Newsletter—November 2006

From the President
This will be our last newsletter for the year. It covers the AGM of the 10th November and events coming up prior to the commencement of Term 1, 2007. As was announced at our AGM the fees for the year 2007 have been set at $30. The increase was unavoidable owing to the rise in running costs of the organisation. Unfortunately the committee have no control over inflation and we are not exempt from these rises.

For the coming year we will see some new faces on the Committee. For those who have served and are now not with us, I thank them for their generous contributions.

HELP! If you have some free time that you can donate to the organisation, we are looking for someone to fill the position of Secretary.

The next full newsletter will be at the end of Term 1. All contributions are requested to arrive at the Penrith office by Friday, 16th March, 2007. For those of you on the internet please take a few minutes to look at our revised website. I'm sure you will find some interesting reading.

On behalf of the Committee may I wish all our members a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and we hope you enjoy U3A again next year.

              —Reg Grace

The Annual General Meeting of the Nepean Blue Mountains Chapter of U3A was held at the Penrith school of Arts on Friday, 10 November 2006 at 2 pm.
The AGM, among other things, elected a committee of management. All positions on the committee were declared vacant. The following members were elected to the positions on the committee.

Membership Renewal and Enrollment Meetings
Renew your membership for 2007 by mailing a Renewal Form and $30 annual membership fee to the Treasurer at PO Box 958 Penrith 2751, or in person at either enrollment meeting:

U3A Web Homepage
Now, all you internet, cybernet buffs, or amateurs like myself, please note that the Newsletter and the revised Constitution are available on our home website: http://www.pnc.com.au/~u3anepoff, so visit the site for copies of the latest information.

The home website has been extensively updated and modernised, thanks to the enthusiastic and majestic efforts of David Evans.

Please visit the site soon and give us your comments and/or suggestions for any of the pages included, or any other details you would like to see included. Personally, I think the pages are superb and inspire a real sense of professionalism in our organisation.

Season's Greetings
Dear Tutors and Students,

My heartfelt thank you to all tutors and students who supported me throughout the last year. I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours the best for the following year.

For the tutors, your expert contribution of tutoring courses, and the many hours in preparing lessons, is what helped to keep U3A Nepean Blue Mountains continuing at such a high standard. Your outstanding performance is the reason that our organisation can offer so much at such a low cost.

To the students of our U3A, thank you for attending the courses. It is rewarding to know that all classes are appreciated. This is shown by the enrollments of the varied courses that are conducted. I am proud that our varied classes range from academic, music, legal to recreational, including the craft classes, as these are a form of art which not everyone is skilled at.

Definitely "lively lessons for lively minds".

To Alan Lees, the new Curriculum Convener, I extend my best wishes. It is not an easy job, but a job that is rewarding.

To all of you, I wish a happy, healthy and festive season.

Helen Mayhew, Retired Curriculum Convener.

Discover the Sun you haven't seen!!!
The U3A Astronomy Course students are having a huge end of year "Sun-Earth" day on Saturday 9th December at Kings Tableland Observatory in Wentworth Falls, running from 11.00 to 3.00pm.
All members of U3A are cordially invited to attend this event. We will have telescopes for "Sun Gazing" in hydrogen alpha wavelength, together with descriptive moves and shows, full of interesting pictures of the Sun, showing the turbulent nature of the surface and surrounding atmosphere.
This is for all U3A members, their families, neighbours, and anyone else who would like a day out, but is not suitable for small children (under 7 years). The cost of admission is $5 per person.
So pack your picnic hamper in your car and bring something to share, a mug, a hat and a smile. Free hot drinks will be available.
Unfortunately there are no B-B-Q facilities available.

Access to the observatory:
Turn off Great Western Highway at Kings Tableland Road (a large sign for POTS is located at the junction).
Follow Kings Tableland Road for approximately 3 kms then turn right into Hordern Road and follow road through to the end. The Observatory is plainly sign posted. Park on grass facing the property fence line.
The address is 55 Hordern road, Wentworth Falls. The contact phone number is 4757 2954, Roger North.
Car drives please park in Hordern Road (face on to the Observatory). If there is room in your vehicle please bring an extra chair or two.

U3A Contact: Anthony Bayes 4739 2661

Notices
The U3A Christmas Party was held on Saturday, December 2 at the U3A rooms in Penrith. It was a cheerful affair with lots of good conversation and lots of eats. During the afternoon we were treated to a poetry recitation by Joan Vaughan-Taylor. U3A Christmas Party	Social activities: COACH TRIP Following our very successful trip to Canberra our second trip will be in the opposite direction. We are heading north to the Hunter Valley Gardens. These gardens, covering over 25 hectares, are arranged in twelve garden "rooms" each with its own theme. One has a 10 metre waterfall. WHEN:   Friday, 23rd February 2007, departing Springwood at 7.45 am. COST:   $40 which includes travel, morning tea, and garden entry. Bring or buy your own lunch. You will need a hat. We will be spending the whole day in the area, returning to Springwood by about 6pm. Bookings are now open via the Penrith Office, or you can pay on either of the enrollment days. No deposits. Full payment only. Limited to one coach only. Please choose, when booking, where you would like to join the coach. Pick up points will be as follows: Springwood:   7.45 am Macquarie Road, near Post Office. Blaxland:   7.55 am on Highway near Station. Glenbrook:   8.00 am on Highway just past traffic lights. Lennox Centre:   8.10 am at the bus shelter on old highway. All day parking Emu Plains Station:   8.15 am near vets (south side). Panthers:   8.30 am near information building. All day parking.	Ever Considered Sailing? Sailability Penrith lakes is a volunteer organisation that makes the fun of sailing possible for everyone regardless of age or physical condition. No previous experience is necessary. Specially designed boats ensure safety. Seniors are invited to sail on Tuesdays from 1.00 – 12.30 for $10 per session. For more information visit their web site by CLICKING HERE, or call Pam on 0418 204 303. Sailing with Sailability:  Penrith Lakes
Thank you to the office volunteers for the hours they put in ensuring the organisation continues to run smoothly. They fulfill an important role as the first point of contact with our organisation and they are always polite, friendly and helpful, and generally keep the wheels turning. Would you all please consider whether you can spare a few hours a week/fortnight/month to assist in the office? Last year one area of concern to our valued office volunteers was the great number of renewals submitted without the renewal application form being attached. These are required to ensure that our insurance cover is valid for all our members. As a result a renewal application had to be re-posted out to those members, so please ensure that any future renewals not only include the fee but the completed renewal application form as well.	Term Dates—2007 Term 1:       05 Feb – 05 Apr Term 2:       23 Apr – 29 Jun Term 3:       16 Jul  – 28 Sep Term 4:       15 Oct – 14 Dec	From the Editor's desk: This is your Newsletter. Members and other U3A Chapters are invited to contribute. Contributions should not exceed 200 words, or half a page maximum. Send typed contributions to the Newsletter Editor by email or post to Penrith Office. Email is preferred, as it is easy to download into the Newsletter. Please include your name and phone number. To email articles for the newsletter, please click this button:
Thanks to Tutors and Volunteers Instead of a luncheon, the committee decided this year to hold an afternoon tea to thank tutors and volunteers for their time and effort. The constraints of a luncheon have previously restricted attendees to a seat at a table with a specific group, preventing them from getting to know others. The fifty plus people who went to the Log Cabin on Friday, 27 October mingled as they enjoyed hot finger food and scones with jam and cream, and hot or cold drinks. They then participated in a game designed to mix them into various changing groups, enabling them to meet someone they had not previously known. Certificates of Appreciation were presented by president Reg Grace to long-serving Foundation Member, Judith Hill, retired Curriculum Convener, Arthur Mason, and retiring tutors Jean Hibberd, Gerry Taylor and Katie Cudlin. Other retiring tutors Hans Frank, Jean Turner and Derek Bould who could not attend received their certificates later. Thanks go to Nick Hill for organising a very successful function and to Luciano Vranich for devising the game and taking photos.                 —Lynda Henderson	Coffee Mornings Coffee mornings will continue in 2007 on the first Saturday of the month at Caddies Place in Castlereagh Street, Penrith, at 11 am. Numbers attending this year have been growing so the practice is set to continue next year for those who are interested.	Contact Details: University of the Third Age Nepean–Blue Mountains–Chifley Chapter Phone/Fax:     02 4722 3405 Email:    u3anepoff&pnc.com.au Website:    www.pnc.com.au/~u3anepoff U3A is a self-help group that derives its strength from its members' capacities and the sharing of their knowledge and experience.