Tutors' Newsletter – May 2007

This is the first U3A Nepean Blue Mountains Tutor’s Email Newsletter. It is a bit primitive. But we hope that it will improve with age and experience. Its purpose is to provide a quick and cost effective way of informing tutors about what is happening in the U3A. If appropriate, tutors are at liberty to pass the information on to their students. This Newsletter will also be on the U3A website www.u3anepean.org . Tutors and members are encouraged to provide input to the Newsletter, preferably by email to u3acurriculum@yahoo.com.au.

Events

Biggest Morning Tea in aid of Cancer Research was held at the U3A offices on Thursday 24th May. Judith Hill assisted by several volunteers arranged a wonderful spread of delicious food. There were raffles for donated prizes and over $900 was raised for Cancer research. This was a very enjoyable and highly successful fund raising event.

Tour of Penrith Lakes Scheme On Friday 13th April, approximately 90 U3A members and their guests toured the Penrith Lakes Scheme. Penrith Lakes Development Corporation Ltd provided, free of charge, an excellent tour by bus of the lakes and quarries, a demonstration of the UWS flood model, a presentation of the proposed development of the lakes scheme and refreshments. We also had a walk around the Methodist Church and cemetery at Castlereagh and Judith Hill told us the story of how John Lees had donated the church site. Photographs taken by John Phillips from Petr Malek’s Photography class and by Phill Hill (our new U3A Secretary) can be seen on the office computer. Photographs taken by Carmel Bishop can be seen on the U3A website www.u3anepean.org . Because I supplied the photographs to our Webmaster, David Evans, without any details, David made up his own story about the photographs on the website. A very strange account of how U3A members had been abducted into a new uranium mine at Penrith, never to be seen again!

Tour of the Power House Museum will be organised for later this year by the Social Secretary Nick Hill.

Existing Courses & Courses for Term 3        (16th July to 28th September)

Publicity
If you want publicity for your courses, please let me know and I will ask the Publicity Officer, Tony Bayes to arrange for notices to be placed in the ‘community calendar’ columns of the Blue Mountains Gazette, Penrith Press and Penrith Star. Notices should show the name of the course, the start date and (preferably) the name and telephone number of the tutor. However, we could put the U3A Office name and telephone number. Notices can also be placed in Term Newsletters.

Growing and Caring for Orchids commencing 18 July
Graham Larkham Tel: 9833 4450
34 Danny Street, Werrington
Wednesday: 9.00am – 11.00am
More details are available in the Handbook 2007.
Graham requires a minimum of 12 students. We have only 6 students enrolled at present and we need publicity to boost the numbers.

Australian History
Members have requested that we run a course on Australian History and Robert Payne, who is a retired school teacher, has volunteered to be a tutor. We need to know how many are interested in taking this course. If you or your friends are interested, would you please contact Robert – Tel: 4751 5550.

Canasta 5
Brenda Emerson (our Office Manager) has offered to introduce a Canasta 5 class in Term 3 at Penrith School of Arts on Friday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm. Brenda says that Canasta 5 is a thinking game that gives the brain lots of exercise. If you are interested in keeping your brain active and in joining Brenda’s Canasta class, please contact her at the office or Tel: 4751 1735.

Drama for Fun
Joan & Ross Vaughn-Taylor’s course at Springwood Uniting Church weekly on Thursdays between 10.00am – 12noon was cancelled for Term 2 because of the small number of students. However, students have written to tell me how much they enjoyed this course and how disappointed they are that it has been cancelled. Joan & Ross are willing to reintroduce the course in Term 3 if there are a minimum of 6 students. If you or your friends are interested in taking this course, would you please contact Joan – Tel: 4751 4941.

Communication
Brian Kearney’s class at the Penrith School of Arts fortnightly on Wednesdays between 2.00pm – 3.30pm is an excellent course that will help improve your verbal communicating skills. The next class is on Wednesday 6th June. Why not come along and bring your friends - see if you enjoy it.

Thinking about Thinking
Phill Hill’s course on Systems Thinking has been cancelled for Term 2. But Phill is planning on reintroducing it with a family oriented angle in Term 3.

Russian for Beginners
Frank Ross’ course was cancelled for Term 2 due to Frank’s ill health and small student numbers.

Tai Chi
Christie Wood has changed the times of her Tai Chi class on Thursday at Penrith School of Arts to 10am – 11am.

Harmony Singers
A choir for seniors has been set up at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith. The Choir Master would like more seniors to join. For further information please contact Thelma Tel: 4731 6212

Walking with a Touch of History Group A 4th June - Glenbrook at 9.30am. Walk to Emu Plains – under Highway
18th June – Mt Victoria at 9.45am. Walk to Cemetery and Shale Mine (bring a torch).
25th June – Strathfield at 8.58am. To Wandabyne 9.53am return to Brooklyn (travel in rear carriage) for ferry to Dungar Island.
Group B 4th June – Central at 9.15am – meet at escalator. 10.10am Ferry to Watsons Bay - walk to Rose Bay via Vaucluse House grounds.
18th June – Central at 9.15am - meet at escalator. Manly – Spit Bridge (10am ferry wharf 3 Circular Quay)
25th June – Same as Group A (above).

Committee News

Our U3A has been asked to host the 2010 U3A State Conference. The committee will be calling for volunteers to help organise this event.

Phill Hill was welcomed as our new Secretary and Kerry Speak was thanked for acting in the position.

Shirley Gould has volunteered to be the Hall Manager. Anyone who wishes to rent the Penrith School of Arts Hall, should contact Shirley at the office or Tel: 4731 4176.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held at 2pm on Friday 9th November 2007 at the Penrith School of Arts. We have 684 financial members and, financially, we should break even this year.

The Tutors' Tea will be held at 2pm – 4pm in October (probably 19th October) at a venue that is yet to be determined. We have 70 active tutors and we have email addresses for 34 of them.

Students have complained that they have been confused at the start of a new term by classes that are run fortnightly. They do not know the date of the first class at the beginning of each term. In future, we will have to indicate the commencing date (for each term) for those courses that are run fortnightly.

Term 3 Newsletter. The closing date for submissions is Friday June 15. Any Newsletter contributions should be sent to Newsletter Editor (Tony Bayes) or emailed to u3anews@acay.com.au . Get your thoughts together and give Tony plenty of material for a bumper issue.

Tony Bayes is considering a proposed film afternoon on Saturday 2nd June from 1pm to 3pm with 30 minute comfort break at 2pm. The films are “Tasmanian Wilderness” and “Queensland Outback” from the Australian Geographic collection.

In answer to our survey, in which we requested members to tell us about courses that they and their friends would be interested in taking, we have the following suggestions: Bird Watching; Book Club; Card Making; Chemistry (not on Mondays); Current Affairs and Politics; Decoupage; Energy; Family Support; Geography; Genealogy; History of: Art, Australia, Local and World: Investing; Japanese; Movie Club; Music Theory - learning to read music; Naturopathy and Nutrition; Quilting; Wood Turning; Yoga and Pilates.

Anyone want to tutor any of these subjects? Do you know of anyone that may be interested in tutoring any of these subjects? Please get back to me on u3acurriculum@yahoo.com.au

U3A has purchased 6 new chess sets for Ken MacGillivrays’ chess class. It appears to be a very popular and lively class at Penrith School of Arts at 1.30pm to 3.30pm on Fridays.

It has been brought to our attention that we are not holding signed Membership Application forms for some tutors that are not members. We need this completed form for insurance purposes. We will be writing to those tutors in the near future requesting them to complete and sign the form and return it to the office. This time we will try and ensure that the form and the stamped addressed return envelope is included with our letter.

We are organising a Working Bee to clean-up the cupboards in the Hall at 10am on Wednesday 27th June. Tea and Coffee will be provided. If you are willing to help, please contact Shirley Gould at the office or Tel: 4731 4176

Mark Sawazak of the bookstore Pages Plus in Henry St, Penrith has offered to discount any text books to members.

Justice of the Peace: The following Justices of the Peace have volunteered to witness documents on Wednesdays during terms at the Penrith School of Arts:
10.30am – 12.30pm      Joan Manna
  2.00pm –  3.30pm      Brian Kearney

The next Committee Meeting will be on Tuesday 19th June.

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

               —Alan Lees, Curriculum Convener