Oswestry Borders University of the Third Age (U3A) Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 August 2013 Third Age Trust Oswestry Borders U3A has been officially accepted as a member of the Third Age Trust. Our application for full membership of the Trust became effective from August 1 following a detailed submission from treasurer, Dave Pass. As well as a folder-full of advice sheets sent with the notification, the Trust offers a network of advisors, resources and experienced members to help committees with policy and constitutional issues and support with membership packs, promotional events and setting up new interest groups. Hot on the heels of a visit to Chirk Castle, the Local History Benefits and Services that our U3A members can now receive by officially being Group met again in August for a a member of the Third Age Trust include: guided tour by Joan Zorn of the Hoffman Kiln at Llanymynech Online courses—tutored and untutored Limeworks. Free publicity material and keenly priced merchandise 24 hour legal advice line and PPL licence Inside this issue: National Summer Schools, subject study days, shared learning projects Chairman’s Message 2 Resource Centre Library non-book materials to loan Committee News 2 Regular national mailings Interest Groups 3 Password protected members’ area on website Dreamtime 4 Exclusive U3A events and offers 40 National subject advisers offering support to group leaders Slate Mining in North 5 Wales National, regional and network workshops and seminars Monthly planner 8 Magazine ‘Third Age Matters’ published five times a year—direct mailed Speakers and Members’ 9 Support from National Office staff and regional trustees Meetings Information leaflets, advice sheets, discussion papers, subject handbooks Insurance cover for Public & Products Liability, Charity Trustee Liability, Special points of interest: Tour Operator Liability, and Equipment. Our recruitment drive begins The Trust’s online website is a hub for sharing between all U3A groups. Members What were different slates can use all the facilities of the Third Age Trust website to keep up to date. You called? will need to log in, but if you have any difficulty doing this, send them an email (the contact links are on the public page). What’s happening at Cambrian Railways Community Orchard? You are also able to access the subject information available at the U3A Resource Centre. Once again you will need to log in, though this very When did women vote? straightforward. Once in the site, put a term in the search box and loads of resources will be listed, including DVDs etc. that can be borrowed. This is Six new online courses to study. particularly useful for Interest Group Leaders. Borders Bulletin Chairman’s message Volume 1, Issue 5 It seems hard to believe but Oswestry Borders U3A has existed for only a few Fund Raising months, yet we have had a range of excellent talks from our speakers, some interesting members meetings and an increasing range of interest groups to choose Well done to Joyce from. For many of us the looming problem is in selecting what not to do, given the Whitehead and members inflexible restriction of the week to a mere 168 hours. That, however, is a pleasant who organised the recent difficulty to deal with. car boot sale at Whittington One thing we could benefit from, however, is a few more members. Most of our Castle and raised over £70 activities depend on there being enough people interested: to provide a lively towards our projector audience for a speaker, to get reasonable sized interest groups, to enable us to equipment fund. share the work involved in all this and, of course, to enable us all to meet kindred spirits. Maybe you have friends who would enjoy the activities we have; if so perhaps you could suggest they think about joining. There is of course a limit to the size we would wish our meetings to reach, or which our interest groups could cope Tea Rota with, but we could cope with more people than we have, so please spread the word. There are still quite a few gaps on our tea rota. All Dave Stirling, Chairman August 2013 offers to help out with refreshments at meetings at The Centre are always very welcome. Library Stand Can you give an hour of your time to If you are new to the U3A, we have a help with the Oswestry Borders U3A a summary sheet to help explain publicity stand at the town Library from Oswestry Borders U3A to others. Monday, 16 September to Wednesday, This information will be sent to you via 18 September inclusive? email in advance of the event. On the Monday morning we need Please volunteer for a time slot below members to help set up the stand and help boost our membership. We which aims to promote Oswestry are aiming for a couple of members for Borders U3A to the public, and each hour slot. hopefully, draw in new members. Members’ Meetings - a good place to meet up with old and Helpers Timetable new friends to learn something new. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, September 16 September 17 September 18 9 a.m. to Sue Evans Robin Harvey 10 a.m. Jane Davies Sandra Harvey What’s My Mind 10 a.m. to Jane Davies Melva Duley Dave Boulton 11 a.m. Avril Topham The Third Age Trust course 11 a.m. to Brenda Stansbie Pat Broadhurst Brenda Stansbie team is seeking up to a dozen 12 noon Joyce Whitehead people to try out materials on 12 noon to Wendy Lowdon Bobby Coleman Jane Stirling a trial run basis on the topic of 1 p.m. Dave Stirling ‘Music and the Mind’ which 1 p.m. to Eileen Thornton Members’ Meeting may form part of a more 2 p.m. The Centre ambitious and longer course 2 p.m. to Jane Stirling Members’ Meeting of study of the mind in relation 3 p.m. The Centre to a range of human 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. experiences. Contact them 4 p.m. to Maggie Quinn via Third Age Trust website. 5 p.m. 5 p.m. to Maggie Quinn Maggie Quinn 6 p.m. Jane Davies Page 2 Interest Groups and Meetings Borders Bulletin Volume 1, Issue 5 We have a long list of possible group subjects but we still need group leaders to volunteer and get them started. Photography is on hold for the time being. Cycling looks like a promising new one. Scrabble, I believe is happening, but without a named leader. The Singing Group will resume on September 11 and will meet in members’ homes on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, Cycling Group from 10.30 a.m. to 12.15, The group will hire a rehearsal hall later when The newly-formed Cycling numbers allow. The first meeting will be at my house. However, there will be no Group made the most of meeting on September 25 as group leader, David Ryan is away. good weather this month Speaker meetings have been organised as follows: with a couple of lovely rides, one round Lake September 4: Guiliana Becciu talking about the ‘Cambrian Railways Vyrnwy, and another on a Community Orchard’; leisurely, fairly flat, 12 mile ride round the quiet lanes October 2: Prof. Cynthia Burek will speak on the subjects ‘What is in the Kinnerley / Melverley Geodiversity and Geoconservation?’ area. November 6: Chris Cannon explores ‘Born out of Wenlock – the London 2012 Olympic Connection’; I shall be trying to continue rides through the winter on December 4: Alister Williams investigates ’Who was Jones? How Welsh dry days and will be Names came into Being.’ contacting those who’ve Members’ Meetings for September and October have also been planned. Aware said they are interested to that the September Members’ Meeting was following the publicity drive in the try and sort out a day that’s Library, we shall have presentations on as many Interest Groups as possible – convenient. the session to be entitled ‘Groups Snapshot’. In October the Members’ Meeting will focus on the ‘History of Pottery and Identification’. If you would be interested in joining us, please get in A meeting with group leaders is to be arranged soon, when we will discuss a touch with me. range of issues such as copyright material and sharing attendance information to help identify membership patterns which can help develop future programmes. Sally Barrett Anne Lynch, Education Co-ordinator Play Reading Group The Play Reading Group continued to Similarly, the various characters in the The photograph below shows some meet over summer despite inevitable play placed unexpected values on members enjoying a moment from varying numbers owing to holidays. tradition, orthodoxy and English the reading. culture. Above all, we enjoyed Group members can choose to read the Bennett's wit. Sandra Harvey selected play in advance or read it unprepared and let the meaning unfold from the shared experience of interpreting the scripts. In a sense, we are both the actors and the audience in this process, which is all part of the fun. At our last meeting on 2nd August, The Old Country by Alan Bennett proved a surprising and challenging play, evoking mixed responses from the group. The setting, and indeed situation, proved to be very different from the one an audience would first assume they were seeing. Page 3 Borders Bulletin Australian Studies Group Volume 1, Issue 5 The Dreamtime Lynn Rose was the host of this month’s meeting. Three of our members were unable to attend due to summer commitments but the rest of us departed from Oswestry in two cars at 1.00 pm for the trip to Lynn’s farm in Cilwgri which lies on the outskirts of Corwen.