May 28, 2023eVoiceNews

To ensure its viability into the future, the U3A Choir needs to fill three leadership positions:

1.  Choir conductor
2. Conductor’s relief
3.  Accompanist’s relief

“These positions are urgently required especially if the U3A wants the choir to continue in the future,” said Secretary of the Choir, Jill Markwell.  “We have about 40 very keen choir members but due to Covid we have not as yet resumed our biannual concerts.”

“We are slowly returning to nursing homes to perform a morning’s entertainment which is enjoyed, with many residents joining in with our singalongs. It is lovely and inspiring to see. Some even help out conducting!”
The leadership positions do require some experience but there’s plenty of assistance from other choir members.
Anyone willing to help the Choir, please contact Jill Markwell via email: jillian.dawn@bigpond.com

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April 28, 2023eVoiceNews

U3A Luncheon Dining Group gathered at the Cotton Tree Beach Bar last Thursday, organised by David and Jill Murdoch, for an enjoyable lunch at an excellent venue with delicious food and good company. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the camaraderie of one of the popular U3A dining groups.

The ambiance of the Beach Bar overlooking the park and beach opposite is excellent and the restaurant area is light and bright with seating inside or outside on the patio. Drinks and meals are ordered at the counter so split bills aren’t a problem.

Signature dishes at ‘Beach Bar’ include Tempura Battered Coral Trout at $27 and a selection of Gourmet Burgers for $24. Other selection included Char Siu Pork Seared Mahi Mahi, Kings Beach Poke Bowl, Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca, Calamari Tendril Salad and Satay Chicken Bowl. All these selections were about $28.

Lyndsay and Jasmine Oehm were happy with their Beef Burger and Coral Trout saying that the meals were substantial, tasty and reasonably priced.

Jill Murdoch chose the Fish Tacos while Candice Sims chose the Kings Beach Poke Bowl and were pleased with the serving size, presentation and taste.

Terry and Margaret Weston and Monika Barbour were similarly impressed with their meals.

Peter Landon and David Murdoch enjoyed their drinks and their meals.

Managers at the Beach Bar, Trine Peterson and Jessie Dyer provided excellent service and ensured that meals were delivered promptly.

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April 25, 2023eVoiceNews

U3A Sunshine Coast has a new Management Committee, elected at the Annual General Meeting last Saturday. The new lineup includes members returning for a new term on the Committee along with two new people, in John Oakhill and Ian McKaskill.

Of note is that members attending the AGM voted to renominate the retiring President and Secretary to continue in their roles for another year, or until new nominations have been received and could be voted on at a Management Committee meeting.  President Glyni Cumming and Secretary Dawne Clarke, had volunteered to stay on in their roles in the absence of any nominations for their positions. This was an important resolution, as the organisation could have continued without an elected President but could not do so legally without an elected Secretary.

Here’s a gallery of the Management Committee for the 2023/2024 year:

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March 20, 2023eVoiceNews

The Notice of Meeting and accompanying documents relevant to the Annual General Meeting to be held 10.00am Saturday, 22 April 2023 in Lecture Theatre 7 USC, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs are listed below, with links to the downloadable document:

• Notice of Meeting – AGM 2023
• President’s Annual Report
• Minutes of Meeting  – AGM 2022
• Management Committee – Roles and Responsibilities
• Nominations for Management Committee – AGM 2023
• Nominee Profiles – Management Committee 2023
• Nomination for Committee Form
• Signed Audit Report – AGM 2023

President Glyni Cumming extends a warm welcome to all U3A Sunshine Coast members to attend this year’s AGM, as it is an important insight into the management of your U3A over the past year, and to get together for refreshments after the meeting and enjoy the entertainment provided by our ukelele band the Serendipity Strummers.

To register to attend the AGM please email the U3A Office at u3aoffice@u3asunshine.org.au or call 5430 1123 (9am to 12 noon) or leave a phone message.

The main speaker at our AGM will be UniSC’s Clinical Trials Deputy Director Melanie Gentgall (pictured right) who along with Sarah Piplica, Regulatory, Start-Up and Patient Partnerships Manager are keen to present any trial information that is recruiting for the right age range for our U3A members.

“At our AGM, we will also acknowledge this year’s selection of Bursary Awardees,” President Glyni said. “U3A Sunshine Coast selects three UniSC students every year to each receive a $2000 bursary. And this year, for the first time, we have also selected an international student to receive a bursary.”

At the AGM, there will be four deserving nominations for Life Membership:

• Edward Webber, proposed by J. Hughes and seconded by R. Hughes
• Ian Cran, proposed by John Oakhill and seconded by W. Curran
• Lyn Lovell, proposed by J. Saint Smith and seconded by D. Clark
• Mary Ann Wright, proposed by Colin Maddocks and seconded by Jim Hales

The Management Committee hope to see as many members as possible at the Annual General Meeting.

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March 7, 2023eVoiceNews

Urgent Appeal for more Volunteers:

U3A Sunshine Coast needs you to step up and volunteer, either to nominate for the Management Committee or to offer your time in a number of other areas. The Annual General Meeting package will go out before the end of March, and it will detail the various positions of the Executive: President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary, as well as places for five committee members. The AGM will be held on Saturday April 22^.

We anticipate that some of our Management Committee team will stand again; however, the positions of President and Secretary will definitely be vacant, and the organisation cannot exist legally without a secretary. If you have some interest in learning new skills, or already know the skills involved in being a secretary: please volunteer.

Volunteers are the absolute foundation of U3A Sunshine Coast. The organisation simply cannot exist without them. I ask again that every member who reads their e-Voice consider volunteering in some capacity to keep us running. Yes, I know you are all busy with this year’s wonderful choice of courses, all run by our volunteer tutors. Yet there are extraordinary benefits to be gained by you for contributing yourself to such a positive organisation.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  – Margaret Mead

Ukulele Tutor Lorraine Quinn exemplifies Elizabeth Andrew’s statement “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.” Lorraine will be hosting her annual new members meeting this Saturday morning March 11 – always a great opportunity to espouse the benefits of volunteering – to run a course, or volunteer in the office, or join the management committee.

Volunteers are also needed for the following positions:

U3A Office Volunteers

Our Office at the University of the Sunshine Coast is open five days a week during term, from 9am to12 noon daily. It is run entirely by volunteers, who work a three-hour shift, once a week, or once a fortnight – and they are reimbursed for their parking fee.

The office volunteers provide an excellent service for anyone who needs assistance with paying either their membership or to enrol as a student in a course, as well as providing information to the general public about the organisation. The work is not onerous, but assisting our members with their enquiries is very satisfying, and we often receive positive feedback from new members who have received help.

Jennifer Strike, our Office Administrator, is calling for more volunteers, especially on her Tuesdays in April when she goes away on holidays, because every office volunteer works with a partner. If you have some free time, once a week or once a fortnight: Please volunteer.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia

Facebook Editor

Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com › www.u3aqld.org.au › posts

provides a very quick, easy and efficient method of sharing our news with members. Our retiring editor Judy Wells has done a champion job of sharing the news about U3A and matters of interest to our age group on the Sunshine Coast. If you like taking photos, if you like writing up events, if you enjoy sharing news stories on line, if you would like to take over this role: Please volunteer.

Class Captain for the Mudjimba Lecture Group

Brian Holliday has been captain of Thursdays’ North Shore Mudjimba Lecture group for a number of years; however, he is looking for a volunteer to replace him in Term 2. This is not an onerous task, and would well suit one of the class members, but any member is welcome to offer to take over this position.

The captain works with our Lecture series coordinator Lyn Lovell, to receive all the information and contact details required for each week’s session, and confirm the speaker’s attendance, and then acts as the MC at the meeting. If you like meeting interesting speakers, if you enjoy being the host and welcoming people, if you can mark a roll: Please volunteer.

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn

March Management Committee meeting will be key:

The Management Committee meeting, on March 17^th is key to planning for our AGM on Saturday April 22^nd. We’ve invited one of our tutor lecturers, Alex Crandon (pictured right) along to meet us, with a view to joining the committee at the AGM. This will add to his current in-tray, as he has recently taken over the position of President with his Probus club.

Committee member Wayne Curran has advised us that he will be retiring at the AGM from the job he’s held for the past four years, of Course and Tutor Coordinator. However, he has been very proactive and found himself a replacement at the AGM in John Oakhill, Bushwalking Tutor and member of our Tutor Reference Committee which was formed last year.

Fortunately, Wayne has expressed an interest in replacing our retiring Venues Coordinator Jodie Thomas (pictured left). Jodie has made a valuable contribution this past year to the efficient running of the U3A Sunshine Coast organisation, and has assisted every tutor with finding a suitable location for their class to meet. Wayne will fit easily into this role, and be able to work closely with his replacement, John Oakhill.

Also invited to speak at the March MC meeting is Tanya Dave, Director of I Age Well, who will be advising us about plans for this year’s 2023 Seniors Expo, to be held again in October at Sunshine Coast Turf Club Corbould Park race track.

Other news:

Great feedback from a former Bursary Awardee:

Breanna Medcalfe (pictured right), whom members may remember made the effort to speak at our AGM in 2022, wrote to us recently to share her solid progress, achieving 93 per cent for her Law course and 88 per cent for her Journalism elective. Breanna is studying part-time for her degree, and will then need a year of practical study in a law firm to officially become a lawyer.

Breanna says “Please say Hi to everyone for me. I like to keep in touch with those who have helped me throughout my journey, and I am loving my desk space that the U3A bursary helped me to set up.”

U3A Sunshine Coast Courses 2023 – what did you choose?

This year, we have offered an astounding number of classes for our members.

I am sure that you have all been able to choose activities that have made daily life more interesting, more fun, more enjoyable. Table Tennis, Yoga and Aquasize classes have all focused my attention on improving the flexibility of my body if not my mind. Now the challenge is to maintain the practice in my own time!

I have also enjoyed Jay Ridgewell’s four-week class entitled “Nature Connection” which was held at the beautiful EJ Foote Memorial Sanctuary, Buderim, although the fascinating final week was rescheduled when a class member volunteered a visit to her own property high up on Upper Rosemount Road. Here we learnt about the indigenous use of the land and its rock formations (pictured left).

Members were very positive about the short course, commenting on the considerable preparation that Jay had put into the course, the focus on making use of all the senses, and the sacredness of the tea ceremony upon conclusion of each session. Michelle reflected that the course “makes you stop and listen and revisit what quiet means to you” and Marie loved “the movement of the light grasses in the slight breeze, and ants busy, busy, busy”.

“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human.  No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.” – Heather French Henry

Glyni Cumming

President
U3A Sunshine Coast

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March 7, 2023eVoiceNews

There will be interesting speakers and other business at this year’s Annual General Meeting on April 22. President Glyni Cumming encourages as many members as possible to come along to this important event for U3A Sunshine Coast when members find out about about their Association and how it manages business.

The main speaker at our AGM will be UniSC’s Clinical Trials Deputy Director Melanie Gentgall (pictured right) who along with Koren Clarke, Clinical Trials Business Associate is keen to present any trial information that is recruiting for the right age range for our U3A members.

UniSC defines clinical trials as ‘safe, ethical medical research studies that aim to find a better way to manage particular diseases… working with our communities to advance healthcare outcomes and improve access to cutting-edge medicine, and as Koren says, “As always, we are very keen to work with U3A members. They’re the best!”

U3A Merit Based Equity Bursary Awards for 2023:

“At our AGM, we will also acknowledge this year’s selection of Bursary Awardees,” Glyni said. “U3A Sunshine Coast selects three UniSC students every year to each receive a $2000 bursary. And this year, for the first time, we have also selected an international student to receive a bursary.

“The selection process is quite rigorous, starting with students’ scholastic achievements, then assessing their level of need, both financial and personal, and finally, and this is the deciding factor, the students’ contribution to voluntary activities. Our U3A  is an organisation entirely dependent on volunteers, whether tutors, or lecturers, or office volunteers, or members of the management committee, so it is only right that we must value the students’ contribution to volunteering very highly. ”

Life Membership Nominations:

Another pleasant aspect of the annual AGM on April 22nd is voting on nominations for Life Membership. This year, the Management Committee anticipates receiving three nominations for Life Membership that will be included in the Notice of Meeting going out to all members later in March.

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March 7, 2023eVoiceNews

U3A Tutor in the Russian language, Tom (Thomas) Holden has been honoured at this year’s Australia Day awards with the Medal of the Order of Australia, for service to the community of the Sunshine Coast.

“We are proud that one of our finest and long serving tutors at U3A Sunshine Coast has been honoured in this way,” President Glyni Cumming said.

“Tom also had a fascinating career with the Royal Australian Navy, where along with many other skills, he studied Russian, which he now teaches at Sunshine Coast, and he is a recipient of the United Nations Service Medal. He has been involved with Legacy Sunshine Coast since 2019, is a parishioner and choir member at St Mark’s Buderim, and has been a tutor with U3A for many years.”

Numerous U3A members have attended his beginners course in the language of Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky

Photo: Tom Holden OAM at his home in Buderim.

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March 6, 2023eVoiceNews

Two of our current Life Members have accepted the committee’s offer to subsidise the costs of attending this year’s U3A Network Queensland Conference to be held in May at Rockhampton, namely John D. Cooper and Jim Hales.

It was John D.Cooper’s mother Frayda Myers Cooper who founded our Sunshine Coast U3A in 1986, with a much younger John helping to advertise and promote the fledgling organisation.  John explains, “I would like to attend this conference. As a co-initiator of U3A Sunshine Coast and U3As throughout Queensland and northern NSW, and as a foundation U3A Sunshine Coast tutor and continuing class convenor/tutor, I am keen to participate in this conference and IAUTA celebration.”

Jim Hales is not only a former President of U3A Sunshine Coast but was also the first administrator and editor of our Facebook page. Jim will also be a guest speaker at the Network Conference. His topic will be “Early History of U3A Network  Queensland”.

President Glyni Cumming will represent U3A Sunshine Coast at the conference as our voting delegate and as our outgoing President.

This year’s Network State Conference is shaping up to be a once in a lifetime U3A event. The organising team at U3A Rockhampton have secured an impressive lineup of guest speakers and, importantly, have been successful in reducing the costs of the Conference and the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

Check out the full Conference Programme here

Want to know more about the conference? Then check out the latest conference news:

Latest news about the Conference

Calling all U3A Artists!

The countdown is on for U3A artists to submit their entry in the U3A Network Queensland Art Exhibition, and to showcase their talent to an international audience at the U3A Network Queensland State Conference in Rockhampton 8 -11 May 2023.

The Arts Competition will be a major part of the Conference, exhibiting the talents of U3A artists in this the 50th Anniversary of U3A worldwide.

Prizes for the competition are: Winner $200, Runner Up $150 and People’s Choice $50.

For more information and how to enter, go to:

U3A Network Art Competition

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March 5, 2023eVoiceNews

Do you own a nice friendly dog that loves children? Then you may like to join ‘Story Dogs’, a literacy program that makes reading fun for children, encouraging them to become lifelong readers. Under the programme, owners with lovely dogs are matched with students in local schools.

Story Dog owner, Julie Anne Simpson (pictured right) says, “when a child  reads to a dog, the outcomes are amazing! It’s a non-judgemental setting, the child’s focus improves, their literacy skills increase and their confidence soars. The accepting, loving nature of dogs gives this program its magic and helps children relax, open up, try harder and have fun while reading to a friendly, calm dog.”

Learning to read is often less about intellectual limitation than about overcoming fears. “Fear can destroy intelligence,” says educator William Ayers. “Animals are ideal reading companions because they promote relaxation and lower blood pressure, do not judge, laugh or criticise and allow children to proceed at their own pace.”

You can find out more about Story Dogs on their website at www.storydogs.org.au where you can volunteer with your dog to be part of the programme, help fund ‘Story Dogs’ or suggest the programme be added to your child’s school.

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February 13, 2023eVoiceNews

After months of consultation with members and many hours of work by your Management Committee, the U3A Sunshine Coast Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026 has been released, to provide lead time for members to study the document prior to this year’s Annual General Meeting.

Two versions of the Plan are available: the complete Strategic Plan and a Trifold Brochure version.

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