Bondi Patrol Podcast: Episode 15: Felicity MacArthur, Vice President, Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club

Bondi Patrol Podcast

Felicity joined the Bondi Life Saving Club in 2015 and is patrol Captain for Jeppessen Patrol (the Best patrol!). Felicity has held various roles at the Club, she’s taught 8 Bronze and SRC Courses, has been a Spinal, ARTC Trainer, Bronze Assessor, and was the ‘Destination Patrol Captain’ for 3 years leading the Club’s away trips to places like Pacific Palms in NSW. Felicity competes in Champion Lifesaving and First Aid – she is the go-to person for Community, Inclusion and Diversity; Felicity leads the ‘Access Waverley’ Project for accessible beach wheelchair access, and set up the Club’s Dippers program (which helps disabled people learn to swim & enjoy the sea); she’s now the Vice President of Bondi Surf Life Savers Club, and is currently setting up the Club’s ‘Member Services’ Team.
When not down at the Club, you can find Felicity Sailing (fun fact, Felicity competed in the Sydney-Hobart yacht race this year, one of the world’s most challenging yacht races!), or in her day job as a Physiotherapist at the Mater Hospital.

In this episode we discuss:
1. How did Felicity start with surf life saving?
2. What got Felicity into the club at Bondi?
3. What does a Vice President do? (we discuss formal and informal parts of the job; Member Services, like HR, and also OH&S, recruitment. The Constitution states: The Deputy President is to assist the President in the performance of the President’s role and is to undertake any role of the President in the absence of the President. This meant this past year I became (the first female) Acting President whilst Brent Jackson needed to take an extended leave of absence. And how in the past 10years the VP has become someone who represents “the members”, their wishes, and brings every Board decision back to the members.
4. So why did you want the role of Vice President?
5. What help did you have to develop in your roles at the club? (we discuss SLSA Women’s Mentoring Program, McCarthy Mentoring, mentoring programme was set up by Suzanne Storrie, this was also funded by Kerry Briody - Bondi Surf Club Member - and the WMP partnered with ‘McCarthy Mentoring’ to give us professional guidance and teaching. Also of note; SLSA Leadership Masterclass, where we completed MBA-level modules in strategic thinking.
6. First Female Life Member at Bondi SBLSC

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Bondi Patrol Podcast.
SLSA has over 180 thousand members and over 300 Surf Life Saving clubs, this is the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world. We exist to save lives, create great Australians and build better communities.
Sadly over 300 lives were lost at Australian beaches last year– So please, swim at a patrolled beach and swim between the flags.

You can learn more at www.bondisurfclub.com