LIFE MEMBERSHIP CITATION

PHIL BEECHER

The criteria set down by the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Council for the nomination of life membership of the council are of two possible categories; firstly, the nominee must have made a valuable contribution to the programs of the ASSRLC for a minimum of ten years or secondly, the nominee has made an outstanding contribution to the programs of the ASSRLC inconsequential of any time period. Phil Beecher fulfils the requirements of both of these categories of criteria.

Phil has proven to be an administrator without peer. His extraordinary energy and talent are witnessed in every piece of business he deals with on behalf of the Council. His technical skills are essential for someone in his position and he has kept the ASSRL at the forefront of innovation and media communication. Our professional web-page is a credit to his ingenuity and expertise in this field.

From 1990 to 1992 Phil emerged as a successful team manager of the ACTSRL. Also at this time he began his administrative role as delegate to the ASSRL Council. He was Treasurer of the ACT Schools Rugby League Council from 1994 to 1997 and delegate to the ASSRL Council from 1993 to 1996. As an ACT Schools Rugby League delegate to the ASSRL Council Meetings Phil was an active and effective advocate for the ACT organisation, and this was most notable during the tumultuous years of the ARL/Super League split in 1995/6.

Phil’s manner is always positive and constructive. He is a wonderful communicator and most importantly a good ‘socialiser’. He is firm and resolute when required, which is a trait that makes him such an efficient and successful operator. As in most cases it is the students who best sum up a teacher and team manager and the nickname they affectionately bestowed on him, when he managed the ACT Teams, in many ways best describes the type of person and leader Phil is; “the silver fox”.

Phil proved to be a great manager of young people as evidenced by his organisational skills during his time as manager of the Australian Schoolboys tour to France and the UK in 1995. This tour was an outstanding success both on and off the field due to the way the officials gelled as a group and Phil’s leadership was the catalyst for this success. In this forum he honed his credentials for his future role as the Secretary of the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Council.

Phil was elected to the position of Events Coordinator of the ASSRLC in 1997 and in 2000 became the Secretary of the ASSRL Council, a position he has redefined with his marvelous personal and professional skills. He does not get flustered when challenged with potential problems. Rather, he has an ability to be able to quickly flesh out an appropriate course of action. His fellow Executive members have no hesitation in seeking out his wise counsel on issues. This is reflected in his appointment in 2008 as a young school Principal where his organisational, technical and human resource management skills have seen him rise to the top of his profession.

The Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships and International Team, the Australian Schoolboys, have a profile and reputation which is second to none in the junior school, elite sport arena and are held in highest regard throughout the game. This profile has been contributed to by the tireless efforts of Phil Beecher, an outstanding, committed administrator and “team player”, and a credit to Australian education and Schoolboy Rugby League. Phil Beecher is an outstanding and most deserved recipient of Life Membership of the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Council.