July - U3A Castlemaine

1
Third Thoughts
Castlemaine Inc (Est. 1988)
Volume 25 No 6
July 2013
Reg. A0017409G
Members of Felicity
Say's "Aboriginal
History - our shared
history" class have
recently visited some
local sites of National
importance:
Fascinated members listened intently at
various vantage points on the mountain:
Gerry Gill, La Trobe University,
Bendigo lecturer
Class members assemble after an invigorating Autumn ascent
to a site above a local Dja Dja Wurrung people's traditional
stone arrangement.
Marieanne Heard, class member, investigates
parts of the cemetery at Franklinford, where
the old Aboriginal Protectorate cemetery is
still identifiable:
Ricky Nelson and his daughter Tahnee
keep company with the class leader while
she takes a spell:
Descending the mount
2
U3A Castlemaine’s information Website:
www.u3acastlemaine.com
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Newsletter Editor
Course Co-Ordinator
Course Administrator
Past President
Committee Member
Committee Member
Office Manager
Network Representative
Membership
Win Jodell
Beryl Leavesley
Betty Johnson
Brian Richardson
Veronica Hurley
Dick Mack
Robyn Yeoman
Peter Stephens
Bev Orgill
George Gray
George Gray
Sally Kaptein
Veronica Hurley
5472 3792
472 3182
5472 3834
5423 2526
5472 1383
0411 244 103
0412 565 559
5472 3904
5474 3050
5472 5334
5472 5334
5470 6340
5472 1383
u3acastlemainepresident@gmail.com
berylleavesley@hotmail.com
u3acastlemainesecretary@gmail.com
bprbob@gmail.com
u3acastlemainenews@gmail.com
u3acastlemainecourses@gmail.com
robyn.yeoman@gmail.com
pb.stephens@bigpond.com
philandbev@hotmail.com
gngray43@sctelco.net.au
u3acastlemaine@gmail.com
walmer@castlemaine.net.au
vkhurley@bigpond.com
ACMI Representative
Cake Roster/Raffle
Coffee Supplies
Celebrations/Tributes
Property
Trading Table:
5472 1841
5474 2739
5472 2316
5472 3186
5472 1082
5474 2739
5472 3867
5474 3050
5472 3900
sayvf@castlemaine.net
mltwyford@gmail.com
lynypoodle@gmail.com
Website Manager
Felicity Say
Marie Twyford
Lyn Hall
Barbara Bunton
Hans van Gemert
Marie Twyford
Audrey Richardson
Bev Orgill
Bruce Carruthers
Office
P.O. Box 792
5472 2249
u3acastlemaine@gmail.com
U3A OFFICE DETAILS
The Office is located at the “Octopus”,
opposite the Castle Motel in Duke Street,
Castlemaine
Office Hours are:
Monday to Thursday 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
Website: www.u3acastlemaine.com
Current 2013 Subscription Fee $50.00
wil2bar@impulse.net.au
elouera3@bigpond.com
mltwyford@gmail.com
keithaud@chewton.vicmail.net
philandbev@hotmail.com
bruce@keepingitsimple.com.au
Friday Coffee Morning
Coffee Mornings are held on the first Friday of
the month at 10.00 am in the Uniting Church Hall.
Guest Speaker for July
Sophie Mattiesson (see Coming Events)
Committee Meetings
are held on the third Thursday in the month at 9.30 am in
the U3A Office,
$10.00 for mailing of Newsletter if required.
New Members joining after June 30
pay 50% of the subscription fee.
Newsletter
Any contributions to the Newsletter should be
emailed to u3acastlemainenews@gmail.com or left
at the office.
Deadline for the July 2013 Newsletter is 3pm Monday 24th June
3
U3A Network Victoria
Celebrating 25 years 1988 – 2013
Network is the umbrella organisation formed to encourage, promote and help in numerous ways U3A groups in
Victoria. It is also the body that receives government
funding to pass on to the member groups. Not every state
in Australia has a Network group so we are lucky in Victoria to have their very practical support.
There are 20 U3A groups in Victoria celebrating their
25th Anniversary this year ! Each was asked to explain’
What is the success of your U3A’. There was general
agreement amongst the 20 organisations about what was
important but also different emphasis based no doubt on
specific needs. Horsham for example noted that for them
success related to 5 key areas:
1.An effective committee
2.Great teachers and course leaders
3.Active involvement of membership
4.A close and effective relationship with local Council
5.Good relationship with local media
Our President , Win Jodell, gave a very eloquent
summing up of our success and highlighted our wonderful course leaders and their passion and expertise which,
she said, ‘reflects on the dynamic and engaged
community we have here’.
The Network celebration was a delight. We were all
encouraged to wear silver (and decorations if we had
them!) and a prize was given for the best ‘silver outfit’.
This was won by the Ararat representative who was
loaned a silver hat as she entered the room and the fact
she had got up at 5am to come to the meeting gave her an
edge on the rest of us! . And decorations were represented too: one of the founding members (Allison Kingston ) had been awarded an OAM which she proudly
wore, awarded in part for her contribution to the growth
of the U3A network
We also learnt some interesting history during the
morning. The founding of U3A in Australia took place
in Melbourne under the auspices of CAE. Within one
year six groups were formed. In the city area there were
over 1000 members, many of whom were migrants who
felt they had missed out on further education and were
keen to make up for lost time.
There were a number of friends of Castlemaine U3A
present at the celebration: Sheila Moore and John
Mitchell both send their good wishes to all.
The 2013 Conference, organised by U3A Network
Victoria and U3A Asia Pacific Alliance, will be held
over two days- Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 October in
the Melbourne Town Hall.
Sally Kaptein 5470 6340
VALE
A note of sadness from U3A network
executive committee to inform all U3As and
associated U3A partners of the passing on
18 June 2013
Of
Mrs Jean Melzer OAM
Jean served as Honorary President of
U3A Network Victoria from 2001 to 2006
Attention All Members
Please Note
You may know that U3A Castlemaine is publishing a book celebrating its first 25
years. We intend to
include many group and individual photos of members enjoying U3A activities to compliment the
text. Some of the photos may contain images of you or your partner. If you do not want your image or that
of your partner included in the book please contact Peter Stephens before Friday 12 July 2013. Peter
can be contacted on 5472 3904 or by e-mail pb.stephens@bigpond.com.au.
4
Committee has decided there will be a class levy
President's Report -
of $2 per person for those attending classes held
in the Buda Garden Room. This charge will be
reviewed next year. As you should be aware, room
The winter solstice has occurred and the Castlemaine area, after some much needed rain, is turning
on some splendid clear night skies and white frosty
mornings followed by gorgeous sunny days. How
lucky are we to live in such an unpolluted area of
the world? Travelling in Europe certainly opens
one's eyes to the many benefits of living right here
and that occurs, of course, after one is completely
satiated with the various historic and visually spectacular destinations one has visited! Lucky me, recently home from London, Seville, Sicily and Rome!
rental costs take a huge part of our budget due to
our successes really … more members and more
classes offered.
The marvellous chairs members so generously
bought for the Manse class room have arrived.
Thank you very much to all donors. There is a
separate acknowledgement notice elsewhere in this
Newsletter.
In the past month there have been 5 new members
join our U3A. If they are in a class of yours please
make them feel welcome. You might know that
sometimes feedback suggests classes feel a bit
Back to work. This week, with Sally Kaptein and
'cliquish' to new arrivals. And please advise your
Jack Carolan, our U3A Network delegates, I
class leader if you are unable to attend a session,
attended the 25th Birthday of U3A Network at
firstly it is good manners and secondly your
their city headquarters. It was a very well attended
course leader has put a lot of time and effort into
celebration. Network had invited all U3A's that
preparing your session regardless of the weather!
were 25 years, or older, to bring a gift to put in their
"time capsule" for the occasion. As our gift I took
Your Committee is working hard to keep every-
our first publication, "As if it were Yesterday", the
thing in order. It is now a large organisation to
more recent, "First Five Years" and a copy of our
manage and I am pleased to say the Working
outstanding Prospectus for 2013. I said a few
Groups or Sub Committees who report monthly
words about our continued successful growth
to Committee do reduce the discussion time at
being due largely to our generous and passionate
meetings. I personally would like to thank Tom
Course Leaders. I mentioned not having rooms of
Comerford for beginning the formal setting up and
our own and being financially in the red last year.
expansion of these working groups during my time
I then asked people to buy a raffle ticket so we
on the committee. It has been a slow evolution but
could fund our 25th Birthday! There was much
is the only way to manage the growing volume of
laughter but I was serious! And we did sell some,
work and decision making. As is proper, the dis-
Sally wished she had taken more tickets. See Sally's
cussions are now held by and for the
report elsewhere in this Newsletter.
relevant groups who report back and make
recommendations to Committee as required.
Robyn Yeoman has been more than occupied in
finding rooms for several classes due to start soon.
Due to high enrolment numbers these classes were
too big to be held in private homes, as advertised in
the Prospectus. The Buda Garden Room, a lovely
but more expensive venue has been booked for
these three classes.
I do hope I've not left anyone group out. If any of
these
working
groups
require
skills
you
have ,please consider joining one and sharing your
expertise with us.
5
The sub committees are as follows:
Other U3A Committee vacancies will be an-
Governance
nounced in the August Newsletter.
Courses and their Administration
Thank you for your attention to the current news
Office management
of U3A Castlemaine from my perspective.
Volunteers and Volunteering
Win Jodell ,President
Special Events
25th Birthday Celebration ( separate and temporary)
U3A Network rep reports
Finance and Editorial (Newsletter) do not currently
have a support group.and report monthly to
The U3A Management Committee would like to
thank the following members for their generous
donations toward the buying 20 of new lightweight,
comfortable folding chairs for the Manse
Classroom
Committee.
Molly Angel
Succession Planning for positions to be vacated at
the next AGM is a current concern. There will be a
number of vacancies at the AGM in October. This is
your chance to learn about the workings of a great
organisation and for you to be involved in future
decision making. There is an urgent need for some
entrepreneurial activity in the immediate future. If
you are interested in working for a well-run
Volunteer Community Committee then U3A could
be your answer. While it does require a few hours
work most weeks it is a very rewarding venture, one
meets a lot of new and interesting people, many of
Betty Rouch
Dick Mack
Jill Barclay.
Jude Jackson
Robyn Yeoman
Sally Kaptein
Vic Say
Wilma Ellery
whom have similar interests in promoting ongoing
education and engagement in the retired or semi
Felicity Say
retired sector of our community.
Peter & Bronwyn Stephens
For myself the rewards of being involved far out-
Graeme & Jane Quinn
weigh the effort expended. When the going is
Bruce & Diana Baud
challenging I have found a lot of personal support
and have made a lot of good friends. I will vacate my
Brian & Jo Richardson
position after only one year due to a previous com-
Win Jodell &Sue Turner
mitments to the Bendigo Art Gallery in 2014. My
position does require some leadership ability and I
am sure there are many out there much more
Anne Van Gemert & Judith McKenzie McHarg
Deidre Mc Dougall & Enid Chapman
qualified than I ever was. So please step forward and
talk to me or another committee member. I will
remain on the Committee, as required for one year,
as the immediate past president..
Jenny Owen & Betty Johnson
Eileen Park ,Penny Garnett & Barbara Maund
“Not the New Years Eve” Group
6
Course Co-ordinator’s
Report
JUNE COFFEE MORNING
Castlemaine may be well and truly in hibernation
mode with the cold thick frosty white mornings,
BUT U3A is in full gear with several new courses
starting in July - Enchanting Gardens of Canada with
Tom Comerford 2.30pm on the 9th at a Private
Home; Pets and People in Harmony with Michael
Bascombe 2pm on the 11th at West End Hall;
Producing a Newsletter with Veronica Hurley 1.30pm
on the 15th at the Manse; China–An Awakening Giant
with Alan Harris 10am on the 19th at Buda Garden
Room; and The Arts and Crafts Movement with Pam
Harris 1.30pm on the 26th also at Buda Garden
Room.
Always good to welcome members back after an
absence. Peter Stephens and Tom Comerford
welcome Harvey Jacka ,seen here with his wife
Marion.
While you are curled up by the fire, cradling your
mug of hot chocolate and gazing into the flames,
perhaps you might muse on what you may offer by
way of a course next year. A short course, a yearlong course, whatever suits you and the topic you
would like to present, it’s your decision. If you
need a sounding board have a chat with Dick who
returns at the end of June, or another member of the
Courses Subcommittee – John Waldie, Bridget
Leach, Deidre McDougall, Monique Thomson, Win
Jodell or me. I do love Castlemaine weather!
Robyn Yeoman, Course Administrator
Dick Mack, Course Co-ordinator
Classes at Buda Garden Room
Many thanks to Peter Fraser who fashioned these
sturdy walking staffs for our Walking groups.
David Sime demonstrates for his wife Judy and
Barbara Bunton.
It is a unanimous decision of the U3A
Castlemaine Committee of Management that a levy
Thought for the month
of $2 per person per session be charged for all
courses held at Buda Garden Room. This levy will
apply for Semester Two 2013 and will be reviewed
before commencement of 2014 courses.
Dignity is never improved by
standing on it.
7
COMING EVENTS
JULY COFFEE MORNING
Guest Speaker; Sophie Mattiesson
In the lead up to our excursion, we are very lucky
to have the opportunityto listen to a talk by Sophie
Mattiesson, co-curator of the Monet Exhibition
Sophie is curator of International Art at the NGV,
where she has spent seven years researching and
preparing international exhibitions and developing the gallery’s permanent collection. Sophie has
published widely and is currently writing on aspects of the Icon Tradition.
25th BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION
October 18th
4.30pm-7.30pm
Assistance
with Catering
Reminder
The group catering for the 25th Birthday celebration is
appealing to anyone who would like to assist with the
preparation of “ finger food” to contact Sally Kaptein
on 5470 6340.
CASTLEMAINE DISTRICT COMMUNITY
HEALTH, BANKMECU,
BENDIGO NAIDOC COMMITTEE
AND
THE CASTLEMAINE THEATRE
ROYAL
invite you to the premiere screening of
SATELLITE BOY
STARRING David
Gulpilil
When: Tuesday 9th July
Time: 6.15 arrival for a 6.30pm start
Where: The Castlemaine Theatre Royal,
30 Hargraves Street,.
For more information contact Liz March 5479 1000
WELCOME
To New Members
Rod Andrew ,Terry Williams and
Sue Tomkinson.
And an apology to George Lukacs whose name I
mis-spelled last month.
THANK YOU
THANKS to the U3A members who donated
dictionaries for Timor Leste students; they were
very much appreciated by all concerned.
Marie Twyford
USED STAMPS
are still needed – they are
becoming hard to obtain. If
you can assist, please tear
the envelope in half and
give stamped part to Marie at the Trading Table. If
you have pre-stamped envelopes, please leave the
stamp intact and pass on the whole envelope.
POSTCARDS still with stamps attached are
in demand as well. If there is no personal message,
please cross out the receiver’s name and address and
pass onto Marie.
Booking Venues and other
bothers
Please remember that booking a venue must be
done through me, or in my absence, Dick Mack.
Use of rented premises incurs a debt to be
honoured by U3A Castlemaine and we must be able
to verify and track these charges.
Likewise, if a rented venue is not to be used on a
particular day or for a period of time, please let me
know. This could be due to an excursion, or a
period of one or more weeks break between terms
or for other reasons.
Robyn Yeoman
Courses Administrator
5472 3702 robyn.yeoman@gmail.com
8
CLASS NOTES
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY
Geoff Walker
5470 6652
THE ARTS & CRAFTS
MOVEMENT
Pamela Harris 5472 5372
Two very interesting studies in June.
Barbara Bunton presented the story of Sidney
Myer, and Keith Neaves gave us the life story of Sir
Reginald Ansett. We heard the story of the achievements of two "local" boys, who did so much to
develop local business.
In July our study groups will meet at 2.00pm on
Monday 8th July and Monday 22nd July.
Jennie
Owen will present a study on the life and work of
David Syme (you've heard of The Age), and Geoff
Walker will tell us about John Dunmore Lang who
did a lot to set up the New South Wales government
structure. This month, on both occasions, we wiil
meet at the home of Geoff and Beth.
FRIDAY MORNING
Garden GROUP
Shirley Curnow
5472 1729
The June experience was a fascinating time. We
made our way to “Skydancers “at Harcourt and
had a very instructive demonstration on the art of
pruning, particularly, fruit trees. Our teacher was
none other than Kevin Walsh, a local man of fame
who had to come back from his busy garden programme on ABC Radio in Bendigo. The wait was
worth it as we learned so much.
In July we shall make our way to the Antares Iron
Art Garden in Newstead. Arrangements will be as
usual -- we meet in the UCA car park at
9.45am, Friday 19th July, to share transport, and
depart at 10.00am
SOLO GROUP
Betty Henchman 5472 2139
The next gathering of the Solo Group
will be on Saturday, July 20 at the home of
Kay Middleton at 12.30pm
This course will be commencing on 26 July at
1.30pm. You will remember that we are meeting
every fortnight from then on up to 4 October. The
venue will be the Garden Room at Buda and not a
room in the Uniting Church complex as originally
advised.
Some eight guest speakers have been arranged to
speak on topics of relevance to the Arts and Crafts
Movement over the last four sessions. These
include Peter Cuffley who will talk on the architecture of the Movement, Lauretta Ziles, House Curator at Buda, who will share with us Buda’s Arts
and Crafts treasures, and Kirsten McKay, Curator
at the Castlemaine Art Gallery, who will talk on
the First Exhibition of Women’s Art Work in 1907
which features works from the Arts and Crafts period.
A course program will be distributed at our first
session. We will be having a tea/coffee break at a
suitable time during the afternoon which will allow time to chat with our guest speakers and with
each other.
I look forward to meeting you all, especially those
I don’t yet know, and hearing of your experiences
with and knowledge of this fascinating period of
history.
GRANDPARENTS
A grandmother was telling her little
granddaughter what her own childhood was
like."We used to skate outside on a
pond. I had a swing made from a tyre; it
hung from a tree in our front yard. We
rode our pony. We picked blackberries in
the bush."
The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this
all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd
gotten to know you sooner!"
9
CLASS NOTES
GENEALOGY ONLINE
Barbara Bunton 5472 3186
Our little group of enthusiastic and dedicated Family
History researchers have thrilled us all during this
short course whilst sharing their personal Eureka!!!
moments
GENEALOGY FOR BEGINNERS
Veronica Hurley 5472 1383
Genealogy for Beginners has finished and I hope
we managed to answer a few questions and find
that elusive Ancestor. This class is designed to
search the Births, Deaths and Marriages for Victoria
from 1836 to 1920 for births, 1942 for marriages and
1985 for deaths. After these dates we have to move
onto online searches.
Every year there is at least one person whose ancestors just refuse to be uncovered but we’ve had lots
of success stories and hopefully our members will
be able to move forward. We also had some fun
searching the Victorian Library site…TROVE..for
We are having so much fun, learning how to track
down those elusive English and Welsh Birth,
Marriage and Death dates of our ancestors via the
free internet sites, and following up those finds
with "Our-Man-in-Sydney", who is able to purchase
the relevant certificates for us, hence providing us
with the proof that, we are who we think we are.
By general consensus with the group, we are extending our Genealogy Online short course to the end of
July, with the option of further extensions, as long as
we are all happy to continue.
articles and photos from the newspaper archives.
For those who would like to search at home the
following websites could be helpful
Barbara Bunton assists Glyn Samson to navigate
around Free BDM UK.
www.coraweb.com.au
www.genealogylinks.net/australia/victoria
www.aigs.org.au/auslinks.htm
www.cyndislist.com
www.familysearch.org
www.geneanet.org
www.genuki.org.uk
www.rootsweb.com
www.worldgenweb.org
www.oldbaileyonline.org
www.gazettes-online.co.uk
www.http://www.freebmd.org.uk/
10
CLASS NOTES
Over 80s Luncheon Group
Eileen Park
5472 5213
Requiem & thEN. . .
Vic Say 5472 1841
Members at our June gathering liked the Skydancers’ Restaurant and consensus was to return
there for lunch on July 10.. As I will be elsewhere on
that day, Betty Henchman has kindly offered to
make the booking for Skydancers. Also get together
to share cars or taxis..
SO would you ring Betty on 54722139 by July 7,
please?
July 5th and 19th at 1-30 we will share some early
requiem as we start another cycle, choosing works
from the era of Gregorian chants through the
various centuries and periods to the most recent
modern works. We finished our last cycle with the
Britten War Requiem, a work challenging for some,
emotionally draining for others - an amazing and
For August 14th interest has appeared in a return
trip on the Goldfields Railway to Maldon to have a
look around the town and have lunch there, maybe
all together or as people discover interesting places
at which to eat .
Essential Information
Cost Concession return fare:- $30.
Timetable:- Depart Castlemaine !11.45 a, arrive Maldon
12.30pm
Depart Maldon2.30pm arrive Castlemaine 3.15 pm.
Please note:- a minibus meets the train to convey passengers to the main street, and reruns to the station at 2.15.
If any other U3A members have yet to make this journey
please join us!
Discussion about lunch locations at the July gathering,
please
Members of the Over 80s enjoy an Autumn day in May under
the oak at the Botanic Gardens
new experience for some, a completely emotionally
satisfying if emotionally turbulent favourite work
for others.
Wagner - The Ring Cycle
Vic Say 5472 1841
July 19 - Walkure - the MetOpera DVD - 430pm
Vic Say 5472 1841
I plan to play Pappano's Covent Garden introduction to each opera as we watch them over the next
three months. I find he really helps focus on
orchestral and compositional elements in ways
which sharpen my listening - I hope others agree?
Last year we started at 5pm so I am planning to
start this year at 4-30pm so we don't go too late by
adding the half hour introduction.
I will be in touch about a week ahead of the date to
check who will be coming and with a reminder
about finger food for a shared light meal half way
through the evening.
Opera - an occasional evening series
Vic Say 5472 1841
July 5 - Moussorgsky's Boris Godunov - the MetOpera DVD - 7pm
This wonderfully Russian work in a wonderfully large scale staging - one of my favourite MetOpera productions. It is the one we saw some time ago at the Theatres with Gergiev conducting, Rene Pape as Boris and
wonderfully, Andrey Popov as the Holy Fool.
11
CLASS NOTES
SSUES OF CONCERN
MOVIES OF MERIT
CAROL DORMAN 5472 4429.
John Waldie 5472 5411/ 0400 85 85 81
As usual we have discussed a wide range of issues.
Perhaps one of the most important has been the public perception of Australia’s economic position
relative to comparable nations.
In a rare type of newspaper article, the disparity between the Australia’s economic position and public
perception as ascertained by polling was revealed. In
general the perception was well removed from the
facts. The reasons for this difference were discussed
and several suggestions were advanced. According
to “Crikey”, viewers for the principal TV channels
are distributed 1. Nine (24.3%) 2. Seven (24.2%) 3.
Ten (14.2%) 4. ABC1 (11.0%) 5. SBS ONE (3.2%).
The top 10 national programs: 1. The Block (Nine) , 2.
Nine News 3. Seven News 4. 60 Minutes (Nine) 5.
Sunday Night (Seven) 6. A Place To Call Home (Seven)
10. Grand Designs (ABC1) Many people are getting
current affairs information from only two sources
and this could be influencing their perceptions.
The ABC has recently been funded to establish a ‘fact
checking centre’.
Objections to the appointment of the head have been
raised because of bias in his record as a blogger. All
“facts” can be the subject of debate and no doubt this
will happen and is probably beneficial ,especially in a
pre-election period.
Frank Pederick
Tai Chi seated
Dot Henshall 5472 5108
So far this year (up to the 31st May), we have
watched - and analysed - sixteen films at the
Theatre Royal. Classes are held every Monday, from
10.30am to 1.30pm, at the Royal, and visitors are
always welcome.
The top-rated films so far, as judged by the class
participants during the discussion period, have
been "The Lives of Others" with a 95.3% approval
rating, "Kolya" (90.9%) and "To Be and To Have
(85.7%).
One of the primary objectives of the class is to learn
to judge films, not just on personal preference, but
on production attributes, such as narrative,
direction, editing and cinematography, and we're
seeing increased appreciation for these elements. It
takes time to be able to judge films "through two
pairs of eyes" but good progress is being made.
Classes will continue every Monday this year. New
digital equipment was installed in June, as well as
new upstairs seating. David Stretch is promising a
greatly improved viewing experience once the
equipment is operational.
During June and July, I shall be on holiday, but the
classes will continue in the very capable hands of
eight volunteer presenters, who will be introducing
films which they personally would rate a "10" if
shown the film during a normal class. I can promise
you an exciting and eclectic mix of films during that
period!
Currently there are 58 members enrolled in the
class, but attendance is typically around 60%. If you
are unable to attend could you please send your
apologies in advance. In my absence in June and
July, please advise Michael Kemp on 5472 2255 or
-mailed to mjk38@bigpond.com
Tai Chi seated with leader, Dot Henshall.
Lastly, some breaking news: the second
Castlemaine Classic Film Festival will be held at the
Theatre Royal on September 6th, 7th and 8th., when
another great selection of popular classic films will
be shown.
12
CLASS NOTES
Lectures at
La Trobe University
French I
Ros Coffey 5473 4207
As part of an arrangement between U3A and La
Trobe, Bendigo, Elizabeth Beck and myself (Sylvia
Phillips) attended a weekly lecture for Semester 1.
Our chosen subject was Contemporary Australian
Children’s Literature in the Faculty of Education.
We both enjoyed it immensely.
The weekly lecture, although only an hour, was
chock full of interesting, up-to-date information. We
were indeed fortunate to have Sarah Mayor Cox as
lecturer. She is a passionate and informed advocate
for children’s literature. We were also fortunate to
receive comprehensive notes although I suspect that
this benefit may vary from subject to subject. We
travelled together and parking was not difficult. It is
possible also to get to the campus by public transport as there are buses from Bendigo station. We
can certainly recommend attending lectures offered
through this arrangement.
Sylvia Phillips
It’s not too late to sign up for a course in semester two,
because some of the courses are only now being allocated
days and times. So have a look at the La Trobe website –
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/timetable/timetable.php?
y=2013&c=BE
If there is a course that grabs you, you need a special
form (available from the U3A office, to which completed
forms must be returned by 17 July).
ABORIGINAL HISTORY—OUR SHARED
HISTORY Felicity Say 5472 1841
This month's sessions will focus on the family of a
European man, one of only six in Queensland during the 1920's, who after much persistence, received
permission to marry an Aboriginal woman and the
subsequent travails experienced by the family as
Ros Coffey and students practice their French skills with a
quick game of Bingo before heading home .
SLEEPY DOG
An older, tired-looking dog wandered into
my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he
had a home and was well taken care of.
He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on
his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly
walked down the hall, curled up in the
corner and fell asleep.
An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard,
walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and
again slept for about an hour. This continued off and
on for several weeks.
Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to
find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog
is and ask if you are aware that almost every
afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'
they battled with racist attitudes and official policies.
Please remember to wear your badge
to all U3A activities
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different
note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6
children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up
on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'
13
AROUND THE TRAPS
NG
NGI
TO
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H
T
GE
SI
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BRI
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14
U3A CALENDAR 2013/14
July 2013 to January 2014
TERMS 3 and 4 / Semester 2
Monday, July 8 – Friday, September 20
Monday, October 7 – Friday, December 20
FOUNDATION DAY TO BE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER
ACTIVITIES
July
Mon
Fri
Thurs
Mon
Mon
Mon
1
5
18
22
29
29
Aug
Fri 2
Thurs 15
Mon 26
Coffee Morning
Committee Meeting
Third Thoughts deadline
Sept
Mon
September Third Thoughts on website –
AGM materials included
Coffee Morning
Notification of AGM
Committee Meeting
Third Thoughts deadline Notification of change of venue for November Coffee morning
October Third Thoughts on the website
2
Fri
6
Fri
13
Thurs 19
Mon 23
Mon 30
July Third Thoughts on website
Coffee Morning – Speaker from the NGV Sophie Mathiesson
Committee Meeting
Third Thoughts deadline
August Third Thoughts on the website
Monet Exhibition to Melbourne
Oct SENIORS WEEK
Fri
4
Coffee Morning
Annual General Meeting
Mon
7
Invitation to conduct courses 2014
Thurs 17
Committee Meeting
Fri
18
25th Birthday Celebrations
Mon 21
Third Thoughts deadline
Tues 22 – Fri 25
Mildura Trip
Fri
25
Deadline Expression of Interest for 2014 classes
Fri
25
November Third Thoughts on website
Fri
25
Class Leaders Thank-you Breakfast
Nov
Dec
2014
Jan
Feb
Fri
Tues
Thurs
Sun
Mon
Mon
Thur
Fri
Fri
Thurs
1
12
21
24
25
2
5
6
13
19
Coffee Morning – Anglican Hall, Speaker Tony Millar
Melbourne Cup day – Office Closed
Committee Meeting
Stonnington Orchestra Concert
Third Thoughts deadline
December Third Thoughts on website
Office Closes
Coffee Morning Prospectus 2014 Issued
End-of-Year Celebration in Botanic Gardens
Committee Meeting
Mon 13 to Fri 17Office Open and Closed for Registration Week
Tues 14
Course registration mornings
Wed 15
Course registration mornings
Wed 29
Class leaders information session – BUDA
Mon
Fri
3
7
Office Reopens. Classes commence this week.
Coffee Morning.