Newsletter, October 2008

Events

U3A Excursion/Bus Trip on 10th September was a great success. We had beautiful weather for our visit to Balanced Essentials Aromatherapy at Glenorie, where we were welcomed by our host with a terrific morning tea. Then enjoyed a presentation and information session on aromatherapy and tried the products. In fact, Brian G (He of Mah Jong & Canasta fame) really got into the spirit of things by stripping off and being anointed with healing oils by Jan. Unfortunately, the rest of us were too modest to join in, or heaven knows what sort of Headlines the next day newspapers would have carried.
We then travelled to Wisemans Ferry for a two hour luncheon cruise aboard Leisure Lass Cruises
What a great day thanks to Brenda Emerson’s organisation! There are some good photographs on our on-line photo album and on the Office computer. But no, there are none of Brian’s anointing – sorry!

Bowral Tulip Festival Friday 3rd October 2008
This excursion is being run in conjunction with the U3A Sydney Chapter. Details in Term 4 Newsletter on our Website.

U3A Members Social Dance at 7.30pm to 11.00pm on Saturday 4th October
Another U3A Members Social Dance for all U3A members, their partners, family and friends will be held on Saturday in the Penrith School of Arts Hall, 3 Castlereagh Street, Penrith. A "gold coin donation" per person is requested to cover refreshments (tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits). However, you may also ‘byo’ (bring your own) refreshments (including alcohol). If you have a CD of music that you would like to dance to, please bring it with you.

Afternoon Tea for Tutors & Volunteers on Friday 10th October between 2.00pm and 4.00pm will be at the Penrith RSL.

The U3A Head Office will re-open after the holidays on Monday 13th October.

Blackheath Rhododendron Garden & Art Show – Saturday, 1st November 2008
This excursion is being run in conjunction with the U3A Sydney Chapter. Details in Term 4 Newsletter on our Website

U3A Annual General Meeting 2.00pm on Saturday 8th November 2008
We have arranged for our Annual General Meeting to be held at the Mid Mountains Community Centre, New & Staple Sts, Lawson. We hope that there will be a good turn out of members from all areas.
If a quorum of 25 members is not achieved within 30 minutes of the proposed starting time, the AGM will be held at Penrith School of Arts Hall, 3 Castlereagh Street, Penrith at 2pm on Friday 14th November 2008.
Please remember that our constitution stipulates that the AGM is for receiving reports from our Office Bearers and the establishment of our new Committee.
If you wish to nominate for a Committee position, please advise our Secretary – Brenda Emerson - at least one week prior to the Meeting.

Christmas Time Luncheon at Jamberoo Valley Lodge in Jamberoo Valley.
Wednesday 12th November. Coach departs from Panthers at 8.30am.
Payment of $62.00 per person must be made when you make your booking, please. Cash or cheque only. You can send a cheque by mail if you wish. Bookings close on Monday 3rd November.
Bring your partner or friend. Come and join us for a fun day out – many have already booked.

General Information

U3A Handbook for 2009
Julie Ackland won the competition for the photograph that will go on the cover of the Handbook with her photograph of the entrance to our U3A Head Office at the Penrith School of Arts. Julie’s prize is her 2009 subscription to our U3A.
The Handbook proof will go to the printers next week. Thank-you to all the proof-readers.
Most of this year’s courses will also be held in 2009, including the return of: Architecture
Elementary Legal Studies
Lapidary
The Art & Science of Happiness.
Ancient Egypt. However, this will be a more in-depth course over six weeks.

And the following new courses:
Writing Your Personal History
St John’s Gospel. The approach is non-confessional, suited to Christians and Non-Christians.
Italian Theatre in Translation
Solving Cryptic Cross-words (at Blackheath)
Applied Maths & Mechanics
Additional classes in Classical/Koine Greek and Spanish
Living Simply in the 21st Century
Atlas of the Universe and History of Spaceflight

If you, or someone you know, would like to give a U3A course in 2009, please contact: Alan Lees
Tel: 4736 5541 Email:alanlees@y7mail.com
Even if we are too late for printing in the Handbook, we can advertise new courses in our Newsletters and in our Daily Class Schedules.

Basic Computing in Term 4
There are still some places available for this course.
For more details contact: Jim Percy - tel: 4758 6009 Email: jp34@tpg.com.au

The US Elections: The Candidates, Issues and Implications for Australia
There was a great deal of interest in this course and it is now full.

Calligraphy in Term 4 is cancelled
Unfortunately, Dorothy Meldrum has not sufficiently recovered from an accident to give this course.

Yoga in Term 4
Carmen Ceniza, our Yoga Tutor, and her partners have hired a studio across the road from the Penrith School of Arts in Castlereagh St at: Lila Yoga, Suite 2/352 High Street, Cnr High St & Castlereagh St – Entrance on Castlereagh St.
Our U3A Yoga classes will be held there in Term 4, starting Tuesday 14th October.
Lila Yoga also gives U3A members a discount to their Evening Classes. For more details contact: Carmen tel: 0406 765 012 Email: lilayoga1@gmail.com

Ballroom Dancing in Term 4
Classes will re-start on Friday 7th November, 1.00pm—3.00pm, in the Penrith School of Arts.
The Program started on Friday 5th September with the Modern (Jazz) Waltz. We will progress to Social Foxtrot, Slow Foxtrots, Quickstep and Swing, Old Time & New Vogue, Bossa Nova, Cha Cha, Mambo, Samba, Tango, etc., both in Freestyle & Sequence. Everyone is welcome.
For further information, please contact:  Allan Bond FATD or Beverley on 4729 1508, or Alan Lees on 4736 5541 Email: alanlees@y7mail.com

Email from Marie Stewart
The oldest member of our Tai Chi group is Mollie Hubbard, who turned 95 on July 22. Mollie has been a regular member of my group for sixteen years now, and in that time has missed very few classes, including a time when she broke her arm, and refused to stay in hospital overnight because she "couldn't miss Tai Chi". Subsequently, she did Tai Chi one-handed with her tiny body (she'd be lucky to be six stone wringing wet!) bent to one side by the weight of the heavy cast. A few weeks after celebrating her birthday, she fell and broke her hip, which as most of us know, can be devastating at any age.  Three weeks later, she is confounding the staff at Nepean Hospital by walking without a stick, up and down stairs, and says quietly "It's the Tai Chi that does it". In Seniors' Week 2005 when she was featured in the "Penrith Press" and photographed active in the class, she told the reporter her ambition then was to climb the Harbour Bridge. She and I had a pact to do it on her 100th birthday. I don't know how I'll go, but it won't surprise me if Mollie makes it.
Well done Mollie, we're all so proud of you, whilst missing your quietly loving presence in class. We Hope you'll be back soon. See you on top of the Bridge!
P.S.  Mollie is also still an active Bowls player.

Email from Jim Percy after visiting the ASCCA (Australian Seniors Computing Clubs Association) Conference
On re-checking the program for the 2 days of conference I found that there were more items of interest on day 1, so I opted to attend on Day 1 only. Just as well as I was quite exhausted at the end of a long day.
The conference was well run with quality presentations. The Keynote speakers being from Industry (Telstra etc.) and ASCCA and the Concurrent speakers being mostly from the associated computer clubs.
Each speaker had a digital projector presentation (mostly Power Point) with a good sound system. The projectors and sound system were Powerhouse devices I'm sure.

Details of all sessions are on the ASSCA website.
The sessions I attended were:
1/ Introduction - Nan Bosler, president ASCCA
2/ 10 Years of Commitment to Seniors - Nan Bosler president, ASCCA
3/ What Digital Divide? - Mike Robey, Telstra
4/ The First 5000 days of the WEB - Peter Blasina, Technology media personality.
5/ A few of my favourite tales - Mathew Connel, Curator Mathematics and Computers, PowerHouse Museum
6/ Digital Photographs before and after with Picasa - Brian Hindes, Computer Pals Northern Beaches.
7/ Painting with Words - Joan Craymer, Computer Pals Epping
8/ And then I won one of the many door prizes.

  Items of particular interest: Mathew Connel, Curator Mathematics and Computers, PowerHouse Museum is a very entertaining speaker who is willing to travel to speak to clubs.
His presentation covered early computers Cirac and Siliac and the codebreaking efforts of Alan Turin, but he has a great bank of stories.
The Session on Picasa by Brian Hindes was very good, showing Picasa as a free, simple program which does not do everything that Photoshop does, but what it does do, it does well and simply.
What do you think of me looking at putting on a tutorial using Picasa to enhance, crop and store digital pictures? It should nicely cover a term and I do get lots of enquiries for imaging. The trick is to keep it simple.
I do use Picasa but not to the extent that Brian showed, more as an organisational tool. 
Thanks for the opportunity to attend the day.

Walking with a Touch of History in October
Details of all Walks for Term 3 are shown elsewhere on the website. U3A Members can join any Walking Group. But Walks A and Walks B are for “Medium walkers” and Walks C are for “Gentle walkers”.

Committee News

2010 U3A NSW State Conference
To assist in our fund raising activities, for the 2010 U3A NSW State Conference, we will be conducting some “guessing” competitions.
Each competition will comprise 200 tickets each having 5 numbers in the range 000 - 999.
Each week for 10 weeks the winner will be the person holding the ticket with the last three numbers of the first lottery drawn on the Monday morning.
The weekly prize for the first 9 weeks will be $#36;50
The prize for week 10 will be $#36;450.
Tickets will be $#36;10 each, so have a go. You have 1 chance in 20 to win a prize.
We are looking at the competition commencing on Monday 6th October with week 10 being Monday 8th December – just in time for Christmas.
Contact the following for details:
U3A Office – 4722 3405
Tony Bayes – 4739 2661
Brenda Emerson – 4721 1735
Reg Grace – 4739 4843
Alternatively you can purchase your tickets at the office.

Newsletters
The closing date for submissions to the monthly Email Newsletter is one week before the end of each month. However, if you miss the date, your submission will go in the following month’s newsletter – if I remember. Submissions should be sent to the Office, Attention Curriculum Convener, or preferably emailed to alanlees@y7mail.com

Next Committee Meeting
The next Committee Meeting will be held at the Penrith School of Arts at 1.30pm on Tuesday 9th October, 2008.

Disclaimer – Articles contributed to this Newsletter and published as a service to members; do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of this association. Articles are intended as opinions and items of debate only and should not be acted on without expert advice