Letter from the President
May 2010
Kia ora,
As I write this, the sea fog is receding into a lovely sunny autumn day. We have certainly had an Indian summer-autumn with clear evidence in the garden and lawns. My lawn is cracking in places and the grass has forgotten to grow. But there are still zinnias and petunias to brighten the garden and provide for the butterflies. I am hopeful, too, that a few lettuces will make it to the table. As many of you are aware, I have spent much of the last two months in thigh length waders assessing the health of swamps and smelly ponds. During one coffee break I went to the Robert Harris Café at Coastlands and saw a bidding to smile that I thought I would share with you: Smile. It’s easy to find a reason: Hole in the sock. A kiss on the cheek. Bad hair day. Two left feet. Courteous driver. A song on the radio. Resisting chocolate. 5:00pm. Spread a little happiness.
U3A has had an excellent start of the year. The lecture programme has been well attended and the experts sharing their topics with us outstanding and stimulating. Study groups are also well under way and several have had open days. What a marvellous idea that has been.
Just a comment about the lectures, though. They are meant to stimulate discussion and questions and so it is proper for members to offer well-informed comment from the floor. However, please keep it short and to the point. U3A is about learning from one another and this facet of that. We need to be both tolerant and supportive at the same time. All of which is to say that comment is as welcome as questions. AND further, talking of lectures, do you have a topic that you would like to share with us? We have so much talent that it would be great to gather some of it into the programme. If you would like to contribute in 2011, please let Sarah Burrows know.
The AGM is in September. There will be two vacancies on the committee. It would be great if some of you could offer yourselves to assist in the running of our organisation. No commitment can be longer than 5 years according to the constitution but it can be shorter. So please think about this. The nomination forms will be on the website. If you have any agenda items for the AGM, please let the Secretary, Val Ferguson, know.
Also on the website are the subscription renewal reminders and the three methods of paying. The preferred method is by bank account, but some of us prefer snail mail or the box at the lectures. All methods are fine, and require identification with name and phone number. In return, you will receive a green membership card.
Karen Palmer
