07/08/2026
Annual General Meeting Reflects on Another Successful Season
Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual General Meeting on Sunday.
We were honoured to welcome a number of distinguished guests, including Mayor Jack Boyd, Deputy Mayor Laura Cowell, Cr Carol Provan, Cr Carmelo Pesce, SLSNSW President Elissa Hancock, SLSNSW CEO Steven Pearce, Michele Cole representing SLSS and Ian Toll from CSDC SLS. We also appreciated the support of our fellow Bate Bay clubs, with Presidents Fiona Sutton (Wanda), Alyson Scott (Elouera) and Geoff Budd (North Cronulla) joining us for the occasion.
Special thanks also go to Mark Speakman MP and Simon Kennedy MP, who addressed the meeting and thanked our members for their ongoing dedication to keeping our beach safe. Their recognition of another season with no lives lost is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of our patrol members and volunteers.
The AGM saw all Board positions within our new structure successfully filled for the coming season. Matt Aitken was re-elected as President, with Kieran Day continuing as Deputy President. We extend our sincere thanks to outgoing Secretary Scott Phillips for his outstanding service and welcome Kim Williams as our new Administration Director. Jana Meresova becomes our Finance Director while Chris Barber remains as Club Captain/Lifesaving Director. Kasey Diver-Tuck steps into the newly created Surf Sports Director role and completing the Board are Patrick Bourke as Commercial Operations Director and Garry Greene as Junior Activities and Youth Director.
We also acknowledge the continued support of our Patron, Ian Goode, along with our Vice Patrons Chris Gough, Kevin Neilson, John Bentley and Greg Holland.
The club looked fantastic after the work completed by Kieran Day and the Photo and Trophy committee with photos, trophies and honour boards proudly on display (pictured below) Thankyou Kieran. Members received the Club's Annual Report, which showcased another successful year highlighting our strong financial position, and celebrating the sporting achievements of the 2025–26 season.
A highlight of the meeting was the election of three new Life Members. Congratulations to Garry Allman, Ross Diver-Tuck and Bill Swingler on this well-deserved honour. Their heartfelt acceptance speeches reflect the humility, dedication and genuine passion they have shown through many years of service to our Club. We thank them for their remarkable contributions.
North Cronulla Patron Warren Rennie spoke, thanking our members for recognising North Cronulla's 100-year milestone during their recent celebrations. His words reinforced the enduring friendship and camaraderie shared between the four Bate Bay clubs—a bond that continues to strengthen our surf lifesaving community.
The afternoon concluded with refreshments in the Purcell Room, and a great win by the Sharks. We are looking forward to another successful season on our favourite beach.
Pictured above - top our new board, Garry Allman, Ross Diver-Tuck and Bill Swingler receiving their Life Memberships)
