Holiday in Northumberland 16 to 20 September in Newcastle –  two days excursions. Due to a cancellation one double room available – £460pp approx – ring Jean Little 513411 for details.  16 July 2019

In addition to our biannual Update Magazine we are now circulating a briefer and more up-to-date Newsletter to members mainly by email and also on this website, to keep everyone informed about what’s going on.

Click on the link below to download our latest Newsletters:

Saffron Walden U3A Newsletter July 2019

This newsletter has been emailed to all our members for whom we have email addresses.  If you have not received an email copy then please  email Ann Treglown – ann.treglown@gmail.com

The Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 2 September 2019 at the Baptist Church. Doors open at 1.30 pm for you to renew your membership, sign up for classes and enjoy a cup of tea. The AGM will start at 2.30 pm.

Membership renewal forms were sent out with the last issue of Update. If you have mislaid your form you can download one here.  Alternatively you can complete one when you come along to the AGM.

If you renew your membership before 1 August, we’ll issue your new card but your cheque won’t be cleared until after that date.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of Saffron Walden U3A will be held at Saffron Walden Baptist Church  on Monday 2nd September 2019 at 2.30 pm, or at any adjournment thereof.

Agenda:

1. Chairman’s welcome
2. Apologies for absence
3. Minutes of the previous AGM 3rd Sept 2018 ( Unapproved copy available here)
4. Chairman’s report for the year ended 31 July 2019
5. Treasurer’s report for the year ended 31 July 2019 and Adoption of Accounts

(Draft Accounts will be posted here late August – only a very limited number of  hard copies available on day)

6. Appointment of the Independent Examiner of Accounts
7. Election of the Committee for 2019-2020

• Under the terms of the Constitution, all the members of the Executive Committee, including those serving as Officers, will retire at the Annual General Meeting.
• Non-officer members of the Executive Committee have a one-year term of office and may serve not more than three terms.
• Officers other than the Treasurer have a one-year term of office and may serve not more than three terms in a particular Officer role.

Only current members are entitled to attend, vote and speak at the Meeting.

Pauline Palmer, Secretary

COMMITTEE

Written nominations by a proposer and seconder will need to be sent to the Secretary at least 28 days before the AGM (i.e. by 4th August 2019).  

Click here to see a list of responsibilities of the various committee members.

Download this form if you wish to join or to nominate someone to join the committee – at least 28 days before the AGM.

Minutes of AGMs and Accounts for previous years can be found on our Publications page.

OPEN MEETING – Home and Personal Security – talk by Derrick Giffin – Monday 16th September 2019 at the Bowls Club in Abbey Lane – tea and coffee available from 2:30 pm. Talk starts at about 2.45pm.

Book early for this year’s Christmas Tea, to be held at the Bowling Club in Abbey Lane on Monday 16th December at 3:00 pm. The cost is £10 per head, so contact Jim Dwyer on 07531 115 160 or jim_dwyer@btinternet.com

Our caterer will be providing everything that you’d expect from a Christmas Tea – so come along and enjoy.

We are fast approaching the AGM and the requirement to choose our committee.

This year we are particularly aware that over the next couple of years a number of current committee members will have completed their three year term. We need to look forward and try to plan to have members who can fill those vacancies as they arise, therefore ensuring that we have an experienced group when current members leave.

What does it require to become a good committee member? The list of qualities is not specifically defined, but the essential requirements include:

Be reliable, be a team player, have good social skills, be proficient with computers, be able to attend monthly committee meetings, make a positive contribution to the business of Saffron Walden U3A and not be afraid to “get your hands dirty”. Above all you need commitment to our organisation and to our 900 members.

Still interested?  If so, in the first instance you should contact Tony Treglown (Secretary) 01799 516707 to find out more.

Would Attending Committee as an Observer Help to Make Up Your Mind?

There are two Committee meetings remaining in this academic year, on Monday 17^th June and Monday 15^th July, both 10.30 am at the Bowling Club.

If you are considering joining the committee, why not come and sit-in at one of the meetings as an observer to see what it’s all about? Please speak to Tony Treglown (Secretary) on 01799 516707 beforehand to make the arrangements.

Membership application forms for 2019-2020 were distributed early with the summer edition of Update, as there will not be another edition until after this year’s AGM.

A number of members have sent in completed renewal forms with their annual subscription before the suggested date of 1st August. As a result there have been enquiries about new membership cards and payments.

The Membership Secretary will deal with all renewals and issue cards in due course. The Treasurer will bank cheques after 1st August when our new financial year begins.

Any further questions should be addressed to the Membership Secretary – John Trueman (contact details on the Committee page).

Thank you

This Natural History outing is not an official U3A outing but any U3A member would be most welcome.

Re-Wilding – Visit to Knepp Castle Estate – Friday September 20th 2019

You may have read about Re-Wilding – converting a large area of countryside into a self-regulating habitat dominated by large grazing animals. In other words, creating a habitat as close as possible to that in which our ancestors lived about 7000 years ago.

The leading light is in this work is Isabella Tree – the author of “Wilding” – which describes the hugely successful re-wilding project at Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex.

If you wish to know more about the Knepp re-wilding project visit their website: https://knepp.co.uk/

At the request of the Saffron Walden U3A Natural History Group I have booked a visit to Knepp for Friday 20th September – depart SW 9.30 arrive back 19.30

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Please note that this is not a U3A activity but we thought that it might be of interest to our members

“As we get older our bodies start to slow down and muscles start to lose their strength and stability. At JustGym we are here to help you keep fit and healthy.
A dedicated member of staff will be on hand to help with any questions you may have, demonstrate equipment, offer tips on exercises and show you ways to get started on your fitness journey.”

Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3pm at JustGym, Shire hill, Saffron Walden, CB11 3AQ   01799 510 766 or info@just-gym.com
£6 per visit or £25 unlimited monthly membership.

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Group Co-ordinator: Jenny Capon – 07812 128 767 – email jacapon@ntlworld.com

The group will meet at Jenny’s house in Saffron Walden and begin on Thursday April 18th, from 1.30 – 3.30pm and fortnightly thereafter.

Slow Folk is a group pitched at hesitant beginners. This is a gentle way into playing folk music with others, by ear or with dots. There is a list of about 150 folk instruments on Wiki, ranging from accordion to zhaleika. Some of these could present a challenge when playing folk music from the British Isles but, if we can achieve an harmonious result, bring on that dingulator and ravanahatha!

Experimentation will never be ruled out but the emphasis is definitely on supporting beginners to play comfortably in a group, using a collection of traditional tunes that satisfies all abilities and tastes.

The usual choice of British/Irish folk instruments comes from a much shorter list than Wiki’s, including fiddle, flute, tin whistle, concertina, guitar, mandolin, pipes and bodhrán. If you have any of these, or a similar acoustic instrument, and can play a few notes and/or chords, hold a simple beat and want to have fun exploring the tunes while playing with others, Slow Folk is for you!

For more information please contact Jenny Capon on 07812 128 767 or email jacapon@ntlworld.com