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November 2009

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An Invitation for you:

All members are invited to attend our end of year celebration to be held on

Wednesday 25^th November
at Salvation Army Hall
commencing at 2pm

Our U3A Singers will be performing and other entertainment will also be offered.
Please bring a plate for afternoon tea.

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Energy Futures:

The next session of Energy Futures will be held on Thursday 26^th November at Ralph and Lois Provan’s energy efficient (close to “carbon neutral”) property at Wine Shanty Lane, Whiteheads Creek – between Kobyboyn and Highlands Roads.

For this meeting a group will meet and arrange car pooling at 1.30pm outside the Seymour Library; alternatively go directly to the property at 2pm. Jill Fidler is acting as coordinator for this meeting, contact her for details or for transport on 0407 871 603. Unfortunately Nell and I will be away and will miss this informative visit.

Bob Brown

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Seymour Interconnect:

We now have 2 new computers and a high speed broadband connection (ADSL 2) in the U3A office; we have purchased new chairs and plan to open the Public Internet Access Program (PIAP) early next year. Linda Wheeler, a trainer from VicNet gave us two sessions discussing internet training and we are now refining the system and giving some final training to our Interconnect volunteers.

Contact Bob Brown (telephone 5796 2163 (rhbrown2@bigpond.com) if you would like to assist in this program. As well as helping others, you’ll probably learn quite a few things yourself.

The President’s Letter:

Dear All,

Since I wrote last Len and I have been on an Odyssey to our respective birthplaces in England, which also included historic sites and gardens. Came across a photographic display by the Lyme Regis U3A which served to remind me that we are part of a World Wide Network and Seymour is a very junior member. Five years up next May…does anyone else wonder, like I do, where the last four and a half have gone? We’re already planning to celebrate in style.

Most courses are winding down or have finished, but we will be offering an interesting and challenging mix of new ones and old favourites for 2010.

We look forward to seeing you at our end of year celebration at the Salvation Army Hall on 25^th, where we will be able to thank all of our tireless Tutors and the many members who have helped in various ways to bring another successful year to its’ conclusion.

Our AGM will be held in February 2010 and I would like to take this opportunity to invite members to join us on Council or on one of our Sub-Committees. We are always on the lookout for fresh ideas and I can assure you that it’s fun most of the time too.

Best wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year…

Jill Fidler

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Reminders for your Diary 2010:

Enrolment Day:

Wednesday 20^th January 2010 at TAFE
1.30pm – 3.30pm

AGM: Tuesday 16^th February 2010 (Change - this will be held on Wednesday 17th February 2010)

Program Sub-committee Report:

Loris, Carol, Lee, Margaret and I are busy finalizing the 2010 courses and getting ready for Enrolment Day – Wednesday January 20^th at 1.30pm to 3.30pm at TAFE. Possible new courses in the first semester i.e. up until June 30 include – Hatha Yoga, the military history of Seymour, Woodwork, Health and Wellbeing.

We are hoping to have more events and courses at TAFE which you may remember we used to have in our early days. A very pleasing development given both U3A and TAFE concentrate on education.

Also we are moving to have a series of short courses, ones that go for 4 to 6 weeks. It will allow us not to miss out on parts of a course because we are away for some reason.

Here’s to another exciting S&D U3A year!

Anne Thompson

Program Sub-committee Co-ordinator

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Vine, Wine & Dine for 2010?

The group enjoyed the visit to Rocky Passes Estate, especially the guided tasting. If someone would like to arrange a few visits next year to other venues, they should contact Carol Smith on 5799 1970 to express interest.

Carol will not be leading Vine Wine & Dine in 2010 but would like to thank those participants who supported the program of winery tours this year.

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Literature:

Our Literature study comes to its year’s end with a playreading of “A Man for all Seasons”. We have tackled a very wide range of writers – the last being the Australian Garry Disher. We would all recommend his tale of inter-racial young love in Broome during World War 11, titled “The Divine Wind”.

Our tutor put in so much hard preparation for us. Warm thanks Trudi.

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A Way with Words:

The writers in A Way with Words have a dedicated core of folk who just keep at it no matter how cold. We did suffer a drop off over Winter but intend to finish in a rainbow burst in November, since our subject is a colour of choice. Sometimes we have been moved to tears, mostly to laughter or pleasure in the variety of writing we hear. Anyone who would like to try their hand next year would feel encouraged.

Book Group:

Our books from CAE have really varied and often lead to lots of discussion that digresses away from the book and, of course, we always enjoy the coffee break afterwards. Part of belonging to the book club group is that we often read books suggested by our fellow members. As well a fellow member brought in several copies of her husband’s self-published memories that we have enjoyed. At present we are reading “Such is Life” by Joseph Furphy first published under the pseudonym “Tom Collins” – a real old Australian classic first published in 1903

Lynne Byrne

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Share Trading:

The Share Trading group is a small group of 6 members. The aim of the group is to obtain enough knowledge to understand how the sharemarket works and intelligently select shares for a balanced portfolio.

Some members are playing the Sharemarket Game with a fictitious $50,000 to gain the confidence to trade online. Sessions involve discussion of articles and shares followed by research using computers. New members are welcome to join our group in 2010.

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Salvador Dali, His Life & Times:

A Spanish Fiesta honouring Salvador Dali followed our visit to see his showing at the NGV. This was a fun event to end our study so we cooked paella-new expert Nell B. We drank wine from a goatskin, told travellers tales, ate too much so excusing ourselves dancing the Flamenco to Carmen and enjoyed the company of a genuine Spanish visitor.

We are all looking forward to the 2010 Winter Blockbuster.

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Our U3A Archives:

Our archivist, Wendie Hooper, will continue working on putting our archives together over the recess and would welcome any photographs or other information members can provide.

Contact Wendie on 5792 3997 if you can assist.

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Our U3A thanks Ben Hardman MP

for his assistance with the printing of our

Newsletters and Green Guide