November 2025 Newsletter Greetings from our President, Lars Welcome to the November newsletter. First, I would like to thank all those who participated in the recent fire drill. Through your efforts we were able to evacuate the building within a very short period of time. That said, I would like to remind everyone to ensure that you adhere to our evacuation procedure: to stand up and leave your classroom briskly, as instructed by your tutor, and exit the building without delay. I also wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with information on some important upcoming dates, which are: Monday 1 December 2025: Commencement of membership renewals for 2026, by contacting Reception or completing the online renewal at: https://www.u3anoosa.com.au/online-annual-membership/ Last day of the current Semester is Friday 12 December 2025. Friday 12 December 2025, 2:00pm to 4:00pm: Our Christmas celebration for Volunteers and Members. We will be sending out more details in due course, with a request to RSVP so that we are able to cater appropriately. Monday 19 January 2026, 9:00am to midday – Open day at which tutors will be available to answer any questions about their courses Tuesday 27 January 2026 at 8:30am – for Commencement of Semester 1 for 2026 I look forward to seeing you at our Christmas celebration. Kindest regards….. Lars |
| Expressions of Interest Writing for Fun Vacancies The Writing for Fun group has vacancies for three writers for their Thursday morning sessions (9.30-11.30). If you, or someone you know, is interested in writing either poetry or short stories, come along and have a look at how our sessions work. Anyone from beginners to published authors is welcome. The three vacancies are expected to fill soon, so if you are interested get moving now! Register your interest HERE. Meditation: New Class Time Meditation, Theory and Practice recommence as a fortnightly class on Tuesday mornings (10.00-11:30) in the Language room. (alternating weeks with the Book Club class) The first class at the new time was November 4th. New and continuing members are welcome: and it might help to know we sit on chairs to meditate. Check the timetable on our website for all class times HERE. As always, please enrol for classes by contacting reception, either in person or emailing HERE Friday November 14: Bob Hansen. “Debasement of the US Dollar and impact on prices of Gold, Bitcoin, Silver and Copper.” All Friday talks start promptly at 1.30pm. Entry by voucher or $3 cash which includes afternoon tea. U3A noosa Photography for Fun The U3A Noosa Photography group spent a very pleasant morning at the Botanical Gardens recently and captured great shots of the many, varied flowers and foliage on display. This spoonbill was enjoying the sunshine and the abundant food supply. Christine Hart U3A noosa can only exist due to all the volunteers freely giving their time and expertise, as tutors, in admin or behind the scenes. Each month we feature one of our volunteers with these fun questions: Name: Oj Rugins Position: French Basics tutor – Friday morning classes Q1. What class at U3A do you (or would you) most like to attend? I would love to rejoin the Happy Singers class but can’t fit it in at the moment. Q2. Do you have a nickname? ‘Oj’ is a nickname. I’ll spare readers the Latvian grammar lesson that explains why I find myself going by ‘Oj’ or ‘O.J.’ or ‘Odge’. Q3. What is the most adventurous thing you have done in life? The common, ‘travel urge’ answer I guess, venturing on my own from my native UK to Canada initially, on a shoestring, as a post-grad student in Physical Education. Later, and much more securely via a Commonwealth Teacher Exchange programme, my wife and I spent a year at rural Clifton, on the Darling Downs, a fabulous year that spurred us on to the next level of the adventure – migration. Q4. What is your go-to karaoke song? ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ – The Proclaimers. Funny how a song can become that bit more significant, in that some Canadian students parodied it to fit one of the stories which is now among my French teaching resources. Q5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The power to ‘vaporise’ a driver’s car but leave them sitting safely and car-less on the side of the road. I’d use this power each time I see a driver who doesn’t indicate or indicate properly, or who is in any other way abusing the road rules. Editor Liz: LOL, If you did receive that power Oj, I feel like there might be many stranded motorists beside our roundabouts. Q6. If you could invite three people to dinner (living or passed), who would you choose? Our electrician, our plumber and our arborist, and get them to come early with their tools. Ed Liz: Now that would be a super power worth having. Q7. Is there something about your role here at U3A that you would like to share with the members? I hadn’t foreseen the pleasure that I was to derive from the conviviality of my classes. Initially I saw this as a one-year, one-off project to help people get the ‘French basics’ down and allow them to move on as more informed learners. Given my background in primary school teaching, I wasn’t used to students bringing prior knowledge and to some extent I have been ‘finding my way’ this year. To accommodate this prior knowledge and its wide range, I propose a continuation of the ‘French Basics’ class next year, but with the addition of a separate ‘beginner workshop’ (which I am currently trialling) running for ten or eleven weeks only but repeated with new beginners each term. All this sits in a context in which our students can, and do, get out and practise in French speaker groups in regular, informal conversation gatherings. If you wish to nominate one of our volunteers to hear their answers, please check with them first and send me their email address HERE, which is the email address for the editor. Liz Membership and Class Registration 2026 The year’s end is fast approaching, and preparations are already underway here at U3A noosa for 2026. As we all need to renew our membership before classes commence in the new year, membership renewals will open on Monday 1 December. Membership can be paid at reception or online on the website HERE. Reception will be open the week before classes commence in 2026 to give us all time to renew and be ready. Also, you must register for ALL courses and classes you wish to attend and this can only be done through reception in person, or by phone or email. Class registration will open on 1st December. If you register and change your mind, please notify us immediately so places are available for our more popular courses that might be full. Our last day of 2025 is Friday 12th December. Details of Open Day and 2026 dates are listed above. Liz Gleghorn Reception Co-Ordinator Previous Month Quiz Winner: The answer to last month’s question “In how many countries is Spanish spoken as the official language” is 21, (but I also accepted 20 plus one territory). Assunta Easton is our clever winner this month. You can collect your book of class attendance tickets from reception. Current Month Quiz Question: Oj Has supplied us with a very entertaining question this month. It might generate some lively discussions: Two U3A members attending the end of year party, are standing by an open keg which has a perfectly symmetrical shape, and it’s about half full of wine. One of them claims that the wine level comes more than halfway up the keg, the other claims that it comes up less than half way. How can they decide who is right if they don’t have a measuring instrument or any other kind of tool, nor any container? Answers can be emailed HERE. Art Library Request Check your shelves at home! Some art books are long overdue. Could all art books please be returned before we break for the holidays, so they can all be sorted and catalogued, ready for the new year. Photo of Betty Coe celebrating her 93rd birthday with her Solo buddies Wednesday morning 15/10/2025 Says Wendy, “she’s as sharp as a tack and we love her to bits!” Wendy Ivanusec Melbourne Cup fun in the Watercolour class on Tuesday 🎉 Birthday Celebrations & New Faces at Colour & Chat Last month, Jo celebrated her 91st birthday with a delicious sponge cake and her new Colour & Chat friends – what a wonderful milestone! Sue also managed to sneak in a birthday celebration of her own. We’re delighted to welcome our newest members – Annabelle, Roberta, Jill and Pam to the group. It has been lovely watching everyone experiment with different colouring techniques, from soft pencils and gentle watercolours to bold alcohol and acrylic markers. The creativity and chatter just keeps growing. Photos of some of our group are below. Tania Behan Tuesday’s Watercolour is a popular class, with members supporting each other with tips and encouragement. Jack with his abstract board Carola focusing on her still-life work Content for the Newsletter? We welcome photos from all classes for our newsletter. Please send any photos or items of interest directly to the newsletter team at this editor email address HERE. Some people continue to submit content to the reception email (info) or in person at reception. Please avoid doing this. Our ladies at reception already have heaps to do, and don’t need the additional task of passing on newsletter content. Editor Liz Local News Items of Interest Noosa Council runs free sessions to help bring seniors together and encourage wellbeing. A Seniors Connect Wellness Sessions for November was held at The Apollonian Hotel, Boreen Point on 6 November, and the next one is at Cooroy Memorial Hall on 13 November from 12.30pm-3.30pm. The sessions focus on healthy ageing including exercise, nutrition and medication management. Booking essential: noosa.qld.gov.au. If you would like to attend a session, please contact Noosa Seniors on (07) 5329 6175 and they can register you on your behalf. Further information is available HERE. The much-loved Verrierdale Show is set to make its return on Saturday 22 November at the Verrierdale Hall 10.00am-5.00pm. Noosa Shire has a rich history and heritage from the first peoples through European settlement to the present day. Discover and learn about Noosa’s history and heritage through resources online and in the Heritage Library. Further information HERE. Need help using a device, program or platform? BYO phone, laptop or tablet and get one on one tech help. Learn how to get the most out of your device and troubleshoot simple issues. Have your charged device with you, passwords and mobile phone. Noosaville and Cooroy libraries. 9.00-11.30am Saturdays. No bookings required. Come and join a social program. Rummikub: First and third Wednesday of the month 10.00am-12.00pm Wednesdays at Noosaville. Social games: Second and fourth Monday of the month 10.00am-12.00pm at Cooroy. Scrabble: Fridays 10.00am – 12.00pm at Noosaville. Some programs require people to book in advance. Contact the library for more information. Quote “Community connectedness is not just about warm fuzzy tales of civic triumph. In measurable and well-documented ways, social capital makes an enormous difference in our lives…Social capital makes us smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy.” – Robert D. Putnam U3A noosa is rich in social capital, wouldn’t you agree? |
| Newsletter Team Liz Hansen Newsletter Editor Kathie Jordan U3A Noosa Secretary We received most of the content for this newsletter from our wonderful members. A reminder that: If there’s something to share about your class, if you would like to invite more members to join your class, or if you have a story of interest to our members, then you need to reach out to me, Liz Hansen, your newsletter editor, by clicking here. Note: We can’t promote events or products that are for profit. We do however support charity events or sales if appropriate. Copyright © 2025 U3A noosa, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a member of U3A noosa or have subscribed to the U3A newsletters Our mailing address is: U3A noosa 64 Poinciana Avenue Tewantin, Qld 4565 Australia Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
