WHAT'S ON
General Meeting – Wednesday 4th February at 9:30 a.m
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St. Heliers Church Community Centre – Centennial Hall - 100 St Heliers Bay Road
Welcome
President’s Message:
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A very Happy New 2026 Year to you all. I hope you have had a festive season with time to rest and relax over the holiday period. I have spent some of my time having a ruthless cull of several rooms in our house. It has been rather liberating being able to release ‘treasures’ that have been sitting in cupboards and hoping they will get a second life with someone else.
Our last meeting for the year saw the Kumeu Vintage Brass entertain us with some well known music that I am sure you were all foot tapping to and keeping beat with your hands. Thank you to
Christine Savory for once again sourcing this wonderful talent.
A big thank you to the ladies who organised the Christmas morning-tea fare. And it was nice to have the band mix and mingle as well.
Our 2026 year is well in hand with confirmation of our Main Speakers and Mini-speakers for the best part of the year. A few gaps but I am hoping to get these filled over the next few months.
Our Committee looks forward to seeing you at the February Meeting.
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Main Speaker –
Paul Graham – Auckland Land Search and Rescue.
I first became interested in SAR type of volunteer work when I did a local first aid course in the late 1990’s, and the first aid instructor mentioned about volunteers at Red Cross. I did that for 5 years or so, and during that time, one of the Red Cross guys was also involved with Auckland Land Search and Rescue.
After an induction into the Auckland LandSAR team, I was now part of their world. I’ve been involved with Auckland Land Search and Rescue for 26 years now. I’ve lived in the Rodney district for most of my life, I am married and have two young adult children, and my family are incredibly supportive of what I do. My work background is in the architectural design in the building industry, which is totally unrelated to search and rescue.
My presentation will give an overview of Land Search and Rescue New Zealand and what they do, then will go in to a bit more detail of how we operate in Auckland, followed by a couple of SAR stories.
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Mini Speaker: Laurie Guy – “Off the Beaten Track: Reaching Lochnagar”.
Study Group Presentations: - Gallery Visits 1 (Inie Kroef)
Kitchen Duty: – Books We’ve Read (Wendy Jeffrey) & Scribblers Ink (Helen Jakobi)
New Members:
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NEXT MONTH –
Main Speaker: - Wendy Hampton – Don’t Leave a Mess, Leave a Legacy
Mini Speaker: - Margaret Horsburgh – The Medical Museum
Study Group Presentations: - Current Affairs (Heather Baigent)
Kitchen Duty: - Memorable Moves (Katherine Swift & Jill towers) & Art History (Sue Bhargav
Study Group News
From Helen Jakobi
“What can you do today, that tomorrow you’ll be grateful you did?”
From Lesley Skilton - STUDY GROUPS 2026
It is a pleasure to take on the role of Study Group Co-ordinator this year. I know that you will join me in sincerely thanking Gary Preston for fulfilling this role so capably over the last several years. We appreciate the time and energy that Gary has put into organising the study groups and serving as the liaison on the committee. As well, I would like to extend my personal thanks to Gary for his generous support during the transition and for helping me to learn the ropes!
We start the year with seventeen study groups - an impressive testament to the enthusiasm of our St. Heliers U3A membership for sharing knowledge and experience and keeping our minds active and engaged. As the U3A ethos states, we all come as teachers and learners; every member's participation and contribution is valued and supported. While this is a healthy number, if you have ideas for other study groups, please let me know.
For existing Convenors, feel free to contact me at any time if issues arise (e.g., venue, AV gear, membership, etc.) or if you have queries or comments about your role.
As in previous years, there will be opportunities at some of our full monthly meetings for some study groups to give a short presentation. Convenors will let you know if your group has been asked to do this. This also includes assistance with the morning teas.
For my own information and interest, I plan to visit each of the study groups over the year, and I will keep in touch with the Convenors to arrange a suitable time.
I very much look forward to meeting you all at some stage and learning about your study group.
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Up and coming events
Digital Seniors – FREE one-on-one tech help for Seniors commences 5th February
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.
This is a great opportunity; a team of people give their time freely to assist you in further learning.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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