2014 saw a flurry of early January committee, education and PR meetings as we continued to raise public awareness and, with it, our membership, and to develop effective ways to promote and present our meetings, events and group activities.
The New Year brought with it our eagerly-awaited presentation resources – a projector, compatible portable pull-up screen, costing £832, a laptop, case and controller/pointer for £336, plus a flash drive and HMI drive for £48.
The new resources offer a great speaker support package, adding to the lectern and lamp and wireless radio mike bought in September.
Helene Lindstrand and Adrienne Powell, pictured, were among the first members to learn how to connect the laptop to the projector for our Speaker and Members’ meetings.
The equipment was bought with a grant in excess of £1000 from the Local Joint Committee (LJC) funding. Cllr. Vince Hunt, Oswestry LJC Chairman presented the cheque to our committee members, Jane Davies, Melva Duley and Dave Stirling. Many thanks to Melva, Pam Broomby and John Barrett for all their efforts in making this bid so successful.
Our PR team launched a ‘New Year – New You’ campaign, distributing posters throughout Oswestry Borders towns and villages, talking to local groups (Ellesmere Probus in January) and planning a ‘hands-on’ press feature of members learning how to set up the new speaker equipment.
March Members’ Meeting will focus on U3A Technology. This will give members a chance to practise setting up the equipment and using both radio and hand- held microphones.
While several members are capable of hearing speakers without microphones being used, in organisations such as ours, catering for a specific age group, there will be some with poor hearing/disability.
The microphones and loud speakers put the sound into the Loop system for those members who would otherwise be excluded. So when we get the system working and you are going to speak, it’s not a criticism of you when we ask you to use a microphone, but a courtesy to those members who have hearing loss.
Dave Stirling shows Eddie Anderson how to set up the wireless radio microphone for guest speaker historian Yvonne Mason.
Yvonne’s talk in January on ‘The History and Legend of the Tower of London’ drew one of our largest audiences.
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
New Year is a time of resolutions (but perhaps not always the resolution to carry them out) and a look ahead. As it’s Oswestry Borders U3A’s first New Year perhaps we should reflect briefly on what we have achieved, a great deal actually, with a new organisation that is growing healthily and many vigorous interest groups within it.
Like any voluntary organisation we are entirely dependent on our members’ wishes, for nobody is obliged to come to our activities, so they have to be activities that members want to spend their time on. Nevertheless, there is also activity behind the scenes, and we should spare a thought for those who work in the less visible roles, such as providing the refreshments. Laura Powell has recently resigned her role as organiser of the refreshments at meetings and we need to acknowledge our thanks for what she, and those working with her, have done. The tea and chat after meetings is a binding force for our U3A. Fortunately Carol Fahey has agreed to take over Laura’s role.
David Stirling, January 2014
TO READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER, CLICK ON THE PDF LINK BELOW.
