WHAT'S ON

General Meeting – Wednesday 5th November at 9:30 a.m

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

Welcome

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

WILL BE HELD BEFORE MORNING TEA- FOLLOWED BY OUR MAIN SPEAKER

ALL RELATED DOCEMENTS WELL BE INCLUDED AS ATTACHMENTS ALONG WITH OUR NEWSLETTER AND STUDY GROUP SCHEDULE

Wednesday 5th November at 9:30 a.m

St. Heliers Church Community Centre – 100 St Heliers Bay Road

Quotes for the upcoming festive season.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

(Mahatma Gandhi).

“A book is a wonderful thing. It passes the time but there is silence as well.”

(Sharon Owens – Irish writer).

Main Speaker –

Ms Jackie Walker: “New Insights into the early history of Tasmania.”

MS Walker is a current member of the U3A Parnell branch, and a former lecturer in communications at AUT. Her background also includes also a period of gardening journalism and the publications of a number of books on plant and horticultural topics, and several other minor publications.

Jackie grew up in Tasmania and at school she was taught the history of this island, a history she describes as having been confined to Captain Cook, British settlement, convicts and the Empire. Historical perspectives have since much changed, while scholarly research has produced a wealth of new material that was never taught in her school days. It’s this recent research that Jackie sought out to plug the missing gaps in her knowledge, focusing in particular on two expeditions of French scientists in the years 1792 to 1803. New translations of diaries and journals from these voyages reveal the scientists’ genuine objective to be the pursuit of knowledge; they include descriptions of an early encounter with the indigenous inhabitants. It is this little-known slice of history, which Jackie will share with members and guests on the 5th November.

Study Group Presentations: - No Study Group presentations

Mini Speaker: - - No Mini Speaker

Kitchen Duty: - Stepping Out (Annette Freeth) and Scrabble Group (Laurie Guy)

New Members:

Jeanette Mallinson, Jim Thomson, Alexis Vining

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NEXT MONTH –

We will have our Christmas end-of-year function with entertainment by Kumeu Vintage Brass of about 35 players. They mostly from across Auckland, and have a broad background of experience in brass bands, from social bands to A grade competition bands.

The will be followed by a Christmas Festive morning tea.

Study Group News

Study Groups: - Study Group registration sign-up sheets for 2026 will be available at the November and December meetings. Please take the time to check these out and see which are of interest to you. Please note that you must sign up even if you are already a member of a 2025 group.

Note: if you would like to read a brief description of a Study Group please go to our website or speak with a convenor at our general meeting.

If you have any suggestions/topics for new Study Groups for next year – and are prepared to help set it up – then please contact our Study Group Co-Ordinator Gary Preston.

RIDDLE: From Helen Jakobi

How do eight eights add up to one thousand?

Welfare

Please note we rely on our members to advise our Almoner if you are aware of any member who is ill or incapacitated, or suffering bereavement. Wendy Jeffrey would appreciate you contacting her either by phone 02102579792 or email:- Almoner.stheliersu3a@gmail.com

Monthly Meeting Protocol.

Please ensure that you register at the Greeting Table when you arrive.

Monthly Meeting Protocol:

Please note sending an apology for non-attendance of the monthly meeting is no long a requirement.

St Heliers U3A Website

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

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.

Study Group Presentations: - Gallery Visits 2 (Margaret Horsburgh)

Mini Speaker: - Adrienne Joyce, A House on the Move: by barge, by sea and by sheer determination.

Kitchen Duty: - Art History (Sue Bhargav) and Famous and Infamous (Gary Preston)

New Members:

- Olga Moule

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NEXT MONTH –

Main Speaker: Professor John Collins Breaking Barriers: The Evolution of women’s education.

Study Group Presentations: - Famous and Infamous (Gary Preston)

Mini Speaker: - Leslie Skelton and Diane Hankins, Personal careers and experiences in

Special Education.

Kitchen Duty: - The Scribblers (Helen Jakobi) and Gallery Visits 1 (Inie Knoef)

Study Group News

Provided by Helen Jakobi, Quote from Maria Callas – “I will always be as difficult as possible, to achieve the best”

One of the relatable Diva’s featuring at the latest exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial on loan from V&A is Maria Callas.

Heritage Walking Group made a visit to Auckland Grammar School. The archivist has been for some time transferring their historical records into digital form. If you are interested go to the website: https://ags.recollect.co.nz

Up and coming events

Digital Seniors – FREE one-on-one tech help for Seniors

Heliers Community Centre: Thursday mornings 10-12. No booking or membership needed – just pop in and we’ll do our best to help you, please remember to bring your device along.