Many of us have put our hands up to go on a committee to support a not-for-profit organisation or sporting group we felt passionate about.
Those who have will endorse that it can sometimes be the most frustrating time in your life and on the other hand it can also be the most rewarding.
They will also tell you that, most importantly, to succeed you need a leader of your committee who inspires with enthusiasm, ideas and energy.
Groups can meander aimlessly achieving little if they fail to elect that type of person.
Tamborine Mountain’s Alick Kilsby has revealed over the past five years that he is a man that any organisation would proudly have at the helm.
Just five years ago he answered a call to head a group trying to breathe life back into the long defunct Bushrats Rugby League Club.
Alick, a junior player at the club many years ago, had noted locals calling for the Bushrats to relaunch so that young players could once again wear the blue, red, white and green jumper.
“I regard it as one of my greatest achievements that we got the senior side back on the paddock and in our first year we made the semis and then the following year we won the Gold Coast Rugby League competition,” Alick said.
“Getting the club back and running involved a $50,000 sponsorship drive, recruiting players, forming partnerships with many local organisations and building a playing field.
“We were grateful to the show society for allowing us to play at the showground, but a large part of the field was more like a concrete patch.
“We had a sprinkler system working on it that I actually had to move four times a day for months before the surface was soft enough to play on.”
The partnership with the show society recently dissolved and the Bushrats relocated to the Tamborine Mountain Sports Association.
New role
With the Bushrats now up and running and growing in numbers Alick decided to resign as their president.
As a man known for his dedication and work ethic it didn’t take long for him to identify another organisation needing a rebirth.
That organisation was the Tamborine Mountain Sports Association which co-ordinates the use of the sports centre facilities on Long Road.
Netball, cricket, soccer and touch football and other sports are played there on a regular basis.
“The association had a number of issues to resolve, but now they are back in the black and we have already completed improvements and we have some big ones ready to start,” Alick said.
“Thanks to Local Member Jon Krause and his election promise of $1m we are building a new main sports field and three outside basketball courts.
“Obviously the Bushrats need a home base and the new basketball courts will allow local teams to play at one central location rather than relying on local school facilities.”
Sand bag man
It is not just in sport that Alick has stood up for the mountain region in times of need.
“When the tornado and floods came through I organised a team of volunteers to fill sandbags,” he said.
“The first time it was a group of mates shoveling the mounds of sand and the next time it was the Bushrats football players and others.
“Council was overwhelmed both times so I decided to call in the troops to help.”
His efforts in a time of need were greatly appreciated by residents battling to keep the water out of their homes and it also received national press coverage.
“In the wash-up after the tornado we held a family bbq at the showgrounds and hundreds attended.
“I just did what needed to be done, I wasn’t out to make myself a hero,” Alick said.
Maybe that final comment best sums up Tamborine Mountain’s Alick Kilsby.
