Rod gained his Bronze Medallion in 1962 at Sandon Point Surf Club and started doing patrols for Sandon Point Surf Club that year. Then in 1975 Rod transferred to Era Surf Club and continued to do patrols for the Era club; he completed 20 years of patrols for that club.

Then in 1991 Rod joined Helensburgh-Stanwell Park, and has been an outstanding member of our club ever since.

Rod has been an active member in every aspect of the club, and an active member in all of the different associated clubs with Helensburgh-Stanwell Park and he has held many positions with those clubs over the years.

When Rod joined in 1991, his children were in the Juniors, so Rod became actively involve in the Junior Club right from the beginning, he started off as one of the Gear Officers, he helped at carnivals and helped out with water safety.

Within a few years Rod became a member of the Juniors Management Committee and also became an accredited Surf Coach to help with the training of the kids.

In 1995 Rod began his long association with the winter swimmers, The Stanwell Park Sea Eels, an association which has continued to this day and has seen Rod again hold many positions within the Sea Eels; and in 2006 saw Rod gain a Life Membership to the winter swimmers club.

In 1997 Rod's son Adam gained his Junior Life Saving Award and started patrols for our club, so Rod transferred his patrolling duties to Helensburgh-Stanwell Park from Era and start doing patrols with Adam at our beach.

Rod has just completed 25 years of patrols for our club and of those 25 years he has completed 22 years of 100% patrol attendance. He has been an incredibly reliable patrol member over the years, and has held the position of Patrol Vice Captain for 14 of those 25 years.

 In 2012 Rod was awarded the SLSA 50 Year Service Award, an outstanding achievement, so by all calculations Rod will this year be awarded the SLSA 60 Year Service Award, an incredible achievement.

Rod's last Patrol Captain Karl Weber comments on his Rod as a patrol member,

As a member of our patrol, he was supportive of building capacity with the patrol by nominating the younger ones to grow into leadership roles. This is the reason he stepped down from the Vice Captain role so that Matt Anger, Drew Walsh and Courtney Gallagher could step up.

Always on time - always gets a back-up when he can't make a patrol - always does a make-up patrol.

His active presence on the patrol has grown into more of a consultative role, he is the co-ordinator on the beach whenever we go into the water. He helps the younger members by explaining aspects of our role and is a friendly, approachable and reliable support.

He is a wealth of pragmatic wisdom regarding the range of situations in the beach and is always ready to share his opinion.

Rod was one of the few reliable patrol members and always one of the first to put his hand up when help was needed on a busy day.

He would also be on of the first to show up to give a hand with the setting up of the beach for Ocean Swims, Junior Carnivals and Senior Carnivals.

A history of his time at Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC