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Groups & Convenors. | June
2022 |
July
2022 |
August 2022 |
Ancient
& Modern History 10:00 am, 1st Friday Geoffrey Bowes gbowes80@gmail.com |
"The Geopolitical and Economic
Power Struggles of the Bronze Age" Presenter: Willo Stear The Oaks Board Room, ground floor. Friday 3rd June, 10 am BYO refreshment |
The
Oaks Board Room, ground floor. Friday 1st July, 10 am BYO refreshment |
The Oaks Board Room, ground
floor. Friday 5th, 10 am BYO refreshment |
Architecture
& Design (Launching soon) |
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Ornithology/Bird
Watching 2nd Wednesday Between 10am & 2pm, tides permitting. Ken Cutforth miriandken@gmail.com |
Visit
the Muriwai Beach Gannet Colony. Meet at the beginning of Hauiti Drive, Warkworth at 1 pm. where car-pooling will be arranged. Each passenger to pay the driver $5.00 Wednesday July 13, 1:00pm |
"Kiwi Hunt" Tawharanui Regional Park to engage with foraging kiwi. Meet at 6.00 pm at carpark just north of Matakana School for Carpool. Warm waterproof clothing essential. Wednesday 10th August. 6 pm |
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Art
Appreciation 1st Thursday, check for times. Berris Spicer berris.spicer@gmail.com Sally Wilson sallyandbruce@gmail.com Margaret Wright rightmnz@gmail.com |
Visit to Hundertwasser Art
Centre, Whangarei. A prior booking is essential. Coach departs 9am, returning 5pm For further details, contact a convenor Thursday June 2nd, |
Martin
Sanders, photographer Venue: Totara Park Rec. Hall, Warkworth Thursday 7th July, 10 am |
"Rock Art and Ritual" Fading Images of the Symbolic Expression of Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers Dr.Willo Stear Venue: Totara Park Recreation Hall Thursday 4th August, 10 am |
Book Talk 10:00 am, 1st Tuesday Jeanette Grimmer jgrimmerster@gmail.com |
Host: Nancy Tayles Tuesday 7th June, 10am |
Host:
Judith Larsen at Warkworth Oaks Tuesday 5th July, 10 am |
Host: Alison Coates, 21 Tamatea
Drive, Snells Beach. Tuesday 2nd August, 10 am |
Current
Affairs 2:00 pm, 3rd Thursday Geoffrey Bowes gbowes80@gmail.com |
Meeting cancelled Thursday 16th June, 2pm |
"Merging
Television and Broadcasting" Allan Martin (ex Director General of TVNZ) The Oaks Community Room (above the hotel), entrance at rear of hotel. Thursday 21st July, 2pm BYO refreshment |
The Oaks Board Room, ground
floor. Thursday 18th August, 2pm BYO refreshment |
Developments
in Medicine 2:00 pm, 4th Thursday Linda Moore linda.colin1@outlook.com |
No Meeting this month | Venue:
Thursday 23rd June, 2pm. |
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Geology (Launching soon) |
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Jazz
Listening 2:00 pm, 3rd Monday Val Couling vandpcouling25@gmail.com |
Monday 20th June, 2pm | "Jazz
& Swing for your Pleasure" Part 2. 5 Matakana Road, Warkworth Monday 18th July, 2pm |
Venue: 25 Gordon Craig Place,
Algies Bay.
Monday 15th August, 2pm |
Local
History 10:00 am, 4th Tuesday Jenni McGlashan jim.jenni@xtra.co.nz |
"Exploring the History of Port
Albert" With Ken Cutforth Meet at 9:15 at the Warkworth Museum car park (Thompson Rd) for car share. Tuesday 28th June, 9:15 am |
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Music
Appreciation 2:00 pm, 2nd Thursday Mike Austin mike.austin949@gmail.com Jenny Collins jencoll07@gmail.com |
Video looking at two conductors
– Teodor Currentzis and Alondra de la Parra. Venue: Anderson Home, 91 Anderson Road. Thursday 9th June, 2pm |
Matakana
Cinema to view the film of the Metropolitan Opera presentation
of Rigoletto. Sunday July 31st |
Venue: Alison's home, 21 Tamatea
Drive. Thursday 11th August, 2pm |
Exploring
Poetry 1:30 pm, 3rd Wednesday Susan Howard suze.howard@xtra.co.nz |
Host:Malcolm Clague Bring along a couple of poems that make you feel good or give hope. Wednesday 15th June 1:30 pm |
Venue:
Warkworth Hotel Host: Judith McNeil Exploring the poetry of Joanna Preston. Wednesday 20th July 1:30 pm |
Host: Pam Ellender National Theatre video: "A Poet for Every Day of the Year" Wednesday 17th August, 1:30 pm |
Science
and Climate 2:00 pm. 3rd Friday Ralph & Anne Cooney ralphpcooney1@gmail.com acceton@mac.com |
No meeting this month |
“The Evolution of Modern Navigation and
Polynesian Navigation” Mike Austin "Tales of the Sea" Peter Kammler Venue: Totara Park Recreation Hall Friday 15th July, 2 pm |
"A cruise along the Greenland
Coast" and "The New Zealand Geographic" Speaker: Kennedy Warne (Founding Editor of NZ Geographic) Venue: Totara Park Recreation Hall Friday 19th August, 2 pm |
Te Ao
Maori, the Maori World View 1:00 pm. 4th Wednesday |
Inaugural meeting. "Whakawhanaungatanga - getting to know each other" and what we want to learn about the Maori world. Kaiako: Claire Winiana Venue: Oaks Boardroom, entry from The Oaks parking area. Wednesday 22nd June, 1:00 pm |
Kaiako:
Claire Winiana Venue: Sybil's, 5/99 Hauiti Drive, Warkworth. Wednesday 20th July 27th, 1:00 pm |
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Play
Reading |
In Recess | In Recess | |
Antiques
and Collectables |
In Recess | In Recess |
Group Leaders: To email the web editor with any calendar additions or changes, click here
Covid-19 is
still with us.
To protect others if you have cold or other flu-like symptoms,
please stay at home.
When using Totara Park, Oceania Healthcare still need you to
sign-in and to wear a mask whenever possible.
To maximise ventilation, they suggest that doors and windows are
opened if weather permits.
Group | Convenors | Description | |
Ancient
& Modern History |
Geoffrey Bowes |
Ancient History Group meet in members’ homes the first
Friday of each month at 9.30am,, excluding January. Our meetings start with morning tea/coffee and fellowship before we explore the chosen programme for the year. Group members can chose to research aspects of the programme to present their findings to the group. On occasions we have a Bits & Pieces Meeting where members can contribute to the meeting with historic items of interest. |
|
Art Appreciation | Berris Spicer Sally Wilson, Margaret Wright. |
The Art Appreciation Group has approximately 60 members
but the size of the group attendances varies from month to
month. During the warmer months we often go by bus to art exhibitions. At our other meetings we enjoy presentations from invited artists or from some of our members. |
|
Book Talk | Jeanette Grimmer |
Meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month, at 10 am,
in members' homes.
Each person brings a book they are currently reading or
have just read, and talk about it.
This sometimes leads to discussion related to what was
shared. |
|
Current Affairs | Geoffrey Bowes |
There are 20 of us which is our limit and we are currently
meeting in the Boardroom at The Oaks. Everyone is asked to speak about a current event that interests them and after they have talked the rest of the Group are invited to comment/add to the topic which can lead to lively debates. One Member recently commented "its better than going to the pictures". |
|
Developments
in Medicine |
Linda Moore |
All new members welcome; no medical background required, just interest and willingness to be part of the group. We have excellent discussions, and lots of people can usually add to what’s been said. We learn a lot. It’s fun and lively. | |
Jazz Listening | Val Couling |
One of the original Warkworth U3A groups, we have over 20
members with an average attendance of about 15. This lively group meets monthly at each other’s homes and the presentations are always interesting and informative as many of our members have a wide and diverse knowledge of jazz. Topics range from the history and styles of jazz and jazz musicians using CDs, DVDs and YouTube, as well as sharing our favourite recordings and occasional live jazz sessions. No prior knowledge is required to join this group, just a wish to hear great music and learn something new. |
|
Local History | Jenni McGlashan |
The district of Warkworth is teeming with history, and
while the local history group of U3A has been in operation
for 11 years there is always another topic ‘on the horizon’
waiting to be explored! Currently the group numbers 12, many being comparatively new members. Sometimes we meet in a member’s home for a presentation, other times we travel to the destination to be discussed - field trip style. With the pandemic negating group meetings, a quiz and visual meeting have been arranged. Our home based meetings are often presented by a member, or sometimes by a local person with a strong knowledge of a particular aspect of our local history. |
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Music Appreciation | Mike Austin Jenny Collins |
This groups meets at 2pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month
at a member’s home. A group member presents a topic that they have researched, and prepared using DVDs, CDs and/or You Tube clips. Some recent presentations have been Music of Scotland, Famous Conductors, Music for Meditation, Music Therapy and The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. We conclude the presentation with afternoon tea. New members are very welcome. |
|
Ornithology/Bird Watching | Ken Cutforth | Our group meets every second Wednesday of the month, between 10.00 a.m and 2.00 p.m, tides permitting. Most meetings will involve field trips to various venues mainly on our coastline. Some meetings will take place in member’s homes. | |
Exploring Poetry | Susan Howard |
The Exploring Poetry group meets on the third Wednesday of
each month at 1.30pm to discuss both national and
international poets and their work. The sessions are varied and may include a video, or YouTube interview or a presentation by a local poet, most often though each member takes a turn to present the poet of their choice with an introduction, and a selection of poems for the group to read and discuss. We finish with afternoon tea. The group numbers about 10-11 and welcomes new members. |
|
Science & Climate | ![]() |
Prof. Ralph & Anne Cooney | The group’s activities will include Climate Change,
Environmental Science and Management, Ecology, New
Technologies, Astronomy etc. The meeting topics may include briefings and workshops led by visiting experts and will Involve open group discussion. There will also be opportunities for members to bring their own questions and issues regarding science along to meetings. |
Te Ao Maori | The Te ao Maori Interest Group will explore the Maori World view and will be led by experienced kaiako (tutor), Claire Winiana |
If you are not a member of a group and would like to join, contact the group leader for further details.
The Te Ao Maori group assembled for their first meeting lead by our Kaiako, Claire Winiana.
The group started with a Whakawhanaungatanga - getting to know each other, where each member talked about their Whakapapa (family history). The discussion then moved to Matariki and its meaning to us and its place in the Maori World.
We were honoured to have Barbara Dreaver, Television Journalist at TVNZ, as our speaker at our June ‘mid-Winter’ meeting. Barbara will be familiar to many as the Pacific Correspondent for TVNZ’s News and Current Affairs. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years, co-owning a newspaper in the Cook Islands, working in print, radio and television. She is currently on the TVNZ/Radio NZ establishment board and designs and delivers training to Pacific broadcasters across the region.
Barbara’s talk was a stimulating and engrossing look at our extended neighborhood, the South Pacific Islands. She talked about the challenges they face as nations in a warming planet and the geo-political wrestling match which can often befall smaller emerging nations when major powers become involved.
Barbara presented several short video clips showing the struggles the people face coping with the challenges of extreme weather events, lack of stable water supplies and fertile soil, topped off by steadily rising sea levels.
The Mahurangi High School Kiribati Group also gave us an entertaining interlude featuring modern Kiribati dance. What a beautiful happy group they were.
A small Ornithology group was treated to a very informative afternoon on our first outing. We visited the Omaha Shorebird Sanctuary where we saw dotterels, godwits, white-faced heron, terns and oyster catchers, with expert commentary from Marie-Louise Ward.
The group's meeting was "Artists Among Us" where four members talked about their work or collection, with a brief description of selected items, how they were created and what they represent. Our artists presented work covering ceramics, fabric collage, plant dyes and mordants, painting, Old-English style samplers and glass.
Members discussing members' work
Presenters/Artists were; Judith Morgan, Julie Tuck, Judy Ward, Helen Howard, Berris Spicer and Sylvia Diprose.
The Covid-delayed 2021 Annual General Meeting was held in the Warkworth Town Hall on 14th February 2022.
President Ken presented his annual report and Treasurer Dianne presented the annual accounts. The Officers for 2022 year were elected.
To mark our 25th anniversary, Past President Mary and President Ken cut the Anniversary Cake which was enjoyed by the large membership who attended.
We were honoured to have Rod Oram as our Guest Speaker. Rod is a well respected media commentator and was one of the two N.Z. Media attendees at the COP 26 conference recently held in Glasgow.
His talk covered aspects of New Zealand's climate change policy approach and our agreed International Climate Change obligations. It would be fair to say that Rod left us with plenty to think about and the realisation that as a society and individually, we need to act immediately to avert disastrous changes to the environment and our lifestyle.
His final slide
depicted a space traveller on returning to base from a trip to
Earth.
"I went back
to warn them, but they already knew and didn't seem to care"
If you were not able to attend, click on the YouTube link below for Rod's talk;
On November 8, for the third time our
group met on zoom, but on this occasion had no extra minutes
allotted unfortunately. Shirley shared a thank you card from
Angela Kissling with those of us present. Then
we each spent a few minutes speaking about a book we had
been reading.
As usual, there was a wide variety, with non-fiction
predominating. Alongside the one novel – “Stark” by Ben
Elton, we had a travel book – “The Amur River” by Colin Thubron, a
book about ancient civilisations in South America – “The Missing
Lands” by Freddy Silva, an autobiography – “Promised
Land” by Barack Obama, and two biographical books
- “Outback Heroines” about women in Australia by Sue
Williams, and “All the Young Men” about the life
of Ruth Coker Burns, by Kevin Carr O’Leary. Meeting and
sharing together is always so enjoyable. The time was far
too short.
By: Jeanette Grimmer (Group Convenor)
We did hope to possibly meet in a home
at Level 2, and delayed our meeting one week for this
reason. However, as Auckland currently remains at
Level 3, we met for the second time on Zoom. This month we
were given extra time, and so had a full hour together on Tuesday,
12 October, from 10 to 11 a.m.
We were four until a fifth member discovered how easy it is to
join via the sent link, and arrived to join us after everyone else
had shared about their books. She said it was easy to join
the group, but one member had struggled for 15 or 20
minutes: at first visible, but without sound, then
with sound but invisible, until finally she could be both seen and
heard.
As usual, the books we shared about were diverse. One member
has a large set of classics and had been reading these.
There were books both fiction and non-fiction, the latter
including a biography and an autobiography. The countries
where the various books were set ranged from New Zealand to
South Africa to eighteenth century Scotland, and to twentieth
century China.
We had a splendid hour together, and look forward to our next
session, hoping we may by then be able to meet in a home.
But if not, then it will be once more on Zoom.
By: Jeanette Grimmer (Group Convener)
Alison Talmage,pictured with a group of members, gave an interesting interactive presentation on "Music Therapy" with great audience participation.
Anne Cooney talked about their recent flight to the Southern Ocean to view the Aurora Borealis. The presentation was supported by a wonderful collection of images taken on the flight.
New Members are
always welcome.
At U3A Warkworth you will meet familiar faces plus a new group
of friendly people with similar interests. If you have just
moved to the area, or recently retired and are looking for new
horizons, this is a pleasant and stimulating way to extend your
circle of friends