NEW MEMBERS COFFEE MORNING

Swansea U3A continues to evolve at a rapid rate. Last year I was impressed by the buzz at the event, and perhaps in sheer effervescence it was not surpassed, but as an introduction for New Members to the U3A it most certainly was. That was thanks to the power point slides prepared in the Digital Media Group by Tony and Esther Searle and the verbal presentation by Bob Hughes, which brought out not just the range of activities available via Swansea U3A but also the fact that that such success is predicated on the willingness of members to contribute to those activities and the running of our organisation. U3As including ours are expanding at a rate which can only be sustained if volunteers continue to come forward to guide the organisation via the committee (sadly lacking at the last AGM), as lecture program organisers, social organisers, and above all as convenors (leaders) or tutors of activity groups.

Whilst everything starts with the leaders, the success of groups depends on positive participation. It is no surprise that the 'lend me your ears' type of groups are particularly popular whereas those requiring more active participation are much more difficult to run until they achieve critical mass. One of the valid cliches from Bob was the thought, I too have voiced, that you get out of an organisation what you put in. 

Some examples, first the need for the participation of men in activities requiring a balance of the sexes in an organisation which is predominantly female, though that too is altering according to Pat Herbert our cheerful, hard working, Membership Secretary. Modern Jive, perhaps the first success I was involved with - though the real credit goes to Gerwyn who teaches the routines and rapidly integrates newcomers. They numbered 38 last week but with a huge imbalance in the sexes. Men, you don't have to return to teenage years or agility to enjoy this activity as the women are increasingly realising,  give it a try.
They meet in the Monkey Cafe, Castle Street, at 10.30 every Wednesday, a cafe which has the additional advantage of selling the best and cheapest coffee in Swansea.
 
Singing for Pleasure, also well supported, is another group which would like more male voices.

I see a vital part of my job as Group's Coordinator is to foster new groups until they reach take off. Three above all are grabbing my attention currently, each newly formed last year, each need additional members. They are Creative Writing 1, Italian and Chess, all meet at Hazel Court on Monday mornings, Italian every Monday, Chess 1st and 3rd (tomorrow 16 November) and Creative Writing 1 on 4th Monday 23 November. Each have tutors with the highly specialised ability, who encourage thoughtful input from participants. The members of each group need to work together to eliminate pressure, to allow individuals to relax whilst they improve their skills - what is the point if at our age we don't collectively set out enjoy activities.

The French class was reformed last year from the point of collapse and is now flying, thanks to excellently gauged thoughtful tuition from Beryl and Celia and a very positive well matched cohesive group. Without discouraging anyone who particularly wants to pursue their French Conversation that group is close to its ideal size at present.
I appealed recently for help and Christina Barker stepped forward and assisted me firstly with rapid computerisation of the information gathered at Open Day.  I  have now asked her to write a section for this blog.

TINA'S BLOGETTE
My Experience as a New Member Joining a Group
I joined U3A in April 2009 and I thought it may be helpful to other new members if I wrote a short piece about what it is like to join one of the 40+ Groups currently running in Swansea U3A. I attended my first lecture at the Grove and felt rather nervous about walking into such a large domain, but I need not have worried. I was warmly welcomed by Pat (U3A Secretary) and introduced to several fellow members. After a friendly chat about my interests my first choice was the Literature Group which is run by Lawmary Champion.

I attended their meeting at St Mary's Church Vestry and was warmly welcomed by Lawmary and the other group members. We were first shown The Convenors Newsletter which is full of information about what is going on in U3A and then were given a list of proposed works of literature for reading. Lawmary explained how we could purchase the books cheaply and that there was a charge of just £1 at each meeting to cover the hire of the room. We enjoy round the table reading a section of the book at our meetings followed by a chapter at home before the next meeting. I have found the group very sociable and informal. We had a lovely lunch in the summer and are shortly to meet for a Christmas lunch. So in my experience I would recommend you take the plunge and contact the convenor of any group you are interested in and go along for a 'taster'. You will be pleasantly surprised and you can always try another group if that  one does not suit you. In addition to learning you will have the happy experience of meeting new people.

Tina also sends this link from the BBC site which may help less experienced computer users
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/technology/8353465.stm


NOTE from Brian, friendly was written in italics because it is the first adjective I would choose if asked to describe Swansea U3A. Tina was indeed lucky to be greeted by Pat at her very first appearance at the Wednesday lecture - we are not all so fortunate, but I think it is good advice to contact the group convenor in advance by telephone, because being alerted they will introduce you to the group. At the recent Convenors Meeting they were all asked how they dealt with newcomers, in the computer Lawmary's technique  for Cards for Pleasure is described by the acronym GIN (Greet, Introduce and Nurture) - what more could you expect but a can of tonic! (Though for Literature it was Welcome, Introduce and Encourage - there's a linguist for you).

NEXT WEEK
Monday
Italian in craft room Hazel Court (HC) at 10am
Chess in Exercise room ground floor HC from 10am
Reading 2 (check location with Barbara Ellis) at 10.30am
Bowls 1 at the Wet Cross Community Centre at 1.30pm



Tuesday
Bowls 2 at The West Cross Community Centre at 10am
Literature at St Mary's Church Vestry, centre of city, 2pm
Painting for Pleasure at All Saints Vestry Mumbles at 1.30pm (full but register interest in painting with Mary Lane)
Welsh Language and Culture at St Mary's Church Vestry at 10am


Wednesday
Bridge at the West Cross Community Centre at 10.15am
Modern Jive, Monkey Cafe, city centre, from 10.30am
Research 2 into Local History via archives at Swansea old Museum from 10am (check time with Margaret Hammond)
Lecture 'A Geological Perspective on Climate Change' at Grove, University at 2.00pm

Thursday
French Conversation at HC Craft Room at 10am
Art/Painting at Welfare Hall Fforestfach at 2pm

Friday
Tai Chi at HC Exercise Room, 3 one hour sessions starting at 9am, 10.30 and 12 midday for beginners
Singing for Pleasure, West Cross Community Centre at 2pm 


COMING SOON
Friday 27 November Annual Wine Tasting at Nic John's (wine merchant) 90 Walter Road from 6pm. Contact Cecily Hughes on 363875


Monday 30 November, Pre-Concert Talk by Clive John on 'The Five Decades of the Swansea Philharmonic Choir', in Council Chamber Civic Centre at 2.15pm. (associated concert is Sat 5 Dec tickets from 371665). Contact Cecily Hughes on 363875


Tuesday 1 December, Inaugural Meeting of new Book Club 5 in HC at 10.30am. Contact Cecily Hughes on 363875


Friday 4 December, Armchair Travel in Evangelical Church immediately south of HC at 2.30pm when Alan Penhaligan will talk on Tuscany and Italian Riviera. Contact Brian Davies 520927 who was disappointed that after having so many express interest at Open Day only one new person turned for his first lecture.



Thursday 21 Jan 2010, 4 week Calligraphy course at HC 2pm in Craft Room. Register interest with Maureen Thomas on 401132. She ran two very successful short courses last year.



Thursday say 11 March 2010 (date TBC), weekly New Watercolour Group for Beginners run by new member Brenda Sweet at HC Craft Room at 2pm

MY GROUP of THE WEEK
POLITICS and CITIZENSHIP
They meet on the Second Monday of the month at West Cross Community Centre contact Marian Howells 477691 or Marjorie Vanston 296375.
Last week's meeting on MP's Expenses was informatively led by Roger Knight who had concluded that the start of the saga was the failure of Harold Wilson's Government to grant MPs a pay rise and link it to a Civil Service Grade, so taking their pay out of the political arena. In recompense was a more lax system of pay augmentation by 'expenses' was introduced with a nod and a wink, which was increasingly more abused by some MPs until the present day when the whole issue exploded into whipped up public anger - to the detriment of the whole political process. 


Readers of this blog will know I derided this reaction as quite out of proportion to the problems then facing this country in the Financial Sector. How we nationally took our eye off the ball to such an extent still amazes and depresses me. For more than six months the only political issue in town was MP's expenses and their soiled reputations, whilst ignoring the thousand times more serious events which were then staring everyone in the face, and may well not yet have played out . 

A factor of a thousand turns thousands into millions, it contrasts the starvation £1/day (£250/year) earnings of billions of poor in the undeveloped world with those earning a quarter of a million pounds a year in this country. Even that is dwarfed by the international collapse of banking that came very close to taking the whole world back from  money to barter.


Unusually I took no part in the discussion of the group that day, but what emerged was very interesting. Nobody, myself included, had any sympathy whatever for the more extreme claimants but there was a widespread feeling that the dispute had brought all politicians of all parties, regardless of their behaviour, into disrepute and that had had very bad consequences for parliamentary democracy in this country. Expenses were quoted for local MPs, who had been blameless in this regard.

There was a widespread feeling that MPs were underpaid for what ,when done properly in respect of both Westminster and Constituency, is a demanding job and that their pay should be increased and their expenses should recompense them for twin bases often hundreds of miles apart. We must allow for the less financially privileged to serve as MPs and help them guard against family breakup. Perhaps the number of MPs elected to parliament should be reduced to compensate for the cost increase.



There were suggestions that there should be a Job Description for MPs to help ensure they gave the requisite time to their duty as MPs, though there was also widespread concern that MPs needed experience of the life of work to act for the populace as a whole rather than the present trend for people to move straight from Political Studies at university, via research posts to becoming MPs.


It was commonly agreed that, partly as a result of the expenses row but also because there would be wide swings in the make-up of the next parliament, there would be a high proportion of newly elected MPs, but a good deal of nervousness over whether we would be better served as constituents as nationals and as democrats.


It was good to see several new members who will add salt to the very civilised discussions in this group. But even I can't avoid being disturbed by the Old Labour - Liberal bias of the group, they need people with right wing views to balance the debate if the group is to reflect the current political spectrum. So join in if you are serious about politics, I promise you will get a fair hearing and enjoy the forum.