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Editors : Tony Keys | Publication Date : 28th October 2019

U3A Albury-Wodonga 2019 Committee Members

Edward Voogt (President & Member Services Director) • Dianne Fontana (Secretary)

Doug Reid (Treasurer) • Pat Madin (Programme Director) • Peter Massey (Systems Director ) • Diana

Pape • Tony Keys (Newsletter) • Rod Farr (VicNet & Regional Liaison )• Lyn Reed • Anthony White

U3A Albury-Wodonga is located at

The Albury-Wodonga Community College

63 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690

PO Box 129 Wodonga VIC 3689

College Reception (02) 6043 8200

U3A Mobile 0499 895 117

alburywodongau3a.com > Contact Us

Friday 8th November

7th October - 6th December

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Friday 1st November

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Ellen has been a reporter at the Border

Mail for almost 4 years. She has always

been interested in writing and graduated in

2015. She had a “sliding door” moment,

scheduling interviews with both the

Border Mail and the NT News. But

because of a combination of chance and a

concern about the quality of some of the

News Corp papers she elected to go with

the Border Mail.

Ellen’s early years at the Border Mail

were quite tough: she had to learn how to

interview and to get to know the

community. She said many young

reporters were getting “news” by using

computers in offices.

The highlights of her career so far have

included:

“Tipping Point ”, a December 2015

story about Ian Mackinlay, a

contractor for council, speaking out

about rubbish dumping at Bowna

Reserve during the holiday period

a freedom of information request into

the state of the Mt Buffalo Chalet,

uncovering how an insurance

payment received by the government

was poorly spent.

a story about the shooting of a cyclist

on the Myrtleford rail trail where the

Border Mail was the first on the

scene because other news oultlets and

the TV news were on their weekend

breaks.

Ellen said a reporter’s job was getting

people to trust you whether they’re having

their best or worst day; you cannot just get

information and leave. She cited as an

example her interview with Pat

Easterbrook at the time of the 10th

anniversary of the Black Saturday in

which 2 locals died. She had to pay

several visits to gain his trust trying to

persuade him of the importance of telling

the story - it was finally over a cuppa that

he relaxed and talked.

There are times however when it is not

appropriate; when reliving trauma is too

painful.

Ellen was asked whether it was hard to get

interviews with politicians. She answered

that sometimes it was, for example, when

contacting Tim McCurdy about real estate

investments! Politicians do have to be

Ellen with Diane Pape

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careful about what they say when it is

recorded by reporters. Scott Morrison

found this out when he denied using the

term “Shanghai Sam” when referring to

Sam Dastyari. Ellen did say however that

she was not so interested in politics but

rather community events and the people in

it.

Another question was about the lack of

sub-editors. Ellen agreed that there were

many mistakes in the copy but did admit

that sub-editors used to sometimes change

reporter’s stories in ways they didn’t like.

She claimed that “news reporting and not

the prose” was what reporting is now.

Other questions revealed that:

She is contracted to write 6 stories a day

but rarely reaches that. If she writes 2

good quality stories she is content.

The Border Mail has 15 reporters and 2

photographers. Journalism’s future is

uncertain particularly for photographers.

Much material is syndicated. Ellen

believes that newspapers have a future:

even a negative reaction shows that

someone cares.

Ellen enjoys the “city in the country” feel

of Albury-Wodonga although when she

arrived she was amazed by people’s

obsession with AFL!

Tony Keys

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Speaker: David Spurr

I am a native of Albury but spent much of my working life in Sydney as a Geography teacher and school administrator. On retiring at the end of 2001 I returned to live on the Border. I returned to University study and completed a degree in Cultural Heritage Science at Charles Sturt University. My research in that instance involved assessing the attitudes towards and knowledge of local cultural heritage in Albury. Subsequent to that I became involved in History at Latrobe where I am currently undertaking a research degree.

My current research, which I will discuss at your Coffee Morning, involves the Paddle Steamer trade to and in the Upper

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Murray (Echuca & Moama to Albury Wodonga) in the middle of the 19th Century. I am attempting to show how the steamer business began as a link in an international colonial trading system that took on local characteristics as a response to the particular biophysical and socio-political circumstances of this part of the world. I look at the origins of the trade, its operation upstream to Albury-Wodonga and its eventual demise as the railways took over. I will put an emphasis on the Albury-Wodonga end of the business.

Kath’s interest in the Bible began when

she was seven years of age on a housing

commission estate in Williamstown,

Melbourne in an open air non-

denominational Sunday School. Despite

her family having no interest in religion,

she attended for an hour a week each

Sunday for seven years. What was

presented was “just the Bible” – there

were no doctrines or interpretations.

From the age of nine, Kath started

reading the Bible every day when the

children who attended the Sunday School

were each given a Bible and a card with

suggested passages. Since then, she has

“read the Bible many, many times and

still finds something new.”

The Sunday School closed when she was

fourteen, one of the reasons being the

local Catholic priest would not let the

children from his parish come any more.

By the time she was fifteen Kath started

attending a local Gospel Mission in spite

of her parents thinking this was “religious

mania”.

Kath’s parents had seven children and

were very poor. Neither had finished

primary school, however they were hard-

working and encouraged learning and

creativity in their offspring. Kath’s Mum

used to listen to the ABC as she wanted

her children to speak well. Kath’s older

brother – a polymath – used to get her to

recite passages of Shakespeare. Another

brother – a naturist – fostered in her a

love of the natural world.

After employment as a Youth Worker,

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Kath trained at Melbourne University to

become an English and History teacher,

taking up a position in Sydney and going on

to work in both State and Private High

Schools, then at TAFE.

Teaching English, History and Scripture at a

Private High School, Kath was aware of

how many Christian concepts were intrinsic

to English literature; and how Biblical

History is relevant in providing a context for

some of today’s issues. She has taught 15th –

17th Century English Poetry at U3A and

some of the class members were surprised to

learn the poetry contains of all sorts of

Biblical references.

Kath has an intrinsic love for the Bible

and would like people to know what

riches are there. It has it all – philosophy,

history, science, poetry, culture, law, love

and every aspect of the human condition.

In coordinating the class at U3A, Kath

has tried to be very objective, presenting

material so that participants are given the

wherewithal for themselves to further

their knowledge. Of course, interpretation

of the Bible varies widely and Kath

prefers to give impressions only in terms

of different texts, as so much is dependent

on opinion and emphasis.

In her classes, Kath utilises PowerPoint to

present paintings, music and other visual

material. She points out that the Bible has

inspired so many artists, calligraphers,

architects and other artisans down

through the ages.

Kath speaks fondly of the seven years she

spent in Nepal as an Adult Literacy

Consultant working with Nepali

educators teaching adults. Living

Modern Jewish Cantors singing the Psalms

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amongst villagers in Nepal, who are mainly

of the Hindu religion, Kath said they taught

her “a lot about the meanings of early Old

Testament rules.”

In 2009 Kath commenced studying a

Master of Theology through the Australian

College of Theology which has nineteen

colleges across the country. She started with

Greek and Hebrew as she wanted to read

the Bible in their original languages. She

studied a variety of other subjects through

various campuses over several years,

graduating in 2017. She refers to herself as

“a lifelong learner” in relation to the Bible.

Lyn Reed

In this course we have gained some insight

into the depth and breadth of arguably the

seminal book of our culture. It is a history

of the Jewish people and a set of guidelines

for how to live. It is the cornerstone of

Christianity and the predominant concern of

Western civilisation until the 18th Century.

Kath has explained the historical context,

helped us appreciate the literary qualities of

books such as the Psalms, and shown us

examples of how the Bible has permeated

art. Also she has shown us examples of the

importance of the language, including the

complexities of its translation into different

languages .eg. Hebrew, Greek, Latin,

English.

Kath’s scholarship is particularly

impressive: she is able to recall episodes

and quotes at a moment’s notice. Also her

teaching technique which combines

exposition, often involving audio-visual,

and class exercises is very effective.

Tony Keys

§

U3A MEMBER INTERVIEW

THE ALTERNATIVE ROY

STRANGE

The surname Strange originated in France

(leStrange) and its meaning is ‘stranger’ i.e.

coming to a village, you were a stranger.

Ancestry figures very much in Roy’s

identity, particularly his Viking roots. He

can trace his lineage back through to Italian

and Swedish ancestors on his mother’s side.

He also suffers from what is known as ‘the

Viking disease’ – Dupuytren’s contracture.

Many U3A members would know Roy’s

career was as a teacher and school

Principal. He worked for thirty-five years in

the profession. However, there has been

more to Roy’s life.

From about the age of seven or eight, he

would go with his mother to group sessions

of people delving into ‘the other world’. He

found it interesting at the time. Sometimes

they would each bring a flower to the

meeting and someone would pick it up and

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talk about the person to whom it belonged.

Roy says, “Usually they were pretty

accurate.”

Roy was hugely influenced by his Canadian

grandfather whom he called “Pop” even

though technically they were unrelated. Pop

was a Rosicrucian, believing in another

component of life. Pop was a big influence

on Roy as a young boy. He remembers Pop

walking up to an ordinary garden tap and

putting his hand near it and sparks would

fly. Pop also had a background in geology

and taught Roy a lot about science.

Roy was with his Pop in his last hour of

life. This was in 1972 or ’73. As Pop passed

on, Roy says he “felt an energy come to

me.”

Growing into his teenage years in the mid-

1950s, Roy made an exploration of

different churches. He went to the

Christadelphians, then the Christian Science

Church. He describes it as “another weird

group; the stuff was ego-centric.”

Around this time Roy started attending

Teacher’s College in Wagga Wagga. The

students often formed groups to occupy

themselves on Sundays. Roy and his friends

would “spread out and go to the local

churches for social entertainment, suppers

and good food…and to meet girls.” He says

they “earned Brownie points if they went to

church the next day with a girl.”

The friends from the group would then get

together later to discuss and make

comparisons of the different churches. They

were not too keen on the Catholics as the

sermon was in Latin, but they all agreed the

girls who went to the Baptist church and

wore no makeup were “hot” and “most into

innocent fun.”

Roy attended the Lyceum Theatre in

Sydney where Rev. Alan Walker presided

over the Methodist Church service on

Sundays. Roy says he “quite liked it” as

well as their involvement in charity

work. Sir Alan Walker, as he became,

was the person responsible for

launching Lifeline in Sydney in 1963.

Roy commenced his teaching career in a

remote timber-cutting region. He

attended church in a tin shed where the

Methodist minister would visit each

Sunday. Roy found “that experience the

most soothing – being in a bushland

setting. If it was too hot, we would go

outside.” If the minister didn’t turn up,

Roy would stand in and take the simple

service consisting of “nice hymns with

some Bible stories”. He says, “The kids

knew me already from school.”

Over the years, Roy “dabbled a lot with

different churches and services.” In his

twenties, a group used to “play around

with an Ouija board”. He went along to

see what it was all about, but says, “the

moment I appeared, it went crazy,” and

virtually “ordered me out of the room.”

Roy also attended an Encounter group,

involved in ‘reaching out to the other

side’. He talked about Pop there, but did

not feel comfortable and never returned.

Retiring more than twenty years ago,

Roy says he has had to learn “how to

cope with NOT being in charge of

making decisions.” He maintains that

“very few industries prepare staff for

retirement…it requires a whole new

way of relating to people.”

He learned this only a short period after

he retired. Due to a clerical error and

unbeknownst to Roy, he received no

further payments from the Department,

and found himself “badly overdrawn”.

He says he went from “having status to

nothing…and it hurt.” Of course,

everything was sorted out in time, but

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the early days of his retirement were very

different to his expectations.

About five years ago, Roy started doing

Tai Chi. The leader was a strong believer

in meditation and Roy was interested in

learning the techniques of going into deep

relaxation, excluding outside noises and

other distractions. Over time, Roy has

become more proficient to the point where

he is able to self-hypnotise slowing down

to four to five breaths a minute whilst

maintaining a correct heartbeat. He finds

this very calmative. He has used this

technique during dental procedures and a

stent insertion in cardiology.

Through meditation, Roy has finally been

able to connect with his Pop. Roy says, “If

I have a problem now, I can talk to him in

meditation and say, ‘What’s the answer

Pop?’ and he’ll tell me.” Roy is happy that

he is able to maintain this link with his

Pop.

Lyn Reed

Why I Like Retirement !

Part 2

SERENITY

Just before the funeral services, the

undertaker came up to the very

elderly widow and asked,

'How old was your husband?'

'98,' she replied. 'Two years older

than me'

'So you're 96,' the undertaker

commented..

She responded, 'Hardly worth going

home, is it?

*

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-

old woman:

'And what do you think is the best

thing about being 104?' the reporter

asked...

She simply replied, 'No peer

pressure.'

*

The nice thing about being senile is

you can hide your own Easter eggs

and have fun finding them.

*

I've sure gotten old!

I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip

replacement, new knees, fought

prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half

blind, can't hear anything quieter than

a jet engine, take 40 different

medications that make me dizzy,

winded, and subject to

blackouts. Have bouts with

dementia. Have poor circulation;

hardly feel my hands and feet

anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85

or 92. Have lost all my friends.

But, thank God, I still have my

driver's license!

*

I feel like my body has gotten totally

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out of shape, so I got my doctor's

permission to join a fitness club

and start exercising.

I decided to take an aerobics class

for seniors.

I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up

and down, and perspired for an

hour. But, by the time I got my

leotards on, the class was over. *

My memory's not as sharp as it

used to be.

Also, my memory's not as sharp as

it used to be.

*

Know how to prevent sagging?

Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

*

It's scary when you start making

the same noises as your coffee

maker.

*

These days about half the stuff in

my shopping cart says, 'For fast

relief.'

*

THE SENILITY PRAYER :

Grant me the senility to forget the

people

I never liked anyway, the good

fortune

to run into the ones I do, and the

eyesight to tell the difference.

*

Now, I think you're supposed to

share this with 5 or 6, maybe 10

others. Oh heck, give it to a bunch

of your friends if you can remember

who they are!

Always Remember This:

You don't stop laughing because

you grow old,

You grow old because you stop

laughing!

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Thank you to the 134 members who completed the survey. Following are the final num-

bers:

Q1 Classes at other venues YES 87 NO 10

Not everyone ticked alternative locations, but of those who did, numbers were:

ALBURY 21 LAVINGTON 15 ELSEWHERE IN WODONGA 39

Q2 Activities during term breaks YES 83 NO 43

Q3 U3A Social Club YES 58 NO 31

Q4 Person responsible for Social Club activity YES 7 NO 97

Q4 Participate in AWCC Childcare activities YES 25 NO 98

Childcare: Limit of 5 members at a time. Preferred mornings Tuesday, Thursday.

U3A Social Club: A few members ticked preferences on back page which represents a

small number of the 57 who would like to participate in social activities.

Numbers are:

G-A CLUB 7 CINEMA 8 GAMES 3 AMBLE 4

TRIVIA 8 BRUNCH 9 COFFEE 9 XMAS 4

Members’ suggestions for other activities: Chess, computer / gizmos class, cooking,

swimming

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Special General Meeting

October 18th, 2019

At the meeting the following motions were passed by a quorum of members:

1. That U3A Albury Wodonga incorporate pursuant to the Associations Incorpora-

tions Act of Victoria under the name " U3A Albury Wodonga Incorporated".

2. That the present members of the committee of the unincorporated U3A Albury

Wodonga become the Committee of Management of the incorporated association hold-

ing the same positions.

3. That the standard Rules of Association in use by incorporated U3A associations in

Victoria, as previously identified, be adopted as the constitution of the incorporated as-

sociation.

4. That the Treasurer be authorised to make application to Consumer Affairs Victoria

for incorporation as aforesaid.

5. That the incorporated association establish a bank account with appropriate facili-

ties including those necessary for electronic banking, the authorised signatories of

which banking account to be the President, Secretary and Treasurer.

6. That the incorporated association make application for registration as a charitable

organisation with Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission.

The motions were passed as one motion with an almost unanimous majority.

Vale

It was with great sadness that we said a final farewell to 2 of our long standing

members in the last 2 months:

Peter Young

Louise Evans

Our U3A experience will be the poorer for their absence.