Hythe & Dibden
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Newsletter 13 Hythe & Dibden March 2020 Tim’s Tittle Tattle It seems to have been a bit wet lately so I thought a little ditty might be appropriate (I don’t know the author, and perhaps he or she might prefer to remain anonymous) Dirty days hath September April June and November From January up to May The rain! It raineth every day All the rest have thirty one Without a blessed gleam of sun And if any of them had two and thirty They’d be just as wet and twice as dirty As I mentioned at our last meeting, we are fast approaching the AGM which brings with it the election of the Executive Committee. I have previously explained that our Constitution limits the period for which members can serve on the Committee, including the term of the officers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer). It is fundamental to the continuance of our U3A Group that we refresh the membership of the Committee or we will find ourselves in a situation where 5 or 6 members have to stand down at the same time. In particular, this year we will have a vacancy for the position of Secretary. Both Vanessa and I will be very happy to have a chat with anyone who might be willing to take on this role. If anyone would like to have an initial chat to find out more about what is involved, we will be happy to do that without making any assumptions about whether or not you might be willing to stand. We are also of course happy to talk to anyone about the role of the Executive Committee more generally and what it means to become a committee member. Tim Parsons, Chairman ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Notification of the Annual General Meeting Hythe Parish Hall 2pm 11th May 2020 Before the speaker meeting on May 11th we will be holding our Annual General Meeting (AGM). This won’t take very long and afterwards we will hear our speaker, Judy Theobald. An AGM is a constitutional requirement. It keeps everyone informed, it gives all members a voice, it elects the executive committee and it accepts the minutes of our last AGM, the annual report and accounts of our group. All members are warmly encouraged to join the Executive Committee. The constitution allows for 12 members so please consider standing for a place on the committee which runs your club. Most of the current members of the Executive Committee are happy to stand again however it would be great to have some new members to input their ideas and initiatives. You will need to be proposed and seconded by two members of H & D U3A and this nomination should be forwarded to me (Secretary) before 11th April 2020. I will be stepping down as Secretary so we are looking for someone to take over this role following the AGM. All members are also invited to submit motions/proposals for the future running of this U3A. These should also be proposed and seconded and forwarded to me before 11th April. If you have any questions or queries regarding these matters please contact me by email ([email protected]) and I will endeavour to answer them. I will be sending out an agenda nearer the event Vanessa Daley Secretary Hythe and Dibden U3A Meetings at 2pm The Parish Hall, West Street, Hythe Monday March 9th - Hon. Mary Montagu – Scott, “My Year as High Sheriff” th *Monday April 6 – Catherine Chatters - New Forest non- native plant project. Monday May 11th – AGM then Judy Theobald Monday June 8 th - Steve Herra - “The body through the Porthole” Monday July 13th - Malcolm Wells MBE - “So far So good” *Note change of Date Refreshment Rota for 2020 For Parish Hall Meetings The Convener from each group should ask for at least three people to assist in serving the refresh- ments. If the group cannot find sufficient members to help on the given date the group should ex- change dates with another group. March 9th Wine appreciation April 6th Board Games May 11th Book Club June 8th Computer & I.T. All tea, coffee, milk and biscuits will be provided and water in the urn switched on. A list of what goes where will be provided. Nominated members should arrive 10 mins before the main meeting to introduce themselves to the Committee and prepare. U3A Day 3rd June 2020 The aim of U3A day is to raise the profile of the U3A, show the amazing and diverse things that our mem- bers get up to and challenge preconceptions of what being an older adult means. There will be national press coverage with the focus on positive aging. One local group is holding a stall in their local market dis- playing information about their activities. There are lots of different ideas – the more unusual and atten- tion-grabbing the better! Some of the more popular ones include: An exhibition Demonstration – interactive experience Performances Flashmob U3A drop-in Café Open Day Please let the committee know what you would like to do that day. A word from your Treasurer Since last September, I have been assisting Hythe & Dibden U3A with their accounts. Kim Watts, ap- proached me to take on this role. (She has taken up a new role as Interest Group Joint Co-ordinator with Jacqueline Brown). Offering to take the role of Treasurer meant joining the Executive Committee which meets every two months. What have I been doing as your Treasurer? Initially reviewing the current systems, reading about the U3A Financial Matters, learning about and using the Beacon system. My thanks to Kim Watts and Tim Parsons who have supported me. We have been in a process of transition between our old accounting method and the new one. Between Tim and I we have been formulating a Treasurer Policy. For this we relied heavily on the guideline provided by the U3A and also incorporated decisions already made at the Executive Committee. This is a document that will need updating as things change. Now I am in the process of preparing for the end of the financial year which is 31st March. In preparation, both Tim Parsons and I met with the external financial examiner in early February. In May we have our AGM, where I hope you will consider electing me to continue in this role? I am enthusi- astic and realistic. Recently, I have discovered other U3A members willing to assist. Well done. Even if you don’t wish to be- come an Executive Committee Member, there are still roles available to act as an assistant to any of these Committee Members. Lucy Barlow A word from your Secretary As I mentioned above, I will be standing down as Secretary at the forthcoming AGM. Officers are only allowed to hold positions for 3 years so we need someone to come forward to do this role. As Secretary I send out the email before our monthly meetings to remind you of the date and speaker. The committee meets every two months, so before this meeting I send out the agenda, then take and write up the minutes. Generally, I keep up to date on happenings within the Trust, and take responsibility for the administration of our U3A. You will need to be computer literate but otherwise no other skills are required. Although I produce the quarterly newsletter, that is not a requirement of the post. We can’t function without a Secretary so I hope one of you will come forward. I am more than happy to support you for a few months until you feel confident, so please email me if you are interested. Vanessa Daley [email protected] A word from your Membership Secretary When we first started the Hythe & Dibden U3A we hoped to get a membership of around 50. We were really pleased and surprised that we had nearly 100 in the first year. We are now in the position of having 183 members – 105 individual members and 78 joint members. It is my job as Membership Secretary to keep records of members. It is a role I enjoy as I have the privilege of meeting most people who join. We use a system called Beacon that is used by a lot of U3A groups. The most important job is correctly typing in your details. My apologies if I have had to correct an email address or phone number if I haven’t got it right first time! This is a secure system and allows the group convenors to contact you without me having to give out lists of people and their details. I set up our website and recognised that my basic computer skills were more than adequate to follow the guidance given. Were there things I couldn’t do? Yes, but help is always there if you ask for it. We will be looking for help with the website as it needs more input on a regular basis. My other role is to order your Third Age Matters magazine. Please let me know if you no longer wish to receive the magazine or if you have changed your mind to now have it delivered to you. Susan Parsons WANTED – a member who can set our U3A up with a Facebook page and update it regularly. If you can do this please let a committee member know. Interest Groups Current Interest Groups: Birdwatching, Board Games, Book Club, Chess, Computer and I.T. Skills, Craft, Creative Writing, Discussion, Fine Dining, French Conversation, Gardening, History, Lunches Out, Painting, Petanque, Play Reading, Social Cycling, Sunday Lunches, Trail Walking 6 -10 miles, Walking 3-5 miles, Wine Appreciation If you are interested in joining any of the Interest Groups please contact Jacqueline on [email protected] or Kim on [email protected] It has been great to see members continue to be occupied by a variety of interest groups.