Maranui SLSC Winter Newsletter |
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Report on the 2024/25 Season Awards Night As the first of the winter storms abated we gathered in the clubrooms festooned with bunting and balloons to celebrate the incredible efforts and achievements of our club members. Our keenest clubbies undeterred by nasty weather and a clash with a Hurricanes home game turned out in force. The night was dedicated to acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our senior athletes, junior and senior coaches, lifeguards, supporters, and volunteers. Their contributions have been invaluable in making this season a success, both on and off the beach. The evening was a testament to the spirit of volunteerism and the strong sense of whānau that defines our club. We are immensely proud of everyone's efforts and look forward to another successful season ahead. Thank you to all who attended and made the night memorable. |
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Award Winners Emerging Coach of the Year:
Team Manager of the Year:
Coach of the Year:
Top Female Competitor:
Top Male Competitor:
Most Improved Female Athlete:
Sportsperson of the Year:
Top Sports Team of the Year:
Surf Official of the Year:
Surf Instructor of the Year:
Lifeguard of the Year:
U19 Surf Lifeguard of the Year:
Rookie Lifeguard of the Year:
Volunteer of the Year:
Club Member of the Season: Nominees: Finola, Lucy, Katrina, Sue, James Shields, Alex Dalzell, John Rowe
Maranui Club Service Award:
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Review of our ConstitutionOver the last few months the Board led by Sarah Graydon and Frances Russell, have been working to revise our constitution to comply with new legislation for charities and incorporated societies. We have been ably supported by our president (the current president of SLSNZ) Jim Warwick throughout this process. Why the Revision? The new legislation requires us to update our constitution to align with current legal standards. This revision is essential for maintaining our club's compliance and ensuring smooth operations. How You Can Get Involved We encourage members interested in reviewing the proposed new constitution to do so. Read the Document:
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
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Senior Team Quiz nightThe Senior Team Quiz Night to raise funds for the 2025/2026 season is happening this weekend. 🧠 Event Details: Date: Saturday 21st June 2025 Time: 6.30pm for a 7pm start Location: Lyall Bay Bowling Club Teams: $25 per person with teams of 6 Here’s how you can get involved: Tickets: If you are still keen to join in, get in touch with Kirstie Lester email: maranui.seniorteam@gmail.com |
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Calling All Future Surf LifeguardsKia ora team! Summer may be over, but we’re gearing up for an exciting winter of training at Our Surf Lifeguard Award course starts July 20th and runs every Sunday until September 14th. We encourage all members to consider training as a lifeguard, and joining our voluntary patrol teams, or helping out as a lifeguard at Junior Surf. Every year we have rookies of all ages, it's never too late to learn something new The training covers the theory and practical elements of basic surf lifesaving. You will learn about the surf environment, rescue techniques, first aid and CPR skills, beach management, and using marine radios. Once the course begins, candidates will be responsible for staying on top of communication and showing up prepared - but we’re here to help every step of the way. When: Sundays 12pm -3:30pm, 20th July - 14th September Where: Maranui clubrooms Bring: You’ll need a wetsuit, togs, goggles, surf fins/flippers, and a blue or black pen. Maranui members get discounts at Real Surf, just mention us! Find out more about what the course covers and the examination process on the lifeguard award page of the SLSNZ website. Keen to join? Email: lifeguard@maranui.co.nz with your name and preferred email. Let’s get ready to hit the waves #MaranuiSLSC #SurfLifeguardTraining #StaySafeInTheSurf
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After the StormThe club took a battering in the Southerly storm and associated high tides at the beginning of May. The boatshed filled with water and sand, and the tide came up through the drains to the clubrooms, luckily with no lasting damage. Rhys set to with a pump to remove the water from the shed, the council dug out our doors and when the time is right we will be looking for volunteers to help remove all the sand. Here are some pics of the aftermath.
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Rhys Graduates from HPSNZCongratulations to Rhys Speirs, long time coach of Maranui SLSC. After being nominated as a participant by Surf Lifesaving NZ, Rhys completed a 3 year journey in October 2024 for High Performance Sport New Zealand's Core Knowledge coaching programme. In March of this year Rhys received his certificate recognising the achievement. Rhys is the first Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Coach to complete the program and was the fourth to graduate across all sporting codes. Rhys has already been implementing Senior sport program changes based on his learning and is happy to share his knowledge with athletes and the coaching community.
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Change in LeadershipThe Board is very sorry to announce that Lucy Barry has resigned from all her roles at the club. The energy and time that she has put into junior surf has been hugely appreciated and we are sad to see her go. Lucy's departure means that we are rethinking how to run the Junior Surf programme. Plans were already underway to share responsibilities with a wider group through the implementation of a Junior Surf committee. This arrangement has operated in the past, and means a more manageable time commitment for those involved as well as allowing a collaborative approach to the planning and operation of the Junior Surf programme. The Board’s intent is to continue with this approach, which will provide an opportunity for more people to be involved and make the Director of Junior Surf role more manageable. See the article on the Junior Surf review for more details. A new Director or Junior Surf will need to be elected at our AGM in September.
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Junior Surf Season ReviewOn Sunday 4th May we held a Junior Surf season review to share thoughts and feedback, and collaborate on how we can improve on the Junior Surf experience. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and insights. It was great to hear how much you and your kids value being part of the Maranui whānau. We are excited to build on that enthusiasm to work together to continue to run a successful Junior Surf programme. What we learnt… The conversation was wide ranging, a summary of some of the key points is provided here: Planning Last minute changes of plans caused frustration last season. There is a need for clearer communication around training sessions, club events, and carnivals. For next season, we should aim to publish a club calendar earlier, with input from all sections of the club to ensure alignment and avoid clashes. Better co-ordination and planning of coaches and lifeguards for Sunday sessions was also discussed. Not knowing until 10am on Sunday morning who is turning up and what's on the programme can be challenging. Participation vs Competition A recurring theme was the balance between encouraging broad participation and supporting our keen competitors. As a community service organisation under the umbrella of SLSNZ, we have a role in promoting safety at the beach and in the water. Participation in our Junior Surf programme is key to that, and to growing our future lifeguards. The review group agreed that Sunday sessions should be fun and inclusive and discussed ways to maintain engagement across all our age groups and abilities. We have some very keen and competitive kids in our Oceans development squad who enjoy every opportunity to improve their skills, this is not always compatible on Sundays with the wider group. We discussed providing more options and grouping kids on Sundays based on skill and ability rather than strictly by age. The value of having our younger lifeguards mentoring and coaching our juniors on Sundays and at camp was acknowledged. We should work to make that happen as much as possible. Communications Communication was an area identified for improvement. People felt like they didn’t know what was going on and didn’t get enough warning about upcoming events. The feedback suggested that key messages were sometimes missed. We talked about reviewing our communication strategy to ensure updates are timely, consistent, and accessible — especially for new families. Parent Engagement Parents want to be involved but aren’t sure what they can do and need to balance any commitment to the club with their other responsibilities. We talked about ways that more parents could get involved. Suggestions included more social events, lifeguard training, and clearer pathways for involvement in coaching, officiating, and club governance. Female Participation The challenge of keeping girls in sport was discussed. Different kids will respond to different approaches, the importance of having fun, friendships and role models were mentioned as ways to keep our girls involved as they transition into their teenage years when female participation in sport often drops off. Carnival Entries Finally, carnival entries were identified as an area with plenty of room for improvement. While our teams performed well, the logistics around entries, transport, and communication were sometimes challenging. Getting carnival entries for the whole season upfront did not work as families didn’t know in November what they would be up to later in the summer. It was suggested that one person takes on responsibility for the carnival entries as a separate activity outside of coaching or other admin. What now? In the absence of a Junior Surf Director, our Directors of Operations and Membership; Sarah Graydon and Kate Wylde will be facilitating a planning session in August with the Junior Surf coaches and parents. Please consider helping us with this session so that we can set the club up for success in the summer. At this session we would like to:
We know there are plenty of keen and capable people within the club. With your help and with the right amount of planning we think we can make it work to share the load, and to continue to offer a successful and fun Junior Surf programme. If you would like to be involved in this session please contact Kate (membership@maranui.co.nz) or Sarah (operations@maranui.co.nz). Come along and have your say.
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Lifeguarding Season Recap from Sarah HayWhat a season it’s been! It was fantastic to see our patrol teams on the beach this summer, engaging in some friendly inter-team competitions and keeping Oriental Bay safe. A huge thank you to all our volunteers for their time, energy, and commitment throughout the season. Big shoutout to the rookies for their first season. One of the highlights was having our new tower in action, a much-needed upgrade that gave lifeguards better visibility, shelter, and most importantly electricity. It made a real difference on cold days, and we’re excited to keep improving our facilities in the seasons to come. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to another successful season. We hope to see you again next summer. |
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Room HireOur Club Lounge is for hire. Spread the word amongst your contacts and help raise funds for the club. We rely on room hire to supplement our subscription income and SLSNZ funding for the operation of the club. If you or someone you know needs a venue close to the airport or the beach for a work meeting or an away day, the Club Lounge is a great option. It is a modern and intimate function space, ideal for meetings, workshops, and team events for up to 25 people. Located on the ground floor of the Maranui Surf Club building with views of Lyall Bay, the venue is fully equipped with a kitchen, free parking, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, a whiteboard, and meeting tables. Catering is available through the Maranui Café. The hire rates are $500+GST for a full day (8:30 am to 5:00 pm) and $300+GST for a half day. The lounge is not available for weekend or evening hire. For enquiries, email: maranuioffice@gmail.com Website link: https://www.maranui.co.nz/room-hire
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Shout out for a super-star comms consultantWe are reaching out to find a communications professional who can spare a few (voluntary) hours over the winter to help us develop our communications strategy for the upcoming season. This is a one-off task and will not require an ongoing commitment. We need some expertise to help knock us into shape, and we promise to buy you a coffee in return. What We Need
How You Can Help If you or someone you know has the skills and is willing to help, please get in touch. Your expertise will be invaluable in ensuring we communicate effectively with our members throughout the season. Contact: Please reach out to Kate Wylde at membership@maranui.co.nz to express your interest. Thank you for considering this opportunity to support our club. Your help will make a significant difference.
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Subscriptions Due 1 JulyLook out for an email soon with instructions on how to confirm your details with us and pay your annual membership subscription. The Board has set fees for the upcoming season at the same rates as 2024/25. See our website for details. |