Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 1

Vision Statement

To extend the benefits of third age learning to an increasing number of senior citizens in the Macarthur Area

Welcome to our 2020 Newsletter presenting an

overview of classes, together with our latest

Timetable. Thank you to our Class Leaders for

their dedication, expertise and contributions to this

publication. Sandra

President’s Report What a beautiful way to finish 2019 with our

Christmas Concert! A lovely spirit of fun,

enjoyment and friendship prevailed through the

concert and the lunch which followed. Those

members, who have read the Campbelltown

edition of the Macarthur Advertiser of 18th

December, will have read of my pride in the

presentation of the performances and the efficient

running of the concert. I can only repeat that

sentiment now, thank you to all performers and

organisers of the concert.

During 2019, we experienced the sadness of the

passing of Judy Kennedy. Judy was one of our

founding members and remained actively on the

committee to the very end. Vale Judy and of

course, all other members who left us during the

year. We were very fortunate that Betty Gill was

prepared to take on both Judy‟s two roles of

committee member and Cawdor class co-ordinator;

we welcome Betty and thank her for her

contributions.

We saw two other big changes during the year: Bill

Englert stood down from the committee, including

12 years as President; he is still active in Tai-chi

and New Vogue Dancing. Another stalwart, Margot

Shugg moved to Western Australia after many

years as a class leader, committee member and

Publicity Officer, we farewelled her at a send-off

lunch at the Catholic Club in May. We are grateful

for the work and dedication over the years by both

Bill and Margot.

This year, has been a difficult time for the

management committee because of the workload,

including the amount of material coming from the

U3A Network. Our meetings have been long and

tiring with large agendas. Amongst this work was

a new U3A trade mark, which led to redesign of

much of our stationery, particularly letterhead (as

you can see above). Another issue is the 500%

increase in the fees for music and audio copyright;

the fees are a set sum regardless of the size of the

U3A and its ability to pay. These apparent

inequities have been raised with the U3A Network

and we are hoping for some relief in the future.

The classes have continued this year with no big

changes apart from a beginners‟ class in Spanish.

In the New Year, we are looking at a French

beginners‟ class - depending on numbers.

Over the Christmas break, we were aware that

some of our members live in areas affected by the

devastating bushfires. Only two members had to

evacuate, and fortunately, found their homes intact

on return.

We had another pleasant day on the 15th January,

when we met for lunch at the Campbelltown

Catholic Club. It was terrific looking around the

fifty or so smiling faces and experiencing that

beautiful U3A spirit again.

An organisation such as ours depends heavily on

the work of our class leaders. Many leaders spend

a great deal of time in preparation of the classes to

stimulate the classes with new and interesting

topics and often personally bear the cost of

material used by their classes. I can assure the

class leaders that their endeavours are not

unnoticed and they certainly deserve a big thank

you. Jim Mutton

Campbelltown Course Co-ordinator Report 2019 was a busy and successful year for U3A. A

big „Thank You‟ to all Class Leaders for their on-

going support in running classes smoothly and ef-

fectively. Without their great effort and enthusiasm

U3A would not be able to function. A few classes

are still down in numbers but there are positive

signs that membership will increase. A new Span-

ish class for beginners has been successfully intro-

duced at Campbelltown and a French Class for be-

ginners will be established during the first quarter

of 2020. Our end-of-year concert was a great suc-

MACARTHUR U3A THIRD AGE OF LEARNING INC PO BOX 434 ABN 33 301 136 097 CAMDEN NSW 2570 www.macarthur.u3anet.org.au

Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 2

cess and created much fun. We are looking for-

ward to a successful and pleasant 2020. Walburg

Camden (Cawdor) Class Co-ordinator

Report Activities continue at Cawdor on Mondays and

Thursdays with varying levels of attendance by a

seeming committed band of devotees, including a

family of Magpies who intermittently join our

gatherings. Whilst Cawdor offers a peaceful

environment and the added advantage of unlimited

parking, like the rest of Macarthur the surrounds

are suffering significantly from the ongoing

drought and seeing the weekly changes to this

sparse rural environment brings the significance of

what is happening across our beautiful country to

the forefront of all our minds on a weekly basis.

One of the trials faced as we age is the inevitable

loss of friends and membership of an organisation

like U3A whilst expanding our circle of friends,

also means we confront this reality all too

regularly. This year was particularly challenging in

the loss of a beautiful soul who had devoted so

much of her retirement to actively supporting U3A

Macarthur – Judy Kennedy. As I understand it,

Judy, along with John Lloyd was instrumental in

setting up the Camden, then to become Cawdor,

chapter of Macarthur U3A. For many years Judy

was the Camden/Cawdor Class Coordinator and

served on the Management Committee. She

continues to be remembered and missed,

particularly by me as I struggle to fill her shoes as

class coordinator.

Attendance at the different classes at Cawdor range

from three to twelve participants with the Monday

History class, focusing on great trials of world

history, proving to consistently attract enthusiastic

attendance, a large part of which is undoubtably

due to the commitment and enthusiasm of the class

coordinators - so a special thanks and

acknowledgement to Michael Barry and John

Lloyd. German classes also continue to be popular,

thanks to the continuing enthusiasm, skill and

commitment of Walburg. The Thursday Discussion

Group, led by Maureen, continues to inform and

keep its members abreast of local and world

events, followed by the Book Club which keeps us

delighted and challenged reading differing authors

and genre ably sourced by Pauline – currently from

Wollondilly Library because we have exhausted

the collection at Camden Library. I would like to

also acknowledge the ongoing commitment of

Brenda in leading the Monday Drama class which

I understand is coming up to twenty years…quite

an achievement! Betty

Course Updates – Campbelltown

SPANISH FOR BEGINNERS Tues 8.30am Come and join the Spanish for Beginners class.

Whether you would like to refresh your skills in

Spanish, learn this easy language or just have fun

on a Tuesday morning - come along and join our

fantastic Spanish class. Lucia

POETRY FOR ENJOYMENT Tues 9.30am Our themes for 2019 in Poetry for Enjoyment

encompassed poets from around the world. We

started in America with African American poets

and found not only old favourites but new names

to add to our preferred collection. Moving further

across the globe we enjoyed both Jewish and

Palestinian poems as well as the works of famous

Irish poets and not so familiar Indian poets

amongst others. In 2020 we have further countries

to explore and look forward to finding new authors

across the globe. Nicki

SPEAKING WITH CONFIDENCE Tues 9.30am Our Speaking With Confidence class is for people

who would like to express themselves in everyday

situations and build up their confidence in:

giving a speech in front of friends or an

audience

communicating with others

answering questions you were not being

prepared for

delivering a toast at a wedding or a speech

at social events

to entertain and inspire others

The environment is friendly and supportive -

positive feedback is given to each of the

participants, pointing out the strengths and

suggestions how to gain more confidence over

time. Walburg

FRENCH Tues 10.45am The French class is a conversational class. We do

not work from a textbook. The aim of the class is

to acquire an increased vocabulary of French

language so as to be able to converse in French and

be understood and to understand the spoken

language. Grammar is covered as it occurs in the

activities and when deemed necessary. Activities

are varied. An elementary knowledge of French is

required. We are a very social group and we have

Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 3

an excursion each term break. All are

welcome. Cathy

ART Tues 10.45am

Leaders will advise on which

Tuesdays a month classes are held

The art group provides a relaxing atmosphere for

each individual to express his/her creativity

through drawing, water colour painting or other art

mediums. We discuss techniques and support each

other in what we accomplish. In terms 3 and 4 we

created some cards with watercolour flowers and

natives. We hope to continue with more

watercolour painting in 2020, and are open to new

ideas. If you would like to express yourself

through art, come and join our friendly group.

Mary

CREATIVE WRITING Tues 10.45 am Leaders will advise on which

Tuesdays a month classes are held An interesting and fun event. You do not have to

be a great writer, we have fun discussing

everyone‟s stories usually from a general theme

decided on in the previous meeting. It‟s amazing

how many different stories come out of one

theme. Come and join us you might find you have

a hidden talent. We need new members and more

themes, the more the merrier especially if you like

a good laugh and chat. Kath and Pam

LINE DANCING Tues 10.45am -12.00 noon

Thurs 9.30am -11.30 am

Line dancing during 2019 was a fun filled year

with our end of term muck up days causing

members to let their hair down and engage in

heaps of fun. The one thing I am asked at the end

of each year is, “will I be back ?”, the answer once

again is a big “YES”. I look forward to another

year of fun and friendship, we have to keep our

bodies moving and minds active. So, why not join

us and dance? Sheila

HISTORIC CRIMES Tues 12.00 noon Another busy term for our crime

enthusiasts. Mostly, I research the crimes, but

anyone in the group can present one. We are an

informal group and anyone is free to interrupt,

correct me or generally join in. Lots of laughs

too! So if you enjoy true crimes (mostly murders)

do feel free to come along, you‟ll be made very

welcome. Glenys

TAI CHI Wed 9.00am Beginners, Advanced, Swords & Fans

Venue – East Campbelltown Hall, Waminda Av.

We have 2 ½ hours for Tai Chi each Wednesday.

Beginners Class is 9.00am - 10.15am. Advanced

Class is 9.45am - 10.45am. Swords and Fans go

for the last half hour. Beginners and Advanced

classes are together for ½ an hour. You will find us

at Council‟s East Campbelltown Hall in Waminda

Avenue. Anyone is welcome to join us. It is a

large friendly class. No special skill or experience

is required. Over time we all improve our balance,

flexibility and ability to relax and we have fun

while we are doing it. Margaret M

HISTORY Wed 9.30am

In History, Term 4 2019, we studied great men

who made America. Many of their names were

already familiar. Carnegie, for example, is

connected with the great performance venue

known as Carnegie Hall. Rothschild and

Vanderbilt‟s names will always bring to mind

families with great wealth. We now know how and

when and even in most cases why these people

became so wealthy. These men lived in the late

1880‟s and started up railways and steel works and

drilled for oil. One even supported Edison in his

quest to light up America. Other history we looked

at in 2019 included the history of Christianity and

also China. I particularly remember the Chinese

penalty for the worst criminals. They suffered

death by nine degrees. This meant that your

parents, grandparents, children, grand children,

aunts, uncles, spouses and even cousins were put

to death. This year we will no doubt begin to learn

some other history that we hardly knew anything

about. I know I will enjoy the experience - won‟t

you join us? Alan

BOOKS & WRITERS Wed 10.45am Again in 2019 we enjoyed a variety of stories.

Books are recommended by each class member in

turn, and short passages read from these books.

Alternatively, audio books have been submitted

with great success. Our reading material is eclectic

and has ranged from crime novels to new

Australian fiction writers. Time is always

allocated for discussion and lively debates follow

Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 4

these readings. New members are always

welcome. Nicki

DISCUSSION GROUP Wed 10.45am The Discussion Group is currently made up of a

core group of three women and three men.

Members offer up topics for discussion each week

and usually one or more different news items are

discussed. Local problems, Australia‟s problems

and world problems are discussed and solved in

less than an hour. Some items discussed during

2019 included Home Schooling and The Drought.

This group often meets in the holidays because

they enjoy their discussions so much. Come along

and try our class, you will be very welcome.

Alan

PLAY READING Wed 12.30pm As Hamlet says: The play‟s the thing …

Please excuse the use of the same quotation as I

did in last‟s year‟s newsletter, but I am yet to find

another which sums up the approach taken in the

PLAY READING class so well. The group reads

the script of a play over about a three week period.

A one act play usually takes one session. No acting

is involved. Each member of the class reads one of

the characters in the play. During 2019, the Play

Reading class has read 15 plays. It is hard to pick

out the best, as each has appealed to different

members of the class.

Some of the more memorable were:

Noah by Andre Obey. An example of experi-

mental theatre.

Gallows Glorious by Ronald Gow. Drama tell-

ing the story of anti-slavery campaigner, John

Brown.

The Proposal by Chekhov. A one act farce.

Hay Fever by Noel Coward. A delightful cross

between comedy of manners and farce.

Shoe Horn Sonata by John Misto. A very mov-

ing dialogue between two Australian nurses,

who were POWs.

Arsenic and Old Lace by John Kesseling. Black

comedy at its best.

The Inca of Perusalem by George Bernard

Shaw. First produced in 1916, this lesser

known play by Shaw is in one act, with pro-

logue. It is a comedy about the German Kaiser.

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. This clas-

sic comedy is one of the great plays of 20th Cen-

tury.

The plays in 2020 will be just as varied. You are

guaranteed of an enjoyable and rewarding time -

contact me on 4627 1592 Colin

SOCIAL SCRABBLE Wed 12.30pm

As U3A Scrabble Group 2019 came to a close, we

look back and celebrate a year of good games and

lots of fun! We are, thus far, a small and happy

group. In the future, we would like, very much to

„grow‟ our group. So it is, we extend a most

cordial invitation to anyone who has an interest in

scrabble. We would love to see you! We welcome

you to join us, at least once, to see how you like

us! As long as you enjoy scrabble, please come.

We have strong players and, like myself, not so

strong players. This does not matter/is not the

point. We all give our best to our games of

course! Having „said‟ that, we would welcome

you, whatever the „strength‟ of your game - come

try it and see how you like it. You will have fun, I

am sure of that! U3A Scrabble Group hope you all

had a very happy Festive Season and, all the very

best for the coming year. Looking forward to

meeting new players in the coming year.

Marg B

MUSIC FOR ENJOYMENT Wed 1.30pm

Without music, life would be a blank to me. Jane

Austen.

Since writing for last year‟s newsletter, the class

has had a name change to better reflect what

happens when we meet. MUSIC FOR

ENJOYMENT aims to provide a wide range of

music – from classical to modern - to expand class

members‟ musical experiences. During 2019, the

selection included Vivaldi The Four Seasons;

Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker Ballet and 1812

Overture; The Three Tenors in Concert; the music

of My Fair Lady, the TV mini-series, Melba, and

the movie of the musical, Chicago. In 2020, a

wide range of music will again be provided,

starting with The Threepenny Opera (in

partnership with the Play Reading class). I am

sure that you will not regret joining the class.

Come along … sit … relax … listen … enjoy –

contact me on 4627 1592. Colin

UKULELE Thur 11.45am

Enthusiasm in the class has remained high. We

have covered several types of music that may not

be generally associated with the instrument but the

members have joined in everything presented to

them. We have fun with the class and try to enjoy

the hour we spend together. Denis

Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 5

PIANO ACCORDION Thur 1.00pm

The Piano Accordion group is now entering into its

third year with some eight members continuing to

enjoy the sounds of a unique musical instrument. The

group has recently performed together with the

Ukulele group at the Narellan Baptist Care homes

and similarly for the Annual U3A Concert. The

emphasis has been on expanding our song repertoire

and technique rather than on learning too much

theory. The results over the last two years has been

pleasing, all members learning to play lots of new

and varied songs, improving their musical knowledge

and expertise at their own pace. Playing together as a

group has been a particularly satisfying experience

for us all. Mario

NEW VOGUE DANCING Thur 1.00pm

We hope all our fleet footed dancers, had a very

happy break with family and friends over the

Christmas period. Hopefully they have been

sufficiently bored over that relaxing time, to look

forward to all meeting up in the New Year. Looking

forward to seeing you all, and we welcome all new

members to join us for tripping the light fantastic in

2020. Bill

Course Updates – Camden (Cawdor) GERMAN - ADVANCED Mon 10.15am

GERMAN - BEGINNERS Mon 11.30am

Our German classes are for people who would like to

talk to their German relatives, whether in Australia or

overseas, or planning to travel to Germany,

Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg and Austria

using basic conversational German and writing -

assisting to express themselves in everyday

situations, and building up their confidence in:

communicating

making inquiries

while shopping

at hotel receptions, coffee bars, restaurants,

asking for the way

reading newspapers, maps and street signs

The lessons are fun and it is so wonderful to see if

the participants are starting to talk back in German

and after a certain time, communicate in this

language spoken in Europe by over 100 million

native speakers. Walburg

DISCUSSION GROUP Thur 11.00am

Camden Discussion Group meets at 11am on

Thursdays in the Cawdor church hall. Lively

discussions are the norm and many diverse opinions

and subjects are raised and I am sure that if the

powers that be listened to us, the world would be a

better place. There is always room for more and

new members are always very welcome. Maureen

HISTORY Mon 1.30pm

During the year a number of new members have

joined the class and have contributed keenly to the

discussions of the main topic, Great Trials of World

History, sixteen of which from the Trial of Socrates

to the Trial of O. J. Simpson, we have studied with

much interest. The trials leave many impressions -

some for length of time, some for great financial

cost, some whose questions are raised about the

achievement of justice and all about the human cost

involved. In Term 4 the class viewed Niall

Ferguson‟s DVD, “Civilisation. Is The West

History?” seeking answers to the question he poses,

“Are we living through the beginning of the end of

the West‟s ascendancy in world history?” In 2020

aspects of the history of China will be discussed with

emphasis on significant turning points - the voyages

of the Ming dynasty, the opium wars and Nixon‟s

meeting with Mao. This will be followed by a

discussion of nine turning points in modern world

history. New members are always welcome to join

our friendly group. Special thanks are extended to

my fellow class leader, Michael Barry, for his

generous support and expertise.

John Lloyd/Michael Barry

DRAMA Mon 2.30pm

We commenced 2019 studying the plays of Oscar

Wilde to compliment the History class study “The

Trial Of Oscar Wilde”. The plays being - Woman Of

No Importance, The Importance Of Being Ernest and

An Ideal Husband. Then we went into Australian

plays - Lucky Streak by James Searle, Private Yuk

Objects by Alan Hopgood, and the final play about

drought in Australia in 1903, Drought Breaker by

Linda Stainton. It was an interesting year of plays,

thanks to Lois and Michael for their assistance. Our

first play of the year 2020 will be The Shoe Horn

Sonata by John Misto. New members are most

welome. Brenda

BOOKS & WRITERS Thur 12.15pm

Books and Writers meet at a small church hall in

historic Cawdor, which was a village before the

establishment of Camden by more than 20 years. It

is in Wollondilly Shire and I have been accessing the

library in Picton for Book Club books. Not all books

are to each member‟s genre style but we try to get

through and are delighted often by the stories. Our

group was recently devastated by the sudden loss of

Judy Ferguson. She is missed for her impish humour

and great intelligence. Pauline

Macarthur U3A Newsletter : January 2020 Issue 19 6