It is a pre-requisite for nippers in the Under 8 to Under 14's to have an ability to swim. Junior Activities is not a learn to swim session. Junior members must complete a swim competency prior to joining. Junior Activities are designed to give children and also parents a firm understanding of beach rescues, resuscitation and carnival events, along with preparation for senior level membership.

The other pre-requisite is that at least one parent joins the Club and helps with one of the volunteer groups (officials, water safety, canteen or a member of the task force) to contribute to the running of Sunday nippers and carnivals.

Each Sunday morning from 8.45am between September and April Agnes Water nippers gather to learn the skills necessary to handle themselves in the surf. The aims of the Sunday activities are:

• Instruction in surf safety & surf awareness

• Lifesaving & first aid skill development

• Competitive sport activities

• Platform to senior beach patrolling duties

• Enjoyable social activity for children & parents

• In the Under 6 and Under 7 age groups, members are given a non-competitive understanding of Surf Life Saving through fun and games.

Each age group has an Age Manager with one or two assistants. The manager is responsible for the education, training and organisation of the group. As the ages increase, the nippers are gradually taught to assist others who may be in difficulty. This training leads to children obtaining their Resuscitation Certificate in the Under 13s, gaining their Surf Rescue Certificate at 13 and their Bronze Medallion at 15. Nippers have a comprehensive competition calendar each season culminating in the Branch Championships for all age groups and the Qld Championships for ages Under 11 to Under 14.

Starting Times

Nipper Sessions start each Sunday (with the exception of Carnivals where we have Nippers on Saturday) with an information session for children and parents at 8:45am.

We ask parents and children to be at the club house by 8.30 so they can sign in, apply their sunscreen, and tie on their nipper cap so they are ready for the 8.45am start.

It is also recommended that children have a water bottle that they can take onto the beach in the Age Managers basket. Hats and shirts may be worn on the beach for activities, but may need to be removed for water activities. Our long sleeve rashies are a great idea as they do not need to be removed before entering the water.

Communication

Effective two-way communication is an essential component in having a successful club. For the club to be able to contact you we need your details to be current. Please take the time to ensure details are correct on your membership renewal form and promptly advise us if your details change at any time. The club is run entirely by volunteers so the most effective means of communicating is via email. Please refer to the Key Contacts page at the start of this booklet for detailsMembership

Membership fees for the 2013/14 season are:

Nipper    $
Patrolling Member  $
Associate Member  $
Family    $170 (2 Adults 2 Children U/18)
Family Capped  $    (2 Adults 2+ Children U/18)
All fees inclusive of GST

For those children who do not own a board a levy is charged to assist in the cost of repairs to and replacement of club boards.
Foamies Nipper board U9 - U10  $    per member
Fibreglass Short board U11 - U13   $   per member
Fibreglass Long board           U14   $   per member

We have a few brand new Foamies for $   & Fibreglass Mals for $    available for hire as well. See gear steward for details about these boards  

All nippers from the U/9 – U14 need to hire a board for Sunday activities and training. The care of, storage & repairs to these boards are the responsibility of the hirer for the duration of the hire agreement.

Uniforms

Agnes Water SLSC Competition Caps are required to be worn by all children during organised Junior Activities and Training. This not only allows for easier identification of groups but assists the patrol members when Nippers are entering the water outside the Red and Yellow flags during Junior Activities. For this reason, we ask parents to remove children's caps before and immediately after junior sessions, before they enter the water "between the flags" under your direction.

Fluoro Pink Vests are required to be worn by all members entering any water events at any carnival. These vests will be available for purchase for approximately $20.

Club rashies, togs, caps and other items of uniform are available from our Uniform Co-ordinator who will be at the Patrol Hut every Nipper Sunday.