After 30 years in the top job, Mulwala’s Rod Sissons stepped down as Lonsdale Reserve Recreation Committee President last Wednesday night but will remain on the committee.
In 1989, a few months after he arrived in Mulwala at the end of 1988, Rod Sissons was elected to the Mulwala Football Netball Club Committee.
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Along with Greg Stephenson, he got the Lonsdale Recreation Reserve Committee back up and running and became a formal committee member and president within three years.
After 30 years in the top job, Mr Sissons has stepped down but will remain on the committee – just reinforcing a comment made by past football netball club president and football representative on the reserve committee, David Rose.
“Rod has an unbelievable work ethic,” Rose, who was club president from 2015-2018, told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
“He doesn’t just suggest - he digs in and does things, all sorts of different things. He’s just been so dedicated to maintaining and improving things at Lonsdale Reserve.
At Mulwala’s showpiece of sports, Rod Sissons will still be on the Lonsdale Recreational Reserve as a committee person after 30 years as president.
“The committee’s never had such a dedicated and long serving person on that committee.”
At the committee’s AGM on Wednesday, February 16, Mr Sissons announced he was not seeking re-election as president. “After the passing of time, I ‘ve decided that 30 years is enough,” he said.
“It’s time for younger people to take over and I think Melissa (Melissa Doyle) will be a good president. It’s time for younger people to take an active interest in what’s going on.
“I’ve always believed our committee to be a conduit between user groups and council, and I believe we’ve achieved a lot, and a lot of benefits to user groups. There have been many highlights, especially over the past ten years with more interest and action by Corowa Shire and Federation Councils.”
Greg Stephenson recalled: “ ‘Sisso’ wanted to make certain we were involved in the decision making including the kids playground. “He was that sort of bloke, and it was obvious from when he arrived that he would be a great asset to the community. Team player, didn’t mind getting the hands dirty, and great clubman and leader.”
Mr Sissons said their early action was primarily to introduce fees for the user groups in order to repay the Corowa Shire Council loan to build ‘Bay 13’.
In the last decade, the Lonsdale Reserve has been built on the wonderful main pavilion work that former club president, the late Brian McKee initiated and managed.
New tennis and netball courts in different locations, a major renovation of ‘Bay 13’, road construction, drainage to the football oval, sprinkler systems, a new timekeepers box, a new playground structure, and passive recreation areas including a new hill have all been significant improvements. An electronic scoreboard is imminent.
“We have excellent facilities,” Mr Sissons said. “A lot has been done. Our biggest problem was dust but with construction of roads that problem has been removed.”
Among attendees at last week’s AGM were Federation Council Mayor Pat Bourke, General Manager Adrian Butler and Mulwala Progress Association President Robert Purtle OAM. All praised the outgoing president.
“Congratulations Rod, on behalf of Federation Council and the community for an amazing commitment as president of 30 years,” the mayor told the outgoing president.
“The facilities at Lonsdale Reserve do not survive without passionate people like you Rod. What’s been achieved here is for the benefit of so many people in the community. Thank you for your enormous work and the type of person you are.”
A Mulwala Citizen of the Year, Rod was simultaneously club president, from 1994 for four years taking over from Greg (Candles) Hore and later treasurer for eight years, and also expressed appreciation to former councillors of Corowa Shire Council Paul Talbot OAM, Daryl Davey and Bronwyn Thomas for attending Lonsdale Recreation Reserve Committee meetings and supporting the committee’s goals.
“I also thank council staff over the years beginning with Geoff Lewis and John Babbs from the Engineering Department, and of course I thank my own committee members for their support.”
The 74-year-old retired project manager at Australian Munitions Mulwala and former onballer with the Melton South football team is stepping down as president.
But the good news for the community is that Rod will continue contributing as committeeman and licensee of Mulwala Football Netball Club as well remaining on Lonsdale Recreation Reserve Committee.
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