University for fun

I have probably mentioned U3A before to do with garden visits and lunch club. 

It stands for the University of the Third Age -which, according to the website - is a self-help organisation for people no longer in full time employment, providing educational, creative and leisure opportunities in a friendly environment …….  Local U3As are learning cooperatives which draw upon the knowledge, experience and skills of their own members to organise and provide interest groups in accordance with the wishes of the membership……..  The U3A approach to learning is – learning for pleasure.  There is no accreditation or validation and there are no assessments or qualifications to be gained.

I have been a member of our branch of the U3A for about 3 years and this year was asked to join the committee.  From that came the first of two new interests  for me, as I was then asked if I would be interested in becoming the new newsletter editor – which I agreed to.  Then a few folk mentioned they wanted to learn some Italian – so who opened their big mouth and said they’d teach them?  You got it!    It seems there are six or seven people interested – as long as it’s really right-from-the-beginning, never-studied-any-Italian-before sort of stuff!   Exactly that, I agreed!   I’m not an Italian teacher as such but I can teach what I know - and I’ll revive my skills as well!

The current newsletter was due to be printed this week, so on Monday I went over to Jim’s house to learn how to do that!  I get the printer to take  home in due course!   I’d done some editing of a whole article, and proof read the entire newsletter the week before, so we were ready to go.   Jim taught me what settings to use and how to print odd pages first .  Once they were done, the sheets were turned,  put back into the paper feed drawer to print the even sides – in reverse order – and lo and behold, it all  came out right!  One of the members had provided a lovely snowy view of Peebles for the front cover.  (Thanks to Jim Barton)

Next we counted out the sheets for each newsletter, three sheets for each, folded them into a booklet, and stapled them together on the fold.  Job done!  Lots of little booklets with interesting little articles from group facilitators, information on coming events, etc. were piled up on Jim’s dining room table, ready to be put into a bag for me to take charge of.    Next day, Tuesday, was the monthly branch meeting, with a speaker on a local woodland regeneration scheme – very interesting – and the newsletters were collected by the members.  Next time it will be my job to put the whole thing together from collecting articles, to printing it, and finally taking it to the meeting!  It’s generally a bi-annual affair so no great hassles just yet.

What is it they say about a new broom sweeping clean?  I was thinking of asking the members in the next edition if any of them would be happy to read their newsletter online, so we could save some paper and ink  - do our little bit for the environment – though anyone who still wanted a printed copy could have one!  I’ve found some interesting looking software that would enhance the online reading experience, so  I’m actually quite looking forward to finding out what folk say, and no doubt you’ll hear all about it in due course!

Talk again soon.