Chair’s Report You should be receiving and reading this edition of our newsletter around the time of our monthly meeting and AGM on Wednesday 18th May, when I look forward to seeing you at the Crosfield Hall. You will notice that the Newsletter has a slightly different look this time. This is thanks to the appointment of our new compiler, John Dick, who is bringing previous experience and new ideas to the role. At this point I wish to thank Glenda Taylor, our outgoing newsletter editor, who has done a sterling job for a good number of years producing what has been a most professional-looking publication that I know you have enjoyed reading. What a year it has been and how quickly it has flown by! I have felt privileged, as your Chair, to represent Romsey & District u3a; it has kept me very busy and I am grateful for the support of our Trustees, our post-holders, our group leaders and all our members throughout what I believe has been a successful year. There has been a full programme of events and many group activities, despite the relentless ongoing march of Covid-19. Thanks to all of you for not giving in! There have been some changes, most notably a revised constitution which was agreed and adopted in March, and change is good. It hasn’t been change for change’s sake, but to keep up with the times and modernise our way of doing things. As we move away from producing too much paper and having to pay the costs of printing and postage, those of you with email addresses receive this newsletter electronically and read it in ‘pdf’ format. Alternatively, you can choose to read the flip-book version on our website. Many of you now pay your membership by standing order or BACS which relieves you of having to address an envelope and stick an expensive stamp on it. We are entering a new Romsey & District u3a year and, on your behalf, I must say thank you to the Trustees who have given so much to the running of our charity. Following on from our AGM, however, the Committee of Trustees will be somewhat streamlined, though it is still workable. If you read this and feel you would like to join us in our work, please do say so because you can easily be co-opted as a Trustee. If becoming a Trustee doesn’t appeal, you might perhaps consider helping in other ways. We need a programme secretary to organise the speakers for our monthly meetings; we need someone to offer I.T. support at our monthly meetings; we need a webmaster to oversee our website and keep it updated; we need a Zoom licence manager to schedule all the Zoom sessions. On a brighter note, I am looking forward to the coming year as it will be year of celebration. Firstly, to honour H.M. the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we’ll be holding a Picnic in the Park on Wednesday 1st June. Romsey’s Memorial Park should be a picture at that time of the year and we just need to cross our fingers for favourable weather! This year, the u3a movement is also celebrating. It has reached 40 years of age and, here in Romsey, we shall participate in that celebration during u3a Week in September. We shall open up that month’s meeting in the Crosfield Hall as a Bring a Friend meeting. Invite your friend, neighbour or family member who is not already a u3a member. We hope they may very well become so after being welcomed as a guest on that day. I close by wishing you well and hope that we all will enjoy a long, warm and sunny summer. Kay Lovell
It’s the u3a 40th anniversary 17-26 September 2022 2
