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Member of U3A Network Queensland
ABN 88 945 460 759
Contact address:
Beaudesert U3A Inc
P.O. Box 561
Beaudesert, Qld, 4285
Email: u3abeaudesert@gmail.com
Street map of Beaudesert
Office Bearers:
President
Andy Fechner
Vice President
Lise Leatherbarrow
Secretary
Yvonne Berry
Treasurer
Helen Atkinson
Committee members:
Course Co-ordinator
Tina Jones
Membership Secretary
Michele Goucher
Assistant Membership Secretary and
Assistant Treasurer
Stuart Gearey
Publicity Officer
Cheryl Folley
Newsletter
Yvonne Berry
Webmaster
George Evans
Assistant Webmaster
Peter Venz
Social Activities Facilitator
Di Johnson
Facebook Co-ordinator
Debbie Pratt
Beaudesert U3A Facebook Page
Committee Contact Details
Friends of the Committee
Join Beaudesert U3A
Our Sponsors
Our Newsletters
Courses Time Table
Contents Page
Dates - Activities
B.U.G.s Latest News.
Use Gardening Group Button at top of this page.
Term 4 starts 5th October 2021 and finishes 10th December 2021.
Queensland School Term Dates for 2021 can be found on the Contents Page.
Next Committee Meeting
Friday 28th January 2022. 09.30am Venue 12/61-85 Brisbane St (RSL Sub Branch Upstairs).
Important Notices
U3A Network
The official U3A Network website is up and running with a link to Network News, the home page of the website and also Facebook:
click here to go to U3A State Web Network News
click here to go to U3A State Web Site
Click here to go to U3A State Website Facebook Page
Click here to go to Brisbane U3A Web Site
The next social lunch will be held at Topsy Turvey Grill Jimboomba on Friday 12th November at 12pm Midday. (The old Coffee Club Cafe').
RSVP to Di ASAP
Email - candyroxy1946@gmail.com
Phone/text - 0468 849 448
New Groups and Recessions
A number of new groups have started, due to seasonal changes, some have gone into recess and some restarted. For more information, please go to current Courses button at the top of this page.
Click here for Mount Tamborine April Newsletter and Courses
Beaudesert Tennis Club
Some of our members belong to the local Beaudesert Tennis Club. By reciprocal arrangement and for the benefit of members, we have agreed to a link between our Web Sites
click here to go to Beaudesert Tennis Club Web Site
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WHAT IS A U3A
The University of the Third Age is a mutual aid self-help movement - a modern community of scholars and artists, catering primarily for people in the Third Age of their lives.
OUR AIMS
The overall aim of Beaudesert U3A Inc. is to provide the members with both the stimulus of mental and physical activity and the satisfaction of a continuing contribution to society. It will enable them to take up new interests and to extend old ones. It will offer the joy of learning for the sake of learning: it will open up new horizons for them - unrestricted by the requirements of vocation or the desire for qualifications, and it will do so, principally by drawing upon the extensive life experience, skills and energies of the members. It is a mutual aid self-help movement - a modern community of scholars, catering primarily for people in the Third Age of their lives.
Beaudesert U3A promotes the joy of learning for the sake of learning, and seeks to open up new horizons for its members unrestricted by the requirements of vocation or the desire for qualifications. It does so, principally by drawing upon the extensive life experience, skills and energies of members.
HISTORY OF U3A
The history of U3A and how they operate is on this page.
A HEADS-UP FOR THE UNVACCINATED
While I imagine that most of our U3A members are already vaccinated against Covid, I feel it is important to alert those members who may not be aware of possible changes to admittance to venues, which are being mooted at the moment.
It is entirely possible that the State Government could issue a directive that venues bar entry to persons who have NOT been vaccinated. This action is already being suggested to entertainment and hospitality venues, and could also apply to some of the venues used by our U3A for activities - (Council operated venues, church halls, clubhouses etc).
Being unvaccinated could mean being denied entry to U3A courses.
Andy Fechner, President.
Bugs Christmas Break-up
Hello Bugs,
We all had a very enjoyable day for our Xmas lunch at Peter Ward's Kerry property.
There were 38 people mostly members, all spread out under the huge branches of the ancient Fig Trees.
Some of us were busy Swapping plants. Most people managed to get a raffle prize of some sort.
Seeing the beautiful old place with it's exceptional gardens was a real treat. Peter is so proud of his property which has been in his family forever.
All of us swooned in his Large native garden at the front of the house, which has taken quite a few years to get to this point.
Everyone bought along a plate to go onto the table for lunch.
There was a really good variety to choose from, first the savory and then on to the sweets.
We were so lucky to have beautiful weather, picture perfect, and the topping on the cake was all of you that attended, were a happy group, making a very special day.
Of course it was even more so because of all the Covid restrictions we have had to live with recently.
So Beauy Garden Club, from Marg and Myself we wish you all a very merry Christmas, and thank you
all for being understanding when we needed you to be, and a
super happy New Year for everyone.
Love to you all and happy gardening in the New Year.
Marilyn.
Beaudesert U3A Croquet Group Celebrates Seniors Day
Thanks to Peter Cahill for passing on a Southport Croquet Club Flyer advising that their club would be celebrating their 86th Birthday.
The Flyer, was a compelling invitation stating that there would be Fun Games, free morning Tea and free lunch.
Eight U3A Croquet members registered to attend and did so on the day (Wednesday 20th October.
On arrival, we found plenty of parking close to the Venue. We were met by Club volunteers who organised registration of our attendance, gave us a free Coffee/Tea and lunch ticket.
We joined many other attendees some of whom we knew and enjoyed catching up with news over a Coffee or Tea.
A celebration cake was cut and piece given to everyone during the afternoon. A raffle was drawn with plenty of prizes, a number were won by our group members.
The rest of the day was spent playing a variety of activities which tested skills and gave our Croquet Players and idea what it was like to play on a Bowling Green type surface, which at Southport is used only for Croquet.
Comments were positive about the celebration, with everyone enjoying the day which was blessed with kind weather.
George Evans
Webmaster
Always something new at trivia group
Expect the unexpected is the rule at one U3A group, the trivia puzzlers who meet every Wednesday afternoon at St Thomas' Church hall in Beaudesert. And members agree that they always leave the hall having learnt something new.
There are 75 questions to get through each time and the pace at times can be brisk, depending partly on who is the quizmaster for the day.
"It's never an onerous job for one quizmaster, because the members volunteer to take turns in setting the questions," says Jenny Hughes, organiser of the group which attracts 14-18 members regularly but always has room for more.
"Questions come from a wide range of sources, including TV, magazines, Google, local knowledge or news bulletins. Sometimes we have quite spirited discussions about the answers, but the rule we follow is that the quizmaster on the day is the ultimate authority.
There are no prizes for the most correct answers. Says Jenny: "We don't play for sheep stations or have any prizes as it's all about playing against yourself and seeing how much you can retrieve from your memory bank.... trivia is a great way to keep your brain active.
"Our focus is on having fun and socialising."
The questions are asked in two sets of 25, followed by a cuppa and biscuits, then the final set of 25 questions. When the answers follow says Jenny, there can be a few groans and comments of "Oh no, I just couldn't think - I knew that answer, really!" but always, she says,"we leave knowing something that we didn't know previously."
Cheryl Folley
Publicity Officer
Photos Tina Jones
Tutor/Co-ordinator
Our first aid course a success
Recently we organised and subsidised a first aid course for eight of our volunteer tutors, conducted by Mick Kajewski, who runs first aid and CPR courses as well as operating the Beaudesert pool in summer.
The eight participants studied theory beforehand and sat a theory test via email before turning to the practical work on the following Saturday.
The course was arranged at the request of John Leatherbarrow, who runs the summer aqua-aerobics course and also the current U3A Exercise in the Park group in Jubilee Park weekly, when he realised that the group in the park did not have ready access to a first aid helper if the need arose.
Liz Avery attended the course and reported that Mick was "an excellent communicator" whose course she could certainly recommend.
"It reinforced the need for everyone to have a basic knowledge of CPR in particular and the use of our defibrillator, which is kept with the tennis/table tennis groups and available to any U3A groups," she said.
"It is also good to have a first aid kit in your car and Mick is happy to help with stocking yours.
Another useful tool is the Emergency Plus App which would be critical for first responders to find you quickly in an emergency."
Cheryl Folley
Publicity Officer
Beaudesert U3A Monthly Luncheon
Beaudesert Friday Monthly luncheon was held at the Happy Valley restaurant on the 8th October and was attended by 32 members, some were partners and friends.
Covid 19 protocols were adhered to and everyone was greeted and shown to their table. The meals were excellent and very filling. The staff had all our party,
fed by 1 o’clock, plus other patrons who needed to be attended to, and takeaway customers. A great lunch .
Photos Tina Jones
Tutor Co-ordinator
Beaudesert U3A Tutor Co-ordinator and Publicity Officer visit Jimboomba Card Group New Venue
With a recent change of venue, it seemed a good time for our U3A Tutor Co-ordinator Tina Jones and Publicity Officer to visit the Jimboomba Card Group.
Games are brain fodder for our card players.
Card playing is a serious business... just ask any of our keen players who meet once or twice a week to follow their passion, either in Beaudesert or Jimboomba, and carry on for up to four hours in an afternoon.
Their latest venue is the St James Anglican church property in East street, Jimboomba, where players gather in a separate, demountable room near the Op Shop every Thursday afternoon from noon until four pm to play Bolivia. It is a quiet and air conditioned space, with plenty of parking in the church grounds and wheelchair access.
"Just what we needed," says the cards coordinator Di Johnson, who also runs a U3A Beaudesert-based card group on Monday afternoons.
The groups were run separately until a few years ago when the Jimboomba branch of U3A amalgamated with Beaudesert.
Several players can't get enough card playing and also attend the Beaudesert games on Monday afternoons at the RSL in William street, now known as The Club.
Players say they love the mental challenge.
"It's something for your brain. You really have to think about it; that's important," says Marcia Pain, who attends both weekly sessions.
And Wanda Slingo, who is wheelchair-bound, finds it keeps her mind exercised since she can no longer do physical exercise, and says the players become good friends.
Tricia Forse is a life-long card enthusiast grew up playing euchre, bridge and coon-can (which is similar to Bolivia) and has played cards in several countries across three continents with family members.
"Covid has stopped that for the time being but I hope that won't last forever," she says.
When convenor Di realised that the card players were so engrossed that they weren't really socialising, she started what has become a U3A tradition - the monthly social lunches held at various local venues, where, she says, "they can, and do, talk to their heart's content." Members of any of U3A's 20-plus activities are happy to mix at these social lunches and find out what everyone else has been up to.
If you are a senior resident, either wanting to continue your card games of earlier years, or a "newbie" who would like to get started, U3A Beaudesert is happy to welcome new members at either weekly game, or both. Bolivia alone is played at Jimboomba, while in Beaudesert the two games of choice are 500 and Bolivia. It doesn't matter if a group ends up with an uneven number of players. Di says 500 is particularly flexible and may be played with any number of players between three and six; Bolivia can be adapted to three or four players.
For more information, contact Di on 0468 849 448.
Cheryl Folley
Publicity Officer
Photos Tina Jones
Tutor Co-ordinator
Photos below of a number of players present when the visit commenced.
A double opportunity in two related courses
When it comes to recording family history for the next generation, U3A Beaudesert can offer a chance to combine two current courses - scrap-booking plus calligraphy (or “beautiful writing,” as the ancient Greeks knew it).
Our scrap-booking tutor Anita Mahon started attending the calligraphy course last year when she realised how valuable it would be to enhance her scrap booking classes with hand-done script. She has now started her own students on a challenging project, to construct an album from raw materials and then to fill it with their own stories.
Independently, a new member of our calligraphy class, Lorraine Henderson, came to the same conclusion from a different angle.
“I’ve collected calligraphy tools for something like 30 years with the idea that someday I would use them,” says Lorraine. “Now I have started on making family albums for all eight of my children and step-children and realise how the two go hand-in -hand.”
Our new calligraphy tutor Robyn Vines will be mentoring Lorraine and any other interested students as they discover various fonts and applications for their proposed albums.
Anyone interested should contact Anita on 0408 452 584 or Robyn on 0439 721 325.
Scrapbooking classes are held on the second Monday morning of each month and calligraphy on the first and third Friday afternoons of the month. (And of course, students may wish to follow just one path with either subject).
Cheryl Folley
Publicity Officer
Last Update 27th November 2021.
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