Newsletter - U3A Promcoast

Committee members
Newsletter
President Neil Shaw
Vice Pres. Margaret Hutton
Summer edition
January ,2014
U3A Prom Coast Inc.
P O Box 132
ABN 17 087 993 512
Foster, Vic., 3960
phone 5682 1141
Secretary Jenni Munro
Treasurer Liz Hoogwerf
Committee:
Peter Wingett
Sheila Hill
www.u3apromcoast.com.au
John Lanigan
Dear U3A members and friends,
Welcome to Term 1, 2014. Our membership has now exceeded the magic
200 level and we are on the way to 300. More members means we can offer
more courses and a greater variety of activities.
Leo Violini
Meals on wheels Coord.
Kate Crowl
After settling into our new Headquarters room at the Foster Showgrounds we
have added an office phone 5682 1141 and moved the office equipment to our
central location. You can call this number during business hours, and if nobody is present in the Office your call will be diverted to a Committee member.
After just 2 ½ years of operation we have acquired some excellent assets to
help deliver our courses, the latest of which is a set of 24 padded chairs. A
new kitchen is also under construction at Headquarters.
In Term 1, 2014 we are offering 12 new courses and 22 continuing courses for
a new record total of 34 courses!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Corner ........................ 2
Jobs in U3A Admin ....................... 2
Our Financial Year ........................ 3
Our new AGM date ....................... 3
Regional Meetings ...................... 4
On behalf of your Committee we hope you have a most enjoyable and active
term. We invite members to join one of the several committees which help to
administer our U3A. It can be very enjoyable and rewarding fun.
Accommodation ........................... 4
Neil Shaw, President, U3A Prom Coast
Circle Dancing ……………..………….7
New eBook Club …….……………....5
Computers ……….………..….………..5
Active Retirees ............................. 6
New Courses for Term 1…………….8
IMPORTANT DATES
Continuing Courses ………………...9
Sponsors page …..…………………...10
AGM on Tuesday 14 January, 2014 at 2 pm in Uniting Church Hall
Open Day for enrolment in Term 1 courses is Thursday 16 January,
10.30 am to 12 pm at the Uniting Church Hall
Start of Term 1: Wednesday 29 January and ending Friday 4 April
SPECIAL POINTS OF
INTEREST

New Courses for Term 1

Continuing Courses for Term 1

Sponsors page
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
What a wonderful year of U3A activity we had in 2013. We had some good
grants which helped to support our activities and we established our first fulltime room called “The Headquarters” at Foster Showgrounds.
Throughout the year 45 tutors volunteered their time and skills to offer a
wide range of interesting and engaging courses. For 2014 there will be even
more courses and activities!
Our new constitution, new name and amalgamation with Leongatha were all
positive events which have added to our growth & development.
Many thanks to our dedicated Committee members who have steered U3A
along a path of financial security, improved infrastructure and new assets.
Organising courses, venues, and advertising is all part of the administration.
More volunteers for the various Committees would be most welcome.
On behalf of the Committee we wish you a productive and interesting year of
U3A courses and activities for 2014.
Neil Shaw, President, U3A Prom Coast.
Administration is part of the fun. Join the team!
OPPORTUNITES
Your Committee meets
monthly and processes a
considerable amount of
business., including:
JOBS FOR EVERYONE!
Administration and organisation of a small group like our U3A still
requires considerable work, and volunteers are always welcome.
Here is a list of activities. If there is one (or more) that interests you
please contact a Committee member to discuss the details of what each
job involves. We welcome your help.

Treasurer’s report

Courses committee

ARAC (see page 6)

Regional Meetings

U3A Network activities
Marketing: Design and production of brochures and advertising materials

Showgrounds management committee

Seniors Week
Communications: Website updates, “What’s On this week…”, and other
regular items. Also simple jobs, like folding letters & labelling envelopes,
or posting notices on notice boards in towns throughout our area.

Open Day organisers
Grants: Supporting the small team which writes grant applications.

Media officer

Grants officer

Membership officer

Social officer

Fund raising
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Finance: Working with the Treasurer to monitor cash flow & budgets.
Courses: Working with tutors to facilitate the smooth delivery of activities
Social Activities: For example, helping to organise the monthly U3A
morning tea or arranging some other group events and excursions..
Fund Raising: Ideas and support for activities which raise funds for U3A.
Membership drive: Now that our boundaries include Leongatha, we need
to expand our horizons, increase our courses, and seek new members
from nearby locations, including Leongatha, Venus Bay & Meeniyan.
Meals on Wheels: Join the U3A team with Kate Crowl (coordinator)
Explaining our FINANCIAL YEAR
We have just survived a very unusual and difficult situation. U3A Prom
Coast was launched in early September, 2011 and naturally we have
collected annual membership fees for the period September to September.
On closer inspection our Constitution shows that our financial year actually
ends each year on 31 December!
To correct the situation we have extended the membership period from
September 2013 to end of December, 2013 without seeking any “top-up”
fees.
Consequently your U3A has gone without its normal expected income from
membership fees for about 5 months. Naturally this has had a very big
impact on our cash flow.
Membership Fees:
From our launch date in
September 2011 our
annual membership fee
has been just $30.
But our second “financial
year” was 17 months
long, not 12 months, This
extended period
(explained in the article
left) was a drain on our
reserves, but we did well,
Meantime our outgoings and commitments to rent, phone, internet access
and other regular costs are continuing without some matching income.
However our reserves are excellent and the good news is that we have
“weathered the storm” without any drama.
Memberships fees are now due and we would like members to renew their
annual subscription before classes commence in Term 1, 2014.
From now on our membership fees will
be due on or before classes commence
at the beginning of each new calendar
year.
This situation will be much easier to
manage and administer. The old September date was very awkward and
confusing.
We are now back on track!
Getting it RIGHT… Aligning our AGM and the financial year
Explaining our AGM (new date)
U3A Prom Coast has also
experienced rises in
costs, including rental
fees and other operational costs. There is a clear
need to raise more funds
through membership
fees.
A motion to raise the fees
to $40 per year will be
proposed at the AGM.
Our AGM must be held within 5 months of
the end of the financial year and hence we
have set the AGM date for 14 January (at 2
pm in the Uniting Church Hall).
Even at this annual fee
we are still amongst the
lowest cost U3A groups
in Australia.
The AGM is an opportunity to review activities and finances of the previous year, to set
new objectives and new fees (if necessary),
and to appoint the new Committee.
GRANTS:
A motion to increase our membership fees to offset significant increases
in costs will be proposed at the AGM on 14 January, 2014.
Since 2011 we have been
successful in acquiring
grants from various
sources totalling $29,000
3
Regional Meeting Update
Good News!
Your committee has successfully obtained a grant
from South Gippsland
Shire Council towards the
purchase of 24 new
(padded) chairs for our
Headquarters.
South Gippsland Region of U3A
has seven member groups,
stretching from Baw Baw in the
north
(near
Warragul)
to
Wonthaggi in the south and from
Phillip Island (west) to Prom
Coast in the east.
One of our recent initiatives has
been the development by U3A
Prom Coast of a special website
for the region, called
www.u3asouthgippsland.com.au
The grant of $1,500 from
Council was matched with
$700 from our U3A funds
for a total $2,200.
The chairs have been purchased through the local
Foster furniture shop
“Pulhams” in Main Street,
Foster.
——————————
More Good News!
Using a grant from Bendigo
Bank Community Bank
(Toora and Foster Branches) your U3A committee
has purchased a new PA
system for amplifying
speeches at public meetings. The system is available for loan to local community groups .
4
Although this new website is live
and active, it needs to be populated with more information from
each participating U3A group.
To facilitate this process your
Prom Coast group is offering
workshops to all other groups to
learn how to modify the website,
to add new items and to delete
old ones.
Further workshops will enable
participants to design and develop their own websites (if required).
Regional Meetings are held once
per Term and last term it was
held in November at Cowes on
Phillip Island. We might be next!
Accommodation for U3A
A survey of accommodation for every U3A in Victoria has been underway during Term 4, 2013 and the results will soon be
presented.
Meantime we can say that throughout Victoria there
are many different experiences, with some U3A
groups enjoying free accommodation provided to
them by local Councils, but some are paying very significant rent.
For example, one of the larger metropolitan U3A groups is paying more
than $40,000 per year for the rent of their substantial premises!
Your U3A Prom Coast is renting rooms on a casual basis around Foster, Leongatha, Sandy Point and Toora, but we have a long-term lease
on one room at the Foster Showgrounds, which we call our
“Headquarters”. This facility allows us to permanently set up computers
with a land-line phone and hence an ADSL-2 internet connection,
Room rental is still one of our biggest financial commitments and we
need good revenue from membership fees to ensure we can meet our
obligations.
New eBook Club
For the first time we are offering a book club with a difference!
As an experiment with new technology we have an “eBook” system in which members of the group are given a code for downloading a complete book onto your computer, iPad, tablet or any
e_Reader (except Kindle).
Members of the group will read two books for the term and discuss their views in a group session. The group is limited to 5
members only. There is a small “materials” cost for this course.
To access the books the participants will need to download a
special program. Details will be available on Open Day.
Your tutor for this interesting eBook course is Allan Locke.
Computer Courses
Beginners and Advanced
Following the popular courses in computers
offered in 2013, we are once again offering
several computer-based sessions throughout Term 1.
The Beginners course aims to give members
confidence with a computer :

to access email,

to use a digital camera to take photos
and attach them to an email, or

to use Google to search for information
on the Internet
The “Advanced” course covers a variety of
Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Excel,
Power Point, and Publisher.
Websites: A few special sessions will also
be offered to those who wish to learn how to
build a website or at least how to modify or
maintain an existing website.
iPad courses
iPads are becoming increasingly popular.
Being light-weight and portable the iPads
are as handy as a mobile phone.
If you have recently acquired an iPad
(maybe a Christmas present?) or simply
own an iPad and wish to learn more about
its features, Joyce Locke is offering her
popular iPad course from 10.30am on
Thursdays at our Headquarters room.
Members of the group also help oneanother by sharing experiences and giving
opinions about various new Apps.
Members participating in this iPad course
are expected to bring their own iPad.
Note that tablets are not included in this
course.
5
Active Retirees Advisory Committee (ARAC)
The article below is an extract from a summary by Peter Wingett, U3A Prom Coast Committee
member and keen ARAC supporter. Peter has been a driving force in negotiations with Council to
establish this very important new committee.
“Demographic projections of the retiree population in the Shire exceeding 40% in a few years,
emphasise the desirability of direct liaison with Council Officers and Councillors to help them address the needs of this substantial sector of the community.
“Since the onset of the Global Financial Crisis many self-funded retirees and pensioners find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. In rural areas such as ours, interactive social engagement in community groups helps to combat the sense of isolation and alienation they can experience.
“The ARAC’s objective will be to achieve more support for retirees at the 'active' or front-end of
retirement, who have tended to be down the queue for the limited resources available from local
government. When retirees remain active and mentally engaged, the better their health and wellbeing as they age, which is a cost benefit to local government.
“The ARAC would seek to identify to Council the specific needs of all retired people, especially the
active retirees. The committee would also provide a mechanism for Council to communicate to retired people via its community group members.
“Strong advocacy from the health professions and dedicated people in support groups, have resulted in medical centres, nursing homes and assisted accommodation facilities for frail, invalid and
incapacitated people being built and upgraded with funds from all levels of Government and generous public donations. The proposed ARAC will not seek to add to this excellent existing advocacy
and will be apolitical; avoiding ideological or single issue ‘activism’.”
Since Peter has written this article we can add the following updates:
Council has accepted the ARAC proposal and it’s Terms of Reference. To establish the new ARAC group, Council will seek committee members from the U3A, Probus, Senior Citizens, and various
activity groups. For example ‘Men’s Sheds’, retirement villages, and
groups which include a substantial number of retired people, including lawn bowls & golf clubs, hobby clubs, and conservation societies.
Special ARAC grant
U3A Network Victoria has recognised the value of ARAC and has contributed $1,200 towards the
cost of establishing the committee. The grant will ensure that ARAC gets a good start with
appropriate advertising, tools and infrastructure to reach out to all retired people in the South
Gippsland region.
6
U3A Circle Dance Celebration
Lois Frankland (Circle Dance tutor) and Lee Grenfell, a circle dance participant, invited the circle
dancers to a break-up celebration on Lee's property at Hazel Park on Sunday 15th December.
Fifteen dancers attended. After lunch, Barbara Jeffrey a local harpist and singer - enthralled us
all with her soulful singing and playing. This was just the start of our Circle of Celebration which
included circle dancers who shared with us their often secret talents of poetry and singing.
Of course circle dancing was part of the agenda as well. We were blessed by the attendance of
Conny Brandt who taught Lois to circle dance in the 1980's. Conny taught us a new dance to
mark the occasion. We named her the “grandmother” of all of those present as without her the
U3A Circle Dancing wouldn't have happened.
The occasion was also the other half of Lois's 70th celebration which didn't quite happen in September. It was Gill Clarke 's birthday as well.
The friendships made through Circle Dancing have led to other interest groups being formed and
we have gathered together more talented people in the community and many of them participated
in the celebration as well.
It is a privilege to welcome 88 year old Valda Lanigan and 86 year old Murray Mardardy to Circle
Dancing each week. Their enthusiasm is a total inspiration for us all.
Thank you to the Committee for their dedicated efforts and Neil Shaw in particular for establishing
the U3A in Foster and enabling so many people to find each other in our own community.
Lois Frankland.
Recent Grants:
RIGHT: John Lanigan (U3A Committee) showing
Allison Drury, Manager Bendigo Bank the new PA
system purchased using a grant of $850 from the
Bendigo Bank Community Bank (Toora and Foster
Branches).
LEFT: Councillor Mohya Davies presents
U3A committee members Sheila Hill and
Neil Shaw with a U3A grant of $1,500
towards the purchase of new chairs for
U3A Headquarters.
7
New Courses for Term 1, 2014
For Term 1 we are offering at least 12 new U3A courses. Here is a brief introduction to each one:
Craft Group:
This is a social morning with your own choice of craft. The meeting room at Toora
Hall has been booked and there is plenty of room. Further details from the facilitator, Liz Hoogwerf.
Scrabble:
Enjoy a social game of Scrabble every Monday from 9am at the U3A Headquarters.
Facilitator is Jenni Munro
e_Book Club.
Members of the group will download two books off the internet onto their own computers, iPads or tablets. Tutor/facilitator is Allan Locke who will provide details of how to copy the
book off the internet onto your own device. There will be group discussions on each book.
Bocce for Men.
The group will be shown how to play a simplified version of the bocce game.
There will be regular breaks for a chat and refreshments. Tutor/facilitator is Jeff Montague who will
arrange each venue, the refreshments as well as teach the game.
Understanding Buddhism:
Learn the basics of Buddhism from a Tibetan Buddhist nun and
author, with extensive teaching experience here and overseas. It will be helpful, but not essential, for
you to have a copy of “Buddhism for Dummies”. Each session will be followed by a Meditation class.
Jazz:
Tutor Eric Mould has put together another wonderful collection of American recorded Jazz.
This was a very successful course last Winter and Eric has kindly developed a new version.
Acrylics with tutor Fleur Wheeler.
Acrylics offer a wealth of possibilities and fun. It is a very forgiving media, easy to correct mistakes. Lively vibrant colours and paint dries quickly. Enjoy!
Pastel & Drawing.
Sally Gibson will teach Drawing with pencil and Marg Lacey will teach how to
use pastels in outdoor painting. Their classes will be at Sandy Point and run for 4 weeks in February
Stage of your Life:
Tutor Edwin Coad from FAMDA will teach theatre craft so that participants
can devise, produce and perform a one-act play in August, 2014.
From Life to Literature WORKSHOPPING:
Tutor Alison Shields offers this new extension
class to those who participated in the Beginners group last year.
Improving Your Photography:
Tutor Alan Lacey will take you back to basics, including Q&A
sessions, revision and a photo shoot for practice and discussion.
Brain Fitness:
Using a special DVD series from “The Great Courses”, facilitator Neil Shaw will
lead a discussion on each of the 12 lectures. We all understand the value of physical fitness, but
Brain Fitness is also vital and can be a wonderful activity for retired people.
8
Continuing Courses from last Term:
Listed below are the courses that continue to run because of their popularity and strong support.
Many thanks to all the tutors who continue to present their courses with such enthusiasm
COURSE or TOPIC
WHEN?
CONTACT
En Plein Air (out door painting)
Monday 10am every week
Mary Shaw
Golf
Tuesday 10am weekly
Liz Hoogwerf
French
Tuesday 10am to 12noon
Anne Roussac-Hoyne
Tai-Chi
Tuesday 10am to 11am weekly
Jan Power
Meditation
Tuesday 12.10pm to 1pm
Chonyi Taylor
Guest Speaker forum
Tuesday 1.30pm weekly
Neil Shaw
Computers for Experienced
Tuesday 9am to 10.30am and
Neil Shaw and tutors
Users
Tuesday 10.30am to 12 noon
Indian Cooking
Wednesday 10.30am fortnightly
Noel Hoogwerf
Cryptic Crosswords
Wednesday 1pm weekly
Diana Zlatic
Movie Appreciation
Wednesday (every 3rd Wed.)
Liz Hoogwerf
Table Tennis
Wednesday 2pm to 4pm weekly
Henry Casson
Community lawn bowling
Wednesday 5.30pm weekly
Foster Bowls Club
iPads
Thursday 10.30am weekly
Joyce Locke and Neil Shaw
Circle Dancing at Sandy Point
Thursday 3pm weekly
Sally Gibson & Etta Stewart
Mah-Jong
Thursday 4pm to 6pm weekly
Moya Allen
Circle Dancing (Beginners)
Friday 9.30am to 10am weekly
Lois Frankland
Circle Dancing (Advanced)
Friday 10am to 11am weekly
Lois Frankland
Computers for Beginners
Friday 9am to 10.30am weekly
Friday 10-30am to 12 pm weekly
Neil Shaw and tutors
From Life to Literature
Friday 1.30pm fortnightly
Alison Shields
Current Affairs (discussion)
Friday 2pm weekly (Foster pub)
Henry Casson
Twilight with Andre Rieu
Friday 4.30pm Fortnightly happy
hour and Strauss Orchestra
Neil Shaw
Bike riding
Saturday 8.30am
Jenni Munro
9
Sponsors and Supporters
Adult Education
South Gippsland Hospital
Community Health Centre
Sandy Point Art Gallery
33 Beach Parade
Sandy Point, Vic
3959
www.sandypointgallery.com.au
Ph.
(03) 5684 1094
BASIA MILLE
M: 0414 295 048
CellarDoor Open weekend afternoons
Luxury Accommodation
1 Taylor Court Fish Creek
Victoria 3959
Australia
T: 61 3 5687 1453
E: info@basiamille.com.au
W: www.basiamille.com.au
Member U3A
BASIA MILLE
Geraldine and Tony
Conabere