Shoalhaven Bushwalkers Inc.
Life Members
The Shoalhaven Bushwalkers constitution states in Part 2 Section 15 Life Membership -
(1) Any member may nominate another member for Life Membership, by reason of that member having rendered meritorious service to the Club.
(2) The nomination of such member shall be submitted without the knowledge of the nominated member, to a sub-committee comprising any three members of the executive comprising the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. If it is the opinion of this sub-committee that the nominated member has fulfilled the requirements of sub-paragraph (3), then this sub-committee shall appoint such nominated member to be a Life Member of the Club.
(3) As a minimum standard for the appointment of a member as a Life Member he/she shall have:
(a) Completed at least 10 years as a member; and
(b) Served for at least 3 years on the committee, unless extenuating circumstances have prevented this; and
(c) Led a significant number of walks or like activities.
If a nominee has not led a significant number of walks or like activities, that person may only be considered for life membership if they have otherwise made a major contribution to the success of the Club.
Listed below are the fourteen Life Members as of December 2021, along with the year when they received their awards, with brief description of the achievements that led to their awards. It should be noted that some Life Memberships have been awarded where the recipients may not have fulfilled all of the minimum standards listed above and in the constitution. All were definitely club members for more than 10 years, but one or two may not have served on the committee for 3 years or more (minutes of early committee meetings and the listing of ordinary committee members are non-existent), and one may or may not have led a significant number of walks or activities.
Dawn Evans
Dawn received her life membership award in 2003. She was a founding member of the club from before incorporation in 1988, and still a member today. She was Vice President in 1997 and again for three years from 1999 to 2001. Dawn was also the club's walks coordinator for all walks for 3 years from 1990 to 1992, and Secretary for 3 years from 1992 to 1994. She co-created the Walks Inventory, and also represented the club in the annual Nav Shield rogaine in 1992.
Russ Evans
Russ received his life membership award in 2003. He was a founding member of the club from before incorporation in 1988 until his passing in 2007. He served 2 years as President in 1993 and 1994, and was Liaison Officer for 13 years from 1995 to 2007. Russ created the Two Rivers Track walk, and co-created the Walks Inventory. He led 44 walks in the 10 years after 1997 and an unknown number in the preceding 10 years. Russ passed away in 2008.
Margaret Brown
Margaret received her life membership award in 2003. She received her life membership award in 2003. Margaret was a member of the club for 36 years from 1982 until her passing in 2018, and was Social Secretary for 8 years from 1996 to 2004.
Alwyn Martin
Alwyn received his life membership award in 2003. He was a founding member of the club from before incorporation in 1988, until his passing in 2017. Alwyn had a reputation as always leading the tough walks, especially full-pack hikes. He represented the club at the annual Nav Shield rogaine 5 times - 1990-1992, 1999 and 2001. Alwyn was on the committee as an ordinary member for over 20 years. Alwyn passed away in 2017.
Dot Gallagher
Dot received her life membership award in 2009. She joined the club in 1987, and led 105 walks for the club after 1997 and an unknown number prior to that time. Dot led many trips away and is especially remembered for her annual Jindabyne trips. She is also credited with starting the Andante walks. Dot passed away in 2021.
Lauri Ball
Lauri received his life membership award in 2009. He joined the club in 1995. He has led over 170 walks for the club, and as at June 2021 was 4th on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led. Lauri was President for two years from 2003 to 2004, and Vice President for two years from 2005 to 2006.
Ray Dalleywater
Ray received his life membership award in 2009. He joined the club in 1988. Ray has led over 200 walks for the club, and as at June 2021 was 2nd on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led.
Sandra Kelley
Sandra received her life membership award in 2012. She joined the club in 1992 and had lead over 190 walks by June 2021, placing her 3rd on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led. Sandra was Ettremist Editor from 1997 to 1999, and President for 2 years from 2001 to 2002. She was also President in 2011 - the only club member to hold the Presidency for two separate periods. In addition, Sandra was Vice President for 4 years from 2012 to 2015. She represented the club at the annual Nav Shield rogaine 5 times between 1996 and 2007, and also represented the club in other rogaines organized by the NSW and ACT Rogaining Associations. Sandra has also organised mini rogaines for the club, and led numerous trips away.
Peter Dalton
Peter received his life membership award in 2013. He joined the club in 2001. He was Secretary for 6 years from 2003 to 2008, President for 2 years from 2009 to 2010, and Vice President in 2011. He also had a year as Social Secretary in 2012. Peter is one of only 13 members who have led over 100 walks for the club. Peter represented the club at the annual Nav Shield rogaine in 2008 and 2009. For many years Peter organised the Cannonball Run that was held in conjunction with the Wednesday Xmas Party, and he also ran map reading instruction days and leadership training days. Peter was responsible for the overhaul of the club constitution to match actual procedures and make it closely conform to the Department of Fair Trading model constitution, and was also responsible for successful grant applications for EPIRBs, PLBs and data projection equipment.
Brett Davis
Brett joined the club in 1999 and received his life membership award in 2016. He has led 125 walks for the club, and is in the top 10 leaders on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led. Brett was President for 2 years from 2007 to 2008, and Ettremist Editor for 7 years from 2000 to 2006. In 2000 Brett created the club website and he has been the webmaster for over 20 years since. He assisted Barbara Robertson in compiling the club history and he keeps it up to date via the website. Brett digitized and expanded on the Walks Inventory and made it available to members on the club's website - it now contains almost 400 activities - many with maps, track notes, KML files (which show walk routes in Google Earth) and links to almost 500 albums of photos he has taken on club walks. Brett also set up and managed the club's Twitter and Facebook pages, and has also been a regular guest speaker and slideshow presenter at Club general meetings. He represented the club in the annual Navigation Shield rogaine 9 times - 2001-2, 2004-9 and 2013-14.
Karen Davis
Karen joined the club in 1999 and received her life membership award in 2016. She has led over 250 walks for the club, and is currently first on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led. Karen was President for 8 years from 2012 to 2019 - a club record. She was Midweek Walks Coordinator for 2 years from 2000 to 2001, and Weekend Walks Coordinator for 16 years from 2002 to 2017. Karen has organised more than 60 trips and multi-day activities for the club including many interstate - to Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In addition, Karen organised the club's Xmas Camp for 16 years and has represented the club in the annual navigation shield competition 9 times - 1999, 2001-2, 2004-8 and 2013-14.
Kynie Evison
Kynie joined the club in 1995 and received her life membership award in 2018. She was President for 2 years from 2005 to 2006, and Vice President for 4 years from 2007 to 2010. Kynie has also been the Midweek Walks Coordinator for 10 years from 2011 to present. Kynie has represented the club in the annual Nav Shield rogaine 3 times - 2006-8, and she has led over 150 walks and is currently 6th on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led. Kynie has organised the annual Big Day Out for the last few years, and has given many first aid talks at meetings and leadership training days.
Gill Souter
Gill was a member of the club for a couple of years in the 1990s but rejoined full-time in 2005. She received her life membership award in 2021. Gill has led more than her fair share of walks for the club, assisted her husband John in many of his 180 plus walks, and given a number of professional presentations and slide shows at many general meetings over the years. However, her main claim to fame is her 14 years as Ettremist Editor from 2007 to 2021 and 15 years on committee.
John Souter
John was a member of the club for a couple of years in the 1990s but rejoined full-time in 2005. He received his life membership award in 2021. John has been our Liaison Officer since joining the committee in 2007, responsible for much of our communication with Bushwalking NSW, other bushwalking clubs, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and all levels of government. John has been the Weekend Walks Coordinator since 2018, and has also led over 180 walks for the club, placing him 4th on the "Leaders Hall of Fame" list for number of walks led - just behind three other Life Members, and just ahead of two more Life Members.
Tony Simmonds
This was John's Souter's announcement of Tony's life membership award -
"I’m honoured to be speaking to the successful nomination of a Shoalhaven Bushwalkers Club member for Life Membership of the club. In a first for the Club, this member was nominated twice – by two members independently!
As I proceed, you’ll all guess who I’m talking about at some point but just humour me while I try to maintain the cloak of anonymity.
"This member has clocked up almost 20 years with the club, has served for 4 years as a Committee office-bearer – as Social Secretary, and has led over 120 club walks, placing them in the top 10 all-time walks leaders, with daylight between them and the next most prolific current walk leader.
"But this member has done much more than just meet these minimum requirements for Life Membership. They have played a huge role in the ongoing success of the Club’s Wednesday walks program.
"They have been a stalwart of the on-track leadership group for well over 15 years, reliably leading walks multiple times every quarter. Some of these walks have become synonymous with this member.
"They acted as ring-meister for the Wednesday meeting circle in Nowra for a similarly long period of time with both panache and good humour, efficiently corralling walkers and leaders, providing a conduit for club information, ensuring new walkers felt welcome and attending each week even on occasions when they weren’t able to walk.
"At the same time, they acted as the Club’s phone-in contact person, ensuring that all walks were successfully completed and walker numbers recorded. This often meant dinner-time follow-up phone calls to forgetful leaders (mea culpa) and leaders who were late to complete a walk (me again!).
"Added to this has been a more personal pastoral care – always checking up on the welfare of sick or injured members and ensuring that others who needed to, knew of their situation. Taken as a whole, this member’s ongoing contribution has made them an ornament to the Club.
With great pleasure I ask Tony Simmonds to come forward to accept his certificate of Life Membership!"
