Leadership is a vital factor in the long-term sustainability of lifesaving. As the community and business environment becomes more complex and demanding, so must lifesaving take the initiative to establish leadership confidence in its future. It is only through the development of leadership strength within the movement that this will happen. Lifesaving’s future does not exist except in the actions taken by its members to invent that future.

The development of members increases the ability of clubs to deliver high quality services and provides opportunities for members to develop personally and professionally. In addition, increasing their value to the club and their community.

a) LSV development opportunities

  • Leadership & Development Programs
    - Champion Junior Lifesaver Development Day
    - Youth Involvement Program (YIPs)
    - 18-25 Mentor Program
    - Building Leaders Scholarship
  • Leadership and Development Camps
    - U18 Leadership Development Camp
    - U15 Leadership Development Camp
    - U13 Development Camp
  • Female Leadership Network

b) SLSA development opportunities

  • National Leadership College, 20-30 years
  • SLSA Leader’s Masterclass

c) Cross Agency development opportunities

  • Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) Volunteer Leaders Program
  • Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) Volunteer Leaders Forum
  • Emergency Management Conference
  • Female Youth Leadership Program
  • SEDA Development Program

d) Development in your Club

Many clubs take the initiative to create and implement their own development opportunities. These are a great way of meeting the requirements of your club members. When planning a development opportunity, it is important to create a plan prior to its implementation to ensure the program meets its objectives and is deemed a success!

It may be useful for your club to form an organising committee to plan effectively for your club development program. In some instances, a committee may already be in place who can manage this process, for example a club youth committee.

Points to consider prior to conducting a development program include:

  • Why you wish to run a program – creating awareness, promoting networking, address a need?
  • Who is the target audience – what ages, gender?
  • When will the program be run – what time of the year, how long will the program run?
  • Who will be involved – who will run the program, do you need chaperones, qualifications?
  • How will the program be funded – do you have a budget, where does your money come from?
  • Do you need guest speakers?
  • Where will you hold the program – at the club, campsite, what type of venue do you need?
  • Do you want to run the program with neighbouring clubs?
  • Feedback for assessment of the success of the program

References

LSV Leadership Development
https://lsv.com.au/clubs-members/leadership/

Last modified: 13 July 2023