0609 Newsletter

WOKINGHAM U3A NEWSLETTER SEP - OCT 2006

Tuesday 19th September

St Paul's Parish Rooms 2.00 pm

Flying for Life

Kevin Crook

Kevin Crook is the Volunteers Manager for 'Mission Aviation Fellowship'. The Aviation Fellowship is a charity which flies light aircraft into the most remote parts of the Third World supporting the work of the major relief and aid agencies in those countries.

Currently the Fellowship is flying into areas such as Sudan, Kenya and South America in helping the work of the Red Cross, the Tear Fund, the United Nations and other such agencies

Wokingham U3A
Registered Charity No. 1049995

Committee 2006-2007

Chairman. Chairs the Committee, Monthly Meetings and special meetings. Our main contact with other U3As in the area and with Thames Valley Region, also our main contact with the Charity Commission. Colin Mitchell, 0118 9782824
Vice Chairman. Deputises for Chairman as necessary. Sheila Barry.
Secretary. Maintains Constitution and supports committee generally. Our main contact with U3A National Office/Third Age Trust. Brings information received from National Office/Third Age Trust to the notice of the Committee and membership as appropriate. Muriel Froom.
Treasurer. Custodian of our funds and payer of all outgoings. Ensures that annual capitation is paid to the Third Age Trust and that premiums are made for insurance policies. Maintains contact with Inland Revenue (for Gift Aid). Recommends to the Committee any changes in the Annual Membership subscription. Ted Thornton.
Groups' Co-ordinator. Liaises with individual Group Leaders, Assists interest groups as needed, helps to form new groups and arranges Leaders' meetings. Phyll Smith.
Membership Secretary. Manages membership enquiries, collects annual subscriptions, maintains membership and mailing lists. Carole Beswetherick, 01344 771303
Newsletter Editor. Publishes the Newsletter and Diary every other month. Paul King.
Minutes Secretary. Takes minutes of Committee Meetings, AGM and any EGMs. Christine Holland 9784569.
Speakers' Secretary. Sources and books the speakers for our monthly meetings; she also looks after speakers at monthly meetings as well as ensuring that there are volunteers available to do the refreshments. Hilary Taylor . New Members' Representative. Arranges and hosts meetings to welcome new members as well as being ready to welcome new members to monthly meetings. Martha Mason.
Committee Member. Supports the work of the Groups' Co-ordinator, particularly for e-mail communication and word processing. Peter North.

Committee members are Trustees of the Charity Wokingham U3A. As such they are collectively and individually responsible for the operation of the Charity in accordance with the Law and Charity Commission rules. Committee members are also responsible for the U3A's operation in accordance with the Aims and Principles of the Third Age Trust

Wokingham U3A

Chairman: Colin Mitchell, 0118 978 2824, e-mail colinfmitchell@hotmail.com

Secretary: Muriel Froom

Membership Secretary: Mrs Carole Beswetherick, 31 Hatch Ride, Crowthorne, RG45 6LF, 01344 771303

Editor: Paul King

Registered Charity No: 1049995

WEBSITE www.wokinghamu3a.org.uk

E-group sign-up: wokinghamu3a-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

A View From The Chair
This Chairman's job does have some perks. I was delighted to accept an invitation from the Beginners Bridge Group to their 'end-of-term' lunch, thank you Patsy, Ted and members. Unfortunately I didn't manage to talk to everyone who was present.
Some recent comments from members have set me thinking. One was "I didn't know we had a Chairman, what do you do?" Another was "Who is on the Committee and what do they do?" A third comment was "Nobody gets to know what is going on in the U3A and there is no chance to have one's say". A related comment criticised the Committee for organising the summer and Christmas events without consulting the membership.
The Committee's role is no secret - we shout loudly enough about it just before the AGM. However, it does no harm to repeat things and I've included in this Newsletter a list of committee members with a summary of their principal tasks.
I've also put in a piece about communication. You can easily find out what is going on and I would love to hear your views on anything to do with U3A.
Consultation across the membership is difficult, perhaps impossible. We can't all meet together because there isn't an affordable hall large enough and near enough to hold our 700 or so members. Previous committees have used questionnaires to seek members' views but very few members responded.
So how do we consult? I don't know how to do better and if you do I would love to hear from you.
Colin Mitchell, Chairman

If you know of any member who is ill please inform Marion Povall so that she can contact them.

Visiting The Groups
Committee members sometimes hear that they should visit groups in order to make themselves known and find out what is going on in the U3A. Then we hear that some members think that this is prying or some kind of inspection. There is also the occasional comment "Watch out! If she/he is here they want us to do something". With such mixed views I have suggested to committee members that they adopt the policy of only visiting groups other than their own in response to a specific invitation. This is my approach - invite me to a particular meeting and I'll accept if my diary is clear on that day.
Colin Mitchell, Chairman

We don't all have (or want) Internet in our homes but you can access Internet, free, in the libraries and I'm sure that everyone knows at least one person with Internet access.
Information available to members is one way only. For communication members need to make their views known to the Committee and other members - this needs action by you. One way to share a view would be to write to the Newsletter - the Editor will be pleased to print your letter and will do so anonymously as long as you provide a name and address to him. Alternatively, join the E-group (see above), lobby the Committee or place an item on the agenda of the AGM to be held next March.
If you really want to have your say in this U3A, stand for the Committee - all positions, including Chairman, are elected annually.
Colin Mitchell, Chairman

Help With Equipment
Alan Povall has been managing the U3A's equipment for several years, thank you Alan. He has decided that it is time for him to hand the role on to another member and we need a volunteer. Can you spare some time to do this essential work for the U3A? If so contact Alan or me to find our more about it.
Colin Mitchell, 0118 978 2824

Group News
Thank you to the many group leaders who have agreed to take part at 'The Open House'. The confirmed date is Oct 17th a.m. Set up time for those taking part is 09.30 - 10.00. The Open House will 'open' its doors to members & visitors from 10am and close at noon. A plan of the layout of the room will be in the entrance hall so please note where your group is placed. Each convenor/leader will be issued with a badge with their name and group on it.

Bob Bifield is no longer tutoring the Intermediate French and German groups as he now has a full time job. The French group already has a new tutor as Andrée Harrison has kindly offered to take over. The German group has become a self help group and Beryl Page remains the contact. The group is full. However, if there is anyone who would be willing to start a beginners group the demand is there! Surprise me!

Beryl Page is keen to have more people in the Bells group. She has even offered a little private help to anyone wanting to start out. A kind offer if anyone would like to take it up and enjoy the pleasure of making music in a group. Believe me its great.

Alan Ager who wrote about the French card game Belote in the previous newsletter has got one interested card player to join him. The game requires 4 - so come on some of you keen card players give it a whirl and help Alan get this up and running on September 20th at 2pm when the first meeting will take place at Alan's house.

Charles Crane is leaving the area so his 'Starting Family History' which so many have enjoyed will cease unless someone else would like to offer to take over the idea. Our good wishes and thanks to Charles. Of course Paul King's Genealogy continues as ever
.
September will see the launch of Nancy Tompkins' 'Food and Drink',
Scrapbooking led by Penny Raven and Digital Photography courtesy of Colin Mitchell. Possibly some others in the making.
You may remember Ronnie Beecham running a highly successful group 'Comparative Religions'. I know Ronnie would be happy to hand over the data she painstakingly collected if anyone feels like restarting this group a second time around.
Phyll Smith

Books Group A
This group meets at a member's home in the afternoon of the second Monday of the month.
We pay 30p, half of which goes to the host and half to the Group Leader towards expenses such as photocopying.
At the meeting we discuss the book we have read during the previous month, each having our say. We take it in turn to choose and introduce a book, often choosing from the sets of books which are available on loan from the Library; at other times we obtain our own copy. The meeting ends with tea and biscuits and general chat. The December meeting is usually a special social afternoon; we may read something relating to Christmas ending with tea and mince pies and the singing of a few carols.
In September 2005 we celebrated ten years of Books A. In that time we had read 110 books by 94 authors. The range of books has been wide - classics to modern novels, biographies, travel, mysteries. We rarely all have the same opinion of a book, which leads to lively discussions but the meetings are friendly and we are stimulated (and at times educated!) by hearing each other's views.
At the present time the Group is full but I will be pleased to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us; their name will be placed on a waiting list.
Joyce Bird

Psychology of Everyday Life
This is the group for you if you have any topic you would like to discuss in friendly informal surroundings. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month at 2.30pm. Do please come and join us!
Rosemary Ward

Archaeology

After a successful summer season of visits the Winter Programme starts in Woosehill Community Hall on at 10.15am on Thursday 28th September with a talk by Reading Univ Dr Jennifer Foster on Experimental Archaeology (Mesolithic). Talks in the following months will be on the Evolution of Food & Disease (Neolithic), the Mayan Civilisation, Iron Age Hill Forts, Transport in Pre-history, Taming the Seas in Pre-History, & the Metal Ages in Europe. Diary gives more details. New members are welcome. Contact me if interested.
Alan Povall

U3A 2007 Diaries

U3A Diaries will be on sale at the September meeting. Price £1.85. If anyone wishes to reserve one please ring Muriel Froom

Copy date for the next issue is Friday 29th September

Summer Schools

Around 400 U3A members from across Britain have recently returned from the delights of a U3A Summer School. These have taken place annually for many years and offer any member the opportunity to select from the subjects available and enjoy them over the four days of the school. This year (and likely to repeat in 2007) one Summer School was held in Cheltenham and another in Chester. Both were located in universities using their accommodation, catering and lecture facilities.
All tutors for the various courses are U3A volunteers, many of whom have been associated with these events for years. Others were tutoring for the first time and there tends to be some change in available subjects from one year to the next.
Both of the 2006 Summer Schools were oversubscribed. If you are interested in the 2007 ones the information should be with our Secretary, Muriel Froom, in November. Ask her if you would like an early copy.
Some U3As run their own smaller Summer Schools and there is no reason why Wokingham can't do this, even if we don't do it in the summer. We have certainly got the talent among our groups and should be able to find space for a one-day or longer event. Interested? Then talk to me.
Colin Mitchell, 0118 9782824

Group Convenors - Open House 2006

Would Convenors whose Groups are participating at the Open House at St Paul's Parish Rooms on Tuesday 17th October please note the following:

• set up will be from 09.30 and must be completed by 10.00 when the doors will open to existing and prospective members

• would any Convenors who can bring their own small table please contact Martha Mason. Please also bring your own clip-board/paper for noting details of potential participants

• if you propose to display photographs, craft work, etc. related to your topic please advise Martha Mason of your requirement. Also let Martha know if you can supply your own display board. As you will appreciate space is limited and larger proposed displays may not be able to be accommodated

• a separate room will be available for Convenors to eat their own food and refreshments before the afternoon monthly meeting

• the Open House will close to visitors at 12.00 and the room must be vacated by 13.00 to allow set up for the monthly meeting

Starting Family History
We will be moving away at the end of August. There is currently an empty waiting list, so the group will cease to exist. We hope that our 'students' have found the sessions helpful and would like to extend our very best wishes to all our many friends and acquaintances at Wokingham U3A. We are off to Bury St Edmunds, where there is also a very active U3A that we intend to join as a matter of priority!
Charles and Margaret Crane

Travel
Meets on the first Wed. PM of the month from Sept-June in the Woosehill Community Hall. Has a large membership but usually 20-30 at a meeting.
This group provides an opportunity for those who enjoy travel to get together and share experiences. We have a rolling programme and presentations are usually by group members. Last year we started with a philosophical look at 'The Art of Travel' and had presentations on The Scilly Isles, Kazakhstan and Kyrges-tan, Coastal Alaska, Czech Republic, Romania and two very different ones on Australia. We had a travel quiz in teams and ended the series with a 'Musical Journey round the World'. Our new programme starts with Saxony followed by New Zealand and will then include Oman and the Gulf, North India, probably Indonesia and an open forum on short winter breaks in Europe - look out for future diary entries.
We try to have a diverse and balanced programme to suit a range of tastes and the group thrives on the ideas and offers of members. We can take in new members and also welcome visitors from other groups
To find out more contact Elizabeth Manley.

World Music
This is a recently formed group. We meet in one another's homes to listen to and discover more about a wide range of music from around the world. We have so far explored some of the music of Cape Verde and Canaries, Middle Eastern and Gipsy Music and meetings are planned on Central Asia and the Himalayas, Latin America, China and the Far East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. We make use of members' own collections which include video and DVD material as well as sound recordings in various format, and reference books. Meetings are informal and relaxed in style and we plan ahead as we go. No previous knowledge is needed and you are not expected to have your own resources. The group can accommodate new people.
If you are interested and would like to know more call Elizabeth Manley.

Rick Dittington
hurry, hurry to get your tickets We know that demand for tickets for the pantomime will be huge and the number of seats is limited. In case you do not know, the pantomime, which has been especially written for Wokingham U3A, is to be performed at the Pinewood Theatre at the Pinewood Leisure Centre on the 28th and the 30th November at 2.30p.m. and on the 29th November at 7.30p.m.
We know that you will love it, and so that you don't miss out make sure you get your tickets early. They will be on sale at the monthly meetings in September and October i.e. Tuesday 19th September and 17th October. The seats are numbered and so if you want aisle or other particular seats then come along promptly. If there are any seats left by the November meeting on the 21st November then we will still be selling them then.
Please don't leave it too late because you must not miss seeing your friends and acquaintances strutting the planks. It'll be great fun!
Hilary Taylor

Equipment for groups to borrow.
Our U3A owns equipment that is available for groups to use for their meetings. Some of it is used frequently by some groups and group leaders should think ahead and book well in advance. In case of conflict the first group to book gets the equipment.
We currently have:
Projectors, Flip Charts, Screens, Etc.

2 Portable Overhead Projectors
2 Kodak Carousel 35mm Slide Projectors with carousels
3 Electronic (digital) Projectors
3 Flip Charts with stands
4 projector screens Stands for 35mm and digital projectors

Computers
2 Laptop Computers (we are purchasing 2 more)

Audio/Video
2 Video Cassette Players
2 DVD Players
1 pair Active Loudspeakers (for use with digital projectors and VCR or DVD)
1 Public Address/Loudspeaker system with hand and lapel radio microphones

Musical
Digital Piano and Stand
Belleplates

How To Get Hold Of Equipment.
All of this equipment is available for groups to use. Just book it through the appropriate Equipment Manager (see below) who will advise you where to collect if from. The Equipment Manager will need to confirm that potential users are members of Wokingham U3A and competent to use the equipment; please note that equipment training may be available from other members.

Storage.
We don't have a central storage place for the equipment: some is kept in St. Paul's Parish Rooms (key held by Chairman), some in an Equipment Manager's home and some in the homes of other members. Members who borrow equipment may be asked to keep it until it is needed by another member.

Restrictions On Use.
Our equipment is not available to non-U3A members, neither is it normally available for use outside U3A. There are a few situations when a member may borrow equipment for use outside U3A, for example to make a presentation to a local charity. These situations have been defined by the Committee and the Equipment Managers hold details of them.

Equipment Managers.
The overall Equipment Manager is currently Alan Povall. Alan will be giving up the post in September and we have not yet found a replacement.

Digital Projectors and Laptop Computers are managed by Brian Pettitt.
Colin Mitchell, Chairman.

To all Group Convenors - Group Financial Returns
We are now in the second half of the year and the treasurer is getting twitchy about the year end accounts. As you were advised in January* this will be the first year when the U3A's annual accounts include the financial dealings of those groups where money is held between meetings to cover the cost of hall hire, equipment, etc. Most groups will not be affected by this; you can check whether yours is from the table below.
For those groups affected all that will be required is a simple statement of; Cash at 1st Jan 2006, Income in the year, Outgoings in the year and Cash at 31st Dec 2006. No formal auditing of this statement is required but you should ask a member of your group to check the arithmetic.
Ted Thornton, (Treasurer).

Chairman's letter 'Groups, Money and the Law' dated 24th January 2006

	Group Circumstances	What needs to be done
1	The group meets in a private house and the members make a payment to cover the cost of refreshments and incidental expenses such as photocopying	No change to present arrangements. Payments collected and dispersed by the group with no reporting to Treasurer
2	The group meets in a hall or hires a facility such as a snooker room and pays the cost of this on the day of the meeting. The members make a payment to cover the cost of the rent and any refreshments or incidental expenses.	No change to present arrangements. Payments collected and dispersed by the group with no reporting to Treasurer.
3	Any situation where the group holds money (with the exception of money held expressly for refreshments. [This includes - but is not limited to - situations where the group pays for a hall other than on the day of a meeting, costs of an occasional speaker, deposits or down payments for future visits/events,group purchases]	Group leader (or person in group handling money on behalf of the group) to keep a record of the monies received and expenditure made by the group. At the end of the calendar year a simple statement of the income and expenditure for that calendar year should be produced, checked by another member of the group, and passed to the U3A treasurer. The treasurer will amalgamate the statement with those from other groups and include a summary into the U3A's accounts. If a Group leader does not wish the group to hold any monies then all monies received may be paid directly into the U3A bank account and payments may be made via the U3A treasurer.

Sixty Years Ago
4th. Gale and raining hard all day; it really is most dreadful weather. I've promised to go to Harrods with 'Podge' (Edna) tomorrow, and now wish I hadn't. Why I do such daft things I can't imagine. Any way I'm going to bed now.
September 5th. 'Podge' and I had a lovely day shopping. I bought two pairs of fully fashioned silk stockings at Harvey Nicholls and 15 ounces of lovely cornflower blue Shetland wool at Darnleys. Had some lunch and came home on the 'bus in lovely sunshine.
October 3rd. Felt sick and cold on the 'bus going to Hammersmith this morning and was very thankful to get to May's (her sister. R.) flat and have a nice cup of coffee. Felt better then though still not 100%. Very pleased with shopping: some linen material, lingerie crepe and 3ply wool. Left May in Kensington High Street. Got 73 'bus to Hammersmith, then the 33 home, and very glad to get there.
October 11th. Glorious day. Thoroughly enjoyed shopping in Whitton High Street and came to the conclusion that I didn't do it often enough. Had screw fastenings put on the silver earrings Uncle Bill gave me.
October 24th. Jim and I went to Honiton to see Uncle Bill.
October 28th. I met Philip from school and spoke sharply to him for using rude words. Did shopping and treated myself to a pair of forget-me-not earrings. I think them so pretty that I'm wearing them now.
October 29th. Went to dressmaking class this afternoon. Took an old pair of Jim's plus-fours and roughly cut out a skirt from them. (Clothes rationing did not end until 1948).
October 31st. Jim and I went to the Ritz and saw Bob Hope in Monsieur Beaucaire, and lovely pictures of Patricia Mountbatten's wedding.
Rosemary Goldschmied

Volunteers Needed
Wokingham Job Support Centre is a local charity, based in All Saints' Cornerstone, dedicated to helping people get back to work, especially after being made redundant. We are funded by Wokingham District and many other town & parish councils in the area, and have gratefully received donations from other bodies, including local companies. Although unemployment in Wokingham District is among the lowest in the country, we are still needed. Since our foundation about 14 years ago more than 5000 clients from the District have registered with us and received free advice on all aspects of job hunting, including CVs, applications, & interviews.
Like all charities we rely on volunteers, especially our team of volunteer advisors. They are able to get alongside our clients and give one-to-one help. Our advisors come from a wide range of backgrounds, from telecoms to teaching, and from management to self-employment. They get to meet a lot of interesting people and it's a marvellous feeling when people come back to announce that they've got a job. If you would like to explore helping us, please phone 0118 978 5521 or 0118 977 0517 and we will tell you more. Alternatively visit our Website on www.wjsc.org.uk for more information.
John Williams

Monthly Meetings & Equipment

There is a lot to be done immediately before a monthly meeting and those who arrive early are usually quick to help with setting out the chairs; thank you. There is less enthusiasm for the equally important tasks of setting up the audio equipment, projector and screen. This looks difficult but certainly isn't once you have been shown what needs to be done. A couple of members do help with this but there are some meetings when Alan Povall is left to struggle alone or with my help when I am not involved in greeting members and the speaker. We need a few more people prepared to help set up equipment and put it away afterwards.
Please contact Alan Povall or myself. Colin Mitchell

Monthly Meetings Programme
The provisional programme of monthly talks until May 2007 is given below. Unless otherwise announced, all meetings will take place at St. Paul's Parish Rooms, Reading Road, Wokingham at 2.00pm. There is normally a charge of £1 for attending these meetings.

19th Sept. 2006 Kevin Crook of Mission Aviation fellowship Flying for Life

17th Oct. 2006 Professor G Gibson of Reading University
Getting to the Guts of Microbes in Health & Disease

21st Nov. 2006 Malcolm Ray-Smith
The History of Posts - English Letters 1459 to 1661

16th Jan. 2007 Ann Chance
Petticoat Pilot

20th Feb. 2007 Robin Dean
Getting a Buzz in the Countryside

20th Mar. 2007 Annual General Meeting followed by
Paul King Edwardian Britain - a journey illustrated by contemporary postcards

17th April 2007 Nina Brooke of Reading University
Human Cloning: the Science behind the Headlines

15th May 2007 Alan Sutcliffe
Computer Arts in My Life

The October Meeting

Getting to the Guts of Microbes

in Health and Disease

Professor Glenn Gibson

School of Food Biosciences

University of Reading

This talk will provide an overview of the trillions of bacteria that inhabit the human gut. It will describe what they are, where they come from and how they handle your daily diet. The critical role of gut bacteria in promoting better health will also be explained.

Tuesday, 17th Oct 2006
St Paul's Parish Rooms
at 2.00pm