President’s Report – March 2023

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