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President’sReportTheBeConnectedBBQwasagreatsocialevent. Mostofthe34memberswhoattendedhavecontinuedwiththeBeConnectedProgram.Savethedate!ConvenorsWorkshop-Fridayafternoon,October25that1:30pmThefinalwordonCarPooling-$7.00returntrip.Pleaseusecommonsenseifit’sashorttrip(egtotheReefHills).

DorothyWebber,President

GroupReportsArmchairTravellerInJulywewelcomedanewmemberfromWangaratta,IanMaver,whohasindicatedthatheispreparedtoprovidedetailsofhistravelsatfuturesessions.ThanksIanandwelcometoourgroup.AlsoatthatmeetingBrianGreedpresentedaDVDofhisKimberleyseasidevisitationandatriptoChina.Enthralling.August6thwillseeJohnEllisgiveapresentationofhisrecenttriptoNorthAmerica.

RayO’Shannessy

ArtAppreciationAtourlastArtAppreciationgatheringwelistenedtoalecturebyArtistandCuratorYhonnieScarce.YhonnieexplainedherintentionofillustratingherperceptionsofwhatmethodstheColonialPowersusedto keep the Indigenous people submissive. She has researched her family history and has used glass torecordtheirvariousexperiences.Inparticularshehasportraitsofseveralcloserelativesinsideglass.Otherglasssculpturesportrayembryosonstainlesssteelhospitaltrolleys.ThereisalsoalargescalephotoofthechildsectionoftheWoomeraCemeteryshowingthehighincidenceofIndigenouschildreninterredthere.Yhonnie was born inWoomera, South Australia, and belongs to the Kokatha and Nukunu peoples. SheholdsaMasterofFineArtsfromMonashUniversity.Yhonniedescribesherworkas‘politicallymotivatedandemotionallydriven’andincorporatesherpersonalhistoriesandresearchwithartefactsfromthepast.

NevilleGibb

‘AsTimeGoesBy’–MemoirWritingOurJulytopic,'YourDifferentDrummer',beganwithdiscussioninwhichweteasedoutthemeaningoftheconcept,reflectedonanABCseriesshownsomeyearsagotitled'ADifferentDrummer'andthensharedsomestoriesaboutour'differentdrummers'.BettyMilligandrewoutandsharedstoriesabouttwoitemsfromher'IdeasPiggyBank',amissivewonasanawardasachildandapairoftoeshoeswornasa13year

BenallaandDistrictInc.

Newsletter–August,2019U3ABenalla&DistrictIncPOBox674Benalla3672

President: DorothyWebber57622116president@u3abenalla.com

Website: u3abenalla.weebly.comFacebook:facebook.com/U3abenalla/Newsletter:newsletter@u3abenalla.com

Secretary: GeraldineMcCorkellP:57622134M:0408522662secretary@u3abenalla.com

Pleasesendallnewsletteritemsforthenewslettertonewsletter@u3abenalla.comby25August,2019

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old.WeaskedBettytoshareoneofthepoemsshereadrecentlyattheChilternFestival–Bettychose'MyHalfPlate',afunnyandengagingpoemwhichresultedinsmilesallround. Our topic forAugust is“Fearof Failure”-What flops, embarrassmentsand incomplete endeavours in lifeslowedyoudownandwhichonesfortifiedyourresolve?Whatdidyou learnfromthemandhowdidyoucope?Whatroledoes‘fearoffailure’haveinyourlifenow?Weresumea2to4pmtimeslotonMonday26August,as'PublishingYourWriting'ismovingtoitsowntimeslotonthethirdMondayinAugust.

BevLee

BirdwatchingGoulburnValleyU3ABirdwatchinggrouptovisitBenallaGoulburnValleyU3ABirdwatchingGroup,basedinShepparton,willvisitBenallaonWednesday21August2019.TheywillspendmostofthedayatReefHillsStateParkonthesouthernedgeofBenalla.OurBenallaU3ABird-watchinggrouphasbeeninvitedtojointhemforthemorning,andtostayonforlunchandbeyondifinterested.Iwillaccompanythegroupfortheirvisit,andbringmyownlunchandachair.IfyouwouldliketojoinourGVvisitors,pleasemeetattheRoseGardensnearWearyDunlopat10am.Ourownbird-watchingprogramresumesonThursday12September,withtwomoreoutingsinOctoberandNovember.DetailswillbeprovidedintheSeptembernewsletter

KathyCostello

BrainGamesTipof themonth: twiddlingyour thumbs isgoodbrainexercise,as longasyoualso twiddleeachpairoffingers, backwards and forwards, in turn. Physical exercise like gardening is also good for the brain -seeGardenTeambelow

ElspethMaconachie

BushwalksEasyWalksJuly-RailTrailWalkfromtheoldTarrawingeetoEvertonrailwaystations.Theseold stationshavenowbeen converted topicnicareas with a comfort stop - the buildings have beendesignedtolooklikesteamengines.Eight walkers set off on the 5 km trek from the oldTarrawingee station stop through the peacefulpaddocks to the next old station site at EvertonUpper. Here the walkers stopped for a picnic lunch and rest before continuing on for another 2.5kmsdownhilltotheroadjustneartheEvertonPub.Amostpleasantwalkonalovelysunnywinter’sday. Onthewayhome,astopwasmadeattheMilawaBakeryforafternoontea

WendySturgessAugust–GlenrowanandHamiltonPark–August7OnWednesday7August,theEasyWalkgroupwillgotoGlenrowantoexplorethehistoricrailwaystationprecinctthentakethewalkingtrailtoHamiltonParkbeforereturningtothecarsatGlenrowantownship.Pleasemeetat9.45aminthecarparkbehindtheSeniorCitizensCentre. Toconfirmattendance,contactWendyon0403226649oremailwendes47@bigpond.combytheMondaypriortothewalk.

WendySturgessSeptember-EuroaArboretum&VCMemorialPark–September4thTheEuroaArboretumsitson27hectaresthatwaspreviouslyasheepfarm.DuringtheconstructionoftheHume Freeway the area was used by the RCA. Since the 1990’s the area has been developed into aparkland specialising in growing Australian plants & trees indigenous to the area. The interesting VCMemorialPark&TrackfollowstheSevenCreeks.PleaseconfirmyourattendancewithMargaretWalshe,

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ph:57623906or0427005202byMonday,2September.MeetattheSeniorsComplex,FawcknerDriveat9.45am.

MargaretWalshe

MidWeekWalksBenallaBushwalkingClub’sWarby’swalkwasenjoyedbymembersinlateJune-uptoChickHillandbacktothecarsviatrackandroad,atotaldistanceof8kms.“Whatastunninglyclearblueskydayitwas,withthewarmsunatourbacksduringthelunchbreakattheWarbyTower,withits360°viewovertheWangflatstothedistantsnow-cappedAlps.WelcometoMarionfromMooroopna.Hopetoseeyouagainsoon.ThankyoutoHelenSpinksfororganisingandleadingthiswalk.”BevThornell

WednesdayAugust14-Mt.MegS–3–4ThiscircuitwalkgoesthroughtheMtMegConservationParkbushlandtothesummitandlooksoutovertheDookieandThoonaareas.Thewalkstartsatthecarpark,climbsupMtMegandthendescendstowardsfarmlandbeforereturningtothecarpark.Leader:HelenSpinks57623223

JohnBoehm

Chatn’ChewWewillmeetagainatTheGolfClub forLunchonFridayAugust16that11:45am. This isduetopopularchoice.ContactShirleyon57626768byTuesdayAugust13th.

ShirleyKearney

CollectorsThe theme for our July meeting was Pincushions andBookmarks,butbeforeweshowedtheseDorothywelcomedthe President of U3A Wangaratta who is going to start aCollectorsgroupinWangarattainsecondsemester.Robyn showed up a slide show of our first four months ofCollectors. We were so impressed we asked her to showthemagain. Many thanks,Robyn. Ourguestwasalsoveryimpressedandwishedshehadsomeonewithsimilarskillsinhergroup. Wearelookingforwardtoseeingtheslideshowofourwholeyear,completewithmusic,inNovember.Our bookmarks and pincushions were many and varied,ranging from a silver one to homemade but very effectiveones.Manyweresouvenirsfromholidays.Howevermostofusagreedthatweusuallygrabbedwhatwashandytouseasabookmark.OurthemeforAugustwillbeToysandGames.

JudithBorthwick

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CreativeWritingOurstartingchallengethismonthwasdifferenttopreviousclasses.Weeachtalkedaboutabookwehadreadrecently,toldatruefactaboutourselves,andafalsefactaboutourselves.Theclasswasthenaskedtoguesswhichfactwastrueandwhichwasfalse.Thechallengewastouseourimaginationparticularlytofindafalsefact,butalsotofindfactsthattherestofclasswouldnotfindeasytoguess.Mostoftheclasswroteaboutthe“TheMan’sfaceglareddownfromthepictureframeonthewall”withmanyvariedstoriesdeveloping.Theserangedfromapicturefallingoffawallwhentherewasno-onenear,andshowingnosignofdamagetothehookorthestring,toapaintingofanestrangedfather.Onememberoftheclasswroteonthetopic“Wesmelledthesmokebeforewesawtheflames”.Thiswasanexcellenteffort,withsomegreatpicturescreatedofbeingcaughtinabushfireandthestepstakentosurvive.Ourtopicsfor14Julyareachoicebetween:

• Thevoiceonthephonewaswarmandconvincing.• “Whenwasthelasttimeyousawhim?”• Thejewelssparkledinthesunlight.

Wearenowstartingoursessionat2:30pm.

JoyShirley

e-BookGroupTheTattooistofAuschwitz,byHeatherMorrisWhatshouldhavebeenthepowerfulandmovingstoryofanunlikelyromancebetweenLale,thetattooistof Auschwitz, andGita, the youngwoman he falls in lovewith, fails utterly to impress. The narrative issimpletothepointofbanal,andglossesoverthehorrorofcamplife,thefear,thehunger,andthemisery,so that a sugar coated love affair can take centre stage. Now,more than ever, when there are so fewsurvivors left of the holocaust, it's important to tell their stories to new generations who may notknowmuch,ifanythingaboutthisperiodofhistory.Sothat,evenifthisnovelisflawed,ithassomemeritforthatreasonalone.

HelenScheller

ExercisesforFunOurfriendlyExerciseClassbravestheWinterChillsandisverywellattendedtheseverycoldmornings.Wewarmupwithmildexercisestomusic,thenmarchingandafewfoottappingdances,whichburnoffenergyandhelpusstay fit&healthy. Wehavea9.30amstarteveryMonday in theSeniorCitizenshall. Allwelcome.Havefun!

HelenJeffree

ExploringtheUniverseWecelebrated the 50thAnniversary of theMoon Landingwith a film compiled from someof themanyhistoric films and transcripts from NASA’s Lunar Space Journals of the Apollo 11mission. They can beaccessedat:https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.htmlThesearchivalfilmswereshotbytheastronautswithbackupcameras attached to the Command Module and LunarExcursion module. Mike Collins who piloted the Commandmodule filmed the LunarModule’s undocking and descent tothemoon’ssurfacewithNeilArmstrongandBuzzAldrin.Wewatchedactual filmof the landingontheMoonasseenby the astronauts themselves and listened to theirconversationwith the control room at NASA. Suddenly therewas a “202 alarm” and their computer screen went blank.ArmstrongandAldrinhadno ideawhatwas causing this, butNASA said they were “Go” on that alarm. It reoccurredfrequently caused by a computer overload but there was notimeforexplanations.WeheardfromastorythatBuzzAldrinhadwrittenofhisfeelingsontheirdescent

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into theunknown. Whatwas thatalarm,would the lunar surfacesupport theirweight?NeilArmstrong,notsatisfiedwiththechosenlandingareaasitwasstrewnwithboulders,tookoverthecontrolsandflewmanuallyacrosstheMoon’ssurface.NASAwascallingthattheyhadonlyafewsecondsoffuelleftinthedescenttankandhowmanysecondsitwasto“BingoCall”whentheywouldhittheredbuttonandbeshotbackintospace.Theylandedwith15secondstospareandtherestishistory.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RONIax0_1ecOnce on theMoon therewas no time for sightseeing, theywere following instructions fromNASA andcarryingoutscientificexperiments.When it came to take off they had 50/50 expectations that it would be successful and jettisoned allunnecessaryequipment.Meanwhile,Collinsorbiting60milesoverheadwrotethathewouldbeamarkedmanforeverifhereturnedwithoutthem.Afterasuccessfulre-dockingwiththecommandmodulethelunarmodulewasjettisoned.Averyrarefilmrecorded through a module window of their fiery re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere shows theflaminghotplasmatailoftheirdescent.Theyreturnedtoahero’swelcomeonEarth.The vast improvements to all our lives from the inventions for the space program are too numerous tomention.

BevMorton

FilmandLiteratureWehadtwofilmsfordiscussionatourJulyclass.ThesewerePomsandMeninBlack:International.Pomsisacomedyaboutagroupofwomenwhoformacheerleadingsquadattheirretirementcommunity,provingthatyou'renevertoooldto'bringit!'ItstartswithMartha,terminallyill,movingtotheretirementvillagewiththeintentionofdyingwithoutjoininganyactivities.Herneighbouristhetotalopposite,alwayslooking to have good time. Martha is the one who ends up establishing the squad. There are manycontrastingcharacters,reflectingtherangeofpeoplewecomeacross in life–downtroddenwife,elderlymotherwhosesonhascontrolofherfinances,womenwhowanttolivetheirdreams.Theseareincontrastwithsomewhowanteveryonetotoethelineinaprescribedway.Thereisalsothecontrastbetweentheolderwomen and the teenage cheer leading squad. Some good performances and an entertaining filmshowing that you are never too old to find yourself, and that family is not necessarily those related byblood.Itisafunfilm,generallywellliked.Wecouldnotagreearatingwithopinionrangingfrom2.5to5outof5.Onlytwopeoplewereabletoseethesecondfilm–MeninBlack:International.ThisisthelatestfilmintheMeninBlackfranchise. Forthegenre itwasareasonablefilmwithsomegoodperformances. Itstartedslowly,butoncethingsstartedhappeningitimproved,eventhoughtherewereholesintheplot.Inhearingthecommentsabout the film, it soundedverymuch like theoldstyle“GoodiesandBaddies” filmsofanearlierera,broughtintothefuture.Sciencefiction,withgooduseofCGI.Itwasratedas3outof5.Ourfilmfordiscussionatthe14AugustclassisaRedJoan,(withJudiDench,SophieCooksonandStephenCampbellMoore)whichscreensatBPACCbetween18Julyand30July

JoyShirley

GardenAppreciationAugustisourWinterbreak,sonoGardenAppreciationSeptember26thMeetatU3Acarparkat9.30.WewillbegoingtoJulieWellsfarmgardenat52BoxHillLaneUpotipotpon.Pleasebringmorningteatoshare.Milk,tea,coffeeandhotwaterwillbeprovided.LunchwillbeatVioletTownHotel,16CowslipStreetVioletTown.Thiswillbeatyourowncost.

GwenTurner0438627010

GardenTeamMuchusefulpruningandweedingwasdoneatnewrecruit,Terry'sgarden,earlierthismonth.OurfifthMondaymaybeafirstMondayofthefollowingmonth,andthatmaynecessitateholdingoffourusual secondMonday session. If that's confusingyou,please lookout fora clarifyingemail fromElspeth

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andifyoustillcan'tworkitouttryjoiningtheBrainGamesgang-weusebothhemispherestoworkoutproblems(seeabove).

ElspethMaconachie

German–IntermediatelevelMostpeopleintendingtocontinueintheSpringwereabletoattendtheplanningsession.Wewillcontinueto meet on Mondays 12 -1 fortnightly; on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Dates arethereforeSeptember9&23,October14&28,November11&25.Wewillmeetatthelibrary.Pleasenotethechangeofvenue.WhereasBasicGermanwasdeliveredinEnglish,IntermediatelevelwillbeinGerman.U3Amemberswhoalreadyhave a good graspof the fundamentals ofGerman languageorwhoare fluent in it anddidnotregisteratthebeginningoftheyear,maynowliketoconsiderjoiningus.Pleasecontactmeifthatisyourcase.Theformatwillbeinformal.Additionally,we fleshedout thecontentaccording toeveryone‘sneeds.Thanks toall for their inputandintentiontobeinvolvedintheconductofthegroup.

PaulineBailey

History:AftertheVictoriansOur July DVD covered the Versailles Treaty negotiations where Australian PM Billy Hughes was anoutspokenadvocatewantingGermanytobecomeasubservientnationpayingmassivefines.ThistogetherwiththeformationofnewEuropeancountries,ledtoWW2.InournextsessionwewillseehowtheMiddleEastwascarvedupinthescrambleforoilresources.

TerryCase

InvestmentJuneReportAt the Junemeetingof Investmentwewelcomedtwoex-workcolleaguesofMargaretWalshewhowerestayingwithherforafewdays.AttheendofourmeetingtheseladiesspokequiteenthusiasticallyaboutourgroupindicatingthattherewasnosuchgroupineithertheEasternsuburborGeelongU3A’stowhichtheybelonged.The fact that the share market is up over 10% since December 2018 provided the first topic that weconsidered at themeeting. Initially we looked at which sectors had shown themost increase. Thenwedelvedintothosesectors, includingInformationTechnology,Communication,IndustrialsandHealthCare,andbroughtupthegraphsofthestockswhichhadshownthemostincreaseoverthepasttwelvemonths.Thesecondtopic for theafternoonwasonAssessingSharesbefore theendof theFinancialYear.Whilsteach member of our group has their own aim with being interested in the Share Market, the overallaspirationistomakemoneyduringtheyear.BeingthelastmeetingbeforetheendoftheFinancialYearwethenspokeaboutbalancingourindividualcapitalgainswithanycapitallossesthatmayhavebeenincurredduringtheyear.JulyReportJulywasthefirstmeetingofInvestmentaftertheEndoftheFinancialYear2018-2019.HencewelookedatthereturnsthevariousASXcapitalisationindicesprovidedtoinvestorsoverthepasttwelvemonthperiod.Wenoted that therehadnotbeen the same increaseoverall theASXcapitalisation indices,butamoresignificant increase in the ASX 20 especially compared to the ASXMidcap index or the small ordinariesindex.IntheweekpriortoourJulymeetingtheFederalReservehadcutinterestratesto1%.BrianVialstartedoffadiscussionatourmeetingastowheretofindthebestinvestmentsinthefutureduetothedecliningratesbeingofferedforBankTermDeposits.Severalideasweresuggestedbyvariousmembersofthegroup.Wealsoheardwhatsomeofourmembersaimedatasareasonablereturnontheirinvestments.ThenextmeetingofInvestmentwillbeonFriday2ndAugustat2pmintheU3AroomattheSeniorsCentre.

MargaretJenkins

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Let’sTalkBooksAsmallergroup for Let’sTalkBookson the firstTuesdayof July, I guess the luckyoneshavegoneawayseekingwarmerweather.Quiteafewbooksaredoingtheroundsafterrecommendationsfromourgroup,whoarealwayswillingtolendabooktoanother.Itisinterestingtolistentothedifferentopinionsgivenaboutthecontentofthebooksswappedandlent.TheCardinal(GeorgePell)waslentandread,leadingtomorecommentsabout thissituation. Laurie,ourTalkingBooksguru, listenedtoTheDryby JaneHarperandthoroughlyenjoyedthenovel.Colours ofGoldbyKayeDobbie. Annie anArt Restorer inMelbourne finds a painting in a cellar of twoyounggirls.Thebookgoesbackto1867whenaPaddlesteamercaptainfoundagirlhalfdrownedintheMurrayRiver,hiswifenamedherAlice. Alicehadagiftofseeinganauraaroundpeople. EventuallysherunsawaytotheGoldfieldswithherfriendRosie,butthereisalwaysamaninadarkcoat.AnnietheArtRestorerisdeterminedtofindoutmore,butalwaysseesthesamemaninthedarkcoat.Averygoodread.HellsTrail,athesiswrittenbyJohnWilliamsin1972abouttheIrishConvictsandVanDiemensLand,wasof historical interest. Mary Celeste the AmericanMerchant ship discovered adrift and deserted in theAtlantic. ACanadianbrigantine foundher in adishevelled conditionunderpartial sailwith the lifeboatmissing. Oneof thosemysteriesworthhavinga lookat. TheLegendandtheLifeofCocoChanel,greatpictures, sexandexcitement, thisbookhad it all. AbeautifulpicturebookofQueenMary’sDollHouse,completewithminiature furnishings, this is on display at BuckinghamPalace. Therewere a few crimenovelsandacoupleofbooks`notworthreading’.SositbythefireandreadandhavealottotalkaboutinAugust.

GeraldineMcCorkell LifeballLifeballnumbershavebeendownsomewhatrecently.Peoplehavebeenill(meincluded),oraretravellingtowheretheclimateismoreaccommodating,sowehavebeenplayinghalfcourt....abitmorelike“keepingoff”really,withhilariousresults.Itissuchgoodfun,andarealworkout.Itcouldbethatwithhalfacourt,thegamewouldbesimpler -not so - it requiresmoreenergyand thinkingmorecleverly toachieveanyresultatall.Sobycuppatime,everyoneispleasedtohaveabreak.Itissuchastimulatinggame,andsuchgoodfun,whetherthewholecourtisutilised,orjusthalf,itdoesn’tmatter.Itisalwayssuchfun,andweallloveit!!

MargMerriman

MeditationMeditationisawonderfulwaytostarttheday.Itcreatesacalmingeffectonboththebodyandmind.Meditationwithsomecontrolledmovementsofexerciseiswhatisexploredwiththisgroup.Comealongandlearnhowtoenjoyeachmoment.TheGroupmeetsonthe1stand3rdMondayofeachmonthat4.00pm.

CarolineSims

MeetandMingleOurAugustspeakeronAugust21stwillbeCarmelWilliams,FinanceInformationServiceoftheDepartmentofHumanServices.ThetopicwillbeAgedCareFeesandAssessments.TheAgedCareSystemisquitecomplex,Carmelwillassistustonavigatethesystemandofferalternativesoroptionsthatmayhelp.

BillParris

MusicAppreciationRichardWagnerMentionthename‘Wagner’insomecirclesandlikelyresponseswillinclude‘opera’,‘Bayreuth’and‘Hitler’.The first two are 100% correct and third only in part. Richard Wagner was widely known for hisrevolutionaryactivitiesandanti-Semiticviews,andyearsafterhistimeHitleradoptedhimashisfavouritecomposer.But as one commentator has said: “forget about the stories and the politics, themusic iswhatmattersmost”. Wagner’s impact on the musical and theatrical world has been immense, with lasting

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consequencestothisday.Arevolutionaryinmorewaysthanone,Wagnerwantedtobringtogetheralloftheartisticdisciplines—poetry,music,movementanddesign— inapowerful theatricalexperience.Tothisendhehadaspecial theatredesignedandbuiltatBayreuth inwhichtopresenthisoperasakindofmulti-sensorymusicaladventure,whichhasbeendescribedasasortofforerunnertovirtuallyreality.HencebothsessionsforJulyhavebeendevotedtohismusic.Inthefirstwelookedathissixmajoroperasoutsideofthe“RingCycle”,whilethesecondwasdevotedtothefouroperasofthe“Ring”.Evenso,soimmensearehisworksthatlittlemorecouldwedothanappreciateasampleofhisoutput.DofeelfreetoexploremoreaboutthemanandhismusicintheprogrammenotesforbothsessionswhicharepostedontheMusicAppreciationpageofourU3Awebsite

BillSquire

PatchworkDon’tforgetthe5thThursday29August9:30—4pm.Bringsmallscrapsoffabricandyourimagination.

DorothyWebber

PlayReadingUndeterred by the cold mornings, ten of our members participated in a reading of DavidWilliamson’sthoughtprovokingplay,AftertheBall.Williamson,inhiswritings,frequentlyhighlightsthecomplexitiesofrelationshipsandtheemotionsthatareevokedwhetherinbusiness,sportorfamilyandheneverfailstotouchachordofrecognitionwithhisaudience.Recallingmemories of the past, siblings Stephen and Jud, who live on opposite sides of the world, arereunitedatthebedsideoftheirdyingmother inAustraliansuburbia inthe1990’s. Duringthistimetheyrelivetheirfamilytimesfromthe1960’swithallitshighsandlows,disappointmentsandachievementsandbewilderingchangesbothsociallyandintheirownrelationships.Attimeshilarious,attimesemotional,adeeplymovingplaywhichwasvotedoneofourbestyet,withthereadingbysomeoftheparticipantsachievingagreatportrayalofthecharacters. Newmembersalwayswelcome.

JennyMcKenna

PoliticsandCurrentAffairsTrump&Boris, the“DreamTeam”? IamsureBoriswill fixBrexit,afterallourPMbelieves inmiracles.TheAmericansareaskingustosendwarshipstothePersianGulf,“howgoodisthat!”

TerryCase

PublishingYourWriting‘PublishingYourWriting’isadevelopmentfrom‘Astimegoesby’–Memoirwritingandaimstoassistintheediting, amending and/or preparing writing for publication. It was initially advertised as ‘Writing andPublishingyourMemoirs,however‘PublishingYourWriting’isabetterfit.ThegroupistimetabledforthethirdMondayofthemonth2–4pm,commencing19thAugust.The group has been looking at memoirs of established writers and biographers – their presentation,readability,evenlike-ability!Whattrickscanwelearnandapplytoourownwriting,presentationandflair.Bedaringwithyourworkandtakethenextstep!Allwelcome.

NoelleMcCracken

RecorderAnotherhardworkingsessionwithlotsoflearningopportunities.Somenewsongs,somefavourites,somesongsthat“havepotential“whichismusicspeakfor...”willsoundgoodwhenwegetitright.”Timespentstartingandfinishingtogether,gettingthebreathingrightandmostimportantlyappreciatingsomelovelyrecordermelodiesandharmonies.Whoknewtherecordercouldsoundsogood!

PatTreleaven

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SaturdaySession–Cards-‘500’Thisactivityisopentomemberskeentolearnandrefreshtheirskillswhenplayingthiscardgame.ThisactivitytakesplaceintheU3ARoomsattheSeniorCitizensbuildingonthe1stand3rdSaturdayofeachmonthfrom1.30pmto3.30pm.Comealongandenjoythefun.Youwillbemostwelcome.

HeatherWallace

SingingforFunJuneReportAtthefirstmeetingofSingingforFunforJunewehadashorttalkbyJanOsmotherlywhoistheEvaluatorof Age Friendly Benalla. Jan distributed cards from Age Friendly Benalla which asked for ourmember’sopinionsonwhatcouldbeimprovedinBenallatomakeitamoreAgeFriendlycommunity.ThecardscanbedirectlyreturnedtoBenallaRuralCityCouncilofficeinBridgeStreet,orbroughtbacktoSingingforFunforreturn.AtthesecondsessionofsingingforfuninJuneourpianistGwenBarneswasawayonholiday.WeenjoyedadifferentformatwithBrianGreedplayingthepianoforhisselectionofsongsandalsoforLoisJacksontointroduce some rounds to the group. Faith Hicks then accompanied her own selection of songs whichincluded“VivaMexico”whichwasnewforthegroup.The final segment of thatmorningwas a great session of Community Singing.Our roughly 35membersturned their chairs 90degrees so that they could see thewordsprojectedon theendwall. BrianGreedplayedfortheCommunitysingingandeveryonejoinedinforthetwentyorsosongsofthe1950sto1970sprojected on thewall. Severalmembers of the group indicated afterwards that this segment had beenreallyenjoyed.JulyReportJulyhasseenvariableattendanceatourThursdaymorningsessionsdue to threemain reasons.SomeofourmembershavegonenorthtoenjoymoresunshinethanwhatisinBenallaatthemomentwhilstsomemembershavegoneoverseastovisitfamilyandfriends.Thethirdreasonisthattherehasunfortunatelybeensomewintercoldsaroundwhichhaveseenmembersneedingtostayathomeandrecover.Our three conductors FaithHicks,MargaretMerriman and BrianGreed have been choosing a variety ofsongswhichallthoseattendinghaveenjoyed.OurpianistGwenBarneshasreturnedfromholidayandisprovidinguswithgreataccompanimentonthepiano.ThenextSingingforFunwillbeheldonThursday1stAugustat10amintheU3AroomattheSeniorsCentre.

MargaretJenkins

StockandLand‘Sykesbeyondpolitics’BillSykes, local farmer,veterinarianand formerVictorianNationalPartypolitician, talkedabout lifeafterpoliticsandsomeexperiencesasavet.Bill tookus viaPowerPoint throughhis andhiswife Sally’s trips toVenezuela, Panama,ChinaandCuba,afterheleftparliament.Notsurprisingly,animalpictures–evenafeatherlesschook–poppedupregularlyintheirtravelpictures.Laterinreplytoaquestion,BillspokeaboutworkingasavisitingvetinYorkshire,tohelpcontrolfootandmouthdiseaseduringamajorUKoutbreak.That involved day long slaughtering of largely cattle and sheep with the disease or those close to aninfectedareaandlikelytocatchit.Vetstudentswereco-optedforthetasktooandBillsaidagenerationofvetstudentswereprobably lost toveterinaryscience,becauseof thehundredsof lambsandcalves theyhadtokill.Butsomefarmersmadeconsiderablemoneyfromthecompensationtheywerepaid.“InitiallytherewasamodestpaymentfromtheBritishgovernment,butthentheEUkickedinwithconsiderablymore.Suddenlyanoldewewhichhadbeenworthpracticallynothingalive,wasworth250poundswhenkilled,”hesaid.

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SoBillsaidtherewasconsiderabletradeinfootandmouthinfectedmaterial“andtherewasquiteabitofanimosityarousedwhenthatwassuspectedandpeopleaconsiderabledistance fromanoutbreak,werepaidcompensation”.Buthesaid inonearea,hearguedstrongly for thepreservationofabout20 ramsand theysurvived themassiveslaughterforthelongtermbenefitofthesheepfarmerandspeedygeneticimprovementindistrictflocks,aftertheoutbreakended.However there was often considerable friendliness from farmers whose flocks and herds Bill hadslaughtered;onecouple,thedayafterhehadkilledontheirfarm,eveninvitedhimtotheirson’swedding.Buthesaidthemassiveslaughtergottohim.Everytimeheseesaslabsidedgraintruckontheroadhere,hethinksofsimilarlorriesinYorkshire,fullofdeadanimals.OurnextsessiononTuesdayAugust6,willbeconductedbyDrDennisO’Brien,whopreviouslyexercisedourmindslastyearaboutbeingkindtoanimals.

DavidPalmer

SustainabilityThefollowinginformationpublishedontheBenallaRuralCitywebsiteislikelytobeofparticularinteresttomembersunabletogettotheBenallaLandfillandResourceRecoveryCentre,particularlythosedownsizing!"SmallitemscanbedisposedofattheCouncil'sCustomerServiceCentreatacostof$1peritem.Theseincludethefollowingitemsofe-waste-Toasters,Kettles,Mobilephones,Clockradios,Irons,Hairdryers,Drills,Saws,Laptops,Remotecontrols,Radios,...Anysimilarsizedelectricalitems"Source:http://www.benalla.vic.gov.au/Your-Community/Landfill-Waste-Recycling/E-waste

TechSavvyBeginners--BeConnectedU3ABenallawelcomedthirty-fourpeopletotheBBQheldonWednesday3rdJulytomarkthebeginningoftheBeConnectedcourse.CookingfortheBBQwascapablydonebyBenallaLionsClubinthecarportnearourU3Aentrance.ThosewhocametotheBBQenjoyedsausages,beeforchickenhamburgers,friedonionswithvarioussaucesandcoldslawfollowedbyteaorcoffeeandsmallcakes.EveryonesettledintheU3Aroomtoenjoy their lunchwithplentyofchatterandagreatatmosphere.WehadMeg fromtheBenalla“Ensign” therewith her camera, and a good report of the event appeared in the “Ensign” the followingWednesday.The Be Connected course is being promoted by the Federal Government in an aim to get more seniorAustralians familiar with the Internet and doing things online. U3A Benalla applied for and received aCommunity Engagement Grant to hold the BBQ on 3rd July. The BBQ was to encourage not only U3Amembersbutallpeopleover55inBenallatocomeandbepartoftheBeConnectedprogram.U3ABenalla isconductingtheBeConnectedcourseusingtheoverheadprojector inourU3AroomeveryWednesdayfrom2pmto4pm.Wearefortunatetohavefivementorswhoarehelpingtheparticipantsgetonlineandfindontheirdeviceswhatisbeingshownontheoverheadprojector.Originallythecoursewasaimed at those people who had Android Tablets. Lin Ryan, DorothyWebber and Geraldine McCorkellkindlyofferedtohelpthesepeople.However,aboutathirdoftheparticipantshaveAppleiPadssowehavePatTreleavenandJennySawyeronboardtoassistthoseindividualswhohaveAppleiPads.DuringJulywehavelookedattwoonlinelearningmodules.Thefirstonewas“TheAbsoluteBasics”whichincludedinformationonwhatisatablet.ThenextWednesdaywestudied“GettingStartedOnline”whichtalkedaboutusingtheInternetandgettingaroundonline.ThenexttopicisEmail,whichisagreatmeansofcommunicatingwithfamilyandfriends.BeConnectedisrunningeveryWednesdayat2pm,soifyouwanttopickupsomehelpfultipstohelpyouonline,comealong.

MargaretJenkins

TechSavvyProjectsTheTechSavvyProjects ‘FamilyHistory’groupmetonThursdayafternoon27June. Fourpeoplespenttheafternoonworkingontheirindividualprojectson Ancestry.com.Asistheusualcasewiththistypeofresearch, it is time consuming with many brick walls to overcome. Working in a group allows for

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idea/experiencesharingandcelebrationswhena‘find’,nomatterhowsmallorlarge,ismade.BevLeewastakingawell-earnedbreakbutwillreturnnextmonthtocontinuetoleadthegroupTech SavvyProjects 'FamilyHistory' and 'CommunityProjects' are small group sessionsheldmonthly formembers keen to master computer skills required to complete projects in either family history or forcommunityvolunteering.Thereisalsotheopportunityfor'onetoone'supportineitheroftheseareasonanasneedsbasis.Formoreinformation,contactBevon57628171.

WendySturgessandBevLee

TechSavvyTalksTheemphasisofJuly’ssessionwashowartificialintelligencecanbeusedtoenhancehumancapabilityratherthanreplaceit.WelookedatanumberofTEDTalkswhichreflectedthat.ThefirstwasabouttheincredibleinventionsofintuitiveAIwww.ted.com/talks/maurice_conti_the_incredible_inventions_of_intuitive_aiThethirdreferredtoadevicewhichallowsmindandmachinetoworktogetherwithextraordinaryresults.ThereismuchresearchinthisarebypeoplelikeElonMuskandtheusualsuspectsfromtheTechgiantswww.ted.com/talks/arnav_kapur_a_breakthrough_device_that_combines_mind_and_machine?language=en

WealsosawhowthefutureofsurgerymightbeaffectedbyAIwww.ted.com/talks/nadine_hachach_haram_how_augmented_reality_could_change_the_future_of_surgery

LesRodgers

WineAppreciationThis month's U3A Wine Appreciation GroupvisitedJonesWinery&VineyardinRutherglen.Whilstperhapsnotaswell-knownasotherlocalWineries, nevertheless this Winery was firstacquired in 1927, and subsequently managedby six generations of the Jones family. Now,manager Arthur and his winemaker sister,Mandy, create superb French style wines, redandwhite,andseveral fortified,allmadefromtheir vines planted more than 112 years ago.Our group was welcomed into the charming,heritage listed Wine Cellar Door by our hostLaura,whowaskeptonhertoesofferingwinetastings,whilstsharinginformationonthewinery.WewerecharmedbytherusticCellarDooranditsDiningArea.EquallycharmingwasthewhimsicalandimaginativeGardenArtondisplayoutside.TheadjacentGalleryhousedmoreoflocalHelenHay'swork.Ourgroupwastreatedtoanotherexampleoflocalhistoricbuildings,aswelunchedattheiconicPoachersParadiseHotel.Enjoying the ambience, great food, charming and efficient service in this historic Hotel, topped off anenjoyabledayout.HeatherandKeith-youhadresearchedandplannedthisdayforustoenjoy.Thankyousomuch!

BevThornellCominguponAugust28–Myrtleford’sMicheliniWineryandCaféFezTheWineAppreciationgroupisgoingtoMicheliniWineryinMyrtlefordinAugust.PleasenotethatthatMichelinimaychargeatastingfeeof$2.50.Forlunch…“WehopetodineatCaféFez,whichispartoftheRedRamiaestablishment.Itgetsgoodreviews.”Meetatthetenniscourtcarpark(behindAldi)inBarklyStreetattheusualmeetingtimeof10am.PleaseringHeatherandKeithon57624086bySunday25Augusttoenablecateringnumberstobefinalised.

HeatherandKeithRogers

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What’sOn

Thursday,1August10:00 SingingforFun13:00 PatchworkFriday,2August09:30 Sustainability14:00 InvestmentSaturday,3August13:30 SaturdaySession-'500'Monday,5August09:30 ExercisesforFun10:00 Lifeball10:00 ArtAppreciation13:30 Games16:00 MeditationTuesday,6August10:00 E-BookGroup10:00 StockandLand-Dr.DennisO'Brien12:00 Beginners'Patchwork14:00 ArmchairTraveller-NorthAmerica14:00 Let'sTalkBooksWednesday,7August09:30 PlayReading09:45 Bushwalking-EasyWalks-Glenrowan14:00 TechSavvyBeginners-BeConnectedThursday,8August10:00 HarmonyGroup13:30 ExecutiveCommitteeMeetingFriday,9August10:00 MusicAppreciationMonday,12August09:30 ExercisesforFun10:00 Collectors-ToysandGames10:00 Lifeball14:00 GardenTeam14:30 CreativeWritingTuesday,13August10:00 Politics&CurrentAffairs14:00 BrainGamesWednesday,14August09:00 Recorder-'LearningNewNotes'09:30 BushWalking-MidWeek-Mt.MegS-3-410:00 Recorder-'FullGroup'11:00 TechSavvyTalks13:30 FilmandLiterature-TheFilm:RedJoan14:00 TechSavvyBeginners-BeConnectedThursday,15August10:00 SingingforFun13:00 PatchworkFriday,16August09:30 Sustainability11:45 Chatn'Chew-GolfClub13:00 TechSavvyProjects-CommunityProjectsSaturday,17August13:30 SaturdaySession-'500'Monday,19August09:30 ExercisesforFun10:00 Lifeball

14:00 PublishingYourWriting16:00 MeditationTuesday,20August10:00 History-AftertheVictorians14:00 ExploringtheUniverseWednesday,21August10:00 Birdwatching–ReefHillswithKathyandU3A

GoulburnValleygroup10.00MeetandMingle–‘AgedCareFeesand

Assessments’14:00 TechSavvyBeginners-BeConnectedThursday,22August10:00 MemberServicesGroup13:00 TechSavvyProjects-FamilyHistory15:00 TechSavvyTalksattheNorthoFriday,23August10:00 MusicAppreciationMonday,26August09:30 ExercisesforFun10:00 Lifeball14:00 AsTimeGoesBy-Topic:FearofFailure14:00 GardenTeamTuesday,27August10:00 Politics&CurrentAffairs13:00 BeginnersPatchworkWednesday,28August10:00 WineAppreciation-MicheliniWines,

Myrtleford10:00 Recorder14:00 TechSavvyBeginners-BeConnectedThursday,29August09:30 Patchwork-'Collage'-alldaysessionMonday,2September09:30 ExercisesforFun10:00 Lifeball10:00 ArtAppreciation13:30 Games16:00 MeditationTuesday,3September10:00 E-BookGroup10:00 StockandLand12:00 Beginners'Patchwork14:00 ArmchairTraveller14:00 Let'sTalkBooks14:00 MemberServicesGroupWednesday,4September09:30 PlayReading09.45 Bushwalking-EasyWalks-Euroa Arboretum&VCMemorialPark14:00 TechSavvyBeginners-BeConnectedThursday,5September10:00 SingingforFun13:00 PatchworkFriday,6September09:30 Sustainability14:00 Investment