July 8, 2022eVoiceNews

It has been some time since the previous edition of eVoice but the dreaded Covid has laid me low for several weeks, this despite two vaccinations and my first booster shot. Covid itself had me ‘in thrall’ for about three days but the recurrence of shingles was extraordinarily painful.

Please read through other posts on this eVoice edition for further news.

Post-AGM Committee Business

Much has happened in our U3A Sunshine Coast calendar since the AGM. Your ‘new’ committee has been working hard on a number of enterprises. First up, John Armstrong and I met with our Strategic Plan facilitator, Andrea Douglas to start planning a questionnaire for our members to complete. Feedback from such a questionnaire will help us with implementing the 5-year Strategic Plan, and at the recent Tutors gathering, Pauline du Rietz who tutors in Novel Writing, offered to assist with this endeavour.

Tutors’ Reference Group

Congratulations to our Tutor and Course Coordinator Wayne Curran for organising and conducting our first half-yearly Tutors’ meeting. About 50 tutors came out on a cold and wet evening to meet each other, share ideas, and enjoy a hot supper.

This session was a trailblazer, and we hope for some feedback to guide the planning of further biannual meetings. Linking in with our 5-year Strategic Plan, those tutors present were given the Terms of Reference document and the Application Form if they showed interest in joining the new Tutor Reference Group. To be a member of the ‘TRG’ will not be onerous, it requires a willingness to meet on a level playing field and discuss issues of concern and proposals that benefit our tutors, and then give feedback to the Management Committee.

Please consider applying to join this group. On our website you can download the Application Form and the Terms of Reference document . You are asked to show that your connections with U3A Sunshine Coast are wider than your own group, by having two tutors from different groups to support you, and also provide 50 words to support your application.

Code of Conduct Revisions

We have also put time and effort into revising our Code of Conduct, which is an essential document to guide our behavior and treatment of each other in this fine organisation. We’ve added a Breaches and Consequences section to bring it in line with our formal Complaints Policy.
On a few occasions now I’ve had to implement Stage 1 – that is, to contact personally the member who has breached the Code of Conduct. I can assure you that it takes no little amount of courage to do so, and I can understand why a few of our members have in the past just asked for their money back and left us. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, please ask for support.

Tutor Tom Holden Returns

It’s pleasing to see that a great U3A supporter, Tom Holden has returned to our tutors’ fold, after taking a break, and is once again offering the study of the Russian language. While Russia is currently the world’s least favourite place, wouldn’t it be handy to learn how to say “despicable you” in Russian? Tom runs the course at his own home, and makes the content very interesting by including lively discussion on Russian culture.

While studying with Tom, you might like to draw him out on the details of his long, varied and fascinating career. As well as being a barrister-at-law, he also rose through the ranks from Midshipman to Lieutenant Commander and then to Captain with the Royal Australian Navy. It was during his Master’s degree studies in Public International Law at ANU that Tom stepped out of his comfort zone to study Russian.

On a Fun Note

Our students are out and about the town: Joanna Teazis’ Belly dancers (pictured above) performed up at Rangecare Flaxton on Sunday morning, and  again at a Meta Kitchen luncheon, with members of the Theosophical Society raising funds for ‘Jimmy’s Village School’ in Cambodia. (If you’re ever looking for a sweet charity to send funds to, this one will truly inspire.)

Also, thanks to our Jazz Appreciation tutor, Jules Verity, her U3A students enjoyed front row seats at this month’s Jazz and Blues Collective show, with the Mark Pradella band at Millwell Road Community Centre.

Glyni Cumming
President
U3A Sunshine Coast

Photos: Joanna Teazis’ Belly dancers (top) performed up at Rangecare Flaxton.
               Tutors attend a get-together at Kawana Surf Club to discuss a Tutor Reference Group.
               Members of Jules Verity’s Jazz Appreciation Group.

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July 8, 2022eVoiceNews

by Glyni Cumming

This year’s annual U3A Queensland Network conference held at the North Lakes and hosted by Pine Rivers brought together delegates from the 35 U3A Associations that form U3A Network Queensland.

U3A Network Queensland are not really our parent body, but financially they aim to negotiate the best price for insurance to cover all our tutors and volunteers, and they also provide sound advice for the development of constitutions or policy, such as Complaints, and issues involving workplace health and safety, such as Covid.

Our Communication Officer John Armstrong is currently serving a second year as their Vice-President. As he did for U3A Sunshine Coast, he has also done a brilliant job of updating the Network’s webpage.

The U3A Queensland Network conference was very well attended, packing nearly 100 delegates into two full days of discussion and guest speakers and sharing of ideas; and it was very convenient, to have our accommodation all of 30 seconds walk away from the venue.

Highlights for me were the strong indigenous presentations, first with Songwoman Maroochy Barambah giving us a fascinating introduction to her life and background, and then singing us a welcome to country.

Then Aunty McRose Elu, Queensland Senior of the Year for 2021, was a wonderful inspiration, not only in sharing her own extraordinary life, but also her thoughts as a strong spokesperson for Torres Straits Islanders, whose homes are under threat from global warming.

I know these beautiful outspoken women were specially invited to speak at the conference, but I wonder when, and how, U3A will itself attract indigenous members?

With Tom Holden again offering Russian language studies, it’s worth noting that the most entertaining speaker at the conference, UQ Research Professor Roland Sussex has a PhD in Russian. However, ‘Roly’ is best known for his ABC radio program ‘A Word in Your Ear’. He delighted and amused and provoked thought with his presentation on international body language and other issues, before the serious business of the conference wrapped up.

The AGM saw the role of President change hands, with outgoing President Gail Bonser enjoying handing over the stagecoach reins without any change in pace to the experienced control of current Toowoomba President Rhonda Weston.  Rhonda introduced next year’s Network Conference team from Rockhampton to share their excitement about hosting the celebration of U3A’s 50^th worldwide birthday. One of the special guests will be the current international president, Professor Francois Vellas, whose father Professor Pierre Vellas, founded the organization in 1973 in Toulouse.”

Photos from the Network State Conference may be viewed in this photo gallery.

Photos from top:
Aunty McRose Elu, Queensland Senior of the Year for 2021 addressed the Network State Conference.
President Glyni Cumming with Carol Hughes, a former Circle Dance teacher from Yeppoon.
‘Roly’ Sussex entralled the audience with his presentation on languages.
Previous Network President, Gail Bonser, is farewelled in style at the Conference.
‘Latest News’ thumbnail image: Steve Connelly involved delegates in how to keep and retain volunteers.

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July 8, 2022eVoiceNews

This year’s recipient of U3A Sunshine Coast’s annual Frayda Myers Cooper Memorial Prize for Academic Excellence in Creative Writing was Toby Newell, the highest achieving student in the subject ‘EGL 205 Imagined Homelands’.

Toby and his family recently moved to the Sunshine Coast from Northern New South Wales, and he is very happy to be studying at USC. An avid book reader, Toby is in his element at the university and was very appreciative to be selected as this year’s prize winner.

The Memorial Prize has its origins in 2014 when U3A Sunshine Coast donated a $25,000 endowment to the University in honour of a woman who was one of the region’s strongest advocates of lifelong learning. The donation celebrates the work of the late Frayda Myers Cooper (1923-2014) who co-founded the Sunshine Coast branch of U3A in 1986 and was its first president. Proceeds of the endowment will fund in perpetuity the $1,000 annual Memorial Prize.

U3A Sunshine Coast maintain strong links with USC. The university awarded an Honorary Senior Fellowship to Mrs Myers Cooper in 2007 in recognition of her efforts in establishing a U3A that started at Caloundra 36 years ago, before relocating to the USC campus at Sippy Downs when the University opened in 1996. As a founding member of U3A Sunshine Coast, Frayda Myers Cooper was a staunch activist for lifelong learning of seniors.

About his mother Frayda, current U3A member and Life Member, John D. Cooper said, “The genesis of U3A on the Sunshine Coast was essentially a meeting of minds. My mother discovered that many of the talented people who were teaching and convening didn’t necessarily have formal qualifications, particularly women. Her generation, and some in my generation, didn’t often get a fair go at tertiary studies. With U3A, this was their opportunity for ongoing learning.

“We recruited people with enthusiasm and the will to pass on their knowledge to others. There was scepticism but my mother said ‘it’s worked in Melbourne, we’re going to it, I’m going to do it’. We didn’t spend money on advertising, we used Letters to the Editor and sent in stories to the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper to get the word out. We worked the system and lo and behold we started having these big meetings, and we were away.

“The Sunshine Coast was fertile ground for U3A, with a high retirement demographic and a high percentage of people who didn’t have the opportunity for tertiary study. They wanted to learn. Oh, they hungered for it, especially women who never had a chance to study science, the humanities, etc,” John said. “It took off like wildfire.”

Photo: Toby Newell receives the award from USC Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Tim Wess.
Side Photo: Frayda Myers Cooper in USC Academic Regalia.

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July 8, 2022eVoiceNews

The Sunshine Coast Dementia Network is a community information network that assists people living with dementia, their family and their carers. The Network welcomes people to their get-togethers and events and to become involved as a volunteer.

President Glyni Cumming commented that too often she hears of a U3A member being challenged by dementia and related disorders. “I fully support the work of the Sunshine Coast Dementia Network in the valuable work they do, and encourage our members to provide whatever support they may provide to this wonderful community support organisation.”

The Network’s volunteers assist people to find helpful and relevant information about dementia, connect people with other people, places, events and organisations in their local community.

If you are caring for a family member or someone living with Dementia the Sunshine Coast Dementia Network has a range of support meetings and morning teas in July. See their Facebook page and Website including their Events Calendar for full details and information on where to get help and support. Activities also include Morning Teas, Bike riding, Dementia Choir and there is information and help for Young Onset Dementia.

Lorrae O’Rouke of Carers Outlook said the SCDN is operated by volunteers and network partners contribute with venues, speakers, financial contributions, administration and lucky door prizes. “Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to volunteer your time to assist with facilitating this network.

For more information please visit the Network’s Facebook page here or their website here.

Photo: A gathering at one of the Dementia Network’s morning teas.

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July 3, 2022eVoiceNews

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July 1, 2022eVoiceNews

Tutors have had their say about U3A at a forum that identified challenges facing the U3A Sunshine Coast classes and activities program, and they provided ideas to improve the way classes are delivered and organised.

One of the main challenges facing the newly formed Tutor Reference Group (TRG) will be how to counter the problem of the availability of tutors to run classes, thereby providing enough places to meet demand, especially for new U3A members.

Tutor and Courses Coordinator, Wayne Curran, who was MC for the TRG’s first meeting, with President Glyni Cumming, said this scarcity of places in classes was the most frustrating aspect of U3A classes, and tutors agreed this presented a major challenge.

“Newcomers come to U3A and find there are waiting lists, and that tells us that we need to find a solution to this problem,” said Life Member John D. Cooper. His table group suggested that new members should be given more information about U3A as a self-help group that needed some degree of participation, not just signing up for several classes but be aware that, say, one of three of them should be prepared to put in some positive energy by way of volunteering as a tutor, office person, or in some other way.

Another tutor raised the subject of training for tutors so that they had the confidence and the public speaking skills to conduct classes effectively that, in turn, would encourage more members to volunteer to pass on their knowledge and life skills.

The availability of technology to assist tutors, by way of laptop computers and audiovisual devices was also regarded as important support for tutors – and the knowledge that this support is indeed available.

John Newson, ukulele tutor, identified the issue of class expectations, saying that participants need to have a better idea of the class structure and level so that they get the best outcome for them from the class. He said, for example, that often students didn’t know what type of instrument to use in the class and that the class was structured for beginners.

Knowledge of the educational and life experience of U3A members was also regarded as important, perhaps by way of a questionnaire of previous experience so that more members could be approached to become tutors, and given the support needed to run classes.

The employment of professional people from outside of U3A who would be paid for their services was also suggested as a means of having tutors in specialised subjects.

President Glyni Cumming said that the TRG would be a valuable resource for U3A Sunshine Coast in determining where actions were required in support of tutors.

“The broad purpose of the new TRG will be to serve as a sounding board for tutors and to provide the management committee with wise counsel, but also to enable the committee to recognise, support and show appreciation for the contributions of our wonderful tutors.”

Each of the major classes groups – such as art, computers, discussion, languages, books and the like – were asked to nominate a liaison person as their representative on the TRG.
Once formed, the TRG would meet to evaluate suggestions from tutors and identify issues and recommend action to the management committee on actions leading hopefully to solutions, especially in increasing the number of tutors conducting classes and the consequent effects on waiting lists.

More photos of Tutors attending the inaugural TRG meeting may be viewed in this gallery.

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June 15, 2022eVoiceNews

At the opening of the U3A State Conference at North Lakes Songwoman Maroochy Barambah performed a Welcome to Country, a traditional indigenous ceremony performed at gatherings to welcome visitors to the land.

Maroochy is the Songwoman and Lawwoman of the Turrbal People, the original inhabitants of Brisbane, and the Dippil people of the Sunshine Coast area. She is a direct descendant of Daki Yakka – Chief of the Old Brisbane tribe.

Maroochy has a long and successful history in performing arts and was the first Indigenous Australian to perform on the Australian operatic stage. In 1993, Songwoman Maroochy became the first Australian to perform at the United Nations in New York in honour of the International Year for the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

She has received many awards (both in Australia and overseas), including an Honorary Senior Fellowship of the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2000 for her outstanding and sustained contributions to the community.

Maroochy  gave a background on her life story and sang advanced Australia Fair in her native language, which was extremely well received

Maroochy Barambah, an Aboriginal Elder from Brisbane, is of Turrbal and Gubbi Gubbi ancestry with additional bloodline connections to Wakka Wakka, Kamilaroi and Birri Gubba Country. As the Songwoman and Law-woman of the Turrbal Tribe Maroochy is well qualified and has the ancestary to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony.

Maroochy spoke of her upbringing as an aboriginal woman born on Cherbourg Aboriginal Reserve in South East Queensland. She is the Songwoman and Law-woman of the Turrbal Tribe who attended the Melba Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in Dramatic Arts.

Over the past five decades Maroochy has delivered lectures on Aboriginal culture at various institutions and was a keynote speaker at the Australian Reconciliation Convention in Melbourne.

In 1989, Maroochy made her operatic debut playing the lead role in Black River where she became the first Aboriginal person to perform on the Australian operatic stage. Black River, that focuses on black deaths in custody, won the 1993 Grand Prix Opera Screen Award in Paris.

Later in 1993, Maroochy became the first Australian to perform at the United Nations in New York in honour of the International Year for the World’s Indigenous Peoples. In 2014, she performed the traditional Welcome to Country Ceremony at the Brisbane G20 Summit with world leaders such as Barack Obama and David Cameron in attendance.

Maroochy appeared in the Indigenous musical Bran Nue Dae, the television series Women of the Sun, and in the opera Beach Dreaming (written for and about her by Mark Isaacs). Maroochy also released two singles, one of which, Mongungi, reached the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Dance chart.

Maroochy has received many awards in Australia and overseas. She intends to continue working in the performing arts while engendering a better understanding of Aboriginal culture.

Additional material courtesy turrbal.com.au

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