May 9, 2021eVoiceNews

Dear Members. In this report I cover a range of happenings of interest to members:
the Annual General Meeting held on April 17th, our participation in Lifestyle 55+ Expo in August, our Photography & Video Competition, Jim Hales’ retirement as our Facebook page administrator, and the U3A Network State Conference in Stanthorpe in May.

U3A AGM 2021

Our AGM held on April 17^th was small but successful, and I again thank the USC for the provision of Lecture Theatre 7 for our use. It was lovely to have Dr. Eva-Marie Seeto, Director of the Office of Engagement, there as a ‘trouble-shooter’ to ensure a smooth running of the morning.

I also thank all the volunteers who helped on the day, those who turned up early to help set up, then assist with registrations, serve morning tea – and stay on to tidy up afterwards. These champions were Di Aspinall, Maaike Mills and Geoff Bailey, who again made us delicious sausage rolls; Allan and June Blackburn, Lesya Roden and Ann McNeil.  Their photos are included with all the photos from the AGM here.

We welcomed two of our bursary awardees, Leo Wiles and Abbey Abdul who came along to inspire us with their stories about how their funds will really help to assist them in their studies. We were fortunate to have already met our third student, Amy Stephenson, currently on her student placement, when she drove down from her home at Hervey Bay to attend our March MC committee meeting.

Professor Helen Bartlett, Vice-Chancellor of USC presented an informative speech backed by an interesting PowerPoint presentation, drawing on her students’ Ph.D. research into future directions for our age demographic. We have asked Professor Bartlett if we may make use of this information when we initiate our new Strategic Plan for 2022.

We awarded long time member Ann Main with a Life Membership and reaffirmed Ernie Bennett’s, received back in 2009.

This year’s Annual Report as presented to the AGM is available online here, and you can order your own hard copy by contacting the U3A Office. 

Date Claimer! Lifestyle 55+ Expo Thursday August 5^th 2021

U3A Sunshine Coast has again been asked to showcase our wonderful organisation at this year’s Lifestyle 55+ Expo, with an inspiring theme, “Re-imagine Ageing. Re-imagine the possibilities”. 

Do check out the Expo’s promotional video on Iagewell.com.au – and see if you can recognise some of our members in the photos featured from 2019. 

Although last year’s Expo was postponed owing to Covid 19 restrictions, organiser Tanya Dave (pictured) has embarked on an ambitious project for this year, with a full day at the Nambour Showgrounds on Thursday August 5^th, from 9am to 3.30pm. And our U3A is being offered the use of the entire pavilion area underneath the grandstand! 

We shall be inviting any interested tutors to chat to prospective members about their own courses on the day. We will also be able to present some live performances on a stage nearby, and lively groups, such belly dancing, ukulele, – or even table tennis, will be asked to ‘step up’.  

Photography & Video Competition

Now the Lifestyle 55+ Expo will give us a great opportunity to promote to a wider audience. It’s still surprising when people on the Sunshine Coast aged 50 plus say they have never heard of U3A. 

So we would love to have a range of new photos on display, to showcase the best of what our organisation has to offer. 

We need you to take photos, to enter our Photography & Video competition running until June, and send your entries to our Project Officer: u3aprojectOfficer@u3asunshine.org.au 

So let’s make the merry month of May a time to capture memorable moments. Please take your phones and cameras along to your weekly class, snap some happy shots, and send them in!

See details and conditions of entry on our website here. 

Our Facebook page

Jim Hales, former MC member and foundation member of our Queensland Network created our U3A Sunshine Coast Facebook page in September 2016. Since then, he has been pleased to see it grow to ‘reach’ over 1000 people and have over 600 followers. Anyone who has a Facebook page knows how pleasant it is when people ‘like’ what we’ve posted. U3A is no different, except our page is a vital platform to share current information that concerns and interests our demographic. 

Jim says he is sad to resign from his role as Administrator, as “we have made this a vital part of our communications network”. However, he has asked our Editor Judy Wells to step up to take his place. She will join President Glyni Cumming as a co-administrator of the page. Judy has already shown her considerable talents in this area, sourcing and posting a variety of interesting stories and independently supplying excellent photos. We are fortunate she has been willing to take on this administrative role.
Photo: Judy Wells and Jim Hales at the recent AGM.

U3A Network State Conference

A number of U3A Sunshine Coast representatives are packing their winter woolies in readiness for this year’s U3A Network Qld State Conference, coming up soon on Wednesday 12th May and Thursday 13th May 2021. 

U3A Granite Belt, in Stanthorpe, will be our hosts for the two-day conference, with delegates from U3As throughout Queensland and interstate. 

Former president Colin Maddocks is already a member of the Network committee, and our current Communications Officer, John Armstrong, will be sworn in as their new Vice-President. 

Our new Life Member, and regular conference attendee Ann Main will also attend, and she will present an informative report on her return.

Glyni Cumming
President

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May 9, 2021eVoiceNews

Above: USC Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett with Bursary awardees, Abbey Abdul and Leo Wiles, with President Glyni Cumming.

Keynote speaker at the recent U3A AGM, USC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett highlighted the importance of lifelong learning to the ageing demographic and its positive influence on the phase of life termed ‘The Third Age’.

“Research has shown that countries that don’t have good learning communities and networks are disadvantaged when it comes to demographic ageing,” Professor Bartlett said. “Australia has a lot to learn from other countries such as Japan and Singapore that are well ahead of us in terms of their plans and policies related to ageing.

“Importantly, we also need to showcase and recognise the type of learning that takes place, as in organisations such as U3A, as a valuable asset in the ageing process. We still have a lot to do especially in this triple helix relationship between learning, health and community so it’s not just about individual responsibility in active ageing but also a community responsibility.”

One in five people on the Sunshine Coast are aged 55 and over, the highest ratio nationally, and that demographic is growing all the time. While the Sunshine Coast is a great place to live, Professor Bartlett said aged care is not always a positive story, even with the advances in health and medical science and education.

“The ageing discourse often tends to be quite a negative one, and the report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care really is a sad reflection of how we treat our older people; let’s hope the Commission’s recommendations lead to investment in ways to better look after our ageing population,” Professor Bartlett said. “Unfortunately, the discourse around ageing has tended to be one of dependency and decrepitude.”

As an internationally recognised scholar in gerontology, Professor Bartlett established the Australasian Centre on Ageing while at the University of Queensland, and her team looked at ways to change this dynamic to one of positive influence in community ageing.

“Obviously, we can’t ignore that ageing comes with a number of debilitating consequences, with an increased prevalence of cancer, dementia, depression, diabetes and so on, all associated with ageing, but that doesn’t mean that growing older has to be a fast route to decline,” Professor Bartlett said. “There are many moderating interventions that can change that trajectory and substantially improve the ageing discourse.

“Twenty years ago the World Health Organisation came up with the active ageing framework and this is still relevant today, but in the early years it focused primarily on physical activity as most important and in making a kind of productive or economic contribution as we age.

“Today, we see this framework as continuing to focus certainly on being active but also being involved in a whole range of things: informal learning activity along with social, economic, cultural and physical activity. This is not only about being human but also recognising there are a whole raft of things we can do to make things better in the Third Age of one’s life.”

Professor Bartlett said there had been a lot of research in the health and medical field on ageing but not so much on later life learning.

“The research is still evolving but what we do know that learning does help older adults acquire psycho-social resources; it helps to build so many things related to self esteem, hope, communication, social integration and the like. These resources help us manage some of the less positive aspects of health decline associated with ageing.

“We also know of the importance of learning to mental health, in turn, linked to general wellbeing and coping with adversity. Learning also helps take the focus away from day-to-day health and medical worries that can become a bit of a preoccupation in stages of later life.”

Professor Bartlett also said the research has shown that continued engagement in learning activities, especially on a weekly basis, really does increase the ongoing motivation that impacts positively on mental and physical health. “It provides a lot of satisfaction and of course friendships and connections, reducing the risk of social isolation in later life,” she said.

“Interestingly, a good education in itself won’t actually stop decline; we know that some kind of intervention is important to help improve psychological wellbeing and physical health over time.”

Professor Bartlett said the type of learning is also important. “We know from the research that formal higher education courses such as those at university aren’t necessarily associated with wellbeing. Where the benefits have really been shown to be effective is with informal learning, such as people experience in U3A classes, learning activity that doesn’t result in formal qualifications but appeals in increasing knowledge in an area of interest or helping to create hobbies, etc. These informal learning activities are definitely linked with improved social and psychological wellbeing.”

Timing is also regarded as important, such as coping with a loss of status on leaving paid work or ceasing caring duties. For many people this can leave a void so some kind of structured activity as we age can help us get through a difficult time, even prosper doing meaningful things with like-minded people.

“This can also impact positively on their relevance in society generally. At the end of the day, the motivational factors in learning later in life are well known in establishing wellbeing, social connections, heightened independence and maintaining the cultural values of the particular generational cohort.”

How a society promotes later life learning may not have received the policy and planning emphasis it deserves, according to Professor Bartlett, particularly in preparing for the Third Age of one’s life, and there needs to be a recognition of Third Agers as drivers, wanting to take on learning opportunities and as facilitators as well as learners.

“Australia is no longer a new country and we have a lot to learn from other countries, particularly in our region, in building local and global consciousness of the importance of learning and citizenship as we age,” Professor Bartlett said. “We all have a role to play in this, and U3A is playing a critical role in this region and other parts of the world – and institutions such as our own universities also have a role in opening up new opportunities for learning for Third Agers.”

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May 9, 2021eVoiceNews

At the recent Annual General Meeting the new website for U3A Sunshine Coast was launched and is now live, and a guide to the features and navigating the website is now available.

The new site is an evolution of the previous website but it is much more pictorial in its presentation and more interactive in bringing news and information to our members and those who may be prospective members of U3A.

Click here for a guide to navigating the website

As with new things that are technological in nature there’s a learning curve before navigating the website becomes intuitive. This was raised at the AGM as an issue so the guide aims to highlight the new features of the website and help members navigate its pages, posts and documents.

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May 9, 2021eVoiceNews

Time is running out to get your entry in to the ‘Capture U3A’ Photography & Video Competition.

Entries close Friday, 11 June.

All U3A  members are invited and encouraged to enter this competition, with the chance to win great prizes while promoting U3A activities and lifestyle pursuits.

Competition guidelines may be viewed and downloaded here.

You may enter the competition and upload your entry via the form below:

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May 9, 2021eVoiceNews

On giving day (G-Day) our simple acts of kindness come together to have a really big impact.

This year, the University of the Sunshine Coast aims to raise as much as possible to transform lives by providing much needed support for student financial challenges in addition to mental health research and preserving and protecting our iconic animals. Three main areas need your financial help:

Change a USC student’s life. For some students, financial hardship is the biggest obstacle, coming between them and their ability to improve their life through higher education. Your gift will enable students to stay on track and complete their degree.

Support ground-breaking programs in suicide prevention and mental health research. Give so the Thompson Institute can provide real solutions to major mental health challenges in our region, and around the world.

Preserve and protect Australia’s iconic wildlife at risk of extinction. Your donation will support the survival of threatened species through the Koala Vaccine and Detection Dogs for Conservation programs.

Choose to support a GIVING AREA that matters most to you

There’s no better time to give than on giving day. Generous organisations and donors are standing by to match donations – doubling the impact of your gift. 100 per cent of all gifts go to your chosen area and all gifts over $2 are tax deductible.

Please donate today and become a fundraising champion. Our kindness and generosity will create real change in areas that matter this G-Day.

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May 2, 2021eVoiceNews

At this year’s Annual General Meeting, President Glyni Cumming presented the Annual Report for 2021, which covered the Association’s activities since the previous AGM in October 2020, its financial performance and goals, and generally report to members on the administration and operations of U3A Sunshine Coast Inc.

The Annual Report may be viewed and downloaded here.

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May 2, 2021eVoiceNews

When U3A member Margaret Backhouse made her decision to paint a portrait of the famous guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, she knew it would be a challenge, as the image of the world famous musician was well known to millions of fans worldwide.

Undaunted, Margaret took to the task assigned in her art class by renowned local artist, Clive Holden, who asked his class members to paint or draw portraits on a musical theme.

“I joined Clive’s class last September to learn from Clive who is a master painter but who also has the ability to teach beginners to achieve amazing things,” Margaret said.

Margaret decided on Jimi Hendrix because her husband Mike has always been a big fan having  seen the guitar genius in Baltimore in 1970. “So, I decided to paint this portrait for Mike, for his birthday, which also fitted nicely with the musical theme for the artwork task,” she said.

Margaret certainly gave herself a difficult task; she hadn’t painted a portrait before, it was her first time using oil on canvas, and she had to satisfy a demanding customer, her husband.

“I chose one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and it took hours and hours, but I’m really happy with the result because it has perspective and I’m happy with the guitar rendition,” Margaret said.

“Finally, after I worked on it and worked on it, my husband was actually happy to have it as his birthday present.”

Margaret’s portrait along with the artwork created by her classmates were presented at a showing and musical afternoon at the Coolum Community Centre recently, with many of the works sold prior to the day, which was very satisfying for the artists.

For her next art project, Margaret intends to paint the rock formations on the Berkeley River in the Kimberleys. “I went there a few years back and took photos of the magnificent rock formations and luminous green water of the river, and I have a vision of the rocks in red contrasting the river so green, and I want to capture that as my next art project. Having finished my first portrait, I don’t think I will tackle that again,” Margaret quipped.

Above: Margaret Backhouse with her portrait of Jimi Hendrix.

Right: Artist Clive Holden’s portrait of Andrew Veivers to be submitted for the Doug Moran portrait prize.

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