LUKE BURTON ELECTED AS 2020 LIFE MEMBER
Congratulations to Association Member Luke Burton on being elected last night as the 51st Life Member of the Penrith District Rugby League Referees’ Association Inc.
Luke has been a member of the Association since 2004, giving him a total of 15 years’ service to the Association. In this time, Luke has been a key contributor to the Association, both on the field as an active match official, and off the field as an administrator and coach.
Luke has held a number of key positions that are crucial to the Association’s success, but he has also always been keen to put his hand up and volunteer his time to help out in any way he can. In his various coaching roles, Luke has been a mentor to many younger members, spending countless hours at fields around the district watching the next generation of developing match officials.
Luke served on the Advisory Panel from 2012 until 2016, and again in 2019. He spent time as the Executive Officer for some of the 2016 season and was the Sunday Appointments Manager in 2017. Luke was a member of the Board of Management in 2014 and 2015, and in those same two years he was also a delegate to the Penrith Junior League. He served as the Association Gear Steward in 2013 and 2014, was the Social Secretary in 2015, a member of the Social Committee in 2014, 2018 and 2019, and was this year one of the founding members of the Association’s Welfare Committee. His service to the Association saw him, rewarded with the Jack Harris Merit Award in 2017, and in 2014 his fellow members voted him the Bob Kandelas Referee’s Referee. From 2004 until 2018, Luke attended 50.0% of meetings (Note: there are no meeting records held for 2010).
His impressive off-field resume is equally matched by an on-field career that has seen him officiate at the highest level in District football, becoming a regular A Grade Division 1 referee. Luke’s career saw him selected in the NSWRLRA Junior Representative Squad while also receiving some of the Association’s most prestigious awards. These include: the Barry Beveridge Award in 2006 (highest Mod-Football Grand Final); Don Courts Award in 2012 (A Grade Division 3 Grand Final); and the Ray Steele Memorial Trophy in 2014 (A Grade Division 2 Grand Final).
In endorsing Luke as the strongest candidate for Life Membership, the Committee highlighted his continued service over an extended period, his ability to hold key positions within the Association whilst also excelling in his own on-field career, and very importantly, the way in which he has continued to volunteer his time and give back to the Association well after his own on-field pursuits outside of the District came to an end.
In recent years Luke embarked upon a new and challenging career that required an extended period away from home, followed by shift work in a highly demanding environment while still being required to undertake study and training. Despite all this, Luke continued to put his hand up to watch and mentor young referees and continued to officiate where he was available. He would have been well within his rights to step away from the Association to focus solely on this job, but instead continued to sacrifice what little time he had available.
CONGRATULATIONS LUKE ON YOUR ELECTION!
