The approaching end of another year is often a time for reflection, and even more so for me as it’s now four months since I had the privilege of of taking on the chair of Southwell u3a. Looking back over that time, it’s certainly been an eventful and fulfilling time embracing the three principles of “learn, laugh and live”.
As I was also relatively new to the u3a (having been a member for only six months previous) a lot of the learning has been about the role of a trustee and the Third Age trust itself. I’ve been lucky throughout my working career to have had the opportunity to work for, and learn from, many different organisational cultures. Chairing the u3a has been another great learning opportunity to understand how a volunteer led charity functions very differently to other groups. The great thing about the u3a is the help given by the Trust and, in Nottinghamshire particularly, the fantastic network we have of people offering help and experience.
That extensive experience also includes all of you, and one of the great delights of an organisation such as the u3a is the ability to engage with, and learn from, people whose experiences are so very different to my own. Add on top of that all the learning from the various interest groups I’ve been actively involved with, and the last four months have been quite a cornucopia of gaining new knowledge.
Of course, all of this has been done with many smiles and laughter. One recent example was from listening to a concert by the recorder group which showed the true spirit of the u3a. A group of people with a varied range of experiences were guided and taught (in this case by Ian and Rik) and came together to put on a great performance with many cheers and smiles.
Adding all of this together then the last months really have been about living, and learning that the u3a can help in so many ways to embrace the third age and the move from work into retirement.
As we head towards Christmas, we should remember that whilst it is a time for family and friends to get together and have fun, sadly, that’s not always possible for everyone. Hopefully, Southwell u3a provides opportunities for members to get together in other sociable ways, including our upcoming pantomime and our coffee mornings and many other group activities. Please get in touch with any members who you think might not be able to meet up with family and friends and make sure they know they are welcome at all these u3a meetings and activities over the Christmas and New Year period.
Lastly, in case you’re in need of a last- minute present for grandchildren, I gather Duolingo has new App to help them communicate with Santa Claus: It’s a teaching aid for North Pol(e)ish!!
Mike Freemantle