VSA - your gliding partner

Maurice Little, previous past President of the Victorian Soaring Association (VSA), died in a gliding accident while instructing with the Grampians Soaring Club at the Ararat airfield on 1^st  April 2012.

Maurice was first involved with the VSA in 1999 as Secretary and maintained  continuous involvement with the VSA until his untimely death.  During these 13 years Maurice filled the positions of Secretary, Vice President and President and was totally committed to the cause of the VSA.  There were times when the VSA was struggling through a lack of volunteer effort and Maurice would step forward to fill the gap and encourage us to keep up the effort to make the VSA survive.  In recent months Maurice was actively working on the redevelopment of the VSA website.

Maurice's career with the VSA also coincided with his involvement with the Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) as the delegate for the VSA.   In parallel with his administrative support to the VSA, Maurice also committed himself to a long career in the GFA serving in a variety of roles including, VSA Councillor, GFA Vice President, Board Secretary and Chair of the Marketing & Development Department for a full five year term.

The work load which Maurice accepted was substantial and, as he would admit, really too much for one individual.  Nevertheless Maurice persisted with this workload well beyond what might be expected of any volunteer and achieved important improvements for the gliding movement both locally and nationally.  Much of his work was involved with 'backroom' administrative detail,  not at all glamorous or exciting but absolutely essential for the effective functioning of both the VSA and GFA. 

His contributions included:

• Expert advice on the legal requirements for the constitutional rules and provisions of the Articles of Association for the VSA, GFA and numerous local gliding clubs
• Assistance with the complex issues involved in the GFA transfer from a Company structure incorporated in Canberra to a non-profit Association registered in Victoria
• Researching options for a new IT system for the GFA followed by assistance with implementation of the IMIS application package
• Managing the Marketing & Development Department of the GFA
• Ongoing development and management of the VSA and GFA websites, and
• in past months, establishing the revised national magazine 'Gliding Australia'

There were numerous other activities and outcomes which Maurice achieved and too many to enumerate here. 

Besides his work at the State and National level,  Maurice was continually active in his support of the Grampians Soaring Club as a cross country pilot, instructor, glider engineer and committee member. 

Suffice to say that Maurice demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the cause of gliding in Australia from the grass roots level of club activity through to the state and national executive. 

On a personal level, Maurice was noted for his love of good food and wine and was an excellent cook and an accomplished photographer. 

On behalf of the gliding movement across Australia I would extend our sympathies to Maurice's direct family, sisters Yvonne and Wendy and brother Ian.  Also to his work colleagues at International Trade Management, Tullamarine, Victoria. 

Maurice will be remembered and missed.

Ian Grant

VSA President