Tri Cycle Newsletter

Transcription

1 U3A Werribee Region Inc. Tri Cycle Newsletter P.O. Box 1264, Werribee Plaza, ADDRESS: WEBSITE: EDITION: 113 DECEMBER JANUARY 2018 U3A WERRIBEE OFFICE BEARERS AND CONTACTS Patrons: Mr K.S. Butyn Principal Werribee Secondary College: Mr Tim Pallas MP Member for Werribee Committee: President: John Preston president.u3awbee@gmail.com (note: it s gmail, not hotmail) Vice President: Dave Callan Treasurer: Jannette Allen treas.u3awbee@hotmail.com Secretary: Linda Kazlauskas sec.u3awbee@hotmail.com Membership Coordinator: Jannette Allen Phone: membership.u3awbee@hotmail.com Course Co-ordinator: Kaye Harvey Phone: courses.u3awbee@hotmail.com Committee Members: Glenys Welsh, Brian Beck, Brian Kilfoyle, Merle Deslandes and Don Lee Term Dates Term 1: 5 Feb - 30 March Term 2: 23 April - 22 June Term 3: 16 July - 14 Sept Term 4: 15 Oct - 7 Dec UPCOMING EVENTS Enrolment Day 2018 This will take place on Tuesday 19 Dec 2017 at the Hoppers Crossing Sports Club (HCSC) Annual General Meeting Our next AGM will be held at 11am on Tuesday 20 February 2018 at the HCSC FROM THE EDITOR S DESK A growing scepticism about the existence of Santa Claus in my childhood mind was reinforced by a visit to our local market in the war. We came upon a stall selling second hand toys donated for Christmas-for-kids to help the war effort. This did not quite match up with Santa s workshop at the North Pole. However, the fat red fairy must have forgiven my growing unbelief because, through hell and high water, I got a pillow case of little presents, left heavy on the foot of my bed. Bliss for one more innocent year. How quickly Christmas comes around again; we have hardly recovered from the last one. If we have happy Christmas memories, it is a joyous time. 1

2 FROM THE EDITOR S DESK (Cont.) Co-editor Don, and I wish all our U3A members a Happy Christmas, and a safe holiday. Celebrate with friends and family; travel safely; re-enrol with U3A and look forward to meeting up again in 2018 with A Happy New Year! Please send me your news items and announcements to newsletter.u3awbee@hotmail.com The next Tri-Cycle deadline is: 12 January Cecilia and Don FROM OUR U3A WERRIBEE PRESIDENT Hello Summer, well nearly! What a change in the weather. I must admit I am not a fan of the winter and this year seems to have been colder than normal; plus, the dreadful flu season which affected a lot of people. However, we are now in warmer and lighter days and it feels good. Earlier this year we were approached about helping with the setup of a U3A in Point Cook. Because of the complexities including setup costs, insurances, tutors etc, I suggested that people interested in joining and/ or running a U3A join Werribee U3A to learn how it is done and to gauge support for the project in the Point Cook area. We have started this project and over the next 12 months we will work with Point Cook to help them kick start their own U3A. This means that there will be potentially new and different classes available from the start of 2018 driven by Point Cook and new members joining Werribee U3A and our classes and our Committee will have additional members Now for more good news. We are working with the group who are setting up a U3A in Point Cook. For the next 12 months, their members will join our Committee meetings as part of the training to start the group. We will share classes so that they can join any of our classes and vice versa. With the New Year coming up I would like to ask you to consider joining the Committee. It is not an onerous task and gives you the opportunity to help set our direction. We have a good Committee but new blood helps us blossom; so give it some thought. Enrolment day is coming up in December and Brian Beck has done a great job that minimises waiting time and allows more time for tea, biscuit and a chat. However if you would like to pay early, put your subs in an envelope (make sure your name in on the envelope) and hand it to a Committee and then come along on Enrolment day for a cup of tea and a chat. Finally, I would to wish you and all those close to you a safe and happy Christmas and a Healthy and prosperous John Preston A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM It s not what you look at that matters, it s what you see. Henry D Thoreau ( ) American writer. Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens Jimi Hendricks ( ) American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Commitment is an act, not a word. Jean Paul Sarte ( ) French philosopher. 2

3 A WORD FROM POINT COOK We are only down the road from you, geographical cousins, and we are thankful to Werribee U3A for holding our nervous hands as we try to establish a branch in our suburb. Actually, sheltering under your umbrella might be a better metaphor for what we have been doing these last few months, but either way we have made some progress, stuck our head into the elements and prepared a group of courses which you will see at the end of this newsletter. We note that our offerings do not duplicate yours and we would be delighted if some of your members were to enrol in our courses. When an opportunity arises, we will certainly attempt to promote yours. Frank O Shea AROUND THE COURSES Photography Group The Photography Group were active in designing and producing a 2018 Calendar (see photo of cover) during the final semester. I am pleased to announce that their efforts produced a pleasing result. There were copies produced and available for sale but most were sold early. We hope to produce a new calendar project new year on a larger scale and incorporate the new ideas learned. The confidence of the group is growing and I am also learning from them. We have had great support from Don Lee and Robert Moyses. We had some great photography opportunities during the semester. International horses were found training at Werribee Racecourse including Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling and top horses who we saw recovering in salt water at Altona Beach. One of the photos we captured shows this year s Cox Plate winner Winx (shown on the right) in the photo). Here is a question for all horse lovers: Does anyone know the name of the other horse? If you want the answer, have a look at the bottom of page 4. Other photo opportunities involved witnessing the annual Melbourne to Warrnambool bike race starting at Werribee, where there was a large field taking part. Also the famous Rose Garden at Werribee Park was at its brilliant best. Bernie Flaherty. 3

4 AROUND THE COURSES (Cont.) Music You Like To Hear Our programmes are varied and range from well known music to sometimes a little out of the ordinary. The English composer Gustav Holst ( ) was well known among contemporary composers; and his suite The Planets is no doubt the most loved work he produced. The Planets Suite in seven movements was composed during World War One and all of those movements are in reality character pieces. It is interesting how he used enormous orchestral forces and instrumental colours to interpret human characteristics. Although winter seemed to be never ending this year, we welcomed spring with appropriate music and found that quite a number of composers were fascinated by spring and the romance which goes with it. Songs by Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann should have helped to bring back memories. I don t know whether it did. A Thank You goes to Tony Mason who presented a lovely programme with Chopin and Haydn concertos and some didgeridoo music by the contemporary Australian composer Ross Edwards. Special treats this term were watching a DVD of The Last Night of the Proms with all the enthusiasm of the audience in some parks of Britain and in the Royal Albert Hall. Another was attending a live concert by the RAAF Concert Band at the Melbourne Town Hall performing The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky, among other works. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Anna Mitchell. Music at Cecilia s This devoted group of ladies playing the recorders have been meeting for four years. In that time they have mastered their instrument, learnt to read music and to play in consort. It has been a rewarding time for all of us. The group will wind up at Christmas. So I (Cecilia) will not be offering this course next year It has been a lot of fun and the players will have their repertoire of recorder music, both old and new to dip into for the rest of their lives. So, from Renaissance and Baroque to 20th century jazz and today s popular songs, we say a fond See yah! Cecilia Conwaye-Wright. Answer to the question on page 3 The horse on the left in the photo is one of Winx s stablemates, named Egg Tart. 4

5 AROUND THE COURSES (Cont.) Exploring History In Term 4, we watched a series of short videos on medical related subjects in history, (I didn't feel qualified to give an actual history of medicine myself):. Some of these videos included: The Secrets of Ancient Medicine. This explored ancient medical techniques and possible new applications in the modern era. Techniques reviewed include blood letting by leeches. Getting Better Years of Medicine. This included a documentary about remarkable medical progress with Cancer, HIV/AIDS and Surgery. Inside the Body of King Henry VIII. A team of medical experts, biographers, and historians investigated what caused the great physical and mental changes in the king. Was it from diseases such as syphilis, diabetes or malaria? Or could his favourite sport, jousting, have sparked his medical problems? Experts study Henry's childhood trauma and delve deeper into his lifestyle and adult injuries to better understand this powerful king's body. Haemophilia and Porphyria - Royal diseases from Tainted Blood. The Royal family had many instances of unexplained illnesses and premature death during it's history - George III's 'madness', the downfall of Mary Queen of Scots and Rasputin bringing down the Russian throne, can all be linked back to Queen Victoria. Opium, Morphine & Heroin and an examination of the history of the poppy plant and three of its deadliest derivatives. In ancient times, the poppy was considered divine, but in the 19th and 20th centuries, its addictive and lethal qualities caused unprecedented national outrage, social upheaval, and even sparked two wars. Scream - The History Of Anaesthetics, with a documentary that explained the development of anaesthetics in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Snake Oil & Quackery. Snake Oil was originally a Chinese remedy to relieve arthritis pain made from the fat of the Chinese water snake. "Quack" was short for "quacksalver", a person who sold "salves" (ointments) at the market. To quack was to shout loudly. 19th century public health, with a whistle-stop tour of the changes and developments made in England's public health in the 19th century The Toilet - An Unspoken History. We might have expected this to be a rather "crappy" video, but it was actually very good! We look forward to exploring some more fascinating historical facts next year! Brian Beck Art for All Our art classes Art classes will resume again in 2018, although the classes will be offered only every second week, beginning on Thursday 8 February 2018 at the Saltwater Community Centre, Point Cook. The tutor is Lydia Redl. 5

6 AROUND THE COURSES (Cont.) Computers If you are lucky enough to receive a tablet or ipad from Santa this Christmas, you may find our Tuesday morning Beginners Computer class of particular interest. Learning to use these wonderful computer devices is easy and fun and can indeed open up a new and exciting world for you. For those who know how to use a computer and want to further develop their interests and skills in a wide range of computer applications, we will still continue our Intermediate Computer course on Tuesday afternoons. All are welcome and there is no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to using a computer. Just enjoy! Don Lee During the fourth term of 2017, our course known previously as Christians: Their History, examined events of Modern Times. Well...nearly Modern Times. The Victorian age in Britain brought great wealth to some and a lot of squalor to industrial cities. The Christian churches, as they do, answered many needs. Great personalities emerged. These studies are now metamorphosing into a new angle which I have called: The Arts and Christian Tradition. Coming up to the Twentieth Century, for Christians like C.S Lewis (Writer and Theologian), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Scholar, writer and theologian), Billy Graham (Eloquent preacher), Eric Liddell (Missionary and Olympic Runner) we are seeing increasingly their work being depicted in the development of the Arts. So further studies will look at architecture, music, archaeology, visual arts and literature and this will take us into 2018 depending on my material and any interest. Therefore in the first term of 2018 I will re-name this course as The Arts and Christian Tradition and the time slot will remain from 10am till 12 noon on Mondays. The new line of study will hopefully attract more members. We will still meet at my house; however if there is a flood of interest, I will have to limit numbers. The Arts and Christian Tradition Cecilia Conwaye-Wright The above artwork is a depiction by American artist, Mike Kupka of CS Lewis book Prince Caspian, where Lucy meets Aslan the Lion. 6

7 This term we have followed the life of Sidney Kidman ( ) who spent much of his younger years looking for water in a countryside so barren, so dry and so lonely it could kill you. AROUND THE COURSES (Cont.) Australian History It all began in 1872 when he nearly died and realised the basic rule of the bush, you need water. He took that rule and applied it on an epic scale, spending a lifetime battling the elements across this vast Australian continent and becoming the largest landholder Australia has ever seen, building an empire that has never been equalled. While people called him a miser, a visionary, ruthless, loyal and generous they all respected him and along the way they called Sidney Kidman the Cattle King. Merle Deslandes There are several biographies about Sidney Kidman. These include the book shown above that was written by Kristin Weidenbach and another that was called The Cattle King, by Ion L Idriess. French Bonjour mes amies at amis Vivre libre, en solidarite et fraternite. We have had a very good year learning French so far; and we can boast about two of our students who have travelled overseas including Paris. Viga our former U3A treasurer and committee member is someone who will have quite a lot to share. Her daughter had three successful wedding ceremonies (we can manage only one if lucky). Jeanette and her husband enjoyed a cruise travelling from Holland, passing through major European cities one of which was Budapest where at a famous restaurant they were introduced to Hungarian Goulash equivalent to Irish Stew. What a feast! We are looking forward to welcoming amongst our other students of French anyone to learn the language and its cultures. Marthe Veres-Siwek: Fleur de Bruxelles. 7

8 AROUND THE COURSES (Cont.) Spanish We are planning to start up a Spanish course next term on Mondays between 1pm and 3pm at the Wyndham Park Community Centre, Kookaburro Ave, Werribee. All are welcome and the course tutor will be Carmen Cohen. Did you know that over 400 million people in the world speak Spanish and that there are 21 countries that have Spanish as their official language? Also the earliest Spanish texts date back to over 1000 years ago. Espero verte Don Lee NEW COURSES STARTING UP AT POINT COOK Members will be aware that there are nine new courses starting up in Point Cook and that all Werribee U3A members are welcome to join. Here is some information about some of these courses and we will include details of others in our next newsletter. This course will look at the wonderful world of numbers. There will be no algebra or Euclid, no trigonometry or calculus, you won t meet x at any stage. Instead we will concentrate on topics like multiplication and division, factors, prime numbers, modulo arithmetic, uses of numbers in cryptography, rational, irrational and complex numbers. You know, all the fun stuff! The assumption is that people will be returning to this subject, possibly after many years absence. Frank O Shea The Magic of Numbers Do our millennials have you baffled? Be informed as we discuss topics such as raising today s teens, staying connected, understanding social media and its value and importance, bullying, education, after-school activities. Before you know it, you ll be posting things on Snapchat for your friends to tweet on Instagram. Leah Masters Being Grandparents 8

9 A NEW COURSE IDEA Do you have household items that need mending from time to time? Items such clothes, shoes, bikes, furniture, appliances, computers, lamps and various electrical accessories. Also are there talented people with technical skills keen to apply their talents to help mend these broken items? Well your U3A course coordinator is interested in hearing from you if you have the necessary skills and tools and are interested in helping set up a Mendit U3A course, starting as from second term The cost involved would probably be a gold coin donation and the price of the part(s) required. For more information, please contact our course Coordinator, Kay Harvey on MEMBERSHIP NEWS For all U3A Werribee membership enquiries, please contact our membership coordinator, Jannette Allen on Tel or you can at: membership.u3awbee@hotmail.com We are pleased to welcome the following new members who have recently joined us: Lynette Briggs Ann Mailes Resina Whitcome MERLE S SOCIAL ACTIVITES & OUTINGS Several of our members joined in Seniors Week and saw the "Seeker's Story". This was a great morning and we all enjoyed singing along with Athol Guy and hearing stories of their years in the spot light. I still have a few tickets for Priscilla on 2nd May, 2018 these will need to be paid for by 16th February, The cost is $75.00 and I am quite happy to take money when I see you but please put it in an envelope, with your name on the envelope. We will have a community bus for our trip to the city. On Tuesday 28th November we had our Christmas lunch at the Hopper's Crossing Sports club. Judy and all staff did their usual great job and everyone enjoyed the meal. The winners of our door prizes were: 1st prize Dave Callan; 2nd prize Rita Funnell; 3rd prize Neil Standfield and 4th prize Julia Toffolon. Congratulations! We will include a few photos of the event in the next newsletter. On the 19th January 2018 I have a booking at the Italian Social club for morning melodies. The entertainer is Brendon Scott and the cost is $15 for morning tea, the show and lunch. You can pay me on enrolment day if you wish, just please put the money in an envelope with your name on it. We will have our first 2018 outing on 23rd January and this will involve use of a community bus, to help keep the cost down. Notices about this event will be provided on Enrolment day. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, safe travels, and a safe and Happy New Year. Merle Deslandes 9

10 T WAS CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE WORKHOUSE... Christmas Eve Ball: the Co-Op s annual event. The Co-Op (our North Country Grocery Chain) Entertainments Manager, Harry was to turn up as Father Christmas with a sack full of gifts for staff and the few children who would be there. My Dad s dance band provided the music as usual. The trumpet player s two little lads Eric and Trevor were given instructions, wrapped up in blankets over their pyjamas and ensconced in the front office to stay there and sleep...some hopes... Santa Harry rolled up out of the slight downfall of snow the worse or the better from some early indulgence. T was Christmas Eve in the workhouse he chanted into his white beard, Poor Santa s had a fit. Into the soot he put his foot and shouted this isn t it! After a few more ho, ho, ho s he added a second verse. T was Christmas Eve down the chimney; Poor Santa s out of luck. He had to say, he s lost his way and said oh heck I m stuck! Except those were the rhymes you THOUGHT you heard. Waltzes, fox trots, tangos went apace; the snow fell thickly and silently outside. Came the interval, the trumpet player came back in from a smoko and said had anybody had a look outside? The car park was completely blanketed. T was Christmas Eve in the workhouse Santa carried on. Poor Santa s in a twist. He sang his song, it s all gone wrong...at this rate I ll be missed... MORE OR LESS. Santa Harry gave out gifts. The trumpet player s little lads each got a toy gardening set including little spade, rake, hoe and trowel. Harry went to look outside and lurched back, throwing off his beard I m not staying in this dump all night! How the hell are we all going to get home? His snow-bound car was close by. He seized young Eric s newly unwrapped garden tools. Here gimme this, kiddo! and he stumbled outside to dig his car out of the snow. Eric s little spade was no use so Santa threw it away in the gloom, along with the rest of the tin tools. Eric was infuriated, standing up for his rights in his pyjamas. I don t like you, Father Christmas. I hate you Father Christmas! I don t much like the look of you neither, you little swine!, came the reply. You re rotten Father Christmas! You don t smell so good yourself, pal! Santa snarled. DAD! Eric called for the trumpet player who bore down on the scene with a cry of THAT S ENOUGH OF THAT! Is he going to come down our chimney tonight, Dad? They stayed snowed up until the Council lorries came to help dancers get home in the morning. But there was plenty of food and music. Santa Harry stayed slumped in a corner T was Christmas Eve in the privy; the candle had a fit...old King Cole looked down the hole...and... Nobody cared any more. A Christmas Eve to remember. Cecilia Conwaye-Wright. 10

11 PROGRAM OF WERRIBEE COURSES FOR TERM 1 OF 2018 Monday 5 February - Friday 30 March 2018 Day/Time Activity Group Leader/Tutor Venue MONDAY Exploring History Brian Beck HCSC Lunch & Movies (1) Kaye Harvey SY The Arts and Christian Tradition Cecilia Conwaye-Wright PH Spanish Carmen Cohen WCC Tai Chi Marie Dean HCSC TUESDAY Senior Men in Light Exercises Tony Bradford HCSC Needlecraft Faye Weston HCSC Beginners Computer Course Don Lee TCC Great Songwriter s Course John Funnell HCSC Intermediate Computer Course Don Lee TCC Singing for Fun Ineke Heeremans WCC Photography Bernie Flaherty HCSC WEDNESDAY Health and Wellbeing Lyn Alder WCC Mosaic Helen Galea WCC Intermediate French & Culture Martha Siwek HCSC Australian History Merle Deslandes HCSC Cards 500 Kay Dwyer SD Book Club (2) Libby Pearson PH THURSDAY Current Affairs Tony Mason HCSC Yoga for Older People Trevor Walsh UC Mahjong Rita Funnell FRIDAY HCSC Introduction to Bridge Serita Mudford HCSC Bridge Brian Kilfoyle HCSC Music You Like To Hear Anna Mitchell HCSC Notes: (1) The Lunch & Movie Group meet on the second Monday of the month at the Sun Theatre, Yarraville. (2) The Book Club meets on the second Wednesday of the month at members' houses. FOR ENQUIRIES RING OUR COURSE CO-ORDINATOR KAYE HARVEY ON

12 PROGRAM OF POINT COOK COURSES FOR TERM 1 OF 2018 Monday 5 February - Friday 30 March 2018 Day/Time Activity Group Leader/Tutor Venue TUESDAY Beginning French Bernadette Mravljak JAM Magic of Numbers Frank O Shea JAM Unfinished Craft Marie Howard JAM THURSDAY Lifestyle and Living Bob Fairclough JAM Book Club (monthly) Christine Statkiewicz FB The Vegetable Garden Rod Allen SALT Art for All (3) Lydia Redl SALT Being Grandparents Leah Masters JAM FRIDAY Beginning Bridge Peter George ALTON Note (3): The Art course will be offered every second week, starting from 8 February 2018 Venues HCSC Hoppers Crossing Sports Club, Hogans Road, Hoppers Crossing PH1 Private house address: 5 Colliet Place, Werribee, 3030 SD SY TCC UC WCC FB JAM SALT ALTON Lifestyle Seasons, 13 Sundial Boulevard Tarneit (at the Clubhouse) Sun Theatre, Yarraville. Tarneit Community Centre, c/r Leakes Rd & Sunset Views Boulevard, Tarneit Crossroads Uniting Church, Synott St., Werribee Wyndham Park Community Centre, 57 Kookaburra Ave, Werribee Featherbrook Community Centre, Windorah Drive, Point Cook. Jamieson Community Centre, Jamieson Way, Point Cook Saltwater Community Centre, Salt water Promenade, Point Cook Altona Sports Club, 11 Altona Road, Altona THIS TRI - CYCLE NEWSLETTER IS PRINTED FOR U3A WERRIBEE BY COURTESY OF TIM PALLAS, MEMBER OF THE VICTORIAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR WERRIBEE. DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for information purposes only and views expressed here are not necessarily those of U3A Werribee Region Inc. While efforts have been taken to ensure that the material contained in this newsletter is accurate, U3A Werribee Region Inc does not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of the material. Readers are advised not to rely solely on this information when making any decision and should seek independent advice before making any decisions. 12

13 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2018 Membership ENROLMENT DAY (& renewal of membership) is to be held at the (HCSC) Hoppers Crossing Sports Club, Hogans Road, Hoppers Crossing, from 9:30am until 12:30 pm on Tuesday 19 th December New members also will be enrolled on the same day. Application forms for RENEWAL of membership for the 2018 year will be available, but the form is also included in this newsletter. Please note: Address details, address, and contact numbers are only required if they have changed during the last 12 months, although the Class Selection/s section must be completed. If you are unable to attend on enrolment day, please forward the application form, along with your payment - (payable to U3A Werribee Region Inc) - to The Treasurer, P.O. Box 1264, Werribee Plaza, We hope that this procedure will make it easier for members to renew their membership. You will be contacted prior to the start of Term 1 in 2018 only if we are unable to provide a class placement/s of your choice. 13

14 RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP FOR 2018 (To be completed by EXISTING MEMBERS ONLY, wishing to re-enrol prior to, or on, Enrolment Day) Title Given Names Family Name Address (if changed since previous year) Suburb Post Code Home Phone Number Mobile Telephone Number Address If any of your personal information has changed during the past year please complete the above with updated details. Please print clearly especially and phone details Fee Structure: January 1 to December 31 Annual Membership Werribee U3A If a financial Member of another U3A - You Must supply current details Full Membership with (U3A Name): Current Membership No: (if known) Full Member $40.00 Associate Member $15.00 Please enter amount: cheque/cash enclosed (Cheques should be made payable to "U3A Werribee Region Inc") Post to The Treasurer, PO Box 1264, Werribee Plaza 3030 $ PLEASE ENTER YOUR CLASS SELECTION/S BELOW - This section must be completed Class choice/s - in order of Preference Day Time Office Use If there is insufficient space, please continue on a separate sheet or on the reverse of this form PRIORITY: Due to increased demand in some classes, priority will be given to existing members who renew their membership on or prior to enrolment day. Full Members will receive priority over Associate Members for class placements. Signature: Date: Disclaimer: Members need to be aware that they must accept responsibility for their own welfare when attending any U3A Werribee Region classes or social activities/outings Office Use Only Receipt Number: 14