- St Heliers - 

October         November

Newsletter    Newsletter

 
 
August  Newsletter

General Meeting – Wednesday 4TH August  2021 at 9:30 a.m

St. Heliers Church Community Centre - Centennial Hall -  100 St Heliers Bay Road

THIS MONTH, WEDNESDAY, 4th August   - Main Speaker – Annah Stretton – “Reclaim Another Woman – Changing the Tide for Female Offenders” – Annah Stretton has been in the business of fashion for 30 years, is a successful New Zealand entrepreneur, an author and public speaker.  With a strong digital platform and 10 retail stores, her philanthropic efforts provide substantial support to a very wide range of charitable groups and organizations across New Zealand.  Annah has also been the recipient of the coveted Veuve Clicquot business award and an Order of Merit for services to business, fashion and community.  Annah currently chairs the Waikato Women’s Refuge Governance Board and is an ambassador for UNICEF NZ.

In 2013 she set up her own foundation within which she has now foundered 4 charitable initiatives.  One of these is RAW (Reclaim Another Woman) which she will introduce to you today.  RAW is a first for this country (and has now been fully endorsed by Corrections).

In 2015 she was awarded the EY/ASB Social Entrepreneur of the Year and was a semi-finalist in 2018 and 2019 for New Zealander of the Year.

Study Group Presentations:  Gallery Visits 2;  Music

Mini Speaker:   Jo Howse – “My Personal Journey:  Education and the Commonwealth”

Kitchen Duty:   Stepping Out; Word Puzzles

NEXT MONTH – Wednesday,   1st September

Main speaker:  Professor Paul Moon - “Hate Speech and Free Speech in New Zealand”

Study Group Presentations:  Modern History; Theatre Visits

Mini Speaker:  Mike Jakobi – “Crime, Corruption and Rugby:  Why we came to New Zealand”

Kitchen Duty:  Gallery Visits 1 and 2

President’s Message:  What would we do without friends?  Several of our friends from other parts of the country visited us during the school holidays and we loved being with them again.  As I look back over the years, friends have been a wonderful support to our family.  Some looked after us for months with food and love and prayers when our teenage daughter was in Middlemore Hospital recovering from car crash burns……..others generously offered a campervan, or bach, for holiday getaways…….all listened  kindly to our worries and doubts, and when appropriate, shared wise words of counsel.  Friends have greatly enriched our lives and I’m sure you would say the same.

The best definition of friendship that I’ve found comes from Arabia and goes like this … “A true friend is one to whom you can tip out all the contents of your heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away”.

You might like to remember the spirit of those words when you are both giving friendship, or receiving it, for friendship that breathes life and joy is always a two way thing.   President Barry

Study Groups: Your Committee is always keen to learn of any subjects or topics for Study Groups that members would like to be considered for inclusion in our Schedule.  Please contact our Study Group Convenors, Gary Preston gcwpreston@gmail.com or John Hole johnhole2011@gmail.com with your ideas.

St. Heliers U3A  Website:  Our website www.stheliersu3aauckland.com is updated every month by Kathy Slater.  Newsletters, recent photos, relevant information on study groups and much more can be found on this interesting site.

U3A On-line Courses:  These are available to all members. The online contact details are:  www.u3aonline.org.au    There is no requirement for payment to access the course content.  Access will enable a review of the study content and further details relating to independent or supervised study.  If you are interested in any of the papers, please let Kathy Slater know, kathyslater@xtra.co.nz  or phone 5783232, and she will download the material as Auckland U3A network has already been registered and paid.

Name Badge:  A reminder to all members, and especially our new members, that you should put the name and contact details of your preferred contact person on the back on your name badge in case of any emergency.  Please ensure that you wear your Name Badge to all U3A meetings.  

U3A St. Heliers History Booklet:  This interesting booklet was updated and reprinted for our 25th Anniversary and is available for purchase for $10. Copies will be available at the August meeting.   Highly recommended especially for our new members.

U3A Lapel Badges:  We are now able to offer ‘pin’ as well as ‘magnet’ lapel badges.  These will be available for purchase ($5 each) at the August meeting.  See Heather Baigent.

Almoner:  If you are aware of any member who is ill or incapacitated, or suffering bereavement, would you please contact our Almoner, Susan Soper, (09) 578 3305 or  email suesoper2@yahoo.com

Monthly Meeting Protocol:  Please ensure that you register at the Greeting Table when you arrive.  Please send any apologies to Robin Bowkett, at robin.bowkett@gmail.com  tel. 521 1953 or 021 956 909.  (Not to the Newsletter Editor please)

DEADLINE for September  Newsletter & Study Groups Update:  email to  jill.thom@xtra.co.nz  by Sunday, 22nd August  or earlier which is my preference.