for several years afterwards as the Club struggled to get back on its feet financially.
Judy later served for four years as a Branch delegate and remained a strong support for Joe during the 30 years he spent as either Club Treasurer or Secretary.
She and Joe were among the small group of loan guarantors for both major construction projects of 1981 and 1992.
Steven N Miller 1994/95
Steven Miller was the first Mooloolaba Life Member to achieve this honour after progressing all the way from Nipper ranks to the highest echelon of Club stewardship.
He came into the Nippers in 1971 as a champion young still-water swimmer and, after earning his Bronze Medallion in 1975, went on to make a significant contribution to the Club across four decades, first as a top competitor, then all-round clubman and as an administrator.
Steven won a series of State and National medals as a cadet before replicating this success as a Junior, winning a Silver Medal in the Junior Belt Race at Maroochydore in 1976 and coming a close second in the same event at the subsequent National Titles in Tasmania. The following year, as a 17-year-old, he made history at the Branch Titles (in an era when participation was compulsory to qualify for State and National titles) by winning all seven water events in which he competed – both Junior and Senior Belt races, the Junior Malibu Board, the Junior Ironman, the Junior R&R, the Taplin Relay and the Junior Surf Teams event, a feat that may well have been an Australian first.
He remained a strong competitor through his senior years, while also immersing himself in other duties associated with surf club life, particularly during the difficult fundraising years of the late 70s and1980s. Alongside his competitive commitments, Steven served as Club Captain from 1982 to 1984, overseeing efforts to revive membership after the fire, and later as a Director of Surf Sports in the 1996/97 season.
Steven has made one of his biggest contributions to the Club over the years by actively fostering the development of junior lifesavers, a reflection of the philosophy passed on during his early years via the strong influence of club senior statesman Arthur Parkyn and others.
He gave generously of his time to the traditional Learn to Swim classes run in the river for young holiday makers and, later, to training Nippers, Cadets and Juniors. This focus extended to developing Junior and Under 21 boat crews as a coach and sweep during the 1990s.
For a number of years, he conducted free, four-day-a-week swim squads for under-13 to under-17 members at the Kawana pool and reinstated the camps and away-trips from previous years for Cadets and Juniors.
These initiatives paid dividends for the Club in high levels of junior retention during the late-1990s and early-2000s and in the performances of Mooloolaba’s under-15 and under-17 competitors, who topped the points score at the 2007 Australian Titles in Perth and maintained either first or second position over the next few years.
Steven served on the Supporters Club Management Committee for a number of years and took over as the Club’s Chairman and acting-President for the 2006/07 season, before officially being appointed to the role the following year. During the almost-three years he presided over the Club he managed to consolidate its finances and also extended the Club’s available space for lifesaving activity by instigating the purchase of a second set of premises on River Esplanade, which the club owned outright by 2010.
Edward C Turner 1997/98
Ted Turner joined the Mooloolaba Club in 1947 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in January 1948. He quickly became involved across the full spectrum of club activities through the late-1940s and 1950s, including patrols, competition and the extra work required around the Clubhouse during this critical post-war period. He was also very active on the social and fundraising fronts and served as the Club’s Social Secretary through a very busy period when funding was desperately needed to undertake the major Clubhouse upgrade of 1954.
Ted served the Club loyally as Secretary for four seasons from 1950 to 1954 until work and family commitments in Brisbane forced a temporary halt. He returned to the job in 1958 and played a key role in this very demanding period as the Club prepared play host to the Australian Championships for the first time.
Through his years of active involvement and beyond Ted remained an effective recruiter of new members and a respected mentor. Even in later years he remained a prolific talent scout for Mooloolaba through his involvement in both the Sandgate Swimming and AFL Clubs.
Ted’s life-long affection for the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club was evident in his determination to ensure its rich history was recorded for posterity by way of an official history as it approached its 75 year anniversary and, in achieving this, he left a priceless legacy. He worked tirelessly for more than two years spearheading the large project which culminated in publication of Our Club Our Story launched in 1997.
Ted was awarded Life Membership in the 1997/98 season in recognition of this legacy and his many other contributions to the Mooloolaba SLSC.
Gary R Tanner 1997/98
Gary became a member of the Mooloolaba SLSC after being recruited for a weekend familiarisation trip by his school principal, Club legend Arthur Parkyn. He was soon making the trip from Brisbane’s southside every weekend without fail.
Gary earned his Bronze Medallion in May 1975 and found his niche as a boat rower, achieving early success as a member of the Silver Medal-winning Junior Boat crew at the 1977 State Titles. He then added a Bronze medal at Kurrawa in his first year as a senior.
Gary was among the small core of members who held the Club together following the 1979 fire and the major exodus of members. Those who remained worked non-stop during the rebuilding and recovery phase to maintain patrols and raise the funds needed to rebuild. He then became Clubhouse director during the 1981/82 season.
After serving as Vice-President in 2001/02, Gary remained very actively involved in Mooloolaba through subsequent decades, always passionate about the Club he had joined as a 14-year-old and helped to save through a critical period in its history.
He picked up the oars again following the advent of the Masters competition and tasted success once again, achieving State Title wins in 1997, 2007 and in 2015 when his 240yr crew also went on to claim the National Title.
Peter D Graham 1997/98
Peter was among the first Nippers to join the Mooloolaba Surf Club as an inaugural member of the Mooloolaba Midgets Club formed in 1968. He was already showing great promise as a footballer and carried these skills through to become a very successful beach competitor during a long competitive career.
Peter enjoys the distinction of winning Mooloolaba’s first ever event in the Nipper division, after taking out the U9 Beach Sprint at the very first Queensland Nippers carnival, held at Burleigh Heads in 1969.
During his Nipper years Peter won three Gold Medals and was selected to represent Queensland at Interstate titles on two occasions before he earned another first as a cadet – in 1974 he was part of Mooloolaba’s first State Title-winning Cadet Beach Relay team.
Peter obtained his Bronze Medallion in December 1974 and had continued success, most notably with dual wins at the 1975 State Titles where he won his Junior Beach Flag event then stepped up to win the Senior title as well. He then went on to win a National Title in the Junior Beach Flags at Clifton Beach in the following year and came third in the Senior event at the same titles. Still a junior in the following season, he repeated his Gold Medal-winning performance, taking out the Junior title for a second time at Victoria’s Bancoora Beach.
Not only was Peter prominent in competition, he also established himself as a loyal and hard-working Club member through the 1970s and afterwards when he was among the “stayers” who kept the Club going after the Clubhouse burned down in 1979.
Through the 1990s Peter completed the surf sports lifecycle when he began competing in the new Masters division where he won a total of three National Silver medals and five State medals, including one Gold.
Through the early-2000s Peter remained actively involved in the Club and steered his two daughters through the same path from Nippers to patrolling lifesavers and competitors. He then served as Club President from 2010 to 2015 during which time he worked in close collaboration with his counterparts at Maroochydore and Alexander Headlands Surf Clubs to project manage the successful joint bid to hold the 2016 National Titles on the three beaches – a first in the history of surf lifesaving.
Terrence A Bell 1997/98
Like many long-term members of his generation, Terry first joined the Club as a Nipper in the early 1970s and was a successful young beach competitor, winning a Silver Medal at the 1974 State Titles in Mackay before earning his Bronze Medallion and joining the senior club in November 1975.
Like his long-serving peers from this era, he remained steadfastly loyal to the Club during the difficult years after the fire when weekends at the Surf Club entailed endless rounds of patrols and pub raffles. He later stepped up to the mark as Club Captain in 1986, after serving in a number of supporting administrative roles through the early 1980s.
Terry was also very active as a competitor in the Surf Boat arena and served as Boat Captain between 1989 and 1991 and again from 1993 to 1995.
He continued his active involvement in the Club through the early-2000s and served as President for part of the 2008/09 season. He was also a driving force behind the establishment of Mooloolaba’s now iconic Anzac Day commemorations.
Stuart Canham 1998/99
Stuart joined the Club in 1965 and gained his Bronze Medallion in January 1966. A strong swimmer, he was a successful competitor in Surf and Belt Races and also a keen boardriding competitor. He won a Silver Medal as part of the Junior R&R side at the State Titles at Moore Park in 1967, however his lifesaving service was interrupted when he was called up for National Service in 1971. Afterwards he returned to the Club and obtained his Instructors Certificate and resumed R&R competition as a key member of the Senior R&R side through the mid-1970s, at times also serving as R&R coach. Work and family commitments in Brisbane curtailed his active involvement with the Club but, like others of his generation, Stu returned to Mooloolaba when his children were old enough to join Nippers. He was a very active contributor as an Age Manager, working closely with JAC Chairman Bob Smith and Bryan Collins to ensure Nippers gained first-class lifesaving skills and, later, to support an innovative cadet program that effectively aided retention by smoothing the pathway between Nippers and the senior club. This was influential in developing a strong core of loyal and successful long-term club members.
Leonard C Dittmar 1998/99
Len was one of a group of recruits who joined the Club from Brisbane’s Padua College in 1964 before gaining his Bronze Medallion in November 1965. Thanks to his physique, he very quickly developed as a strong surf and belt swimmer and was a member of the State Silver Medal winning Junior R&R team of 1967.
Len managed to combine his lifesaving service with a successful A-grade and representative Rugby League career and continued to capitalise on his strength by becoming a successful boat rower. He was part of a powerhouse senior surf boat crew that won a Bronze Medal at the 1970 State Titles at Maroochydore and a Silver Medal in the same event the following season at Southport.
In common with many of his Brisbane-based clubmates of this era, work, family and football commitments took him away from active Club service in the mid-1970s but, like many of his peers, he too returned when his children became interested in lifesaving. His son Ben followed in his father’s footsteps as a handy surf swimmer and boat rower.
Len continued his involvement during this period as a coach and mentor to many of the younger brigade and aided their progression from Nippers and Cadets to fully fledged senior lifesavers.
Robert F Smith 2000/01
Brian J Johns 2002/03
Brian was an experienced lifesaver when he joined the Mooloolaba Club in 1980 after arriving from New Zealand,where he earned hisBronze Medallion. He arrived at one of the most difficult times in the Club’s history,just after the fire that had destroyed the Clubhouse but still threw himself into its activities and adapted quickly to the extra demands of the time, including long patrol hours and endless fundraising responsibilities. As one of the more senior hands through this period he played an important role in helping to maintain morale and guide the younger contingent through what was a very challenging time.Brian was an avid ski paddler and became involved with clubmate Gordon Winchin the successful push to establish an official Masters competition. He again enjoyed competitive success in that arena, winning two State Silver Medals and a Bronze in one of the earliest Masters competitions in Mackay in 1993. He later added another three State and two National medals before putting away his paddle.Brianalso became a big contributor on the Nipper front and in junior development more broadly, guiding his son,Scott,and many others through their formative years with the Club
Daniel Sheard 2002/03
Danny was already an established and very successful ski paddler when he joined Mooloolaba in 1992 after spending his formative lifesaving years at Alexandra Headlands SLSC.
He played a very influential role in the growth and success of Mooloolaba’s surf sports program as the Director of Surf Sports for a record nine years to 2006, during which the Club doubled its yield of championship medals. In many of these seasons he also served as team manager, taking on a massive workload to manage the Club’s competition activities.
During these years Danny also put on the maroon and white cap to compete for Mooloolaba in Masters competition and demonstrated he had not lost his competitive edge, starting out with wins in both the Single and Double Ski events at the State Masters Titles at Mackay in 1993. He continued to compete until 2009, winning a total of 19 State medals including 12 Golds, predominantly in ski events, although he was also a handy beach sprinter and added a couple more medals in beach events. At the National level he won three Silvers and four Bronze Medals, in Masters competition.
James W Summers 2002/03
Jim joined the Club as an Honorary Member in the 1988 season and began a long and distinguished period of service as both a Junior Vice-President and Club Patron. In the 1992/93 season he stepped into the role of Treasurer. In this capacity he was able to draw on his long business experience and acumen to help steer the Club through a fast changing and challenging transformation period that included establishment of the Supporters Club.
Jim was among the small group of loan guarantors who helped secure the finance needed to carry out the necessary renovations to accommodate the Supporters Club in 1992.
For the next fourteen years he served as Treasurer of both the Life Saving and Supporters Clubs, making a very significant contribution to the Club’s strong financial position through this very challenging period before stepping down in 2006.
His generous financial support for the Club over many years included his sponsorship of the surf boat Thomas launched in 1998.
Barry W Daley 2002/03
Barry Daley was born into the Mooloolaba Surf Club and into lifesaving, following in the footsteps of his father Bill, who was already a Queensland lifesaving champion when he came to Mooloolaba in 1939.
Barry joined officially in the early 1950s alongside great mate Daryle Payne, both top swimmers who had been coached by Bill at their local Ithaca Swimming Club. He gained his Bronze Medallion in October 1953 and soon made his mark as one of the Club’s top swimmers and R&R competitors. Within a season of gaining his Bronze, Barry earned his first State Title as part of Mooloolaba’s successful Junior R&R team. The following year he not only won a State Gold Medal with the Senior R&R team, but helped make Club history when the team went on to win Mooloolaba’s first ever National R&R title at Manly in 1955.
Barry was then selected to represent Queensland at the 1956 National Interstate Titles held at Torquay as part of the Melbourne Olympic Games program. This was 23 years after his father Bill had captained Queensland’s first lifesaving team to compete at an Australian Championships.
Barry was also a key member of the team that scooped the pool in a special competition sponsored by service club, the Jaycees. Mooloolaba won in all three of the years it was run and won all three of the motorised surf boats offered as the prize.
In an example of his all-round surf craft Barry, along with best mate and fellow Life Member Daryle Payne, also tried his hand at surf boat rowing as part of the Reserve Grade Boat Crew that won a State Silver Medal in 1960.
Barry became actively involved in Mooloolaba again in the late-1970s and early-1980s when his son Troy joined the Club. Barry was awarded Life Membership of Mooloolaba SLSC in the 2002/23 season in recognition of his many milestone achievements.
Ian R Blain 2002/03
Ian joined the Club in the 1986/87 season after spending his initial qualifying and early service period with the Maroochydore SLSC. He was a very handy surf boat rower and was a member of Mooloolaba’s Bronze Medal-winning Reserve Grade Boat crew at the 1991 State Titles at Tallebudgera.
He continued his boat rowing career into the Masters ranks and was a member of the team that won Mooloolaba’s first boat rowing medal at Masters level after securing third place in the 35+yrs Surf Boat Race at the inaugural State Masters titles at Kurrawa in 1992. Ian was eventually rewarded with a State Title in 1997 as part of the 140yrs crew at Mackay in 1997. Another State Title followed in 2000 for a win in the 160yrs Surf Boat event at North Kirra but he had to wait seven years for the next one which came with a win for the 200yrs Surf Boat crew at the 2007 titles at Kawana.
Ian also served on the administrative side of the Club as Secretary of the Supporters Club for six years from 2005 before taking over as Supporters Club President from 2011 to 2014/15.
Barry Beitz 2002/03
Barry Beitz joined the Club in the early 1990s after arriving from interstate. Thanks to his previous lifesaving experience he was able to step into the club captaincy role in 1992 and went on to serve very effectively in the role for a record 13 seasons, becoming part of a core leadership team that provided the Club with unprecedented stability through these years.
In this lengthy period managing lifesaving services Barry had to deal with a number of new challenges as membership grew, the composition of the membership changed, crowd numbers soared and accreditation requirements became more onerous.
While meeting all these demands Barry was also active as one of the Club’s early Masters competitors, featuring in both beach and ski events. He won two Silver Medals at the 1994 State Titles at Maroochydore in both the 50-54yrs Beach Sprint and Single Ski events. He returned to the winners circle 10 years later after winning a Gold Medal with John Smallwood in the 60-64yrs Double Ski event.
William J Freeman 2003/04
Bill Freeman joined the Mooloolaba SLSC as an Associate Member in the early 1990s after earlier obtaining his Bronze Medallion and spending his active lifesaving years in neighbouring Alexandra Headland Club. He made a very significant contribution by putting his wealth of business experience to great use to assist in a series of financial and administrative initiatives undertaken by the MSLSC through the 1990s and beyond.
He also took on personal risk as a loan guarantor to ensure the Club was able to secure the finance it needed to remodel the Clubhouse to incorporate the new Supporters Club in 1992.
Bill served on the inaugural Bar Committee of the Supporters Club for many years from its establishment in the 1992/93 season and played a key role helping it to successfully navigate what were then uncharted waters.
His involvement with the Supporters Club through this formative period helped to lay the foundations for its ongoing success and the many millions of dollars it has been able to generate to maintain lifesaving services on Mooloolaba Beach.
Jan M Muir 2004/05
Jan Muir first joined the Mooloolaba Club when her seven-year-old daughter signed up for Nippers in 1985. She was quick to put her hand up to help out and did not put it down again for the next three decades. She stayed on board and guided all three of her children right through from Nipper ranks to fully-fledged senior lifesavers, but they were just three among hundreds. Even after they had moved on, she continued as the U8 Age Manager until 2016, in all serving a record 30 years helping to settle in the Club’s youngest members in their first year of Nippers. In the process she met many families with no prior experience in surf lifesaving and influenced many to become active members of the Club. Jan has also been heavily involved officiating at carnivals in both junior and senior ranks, a valuable contribution which also started in 1986 and continues to the present day.
Jan’s remarkable longevity in these important roles has been recognised with a number of special awards including a Sunshine Coast Council Australia Day award in 2003, a Bronze Certificate from SLSQ for outstanding voluntary service in 2005 and a Citation of Merit award from the International Lifesaving Federation in 2006.
Brenden J Western 2006/07
Brenden Western and his family made club history when he was awarded his Life Membership in 2007 – it was the first time three members of the same family had been accorded this honour. Both his parents had served the Club in various capacities for more than six decades and Brenden was immersed in club activities from an early age. By the time he gained his Bronze Medallion in 1986 he was already a veteran of club life.
He was destined to follow in his father Joe’s footsteps and try his hand as a boat sweep, but he ultimately surpassed Joe to become the most successful sweep in Mooloolaba’s history.
Before this he also tasted early success in IRB competition, winning a National Title as part of the Teams Rescue crew at Freshwater in 1995 after earlier picking up a Silver and Bronze Medal at the preceding season’s National titles on his home beach.
As a budding boat sweep Brenden honed his skills through the late-1990s and early-2000s and first tasted success sweeping a 120yrs+ Masters crew to a State Title at North Kirra in 2003. He followed this up with his first Open division medal at the 2006 State Titles at Burleigh Heads, steering the Open Women’s boat crew to a Silver Medal.
He went one better the following year, taking the State Title at Kawana, then earning a Silver Medal with the same crew at the National Titles at Scarborough a couple of weeks later.
In the ensuing seasons he focused on pursuit of the holy grail – a National Title win and was duly rewarded when his Open Women’s crew won the event in 2009. They spectacularly repeated the feat at the 2011 Australian Championships at Kurrawa and again two seasons later in 2013. Based on Open division National Title wins this made him the most successful boat sweep in Mooloolaba’s history. Along the way he also won a further three State Titles with Open Women’s crews, most recently in 2021.
Brenden was awarded his Life Membership in the 2006/07 season, becoming the third member of the Western family to receive the honour (after father Joe in 1977 and mother Judy in 1994.)
Donald P Graham 2007/08
Don first became involved with the MSLSC in 1968 when son Peter joined the first intake of Nippers, known then as the Mooloolaba Midgets. He became a driving force in the successful development of the Nipper division, serving as its Secretary for 12 seasons, while also serving as Team Manager for 10 of them.
When his sons moved into the senior club Don transferred the same amount of drive and energy to helping there, serving as both Gear Steward and Team Manager for more than 15 years. This was a period of great competitive success for the Club, which added to his workload but also served to highlight the important contribution he made in maintaining club gear to the highest competition standards. This became even more important in the years of stringency after the fire when older gear had to be preserved.
In this difficult financial environment fundraising was critical to the Club’s recovery and Don became a prolific fundraiser and very successful sponsorship organiser. For many years he was a key organiser of pub raffles both on the coast and venues in Brisbane and, when he had to work on weekends, regularly drove up to the coast after work to attend raffles in Nambour.
Don was a highly effective team manager and devoted much time and effort to organising trips away to state and national championships to ensure competitors had the best opportunity to perform at the highest standard. For his four decades of unstinting service to the MSLSC
Graeme A Vierow 2008/09
Graeme Vierow joined the Club in 1969 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in December of that year. He became active on the competition front, spending many years competing in the R&R and surf teams events. He also went on to gain his Instructors and Examiners Certificates and officiated for a number of seasons in these capacities.
Graeme served as Chief Instructor for the 1976/77 season and was also Clubhouse Director for the 1979/80 season. He was among the small group of senior members who worked tirelessly to get the Club back on its feet after the 1979 fire and so played an integral role in its recovery, assisting on various fronts – operations, lifesaving, fundraising, competition and administration.
In 1991 Graeme was instrumental, through his experience working in the Lands Department, in guiding the Club’s application for a special lease which then allowed it to trade commercially with liquor and gaming licenses. This was critical to its eventual recovery and the establishment of the Supporters Club. It was the first lease of its type to be issued in Queensland and set a precedent for other surf clubs to follow in the ensuing years.
Throughout his long involvement in the Club, Graeme has been a prolific fundraiser from the days of house-to-house collections, lucky-ticket wheels at the Brisbane Exhibition, and pub raffles in the 1970s and 1980s right through to 2019 when he conceived and executed a special fundraising initiative – a 100 Club – to raise funds for bursaries to assist the education of children of deserving families from the Club.
Todd W McKee 2010/11
Todd joined the Mooloolaba Club in 1987 after spending his formative lifesaving years at Maroochydore. He immediately carried his boat rowing experience over to his new club and later had success as a member of the successful State Title-winning Reserve Grade Boat crew of 1996. He continued rowing into the Masters division from the early 2000s, earning another two state Silver Medals and a Bronze in composite age events.
Todd served as Boat Captain in the 1997/98 season and saddled up again almost 20 years later in 2017/18 to once again steer the Club’s burgeoning rowing program.
He also served in the boardroom, joining the Supporters Club Management Committee before taking over as its President in 2006. Despite major early challenges, such as the Global Financial Crisis, an industry downturn and the introduction of a total ban on indoor smoking, the Supporters Club managed to double its net surplus during his tenure. This allowed Todd to achieve his key objective when he took over as President – to improve the bottom line sufficiently for the Club to be able to clear its longstanding, long-term debt. Todd later rejoined the Supporters Club Management Committee in 2017.
Steven C Wedd 2010/11
Steve joined Mooloolaba in 1989 after moving to the area from the NSW south coast where he had been a member of the Batemans Bay SLSC. He first joined there as a Nipper, earned his Bronze Medallion in 1981 and remained a very active member. He continued in the same vein at Mooloolaba, where he served as IRB Captain in his first season, before stepping up as Club Captain the following year.
He was very successful in IRB racing, part of two National Title-winning crews. He was also a key member of the Club’s surf boat contingent, where he made his mark as part of the Reserve Grade Boat crew that won the State Title at Mackay in 1997, before going on to win a Silver Medal at the subsequent Australian Championships – the first time any crew from Mooloolaba had won a medal in Open Division at national level. Steve then switched his focus from rowing to become a boat sweep and later steered the Reserve Grade crew to a Bronze Medal at the 2011 National Titles at Kurrawa.
He served as Boat Captain for four seasons from 2012 to 2016, which proved to be among the most successful in the Club’s history. Mooloolaba crews won four national titles during these years, along with four state titles across the Open and Masters divisions. He swept crews to two of these National Title wins, as well as two Bronze Medal performances in the Masters division.
Steve stayed heavily involved in boat rowing and swept two other crews to significant victories – the State Title win by a Women’s Masters crew in 2016/17 and a spectacular National Title win for the U19 Men’s crew at the 2021/22 Australian Championships.
Steve was also heavily involved assisting the ground-breaking Young Guns Surf Boat Academy set up at Mooloolaba in 2021/22.
Brett P Monaghan 2012/13
Brett joined the Club in 1992 and obtained his Bronze Medallion in March 1993, before going on to make a significant contribution as both a competitor and club administrator.
He was among a group of future champions who were introduced to ski paddling in the early to mid-1990s and won three Silver medals at the State Championships in his first year of competition in 1995. Over his 17 seasons as a competitor Brett amassed 19 State Title medals, including a Gold Medal for a win in the prestigious Open Mens Taplin Relay, some 15 seasons after he first started racing; a real testament to his competitive longevity. His team spirit was exemplary and he was a keen competitor in many successful teams, notably winning a Gold Medal at the 2002 Australian Championships with Steve Meredith and Simon Martin in the Open Men’s Single Ski Relay, along with a Silver Medal at the same titles in the Open Mixed Double Ski event with Jannene Harker.
Brett capitalised on his competitive experience when he took on the role of Director of Surf Sports from 2010 to 2014, a period when Mooloolaba had the largest roster of competitors in its history, which ensured the job came with a massive workload.
Brett was also groomed and mentored by the Club’s Executive members in his early years to become involved in club administration, which he put to good use, serving as Treasurer of the Supporters Club for five seasons from 2005 to 2011 ahead of his stint as Director of Surf Sports.
James A Cleaver 2013/14
Jim’s association with Mooloolaba started early – he joined as a 7-year-old Nipper alongside his twin brother Richard in 1985 and remains involved today. He stamped himself as a future talent through his Nipper years before earning his Bronze Medallion in 1992. He was part of a strong cohort of young members who were both successful competitors and strong contributors across all club activities. They were the last group of members to experience the camaraderie of the bunkhouse before it was phased out, even though most lived locally.
Jim’s competitive success was notable for its breadth – he was a true all-rounder, winning titles in ski events, on the sand, in IRB racing and boat rowing. He regards his selection, alongside good mate Steve Meredith, in the Australian team that competed in the Tri-Nations Championships at Scarborough Beach in 1999 as the highlight of his competitive career.
He won his first state medal (Silver) in 1995 in the under-18 Double-Ski and Gold in the same event the following year. On the beach he won Silver Medals in the Open Men’s Beach Relay at both State and National Titles in 2001, going one better and earning Gold at the State Titles the following year. Three years later he demonstrated his versatility by winning a State Silver Medal as part of the Reserve Grade boat crew.
In the off-season he switched his attention to IRB racing, which allowed him and his mates to compete year-round. Due to their fitness, they became very successful, winning the National Title in the Open Rescue Tube Race at Avalon Beach NSW in 1998, as well as two Silver Medals at subsequent National Titles at Kawana (2001) and Scarborough Beach (2002).
Jim was groomed at an early age to become involved in club administrative roles, first as understudy to Treasurer Jim Summers before taking over as Treasurer in his own right in 2006 and serving in the role for the next eight years. This made him the third longest serving Treasurer in the Club’s history, equalling the tenures of Joe Western and Tom Keegan.
Alan J Murray 2013/14
Alan was introduced to the Lifesaving movement when his three children became Nippers and soon became an active contributor in the junior club and beyond. His long and dedicated service across a number of fronts resulted in his being made a Life Governor in 2016, one of only six people to have been accorded this honour. In this capacity he is now very heavily involved in oversight, attending most meetings of both the Life Saving and Supporters clubs.
Like many of his fellow Nipper parents Alan quickly immersed himself in the broader club charter. He earned his Bronze Medallion and became an active member of the senior club in 1995, then spent the next 22 years doing patrols, 20 of them as a Patrol Captain. During this time he earned every advanced lifesaving award available and made an enduring contribution as a mentor, trainer and assessor. He gained his Trainers Certificate in 1997 and his Examiners Certificate in 2000 and served as Chief Training Officer from 2002-06. During this time he completed the upgraded Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training qualification made mandatory for all trainers and assessors from 2005 and maintained this accreditation.
As CTO Alan oversaw training and assessment for more than 1350 accreditation certificates awarded to MSLSC members. For many years he also made a significant contribution to retention efforts by conducting September school holiday camps for Nippers to train for their Surf Rescue Certificates
In more recent years he has remained a powerhouse within the Club, still actively involved in ensuring members remain well informed, well trained and competent in their ability to apply both basic and more specialised awards, while also remaining active in administration and general club service. This has included his contribution since 2017 as Chair of the Centenary Committee overseeing preparations for Mooloolaba’s 100-year anniversary. Alan was made a Life Member of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club in the 2013/14 season before being made a Life Governor in 2016.
Lee D Purchase 2014/15
Lee Purchase joined the Mooloolaba Club at the start of the 1996 season and obtained his Bronze Medallion in November of that year. He quickly upgraded his skills by completing advanced qualifications across all facets of operational lifesaving before extending his qualifications further to become a Trainer and Assessor.
He took on the role of Chief Training Officer in the 2006/07 season and served as Club Captain from 2011 to 2014. In these capacities he was part of the strong push for recognition of Mooloolaba’s patrol capability and professionalism as demonstrated through participation in Surf Life Saving competitions and by trying to improve its ranking in the prized Buhk-Wilkes Trophy competition. This resulted in Mooloolaba winning the trophy for the first time in 2007 after ranking 12th in the previous season.
Lee’s tireless efforts to improve patrol performance and professionalism were rewarded in 2008 when he was named SLSQ’s Lifesaver of the Year and, in the following season, winner of the prestigious Clive Hammond Medal.
Apart from his service on the beach, one of Lee’s greatest contributions to Mooloolaba was in preparing or upgrading all documentation related to the provision of lifesaving services to put the Club on a more professional footing and, importantly, ensure compliance with SLSQ’s regulations.
He was also proactive in seeking out various grants available through SLSQ and completing the demanding application process which meant the Club was able to access external funding for critical lifesaving equipment, including vehicles and a new patrol tower.
Lee was also a driving force behind moves for the Club to take a leading role in after-hours emergency coverage, as one of the founders of Mooloolaba’s Emergency Response Group, the after-hours call-out service he was part of from 2005 to 2015.
Lee served as Treasurer for the Surf Club in the 2014/15 season and also as Treasurer of the Supporters Club in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons during which time he endeavoured to improve financial systems and to curb expenditure by introducing spending freezes. He was awarded his Life Membership of the MSLSC in the 2014/15 season and Life Membership of the Sunshine Coast Branch in 2016.
Graham J Soden 2014/15
Graham obtained his baseline Bronze Medallion in April 1995 and has worked tirelessly for the Mooloolaba Club ever since. He went on to become one of Mooloolaba’s longest-serving patrol members (26 years) and Patrol Captains (27 years).
In the course of his service he accumulated more than 100 advanced operational lifesaving awards including qualifying as a Trainer and Assessor. He was an integral part of the very busy training and assessing team at a time when growing membership numbers and continual changes to awards led to a surging workload. He also undertook the training required to complete the upgraded Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training qualification made mandatory for all trainers and assessors from 2005 and ensured he maintained this accreditation through annual refresher courses.
His ongoing dedication to training and assessing has ensured the Mooloolaba Club remained compliant with regularly changing SLSQ and SLSA accreditation standards and fulfilled its obligations under its Patrol Service Agreement
Graham has also been a very active contributor in Sunshine Coast Branch affairs and served as Club Supervisor for three seasons from 1996 and also as Branch Director of Lifesaving for four seasons from 2001, which ensured the Mooloolaba Club remained informed and responsive to changes flagged by the peak lifesaving bodies.
For his long service to the lifesaving movement Graham was awarded a Citation of Merit by the International Lifesaving Federation in 2006.
2016 William L Wadley
Like many of Mooloolaba’s current long-term members Bill was introduced to lifesaving and the Surf Club after his children joined Nippers. He gained his Bronze Medallion and became an active patrolling member in 1996. This was to be the start of more than 25 years of active patrolling duty, on the beach. Bill has gained and maintained many surf lifesaving awards over the years including Advanced Resuscitation and Defibrillator Certificates. He also served as Club Vice-Captain in 2018/2019
One of Bill’s other major contributions has been as a fundraiser for the Club, most notably his oversight of 3 major fundraising raffles of an Audi 3 when the Club was in desperate need of funds. It was so successful, raising $130,000 over a 3 season period, from 2016to 2018
For the past 12years he has been an active trainer and assessor with bronze squads and proficiencies.
For the past few years Bill has served on Mooloolaba’s Centenary Committee, playing a leading role in planning of the Club’s activities leading up to its 100 Year celebrations.
Bill was awarded his Life Membership in 2016.
Ross P Gorfine 2017/18
Ross has been a long-term contributor to Mooloolaba since his children became involved in Nippers in 1989. He went on to become actively involved in the senior club after getting his Bronze Medallion in 1992. He has continued to serve as an active patrol member for an unbroken 30 seasons, the longest in the Club’s history. During this period Ross amassed a wide range of advanced lifesaving awards to upgrade his skills and effectiveness, including a Certificate 11 in Public Safety and the Silver Medallion in Beach Management. He has put this extensive knowledge and experience to good use, serving as a Patrol Captain for 27 years.
Throughout his long service to the Club Ross has provided valuable leadership in the planning and management of patrol services and ensuring compliance with Mooloolaba’s patrol service agreements. He has also been a mentor for his patrol colleagues and proactive in developing their skills and rescue-readiness. Ross has to date amassed more than 1600 patrol hours and devoted many additional hours to providing water safety services.
He was a foundation member of the Club’s Building Repairs and Maintenance Committee established in 2016 and continues to make a valuable contribution as a Committee member.
Veronica Tallon 2017/18
Vonnie Tallon has been associated with the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club for more than seven decades after being introduced to it by her future husband Ron “Boppo’’ Tallon during the war years. She has supported the Club in all ways possible as a volunteer, dating from the era before women were allowed to become members of surf lifesaving clubs, and beyond. In the modern era she has strongly supported the cause of women in lifesaving and championed the contributions of female members of the MSLSC.
After the Tallons relocated to the Gold Coast in the 1960s both continued their service to the lifesaving movement. Vonnie received her Basic Resuscitation Certificate in 1975 and later served as Registrar for South Coast Branch Nippers during the 1980s.
She then became a very active carnival official after obtaining her Surf Official Accreditation Level 1 in 2004. After returning to where they began in lifesaving, the Tallons again became active within the Mooloolaba Surf Club community. Vonnie continues to support and represent Mooloolaba SLSC at local, Branch, State, National and international carnivals, officiating for Nippers, Seniors, Masters, at Pool Rescue and IRB Carnivals.
Jennifer G Crawford 2017/18
Jenny Crawford became involved with the Mooloolaba Surf Club when her children joined Nippers in 1988. As a non-swimmer herself, she was determined her children would all develop good swimming and surf skills but characteristically, she was not content to sit on the sidelines and very quickly got busy as a willing and effective helper.
She was to continue her Nipper involvement well after her own children had moved on and served as Chair of the Junior Activities Committee (JAC) for three seasons from 1995 to 1998 and as Youth Development Officer for the Sunshine Coast Branch.
Over the years Jenny obtained 37 lifesaving awards including Advanced Resuscitation, First Aid, and Senior First Aid. She put these skills to good use serving as First Aid Officer for five seasons in the early 2000s and later as the Club’s Grievance Officer.
She also became an accomplished Trainer and Assessor and, in this capacity, helped countless Nippers achieve their Surf Rescue Certificates and later their Bronze Medallions.
Jenny completed 3 levels of the Surf Official Award and was a respected carnival official, ably representing the Mooloolaba SLSC in the running of surf carnivals at Branch, State, National and international carnivals.
In recognition of her dedication and service to the lifesaving movement she was awarded a 20-Year Officiating Service Award in 2014 and a 25-Year Long Service Award in 2015.
Jenny was awarded Life Membership of Mooloolaba’s junior club in the mid-1990s and
of the senior club in 2017/18.
Joanne Tibbits 2018/19
Joanne Tibbitts’ service to the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club has been long and broad ranging. It began in 1996 when the first of her four boys joined the Nipper club and she pitched in to help across all its activities – water safety, canteen duties, organising uniforms and carnival nominations and generally assisting her husband Mark, who served as JAC Chair for six years.
Jo got her Bronze Medallion and became a patrolling member in 1997. She also served as a carnival official at both Nipper and Senior events at Branch, State and National level for 15 years. She has been recognised by SLSA for her 10 years of service as a Level 2 Official, which encompasses roles ranging from Chief Judge to Sectional Referee.
She was also a driving force behind Mooloolaba becoming involved in Pool Rescue competition for the first time in 2005 and was pool rescue team chaperone and an official for three years.
Jo has been a successful Masters competitor winning Mooloolaba’s Master of the Year Award twice, along with several national medals, however, the pinnacle of her Masters career was her performance at the 2004 World Titles in Italy where she won nine Gold Medals and a Silver.
On the administration front, Jo served as MSLSC Secretary from 2006 to 2009, during which a highlight was the Club’s successful 2008 application for Queensland’s Club of the Year Award. She then returned to the Committee as Assistant-Secretary from 2015 to 2019 and Supporters Club Secretary for three years from 2015. She has been elected to serve on the Governance Committee for two years during this period and was a member of the Judiciary Committee for 10 years. More recently she has played a leading role in organising Mooloolaba’s Centenary celebrations as a member of the Centenary Committee.
Michael J Sharry 2018/19
Mick joined the Club in 2004 after transferring from Kawana SLSC where he had obtained his Bronze and completed five seasons of active patrol service. He patrolled Mooloolaba beach for more than 13 years, during which he served as Patrol Captain for six seasons before taking over as Club Captain in 2005. He served in the post for the next four seasons then deputised as Vice-Captain for the 2009/10 and 2012/13 seasons. He stepped up to the plate again between 2014 and 2016 and once again briefly for part of the 2020/21 season before having to stand down for health reasons.
During this lengthy period of service Mick has made a significant contribution in field supervision, mentoring, development and growth of members within the Club, and in upgrading levels of professionalism to ensure the delivery of best practice lifesaving services on Mooloolaba Beach. This focus was reflected in Mooloolaba winning Queensland Club of the Year twice during these years, as well as the coveted Buhk-Wilkes Lifesaving Excellence award in the 2007/08 season.
Mick was one of the founders of the Mooloolaba Emergency Response Group (ERG) through the mid 2000’s, on call to assist in after-hours emergencies and was part of the small team that prepared the extensive documentation associated with the Mooloolaba’s 5-year Lifesaving Development Plan, the Registered Training Organisation Licensed Provider Business Plan and numerous successful applications for grant funding.
Steven G Meredith 2019/20
Steve Meredith’s membership of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club spanned more than three decades. During this time he became the most successful male open division competitor in the Club’s history, but he was also a great all-round clubman willing to contribute across a range of activities.
By the time he retired competitively in 2007, his tally stood at one world title, eight national titles across a variety of water and craft events and approximately 30 medals at state level. He also competed in 10 National Ironman finals and won three National Titles in IRB racing.
Steve represented his Branch and State on many occasions and was selected in two national
teams to compete at World Titles. He also competed strongly in the professional Ironman series over a 10-year period, coming third in the Kelloggs series in 1999 and 2005 but, despite this heavy workload, was always available to assist younger members coming through the ranks and to help develop their lifesaving skills.
Steve was also a totally home-grown product, coming all the way through from the Nipper ranks after joining the U10s. He won his first medal (Silver) at State Titles in the Under-15 surf teams and backed it up the following year when he was co-opted into Mooloolaba’s open Taplin relay team. In 2000 he won the prestigious Sunshine Coast Sportsperson of the Year award.
A true measure of Steve’s dedication to Mooloolaba is the fact that, in an increasingly professional era of lifesaving, he was determined to remain a one-club man and resisted many attempts by other clubs to lure him away.
Steve was also prepared to pick up the administrative baton for the Club and, for four seasons from 2000/01 through to 2003/04, he served as Assistant Secretary. Ten years later he served as Club Secretary for the 2013/14 season.
Susan P Hancock 2020/21
Sue Hancock’s long and distinguished service to the Mooloolaba SLSC began in November 1996 when she gained her Bronze Medallion. She continued as an active patrolling member for the next 25 years, serving as Patrol Captain for seven of them and as Club Vice-Captain from 2014 to 2016.
During this time she has attained and kept herself proficient across a wide range of lifesaving awards, as well as advancing to earn Trainer and Assessor-level awards across most of these disciplines. She also administered the Club’s training program as Chief Instructor for four seasons leading up to 2002 and served as Club Supervisor from 2008 to 2012.
In 2003 Sue led a group of Mooloolaba lifesavers on a pioneering exchange tour of South Korea where their role was to “educate, observe and exchange ideas on lifesaving techniques’’. On the reciprocal visit to Mooloolaba six months later, Sue conducted the intensive training program that culminated in five of them achieving their Bronze Medallions.
On the administrative front she served as Mooloolaba’s Vice-President from 2010 through to 2015.
She has also had success competitively as a long-time member of Mooloolaba’s Masters team. She won her first state medal in 2001, a Bronze in the 40-44yrs Single Ski, and followed that up with another nine state medals, including two Golds across a wide range of disciplines: single and double ski, board relay, taplin relay and beach relay. Sue was also successful on the national stage, with a tally of six national medals, the latest won in 2022, and in World Championships where she collected eight medals.
Clive A Sharp 2021/22
Clive joined the MSLSC after moving to the area from the NSW Central Coast in 1995. He was an active member of Ocean Beach SLSC where he gained his Bronze Medallion in 1977, before going on to serve as a Patrol Captain and Club Captain. He was also a successful competitor and was part of Ocean Beach’s National Title-winning R&R team of 1985. It was while competing in R&R at the 1980 National Titles held at Maroochydore that he was introduced to the Sunshine Coast for the first time and vowed to return.
After leaving the Air Force and moving north, he combined work as a professional lifeguard with his voluntary lifesaving service to Mooloolaba. It was in the former capacity that he played a pioneering role in the introduction of portable defibrillators into surf lifesaving. He was part of the push, led by Mooloolaba, to have them made available and, in 1998, became the first lifeguard in the country to bring a swimmer back to life on the beach using a portable defibrillator.
Clive continued to compete in Masters division across a range of disciplines winning his
his first National Gold Medal for Mooloolaba in 1998 with his win in the 40-44yrs Ironman event. During the next 24 years he amassed a further 13 National medals, four of them Gold, and 27 State medals including four Gold.
Clive’s commitment to the Club was also evident in the amount of time and effort he devoted to training and accreditation of members over the years. This included service as Chief Training Officer from 2020 to 2022.