The U3A Benalla and District Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 16 March preceded the March 'Meet and Mingle'.  Guest speaker, Tomorrow Today Foundation CEO Rosie Koop, officiated at the election of office bearers then provided a most informative overview of the Foundation, from inception, the growth of a focus on early childhood programs such as the PEEP program, and the improved outcomes which have been statistically, as well as anecdotally, evident as a result of their work. 

This photo gallery includes photographs of Vice President Margaret Jenkins presenting the Annual Report for Dorothy Webber, Secretary Geraldine McCorkell reading the minutes of the previous AGM, and Rosie Koop presenting to the audience, as well as photos of 'meeting and mingling' of U3A members with Rosie and Rural City of Benalla Councillors Danny Claridge, Don Firth and Punarji Gunaratne.

At the Convenors Meeting held in February 2022 there was a question concerning use of the Defibrillator which is stored in the main Auditorium of the Benalla Senior’s Centre.
 
Following this question we are pleased to announce that we have invited Ambulance Victoria to give us some information about Use of the Defibrillator at our May Meet and Mingle which will be held on Wednesday 18th May 2022 at 10am in our U3A room.
 
In the meantime we have been sent the following information from Ambulance Victoria called Call Push Shock FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) which we are adding to our Website with their permission. The information is available to our Convenors and other U3A Members if required.

Margaret Jenkins 

The Membership Application Form for new members, Program Guide and Timetables for 2022 are  available on the Join/Join Us menu above or in the 'kit' which can be collected from the RedB4 Bookshop,  Bridge Street (next to Hide's Bakery. 

Members enrolled last year can still return the individualised Membership Renewal forms emailed or posted to them.  Please print the form, make any corrections to your details, then add your program selections.

​​Return the signed form, with  required fee attached or evidence of EFT* payment noted, to:

1. RedB4 Bookshop - next door to Hides Bakery (cheque only).
2. U3A Benalla, PO Box 674, Benalla 3671 (cheque only)\​

​​* E.F.T. payment to Goulburn Murray Credit Union. (GMCU) Account Details: BSB: 803 078 Account: 137131  Use ‘Your Name’ as the Reference (Surname First).  Record receipt number for your records. 

Proof of double vaccination of COVID 19 is to be provided upon enrolment or at attendance at chosen classes if not already recorded.  

Fifteen years ago, Sustainability Convenor John Lloyd joined Benalla U3A and found John Avery's 'Future Energy' class "right up my alley".  At the time John was building his house drawing on best practice principles for a sustainable environment, so there was much to share and talk about in the class.  The following year John Avery asked John to share the convening role, with John moving from joint convenor to convenor a year later. 

John convened 'Towards a Sustainable Future', now 'Sustainability', for 13 years.  On occasions, when busy on projects including his Presidency of the Benalla Sustainable Futures Group, John considered pulling back.  However, he highly valued the loyal group of interested class members who had come to know one another very well and delighted in his sessions (…despite having to occasionally remind them, 'Now, this isn't the politics class…', to prevent a discussion on an environmental issue becoming derailed!)

John's continued interest and extensive reading on environmental issues set the scene for each fortnightly session.  He arrived at each class with evidence-based articles from reputable writers to photocopy, distribute and discuss with class members.  During the Pandemic, John distributed these articles on-line to members before sessions, some of which he facilitated using 'Zoom'. 

After turning 80, further ‘down shifting’ was in order, but the U3A 'Sustainability' group remained high on John’s agenda. However, John and Freida have decided to leave the beautiful sustainable home in which they have been so comfortable - which must be difficult - to move to the Bendigo/Castlemaine area, closer to Freida's family.

Thank you so much for sharing your passion for a sustainable future, John.   Concerned that future generations will suffer from our inaction, you prompted us to consider, "What did you do once you knew?" inspired by a poem by Drew Dillinger you found particularly challenging
​
It's 3:23 in the morning
and I'm awake
because my great great grandchildren
won't let me sleep,
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
What did you do while the planet was plundered?
What did you do when the earth was unravelling?
Surely you did something
when the seasons started failing?
as the mammals, reptiles and birds were all dying?
Did you fill the streets with protest
      when democracy was stolen?
               what did you do
               once you knew?

You once wrote "We need to make our voice heard, to fight for our world. We need to give hope to future generations. How will we answer our grandchildren when they ask, "What did you do once you knew?"  

Well John, there is no doubt that your great great grandchildren would feel very proud that you did everything you possibly could once you knew. 

Thank you for your passion and unswerving, dedicated contribution towards a sustainable future.
​

Beverley Lee

Safer Internet Day – ‘Play It Fair Online’, is a time to consider ‘best practice’ in internet safety in terms of our own online presence as well as protecting ourselves from online scares. The ‘Safety First’ online topic resources on Be Connected will continue to be drawn upon in 2022 and we will continue to regularly raise the issue of protection against scams—a topic at a Meet and Mingle presentation last year. ​

Protect against Scams

Be alert. If you get an email or phone call you suspect is not genuine:

1. Verify –Check using contact details you get from a phone book or independent online search.
2. Avoid clicking links – before clicking, hover your computer mouse over the URL (web link) and the ‘from’ email address:
   • If an email address doesn’t end with the company’s name and .com after the ‘@’ symbol, it’s likely to be a scam.
   • If a URL is different from the link description, it is probably a scam.
3. Take your time – many scams will try to create a sense of urgency. Don’t be rushed into handing over your personal information.
4. Consider your privacy – Only provide information such as Medicare numbers and credit card security codes to organisations you can trust. Requests for private data should ring alarm bells.
5. Report – If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately.

​For safety on Facebook, see: Getting started with Facebook – note the recommended privacy settings.

Kyohei Fujiie joined Benalla U3A in January 2018, having lived some years in the district. He would say, "Just call me Fuji," and used that name on his U3A nametag.

He and Tomoko joined the U3A Recorder Group. They played various instruments, and were already involved with community performances, to which they invited the Recorder Players. Fuji had a good sense of rhythm and was very insistent on keeping time in the pieces played. He added to the U3A group's repertoire by adapting some musical pieces for the recorder.

Fuji and Tomoko joined the U3A Easy Walks bushwalking group, delighting in the outings and the beauty of the countryside. Fuji organised walks with very precise planning, measuring distances, drawing maps, and highlighting points of interest. He also shared with the group information and photos of walks he and Tomoko had done in State and National Parks. An enthusiastic and talented photographer, some of Fuji’s photos have featured on the U3A website.

As Margaret Walshe said, "Fuji, thank you for sharing your love of the Australian bush with fellow U3A walkers."
​
The U3A Easy Walks bushwalking group will schedule a repeat of the Mt Pilot walk Fuji had choreographed so well in April 2021.

​Andrea Stevenson

An Age Friendly community is one that is good for everyone.    By creating a community where older people can live safe, purposeful and healthy lives – in mind and body – we are creating a community where everyone, no matter their age, benefits.

Benalla Rural City, along with most places in the world, has an increasing proportion of its population over 55 years of age and living for much longer and can be supported to remain active, valued and as healthy as possible - in other words, to age well.

An Age Friendly Benalla will be a place where the community - including all its residents, its businesses, all levels of government and organisations mindfully work together to address the challenges and opportunities of ageing well in a rural setting. 

​One of the Committees of Age Friendly Benalla is the Age Well in Benalla Info Hub which is available in the Benalla Library every Thursday morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm.   It is a friendly referral service for older people to come for a chat if they have a concern about accessing information to make their lives easier.   The Hub looks at linking people to services and facilitating information.     It is a community volunteer group.

At the recent U3A enrolment day volunteers from this group set up a table in the Seniors room to promote this service to the Community.   It was a great opportunity to promote the info hub and provide guidance to older people in our community.    For example, the info hub was able to advise 15 people on the day about the $250 energy rebate that is currently available and assist with how they can apply for this.   The info hub also received a couple of enquiries regarding home assistance, held conversations regarding council exiting out of the Aged & Disability Services and also received interest from a member of the community wishing to join the Age Friendly Benalla Reference Group.

Heather Wallace

With lock down a thing (hopefully) of the past and restrictions on gatherings having eased somewhat, groups were able to meet more readily again in November/December.  A number celebrated year's end and the upcoming festive season, while the U3A Christmas Lunch in mid November was able to go ahead. Attracting 63 members, the luncheon at the acclaimed Chrismont Winery restaurant in the King Valley proved to be a joyous occasion! 

​Here are links to photos of some of these year end meetings and celebrations -
 
​Christmas at Chrismont Winery
​Singing for Fun at the Golf Club
Easy Walks at Mokoan Hub
​Creative Writing at 'the Northo'
Investment - '& the winners are...!'
Lifeball Photo Shoot
Recorder Group 'new and old...'
Saturday Cards '500'
Music Appreciation 'Class of 21'

​The U3A Benalla and District website is a wonderful way to

• Remind ourselves about dates and times – just go to the home page and scroll down the calendar
• Reminisce about the activities we’ve participated in with our group/s (Hint:  when you get to the bottom of the group’s page, just click on ‘previous’ to go to earlier entries.)
• Find previous newsletters – for example, to find last year's December's newsletter, check out the side menu on the About/Newsletter page and click on December 2021.  
• Search for people, activities, events from the past – just use the search box at the top of the page
• Access the U3A Benalla and District Facebook account – just go to the top menu and click on FB.

We are delighted that Janice Ellis (pictured) has volunteered to work on the website.  Janice is currently learning to add newsletter reports to the website.  Thank you, Janice!
​
I'd also like to thank Be Connected andTech Savvy Beginners - Apple convenor Jenny Sawyer and Tech Savvy Beginners - Android convenor Robyn Lukey for incorporating ‘learning to use U3A Benalla's website’ in their classes.   Thank you, Jenny and Robyn. 

Last but not least, thanks go to the convenors and ‘news correspondents’ whose newsletter reports and photographs are posted on the website each month.  What a wonderful resource you provide.

The U3A Benalla and District page on Facebook has gradually grown to 200 followers.  It’s a very gentle site, with a small audience and to date, no ‘trolls’.  Roving photographers and Facebook contributors Bev Thornell and Andi Stevenson's regular posts are always engaging and also provide a wonderful resource for the website.  Thank you, Bev and Andi.
 
On a final note, our ‘Facebook Post of the Year’, posted in August by Andi Stevenson, features Betty Milligan's poem, 'Here We Go Again'.  It received 14 likes, 4 comments and 15 shares!

Bev Lee, Web Manager

This is a message to members who have not yet had the Covid-19 statement on their entry form endorsed by a Club Official.

We have run into a small problem with New and Renewing members submitting membership forms at RedB4 bookshop.  Members have ticked that they have had their Covid-19 Vaccinations, but there has been no option for members to have their Covid-19 vaccination certificate sighted and certified by a Club Official (Convenor or Committee Member) at the bookshop.

To overcome this please take a copy of your Covid-19 certificate to the first session of each of your classes and have your Convenor mark a “YES” on the subject roll.

This problem has only occurred to about 15 existing or new members.

Thanks for your cooperation.
​
Len Jeffers
Membership Officer

​Nomination of Geraldine McCorkell for Benalla Citizen of the Year

U3A Benalla has nominated Geraldine McCorkell for Benalla Citizen of the Year in 2022. The nomination was co-ordinated by Wendy Sturgess, our Publicity Officer, with the assistance of other organisations and members of U3A.

We have received notification from Benalla Rural City Council that the presentation of Australia Day awards will take place on Wednesday 26 January 2022 Benalla from 10 am.  Winners of the awards will not be announced until the day.

Benalla Rural City Council has announced that the planned event has been scaled back and will now be live streamed to the community.  

Benalla Rural City’s Australia Day Award presentations can be watched online from 10am on Wednesday, January 26, at benalla.vic.gov.au. 

​Further information can be obtained by contacting the Council’s Event Coordinator, Sharon Geer on 0498 204 648 or sharon.geer@benalla.vic.gov.au     Good luck Geraldine!

What a successful enrolment day!  Although enrolments will still come in over the next few weeks, it's highly likely that the bulk of enrolment forms for 2022 were processed on Wednesday.

It was wonderful to see so many members attending and the Age Friendly Benalla Hub in action. 

Thanks go to the dedicated committee members and convenors who welcomed and supported attendees and to the 'Memberships Team' who worked so effectively to process enrolments. 

​Bev Lee 

News Update - we've just received news that the launch of John Barry's book 'Whatever of Glory' at the Benalla Library on Monday 17 January we posted news of in late November last year has been cancelled. However, U3A members will be pleased to know that John will be speaking on his writing of 'Whatever of Glory' at Meet and Mingle in mid February!

Interested?  Enrolment Fees are $30 per person each year, with $10 extra if you would like the newsletter posted by mail.  Come along to Enrolment Day on Wednesday 12 January from 9.30 to 12 midday or check out the 'Join Us' page on the website for other ways in which to enrol.  

The funeral of Kyohei Fujiie will be held on Saturday January 8th at 1pm, at the John Cooper Hall (opposite Coles).
​
* Only immediate family and friends to be present *

There will be an opportunity for 1 or 2 people at a time to be led inside during the service, to light Kyohei's Incense and offer prayers.

After the funeral, 2/2:30 pm onwards, there will be a wake at Benalla Botanic Gardens.

There too, attendees may light an incense in his name. (Information courtesy of Rodan Fujiie)

​Andi Stevenson

The Mackeys’ Lookout walk in December was the final U3A ‘Bushwalking - Mid-Week Walk’.  U3A’s partnership with the Benalla Bushwalking Club (BBC) commenced following a forum Margaret Walshe helped organise in 2002 which identified three layers of exercise and the need to be able to ‘upshift’ and ‘downshift’.  Margaret, a member of both U3A and the BBC, liaised with the BBC President at the time, Terry Sydes, who supported this principle.  Terry became the first convenor of Mid-Week Walks, with BBC organised Mid-Week Walks for adventurous bushwalkers offered to U3A members alongside Easy Walks.  Margaret played an important role in promoting the program and later became convenor.  Avid U3A bushwalker Vaughan Cowan then convened Mid-Week Walks for many years, with John Boehm taking over the role in 2019.

With fewer U3A members participating, the BBC committee recently decided to revert Mid-Week Walks back to its Benalla Bushwalking Club program origins.  U3A Benalla would like to thank the BBC for operating in tandem with the U3A Bushwalking program for almost two decades.  Thank you, John Boehm, for convening the group for the past three years, thanks also to Bev Thornell for the wonderful reports and photographs in the newsletter, Facebook and Mid-Week Walks  web page.    

​U3A members are welcome to become members of the Benalla Bushwalking Club and participate in their activities.   

​Source:  News Update, U3A Newsletter, January 2022

​Earlier this year U3A Benalla participated in the Building Digital Skills in Regional Areas Pilot, a joint initiative run by Good Things Foundation Australia and Wesfarmers, with our On Target digital skills program. Through the On Target program, we supported Benalla residents to learn how to use technology for everyday tasks, like shopping online and scanning QR codes. The program has made a great difference to those who participated, with many feeling motivated and excited to use their new skills at home.

Read more about how On Target has helped our community on the Good Things Foundation Australia website: https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org.au/news/on-target-for-better-digital-skills/

Margaret Jenkins, Dorothy Webber

Of our 360 members at present, about 215 have had their Covid-19 Vaccination status recorded as Fully Vaccinated by showing their Vaccination Certificate to their Coordinator while attending classes or activities.  That means there are about 145 members who have not had the opportunity to have their Covid-19 Immunisation status recorded on our database.

As you will be aware, it is now mandatory for U3A Benalla members attending U3A activities to produce evidence of being Covid-19 Fully Vaccinated.  Unvaccinated persons are unable to attend classes or other U3A activities.

In preparation for 2022 it would streamline the enrolment process if we could have the vaccination status of members recorded as soon as possible.  Once recorded on our database all 2022 rolls and other records will show your Covid-19 vaccination status as ‘YES’ if you are fully vaccinated.

I will be sending individual emails to those members who have not yet presented their vaccination certificates to their coordinator for recording.  It will ask you to respond to the email, with a copy of your COVID-19 digital certificate attached.  Your Covid-19 immunisation record will then be amended to ‘YES’ for all future programs.

Please send response email to len.benalla@gmail.com.

If you are one of the 17 members without email and have not presented your Covid-19 certificate to your coordinator, you could drop a copy to my home address at 108 Thomas Street Benalla and I will update your record.

If you are unable to respond, as above, you will need to show a copy of your Covid-19 certificate on enrolment day in January 2022.

Thanks for your cooperation.
​
Len Jeffers

Benalla U3A celebrated its annual Christmas break up on Tuesday 23rd November at the beautiful King Valley's Chrismont Winery. Established by two generations of the Pizzini family, it follows the typical history of Italian immigrants arriving in the King Valley to grow tobacco, then switching to vineyards...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Chrismont prides itself on its Italian hospitality and fine dining. Arriving at the Restaurant by bus or car, 63 U3A members enjoyed dining in style: a 2-course meal, naturally accompanied by Chrismont wines, which are top quality. Our hosts, Arnie Pizzini and his bubbly wife, Jo, made us all welcome, in spite of being run off their feet. They did find time to make Claire's 80th birthday a special one.

Originally organised by Heather and Keith Rogers, who found themselves unable to attend, Corrie Witlox completed the task of organising the event. Meg Dillon and U3A President, Dorothy Webber, thanked all members for attending and our hope for another successful U3A year ahead, hopefully one not interrupted by constant lockdowns!

Thanks to the capable treasurer, Corrie Witlox, Meg Dillon and of course our affable Benalla Bus Lines driver, Rod Farmer, we all agreed the Chrismont Christmas breakup was a great success.

Salut!

Bev Thornell. 

The application forms/monies are due on Wednesday 10th November - this Wednesday!  You can download the details/ application form below. 
​​

The following Information Page was emailed to current members on October 21, 2022.
 
ATTENTION TO ALL U3A BENALLA EXISTING AND PROSPECTIVE 2022 MEMBERS
 
U3A MEMBERS COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
 
Benalla U3A Committee, on advice from the U3A Network Melbourne, wish to impart the following information to U3A Benalla existing members and new members in 2022.

• In line with State and Local Government requirements it will be mandatory for U3A Benalla members attending U3A activities to produce evidence of being fully vaccinated.
• Any unvaccinated member of U3A Benalla will not be able to attend, this includes members unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.
• U3A members MUST NOT attend classes if they have any symptoms that might suggest they have COVID-19.
• Your privacy in this matter will be fully respected.
• The Committee will continue to update our COVID Policy to reflect current directives.

It is our Duty of Care to provide this protection to our Convenors and members.
​
If you have any queries do not hesitate to ring Geraldine 0408522662 or Margaret 5762 6944

Over 20 U3A Benalla members attended the Be Connected lunch held on the veranda of the Senior’s Centre on Wednesday 20 October 2021. This was part of the Get On Line week celebrations supported by the Good Things Foundation who run the Be Connected course for the Federal Government.

There were many pleasing aspects of the lunch. First the food from Hides Bakery was delicious, and the outlook from the veranda of the Senior’s Centre was magnificent. U3A Benalla has never used this as a venue before, but on a beautiful sunny October day the setting worked very well.

We also welcomed three new participants Joy Campbell, Terry Campbell and Trish Saker who wish to join our digital classes.  We were pleased to see our Android Convenor Robyn Lukey joining in the fun.

 Another pleasing aspect of the lunch was the interaction between members who were able to share their skills of attaching a vaccination digital certificate to the Services Victoria App for other members who needed assistance. We also distributed a photocopy of the method for attaching the vaccination certificate to the Services Victoria App to several other members.

The lunch ran until Jenny Sawyer’s Apple class commenced, everyone voting that it was a very enjoyable way to celebrate Get On Line week.
​
Margaret Jenkins  

1. Update your Service Victoria app at the App Store (External link) or Google Play Store (External link).
2. Open the Service Victoria app and click on ‘Add certificate via myGov’. If you don’t want to add your COVID-19 digital certificate right now, you can tap ‘Close’ and add it another time.
3. Log in to your myGov account. If you don’t have a myGov account, get one at myGov account (External link).
4. Scroll to ‘proof of COVID-19 vaccination’ and tap ‘Go to Medicare’.
5. Tap ‘View History’
6. Tap ‘Share with check-in app’.
7. Tap ‘Service Victoria’.
8. Once you’ve read the conditions, tap ‘Accept and share’. You’ll see the message: ‘Sending certificate’.
9. Once you see your COVID-19 digital certificate, tap ‘Add certificate’.

Your COVID-19 digital certificate is now added to your Service Victoria app and linked to the QR code check-in function.

You can also add your certificate using the Express Plus Medicare app, if you have it installed – and if you don’t have Medicare, you can add your certificate using your individual identifier in myGov.

If you are having difficulty you can contact the Commonwealth Government’s hotline 13 23 07.

If all else fails, carry a copy of the certificate that was issued by the clinic that administered your vaccine doses.

Barry O'Connor