U3A Wales Spring 2008
U3A Wales
Abergavenny Abergele Aberystwyth Anglesey Bangor Barmouth Blackwood Brecon Bridgend
Caldicot Cardiff Cardigan Carmarthen Cefn Sidan Chepstow Cowbridge Cynon Valley Dyfi
Flintshire Garth Olwg Hay-
CROESO
Welcome to our first edition of USA Wales -
As we gather for our meeting I look at our members and think, 'Goodness. Between us we have more than 2000 years of knowledge and experience. And how far have we travelled? Add all the journeys we have ever made and how many times have we been to the moon and back? And between us how many languages do we speak? It is not only our own experience but that of our children and grandchildren we can draw on. Here's wealth. One of our founder members worked at Bletchley Park during the war. Another, after her husband had died, took herself off around the world. During her travels she had the privilege of witnessing a Buddhist sky burial in Tibet. There is also wealth in the ordinary day to day experience from which we are able to give life to our researches from book and internet. One of our members used to be a postman in London. He had walked the streets and had a close knowledge of the buildings which he spoke about in the talk he gave to the Arts and Craft special interest group.
We in Wales have benefited from people who have come from other parts to live here. They in turn have discovered a strange new country that has its own history and culture, not to mention its lovely sinuous, sinewy language. Now the USA enters its 26th year. Oh, how young we are. We have so many worlds to explore.
Wales leads the way
The Older Peoples' Commissioner for Wales,
Ruth Marks took up her post, legally assumed powers
and opened her office on 21 April 2008.
Ruth's immediate priorities are:
• To meet as many older people and relevant
organisations across Wales
»To listen to their views, interests and issues of concern
* To develop her independent role and essential
scrutiny function
• To consider issues facing older people at the
moment and to think about the changing
needs in
the future
* To establish the office and all appropriate systems
One of Ruth's first meetings
was with members of
USA in Wales to ask for support in a competition to
design the
logo and strap line for the new
Commission.
Ruth said: "I know that USA members have skills and
experience that win help develop the image of the
Older Peoples' Commission in Wales"
Contact details:
Older Peoples' Commissioner
Temple Court. 13 Cathedral Road.
Cardiff CF11 9HA, Tel: 02920 786579
www.olderpeople wales.com
A word from the Assembly
As Deputy Minister for Skills it is my pleasure to support this first edition of 'USA Wales'. I am sure that you will find it a useful source of information to help you keep in touch with USA activities in your local area.
The Welsh Assembly Government recognises the important role that lifelong learning plays in the lives of many older people. We know that it provides a range of benefits for individuals and their local communities, whether these relate to acquiring new knowledge or improved health and wellbeing. We recognise that it can also equip individuals with skills they may wish to use within the local community, either through paid work or through volunteering. To see so many older people taking up learning across Wales is truly inspirational. Whatever your reason for learning, I wish you all continuing success with your studies. John Griffiths Deputy Minister for Skills
From the U3As
Wrexham
Two lecturers from the University of Glamorgan have illuminated a course in Astronomy in a way that has certainly enlightened Wrexham U3A. The course is held at Llangollen in two sessions on Saturdays. So far they have learned about:Nebulae of different kinds Black holes and bending of light Galaxies, our own included Solar systems Our solar system and the planets Why Earth can sustain life Asteroids and comets Star systems other than our own Our members are entirely absorbed by what we are learning and are very grateful to the lecturers for giving their time so freely and the University for funding a course that makes advanced science not only interesting but comprehensible to laymen.
Flintshire
Does your USA know about Belleplates? They are like handbells in that they are rung
in a similar way, sound virtually the same, are much lighter to hold (and to carry)
and, best of all are a fraction of the price of a set of traditional handbells! They
cost between £500 -
Cardiff
Prior to joining Cardiff USA a few years ago, my knowledge of the Greeks and Romans
went little further than a few facts and dates gleaned at school and a cursory glance
at 'Horrible Histories'. I therefore readily went along to the Classics group. We
are fortunate to have an excellent tutor, Elizabeth Mayor. A wide range of subjects
has been covered. Last month's topic was the end of the Roman period in Britain and
next month it will be 'Constantine -
Attending these lectures have enabled me to embark in a fascinating tour of the ancient world. Along the way I have learnt much about life in those days, even down to some of the cooking recipes used by the Romans. Long may the journey continue! Dilys Jones
Porthcawl
We ended 2007 by performing a pantomime brilliantly scripted by Doug Jones in Latin and English called 'Jack and the Magic Beans' Doug explaining there was no suitable word in Latin for 'beanstalk'. We did both versions which went down very well with an audience of some 70 of our members. Handel Davies
Carmarthen
Carmarthen USA had a group of ten-
Great pleasure was certainly derived by the participants, and, not least, they will
no linger stand uncomfortably mute at public events while all around them the Welsh
are giving of their heartfelt best.Welshpool and district Report de la Groupe Francaise
'Allo 'Allo nos amis du USA de Pool Gallois. Notre groupe de six femmes et Arthur
rendezvous chez Brynawelon chaque deuxieme Lundi. Nous listens du Cee Dee du BBC
sur le mag-
Nous havons improves le francais 'schoolgirl'. Naturellement, nous havons un coffee break avec
biscuits. C'est tout!
Jenny la Cloche
Newtown
Risca
On Thursday October 22nd 2007 the 17th AGM was held at Risca Rugby Club. At 2pm we
had an attendance of 29, two short of the quorum required for the meeting to go ahead,
which would put me in the unenviable position of being the Chairman who had to bring
about the demise of RISCA U3A. To have to close down for the want of two members
present would have been a tragedy. Word came that two people were at the doctor's
surgery and hoped to be with us, so our hopes were raised. Then Pam and John arrived;
their bus had broken down and made them late. So we were able to rescue the situation.
Many and varied were the reasons given for non-
Barmouth
Sometimes, when I am arriving for the Watercolour Group and see other group members,
on foot, stepping out purposely for the Youth Centre, I take pride in the fact that
I played a part in enabling this to happen. Likewise when we are all howling with
laughter in the Writing Group, when I see members in little knots chatting and laughing
together, when people say what a great day they had at the First Aid or how much
they are getting out of the Digital Stories -
Our U3A has been exploring nearby islands. Puffin Island (Ynys Seiriol), lying off the eastern tip of Anglesey we visited in 2006. It is uninhabited now, but there was a monastery there in the 12th century. Cormorants, guillemot, razorbill, shag and kittiwake can be seen as well as puffins.
In 2007 we visited Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli) off the western tip of the Llyn Peninsula, the culmination of a series of visits by our local history group to all the pilgrimage churches dotted along the northern and southern edges of the Llyn. Little is left of St. Mary's Abbey but the island is rich in birdlife, Manx shearwaters, and seals bask on the shoreline. Beryl Davies
Monmouth
Congratulations from Monmouth U3A on the publication of this newsletter. We are in
touch with branches near to us, but it will be a wonderful opportunity to hear about
those a little further a field. Our monthly meetings are attended by a high proportion
of our 380 members. With Shirley Vaughan at the helm we like to think of ourselves
as progressive, caring and very friendly. We walk, play chess and mahjong, read and
discuss books we would not otherwise have read, surf the net under expert tuition,
country dance, write, swim, study Italian, Swedish and Welsh and keep ourselves supple
with yoga. We are fortunate to have over 40 groups, led by enthusiastic and capable
convenors, not to mention our adventurers! Members Peter and Sue Nickells are seasoned
explorers. At the time of writing they are in Vietnam, having recently returned from
the Himalayas, where washing elephants became an extremely hazardous operation, requiring
skills neither knew they possessed and agility more in keeping with Indiana Jones.
Needless to say, Peter leads the adventurers. Sarah-
Bwyfor & Meirionnydd will in future be known as Porthmadog
Things to come
24 June USA Study Day Cardiff
National Museum
16 June N. Wales Association
Meeting Bangor
30 June to 3 July N. Wales Summer School
12 July Classics Study Day -
U3A
15 July Wrexham Open Day
28 to 31 July USA Summer School
Harper Adams College
2 to 9 August USA stand at Cardiff
National Eisteddfod 11 to 14 August USA Summer School
Cirencester 6 to 9 September USA Conference & AGM
Swansea
18 September Open Lecture Day -
2 October Key Lecture Day
Autumn Network Meeting
Brecon USA
8 October N. Wales Study Day, Bangor
Conference in Swansea
Don't Miss It
'I'd like to go to the Conference, but it's too far.' That was acceptable when it
was in Chester, or Leicester or starting from Falmouth -
USA moves on
Since the first thoughts and negotiations about USA Wales, USA in Wales has just
gone on growing. These are the facts on May 26th 2008, but by time you get this they
may be out of date! There are 45 USAs, 3 Networks (the North Wales one is an Association)
and 7662 members. A few of these are very big -
Wales region
Local Elections
Changes voted for at the EGM held in Birmingham on 22 May have brought a change in title and an important change in how the elections for Trustees (that is, what were Area Trustees and Representatives) are managed.
The Areas, that were where the Trustees were nominated, are now called Regions and
are in line with the UK government Regions. This makes no difference to Wales, Scotland
or Northern Ireland but some of the English areas are radically changed. And in future,
the Region will not only nominate their Trustee and Rep, but will also vote only
for the nominee for their own Region! This is obviously much fairer than when everyone
at the AGM voted for every Trustee, so that a Region's preferred candidate might
get fewer votes than one who could appeal to a roomful of strangers. You won't have
to vote in Wales until 2009, but come along to Swansea in September and see how it
works. (It will be mainly postal votes -
The business bit
What of the future for USA Wales? This time it has taken a lot longer than we hoped originally, partly because you provided so much material it was really hard to choose what went in. If we can persuade anyone to set up a website for us, we will put unused items on there. But the main problem was that the editorial panel thought that we should try to produce a copy for every household. So we had to find someone to print over 4,000 copies free. We are enormously grateful to the University of Glamorgan for coming to our rescue. Then, getting it all typed up took time! Still here we are. We hope to produce a second edition in November. Please tell us what you want in it and send us all you can. Diolch yn fawr to all our contributors
Editorial
USA Wales is Published by the Welsh USA's,
Printed: University of Glamorgan
Design: Terry Walters
Editor: Beth Butler 01291 624441
Editorial Panel:
Liz Ward 01269823889
N. Wales Contact Arnold Jones 01407 811042 Also:
S.E Wales Contact Dafydd Evans 01446 795434
S.W Wales Graham Goodeve 01437 741391
