Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club

Hi everyone,

We are now starting to plan ahead for the 2011/12 Nipper Season at Fairhaven.  Can you believe it has come around so quickly?  We thought we’d touch base to keep you informed of what is in store for this season.

Timetable

The program will commence on Monday, 27 December 2011 and be completed on Sunday, 8 January 2012 (with a few rest days in between).

Registration

We have now got a plan in place to make registration for Nippers as easy and quick as possible however you must have your membership renewed if you are to join the “express” queue.  Again this year, memberships will be available for completion on-line so look out for an email advising when applications are open.  We highly recommended you complete the on-line membership as it will save you considerable time on registration day (26 December).

This is also a time to check your Working With Children Certificate as some will be up for renewal this year.  Renewals can quickly done at any Australia Post Office.  Please ensure yours is valid before you complete your membership.

Volunteers / Assistance

As a Club we greatly rely on the support of the community and families to run our programs.  As it stands, we are unable to run this seasons Nipper program without additional parents offering to volunteer.

If you are thinking about assisting but perhaps hesitating as you are unsure of what it may entail, it is often as simple as counting heads, gathering kids for the next station, moving them on, etc.  It doesn’t have to be in an official coaching role.  Any help is greatly enjoyed by the kids who love to see you our out on the course and it is certainly appreciated by all.

In addition to the Nipper program, we will also be requesting parents to volunteer to help out with carnivals and the State Championships in Lorne, March next year.  We look forward to you early expressions of interest [how do they register] however will be send out reminder emails as the time draws near.

We would like to ask that parents of children who are likely to be competing at carnivals to please help in some capacity during the carnivals.  Likewise, parents of children who competed in the State Championships last year and who will be likely to compete in the States at Lorne in 2012, we ask that you consider volunteering.

Naturally we also warmly welcome any other active members who would like to help out whether it is grandparents, older siblings, etc.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

LSV - Level 1 Officials Course

Life Saving Victoria will be running a Level 1 Officials Course on the following dates:

This is a great opportunity for our Club to get officials trained up for the forthcoming season allowing you to assist during carnivals and at the State Championships.  Please let Sara know if you are interested to attend on the above dates ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 0417 558 017).

We will also be conducting another Age Group Manager’s Course over the coming months so please look out for an email with further information.

Age Group Classification

The age group cutoff date is the same as last year ie. 30 September (please see table below):

* Run at Fairhaven, but separately to their “Nipper” program

An easy way to work it out - if your child is 5 years of age on 30 September this year, they will be in Mozzies.  If your child is 6 years of age on 30 September this year, they will be in Under 7, if your child is 7 years of age on 30 September this year they will be in Under 8, and so on.

Please note that 30 September is the cut off – even if your child’s birthday is 1 October, they must join their applicable age group.  Also, Mozzies must be 5 years old by 30 September.

In the past, Under 7s have been able to compete at various carnivals over the season.  Life Saving Victoria has now stipulated that Under 7s will not compete at any carnivals.

Bronze Medallion Certification

We will be having an information night (date will be advised shortly) for those interested in doing their Bronze Medallion Certificate.  This meeting will talk about what is involved, dates, etc.  The Bronze Medallion Certificate is a great attribute to have – both personally and also to the club.
In the past, groups have had a great time participating in the course together and have made strong friendship groups as well as the obvious benefit of gaining the certification. Look out for an e-mail soon about this proposed Bronze Medallion Certificate Course.

Swimming Proficiency Form

As per the last few years, you must have your completed Swimming Proficiency form ready to hand in on Registration Day.  I have attached a copy of the form for your ACTION (see Resouces below).  Please make plans to have this completed for Registration Day as your child cannot participate in any water activities if this form has not been handed in.

Final Note...

As mentioned earlier, we are unable to run these programs as it stands presently with the helper/child ratio so please set forward and put your hand up to help.  We love that Fairhaven is a Club that welcomes everyone so we definitely don’t want to have to start capping Nipper numbers, or worst case, not be able to compete as a Club at carnivals.

The Nipper Calendar for the 2011/12 season is now on the website.  Please keep touching base with the website in the unlikely event any changes need to be made to this timetable.

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require further information or would like to know more about helping out.

Look forward to seeing you on the sand!

Matthew Chun (0418 107 533) &
Sara Miller (0417 558 017;  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Nipper Program

Resources

Download: Swimming Proficiency Form (pdf 30KB).