Retirement for some is sitting on your front porch in the morning, reading a favourite book, having an afternoon nap and maybe going to the local club afterwards. Jan Wilson goes about it a bit differently.
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“I’m as retired as anyone who volunteers in Yass can actually be,” Yassfm’s president confessed to the Tribune recently.
“I’m on the board at Yassfm, and I’m involved with U3A [University of the Third Age], Yass Evening VIEW Club, the RSL and Legacy.”
It’s a heavy workload and, despite the fact she will be stepping away from U3A, she will remain extremely busy.
The former sales representative and Justice of the Peace in Canberra, took over presidency at Yassfm two years ago and is over the moon with how the station is currently operating.
“We have a great bunch of people on the board at the moment and everything is progressing well.
“We are definitely improving in everything we do.”
There are currently 38 presenters on Yassfm, with only a handful doing two shows a week. The aim for Jan as president is to get enough presenters so that there is only an opportunity to do one show each a week.
Jan arrived in Yass more than 10 years ago and immediately got involved in Yassfm. She had no broadcast or production experience but her grandson, who was heavily involved, told her to come along.
“It was my grandson that got me into it in the first place. He has left now but I loved it so much that I stayed.
“I still love it. I love my show. I love sharing my music.”
Playing on Monday mornings Jan targets the older listeners and plays classics from the 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s.
“I know not a whole lot of the younger generation would enjoy it too much, but I still get a lot of positive feedback from my listeners.”
Jan is a tragic Frank Sinatra fan and she said he is usually a shoe-in to make her playlist every day.
“I’m definitely Frank Sinatra’s number one fan,” she laughed.
Her husband Richard, a return services league member at the RSL, also presents his own show, and both have a huge musical collection at their home.
Jan also prides herself on her stacks of books that have recorded every single playlist and every single song that she has ever played over the airwaves.
Jan said Yassfm are always welcoming to the younger presenters and is also willing to accommodate.
“Getting the younger generation involved is very important to the board. It would be ideal to have older presenters during the day, and then getting the younger presenters in at night.”
Despite her hectic schedule Jan said she has no plans to slow down and at the moment she is as happy as ever.
“I think I would go crazy if I wasn’t busy.
“I love being active, seeing my grandchildren, and I love volunteering in this community. It’s a great place to be.”
Jan’s radio show takes place every Monday morning from 9am.
