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Issue 61 - March 2014

Editor’s Welcome Welcome to the first issue for 2014. I haven’t needed the snow tyres for the car or my Buxton coat and wellies yet but there is still time! At least we had a warm and sunny summer which enabled all of us to get out of the house and enjoy our beautiful countryside. In this issue you can read about the Country Dance Group. I hope you will enjoy the contributions from our members and various other features. Happy Reading

Trish

IN THIS ISSUE * News from the Committee * Group News * Editor’s Features * Members’ Contributions * Local Events * Dates for Your Diary * How Are The Hens? * National Office * Miscellaneous * Comments * To Make You Smile?

NEWS FROM THE COMMITTEE Membership Renewal Contact: Marge Rose, 01298 22136 This mailing comes complete with your Membership Subscription Form (which includes a Gift Aid form for you to complete where applicable, even if you have filled in one before). Some members will receive it by email to print off themselves. You can also download the form from the website or contact Marge – contact details below – if you have difficulty. The membership year is 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015. The membership subscription is £25 per year.

Please complete the form fully and return with your cheque as soon as possible to: Marge Rose, Rose Cottage, Smalldale, Buxton, SK17 8EA. Tel. 01298 22136 Alternatively you can hand in your completed form and cheque to Marge at the March Monthly General Meeting.

Newslink Buxton & District

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There is one month’s grace to allow for processing time, but your current 2013-14 membership becomes invalid after 30th April. Please make sure you renew promptly so that you and your group leaders are covered by U3A insurance and to avoid embarrassment.

Communication, costs and viable solutions - ebuddies and you. Contact Details: Anne Rogerson (arog@btopenworld.com) or 01298 26720 As you are all aware every effort is made in Buxton and District U3A to keep membership costs to a minimum whilst providing the best service of which volunteers are capable. The membership fee entitles members, amongst other things, to three issues of Newslink for the year. As an additional facility, we operate an Ad Hoc communication system to enable new information to come to members very quickly, as it becomes available. The advantages of this are evident, for example, if a member has theatre tickets which they find they cannot use, this could quickly be publicised so that someone else may be able to use them, or if a charity fund raising event is arranged at short notice, this could be advertised. The Ad Hoc system depends on electronic communication which is both speedy and financially cheap. Clearly the committee does not wish to exclude those without access to this method of keeping in touch and so the ebuddy system was devised. How does the ebuddy system work?

The ebuddy system fits with the spirit of U3A as a self help organisation and in theory should ensure that all members are kept “up to speed”. In order to receive Ad Hocs a member with email needs to sign up to receive Ad Hoc (instructions on the Buxton and District U3A website). Anyone who does not receive Ad Hocs has an ebuddy, should they wish, who will then pass on the information from the Ad hocs to their ebuddy. It is obviously up to the individuals concerned as to how they pass on the information, but telephone seems to be a favourite. Group Leaders will often pass on Ad Hoc information at their meeting. If you do not already have an ebuddy and would like one, talk to someone in your group or ask your group leader to help you organise one within your group. If you do not belong to any group, do please contact me directly and I will help you set up an ebuddy contact.

If you can think of any alternative suggestion as to how communications could be honed, within the financial constraints under which we operate, that would be very helpful so do please contact me directly. I will put my email address as a point of contact for anyone wishing to email comments (the ebuddy system has one half of the partnership on email by definition!) but also include my telephone number if that is your preferred means of contact.

U3A Webmaster Role Contact Details: John Cassidy, jandkcassidy@gmail.com

Description: After doing such an excellent job in creating and operating one of the best U3A websites in the country, Bruce has decided he would like to pass the role on to someone else. He would like to do this as soon as possible. If you are interested in this important role for our U3A please contact John Cassidy in the first instance. Bruce has provided some information about what is involved which is as follows (talk to him to find out more): “As Groups are up and running, the Webmaster role now is more one of general maintenance, mainly uploading e.g.

updated annual membership form (on Membership) for 2014-15, AGM Agenda, AGM Minutes

uploading amended Groups List (on Groups) that Kath Wharton sends out periodically

entering Group Meeting entries (on Events) from Derek Bodey's list (and anything of likely interest to U3A members - personal choice)

uploading Newslinks and major Ad Hocs and mentioning them (and other items) in Notices (on Membership)

deleting/adding Group webpages as the need arises

making changes to Membership Committee and Helpers file (on Membership and Groups) after an AGM, with appropriate changes to the Contacts page [However, the Committee's details are on the Group List, so the Membership Committee and Helpers link could be directed to that, to save effort].

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The website automatically gathers online 'hit' statistics by named month, which could be copied to the Group Liaison Leader as agreed, for analysis (that's a copy and paste job). The statistics, however, do not show unique visits to webpages e.g. if someone visited the same webpage 10 times in a month, the monthly count would include 10 'hits' rather than 1 for the unique person, which more sophisticated websites can count; web crawlers visits are also 'hits'. So, the number of different people browsing is less than our counts suggest, which questions their value somewhat. Also, I don't think there is much interest among Group Leaders for the data. Monthly stats. reporting is onerous, so the frequency needs changing e.g. quarterly or half-yearly reporting, with, say, an annual roundup. Obviously any new U3A Webmaster needs Internet and email access, word-processing software, and software that could convert files to PDFs for upload if not presented in that form, as most people have a PDF reader e.g. Acrobat. I use the freebie PrimoPDF, which is simply 'drag 'n drop' - you drag the file you want to convert (e.g. Word, Excel or photo even) onto the PrimoPDF icon on your desktop, and it automatically converts it to a PDF file. I'd obviously be willing to 'show the ropes' to my successor, and would be happy to advise as needed after their 'settling-in' period."

Our Website Contact Details: Bruce Thomson 01298 26406 banddu3awebmaster@gmail.com From July-December 2013 our website had 33,003 visits in total but these included repeat visits i.e. 1 person visiting 10 times increases the count by 10. Top pages in terms of visits are: Front Page, 4,473: Groups, 2,462: Hyperlinks, 1,458; Welcome, 1,448; Events, 1,351; Contact, 797; and Digital Photography 412.

Committee members President Chairman Vice Chairman Treasurer Secretary Membership Secretary Assistant Membership Secretary Publicity/External Communications Group Liaison Group Meetings Organiser Occasional Helpers Co-ordinator Co-opted Newslink Editor Co-opted Website Co-opted Ad-hoc Updates Co-opted Interest Group Lists

Frank Barrett John Cassidy Anne Rogerson Ralph Baker Mary Wicken Marge Rose Kath Jupe Linda Estruch Malcolm Bradbury Derek Bodey Jean Evanson Trish Kukiewicz Bruce Thomson Simon Rogerson Kathleen Wharton

01298 24468 01298 24663 01298 26720 01298 70756 01298 402339 01298 22136 01298 938158 01298 402386 01298 27068 01298 22081 01298 815030 01298 213353 01298 26406 01298 26720 01298 27744

GROUP NEWS

German Conversation Contact: Tina Firth, firthtina@hotmail.com 01298 71820 Description: We are a friendly “Self Help” Group meeting at a members house on Tuesday mornings. We are at present working from the Berlitz “Speaking Your Language – Intermediate Course” but we also talk about various other topics during the morning session. We are a very small group and would welcome any new members.

Creative Writing From: Thelma Turnbull “I would like to thank all the members of the Creative Writing Group for all their support while I have been leader. They are a very talented group of writers and it has been a pleasure to have worked with them. Kate Briant will be the new leader and I wish her and the Group all the best”.

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Cooking For Fun: Cameroon Style! Contact: Colin Rodgers, rodgers403@btinternet.com Description: During November our guest demonstrator was Stella Hikob, originally from Cameroon, now resident in Eyam, who cooked Mbongo fish, goat,curry, fried plantains and rice with tomatoes and onions. There was a really good audience. Stella has a website: www.stella-kitchen.co.uk which I can recommend.

“What’s cooking??”

Beginners Patchwork (New Group) Contact: Pam Chandley, pamchandley@btinternet.com 01298 814949 Description: A 6 session beginners patchwork course

Recorder Group Contact: Pam Rodgers, rodgers403@btinternet.com Description: We have just completed our first year since Kath and Ken Smith decided to retire as group leaders. They started the group in 1996 and have over the years encouraged us to learn to play not just one recorder each but in some cases descant, treble, tenor and base instruments. Under their guidance we have now reached a stage where we can sight read new pieces of music and make a nice sound after a bit of work. They were a hard act to follow and the format has changed in that we take it in turns to lead the sessions. Although this was a bit nerve wracking at first, we're getting used to it now. Thanks to Kath again, we now have a monthly tuition volunteer, Janice Ormerod , a teacher from the Stockport Recorder College, where she and others teach pupils up to the age of 18. She is working hard to improve our technique but without making it onerous and our efforts are always rewarded with tea and chocolate biscuits ! If you play the recorder and would like to join our group ,you would be most welcome.

Digital Photography Group Contact: John Estruch, john@estruch.co.uk Description: Feedback about our group’s display at the last general meeting. We had a lot of interest on the day, several group members and I were kept busy talking to people about what we do throughout the morning. As a result of the general meeting, we had four new people at our next group meeting (in fact we are now full to capacity for meetings at home!). It was a great success for our group.

Family History – U3A One-Day Family Conference

Contact: Ian Taylor, taylor.ian9@gmail.com Description: Following on from the great success of the family history event that was held in April 2013, another day has been arranged for September 13th this year. Four well known speakers have been booked for the day: Dr Nick Barratt ( Who Do You Think You Are and The National Archives), Prof Rebecca Probert (Professor of Law at Warwick University), John Titford (author and

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speaker)and Joy Bratherton (author and speaker). Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet with others interested in family history and support the various ‘trade’ stands in attendance. The conference will be held once again in The Dome, Buxton, which as you may know recently has been accredited by the Meetings Industry Association for attaining constant high standards. This event has been organised by a network of U3A members in the Peak District and surrounding area. The cost for the day, which includes the talks, refreshments, lunch and car parking is, as last year, £20. Those who attended last year will be sent a booking form in March, otherwise you can register your interest with Ian Taylor via email.

EDITOR’S FEATURE Country Dance Group Contact: Alison Crowther 01298 214014 or crowtherja@btinternet.com

Extracts from Country Dance Group members on how they feel about the Group. This is what they wrote: “Good exercise” – “keeps the brain alive as well as the joy of dancing” – “everyone is so friendly” – “no-one minds if you go wrong”

“I am 62, male, 2 left feet! Never felt happy on a dance floor. This is completely different. Great fun and look forward to it every week” – “I am new to Buxton and aged 85! I felt very welcomed by the members”

“Dancing is a joy and is always geared to accommodate everyone at every level. Instructions are always very easy to understand and follow thanks to Alison’s great approach and patience” – “She is very understanding of people who have problems understanding movements.”

The most common comment from new members is “What lovely music” Many people hum along as they dance – unless they are talking! (once they know the dance).

Last but not least is to thank Helen White for becoming an excellent caller, and to John Crowther for setting up the PA equipment, and for all his help. We have room in the hall for more dancers. We meet most Thursday mornings at the United Reformed Church on Hardwick Square East.

Put on your dancing shoes A well-earned tea break

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MEMBERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

CHRISTMAS LUNCH on 9th December at the Lee Wood Hotel Photos sent in by: Viv Doyle

The starving mermaid By Simon Rogerson

Through the mist and drizzle her fish-like form was clear Shimmering tail and golden locks he held so dear Sat by a rock pool a picture of innocence The starving mermaid for whom he spares no expense Through the steamy windows the fluorescent light poured Inviting him in to a place he so adored And once inside there was that evocative smell A cocktail of fishy perfumes he knew so well Expectant customers quietly waited in line Eager to pick their favourites on which to dine The young couple just moved in and needing some grub Football fans going home from the match at the club The dayglo menu of delights adorns the wall There’s cod, cod nibblets, chip, chip butty and chips small Sausages, burgers both in batter or mushy peas and pukka pies, pickled eggs are all there to please In these days of material and celebrity Poor people are once again the casualty For the fish-n-chip shop has a new form As champers and chips are now the norm

By Thelma Turnbull He strains against an ocean wide With oars like driftwood on the tide While I with wings of virgin snow Can ride the sea what ere the flow Man seeks safe harbour from natures wrath While seabirds watch safe up above In Scottish mountains eagles soar While down below waves crash and roar Watched by hawks with glistening eyes The ferries dock on Isle of Skye

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LOCAL EVENTS Contact: Rachel Stow, 07702260706 rachel@thorneycrofts.co.uk Description: 3rd Buxton Scout Group based at Harpur Hill requires some help with running the Beaver and Cub groups. These groups meet at the Scout Hut next to Harpur Hill Rugby Club on Brierlow Bar Road, Harpur Hill on Thursday evenings. Beavers 17.30 – 18.30 Cubs 19.00 – 20.30. If you are able to help with either, Rachel Stow, the Chair, would love to hear from you.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Monthly General Meetings 2014 (Mondays) 10

th March The English & Gardening (Danny Wells)

14th

April AGM 12

th May Beautiful Britain (Ted Grey)

9th

June World War 1 Focus

HOW ARE THE HENS?

Well, another three joined the coop in November making five in total. There was quite a lot of unpleasantness, to say the least, from the two resident hens when the new girls were introduced, feathers were flying….. Avril and Jackie were not having newcomers on their territory. Sue2, Margy2 and Cathie stayed in the hen house for two weeks only venturing out for a quick sip of water. However they are all friends now and look so pretty strutting around the hen enclosure and in the garden, when they can! The eggs are beginning to re-appear after a gap of nearly three months after I had a word with them “there’s five of you and I had to go and buy half a dozen eggs yesterday”. Oh Joy! Trish

FEBRUARY – an interesting month by Lois McGill

It may be cold and wet but life is too short to wish the winter over. I love February – it is a month of hope – the

first snowdrops appear to herald that Spring is on the way – daffodils, that happy flower, appears, not yet

budding up here in Derbyshire but in the supermarkets certainly. The weather may tease us yet but the days

seem to be lengthening now at an ever increasing rate.

In old English, February was called Solmonath (mud month) or Kale-monath (cabbage month) but my favourite

is the Viking name, Helmikuu, which means ‘month of the pearl’ to describe the droplets that form on the tree

branches when the snow melts and freezes again like pearls of ice

And why the extra R which few pronounce – well we named the month after the Roman festival of purification

called Februa which was on the 15th and if it needed any more accolades it’s the only month that changes size –

to keep us in time with the seasons - how amazing is that. It may only be every 4 years but it makes February

unique. Let us delight in every month and not wish our time away.

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NATIONAL OFFICE Items from the Third Age Trust Contact: Third Age Trust National Office, 020 8466 6139, www.u3a.org.uk

Description: U3A Business News. The latest edition is now available on the U3A National Website. Items which may be of interest:

24th march 2014 – U3A event at the Royal Institution

14-17 July 2014 – Summer School at Harper Adams

18-21 August 2014 Summer School at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

For anyone who attended these events last year the amazing thing is that the cost has been reduced by over 9%! See the U3A website for more information.

National Chess by Email Contact: Dick Chapman of Watford and District U3A at dick.chapman@ntworld.com Description: Just two years into the formation of the U3A National Chess by email, there are 57 members from 54 different UK U3As playing chess with one another by email. How does it work? It operates via a page in the members’ area of the national website (www.u3a.org.uk) and holds the following information about each member: name, grade, U3A, short chess profile, preferred speed of play and email address. Any member can request a game and moves are exchanged by email; as simple as that. There is no limit to the number of members that can join; the more the merrier! Chess is a serious game and can become stressful. However, U3A chess by email has all the ingredients to make for enjoyable, stress-free chess. How can it be done?

By playing someone of the same ability who plays at a compatible speed (e.g. 1 or 2 moves a day; or 3 + according to desire/agreement).

By remembering it is non-competitive (no championships, league tables of matches).

By picturing those wonderfully complicated board positions that arise in every game for you to try and untangle at leisure.

By resigning if you make a serious mistake (and simply start another game).

By making friends with your opponent. I’ve met some very interesting people.

By not getting too excited at the thought of what your next email post brings! The wide range of grades of player on the ‘Players List’ means that anyone from a recent learner to a county player can find someone of their own level to play. For full information, including how you might decide on your grade, please email Dick Chapman – details above.

MISCELLANEOUS

Are Two Hemispheres Better Than One? Contact: Ruth Webster, Ruth.webster@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk Description: Ruth Webster of the University of Manchester has contacted our U3A to seek volunteers in her research project. She sent the following information: Title of project: Investigating how the brain changes as we age: Are two hemispheres better than one?

Purpose of the study: Although the two hemispheres of the human brain work together during the processing of many mental tasks, it is generally accepted that some tasks preferentially engage activity in one side of the brain. For example, many studies have shown that the areas on the left at the front of the brain are involved in

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language production and the areas on the right at the front of the brain are involved in controlling behaviour. How much we rely particularly on one side of the brain for a given task differs between people, but is seen in most right handed people. Research into the brain activity of older people has shown that this pattern of activity changes as the human brain ages. As we age, the brain seems to respond in a more general fashion (using both sides of the brain during tasks that normal only engage activity in one side). The present study aims to investigate this change with aging further using simple behavioural tasks. What will I be expected to do if I take part: If you agree to take part you will be invited to attend a single experimental session lasting approximately one hour 15 minutes at the University of Manchester. During this session you will take part in 2 behavioural tasks and three other standard tests. Upon completion of the experimental session you will be offered reimbursement costs associated with your participation. Will my data be anonymous?: All personal information collected will be stored in either a secure fileing cabinet or a password protected/encrypted computer hard drive. Furthermore your personal information will be separated from your results through the assignment of a participant number, making your participation in the study anonymous. Data collected will only be accessible to researchers involved in the study (Ruth Webster and Dr Anna Woollams)

Do I have to take part?: You are under no obligation to take part in this study. If you do decide to take part and later change your mind, either before the start of the study or during it, you can withdraw your participation without reason. Following this, any information you have given will be destroyed.

Risks, benefits, and complaints: The procedures we use are completely safe, and there are no health risks in taking part. The benefits of taking part are limited to the advancement of knowledge. Should you have any issue with the study that cannot be resolved with the researchers, or any complaint to make, you should in the first instance contact the Head of the School of Psychological Sciences, Professor Rachel Calam, on 0161 306 0400. If you would like to make a formal complaint about the conduct of the research you should contact the Head of the Research Office, Christie Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL.

Where can I obtain further information if I need it? Ruth Webster; Ruth.webster@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk Dr. Anna Woollams; Anna.Woollams@manchester.ac.uk Phone: 0 161 306 0453

This project has been approved by the University of Manchester's Senate Committee on the Ethics of Research on Human Beings.

Message in a Bottle Contact: Malcolm Bradbury, 01298 27068 malcolmbrad01@yahoo.co.uk Description: What is it? It's a simple idea designed to encourage people to keep their basic personal and medical details on a standard form and in a common location - the fridge! What does it do? It saves the Emergency Services valuable time if they need to enter a property in an emergency situation. Not only does it help to identify who you are, it also identifies if you have special medication or allergies. It is not only a potential lifesaver, but also it provides peace of mind to you, your friends and family by knowing that prompt medical treatment is provided and that the next of kin and emergency contacts are notified. Who's it for? Anyone. Whilst it is focused on the more vulnerable people in a community, anyone can have an accident in the home, so this scheme can benefit anyone. What does it cost? When ordering one bottle the scheme is free to the public and is funded usually by your local Lions Club. (contact Malcolm for more information).

Study: On-line Questionnaire Contact: Ross Thomson Description: I’m a PhD student at Nottingham University and am looking into medical device use in the over 65’s. I am currently conducting an on-line questionnaire and wish to recruit participants who are 65 and over. These participants can be both users and non-users of medical devices. For every questionnaire completed £1.00 will be donated to The British Lung Foundation (up to a maximum of £200). This study has been approved by the University of Nottingham ethics committee.

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While I appreciate that the majority of members of the University of the Third Age are fit and active and not necessarily 65 or over, I was wondering if any of your members or people that they may know might be interested in taking part? Here is a link to the questionnaire: http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1223847/Medical-devices-2-mop If you have any questions, require more information or want to discuss further please feel free to contact me

COMMENTS Deadline for receipt of items for inclusion in the next issue of Newslink No. 62 (June 2014) is 15 May 2014. Contact trishkuknewslink@hotmail.co.uk or 50 St Peter’s Road, Buxton, SK17 7DX Tel: 01298 213353

TO MAKE YOU SMILE A group of girlfriends, all aged 40, discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the waiters there were handsome, with tight trousers and nice bums . Ten years later, at age 50, the friends once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food was good and the wine selection was excellent. Ten years later, at age 60, the friends again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that the would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they could dine in peace and quiet and the restaurant had a beautiful view of the sea. Ten years later, at age 70, the friends discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because it was wheelchair accessible and had a lift. Ten years later, at age 80, the friends discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before???? (Anon)

AND FINALLY! For a large print version of Newslink telephone Trish Kukiewicz on 01298 213353

WANTED!! FOR SASANACH

IMPERSONATION of a SCOT!

THE BEETLE MASTER

REWARD

If you can ID this person, an

extra copy of Newlink is

YOURS!!!

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Available on the Buxton & District website:

The Notice of Agenda for the 2014 AGM to be held on 14th April

The List of Officers and Committee Members standing down.

The list of Co-opted Committee Members to be formally elected.

The Minutes of the 2013 AGM

If you wish to help in the running and organisation of our U3A by serving on the Committee, or propose another person (with their consent), nomination forms are available from the Hon. Secretary, Mary Matthews, email mw257@cam.ac.uk Tel: 01298 402339 or can be downloaded from the Buxton & District website. Information about what is involved in the vacant roles is available on the web-site or from the Secretary. Mary Matthews (Business Secretary)

Notice and Agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Buxton and District U3A to be held on Monday, 14th April 2014 at 10.30 am in the Methodist Church. Agenda 1. Welcome

2. Apologies for absence

3. Adoption of Minutes of AGM 2013

4. Chairman’s report

5. Treasurer’s report (i) Adoption of Accounts (ii) Membership Fee 2015/16

6. Election of Officers and Committee

7. Appointment of Examiner of Accounts

8. Agenda items submitted earlier to the Secretary 9. Date of next AGM

Item 6: Nominations are required for:

Chair of the Committee to serve for a period of three years from April 2014.

Committee member with responsibility for General Meetings to commence November 2014. Two Co-opted Committee Members to be elected formally to cover the role of Membership Secretary: Marge Rose Kath Jupe Item 8: Agenda items for consideration should be forwarded in writing to the Hon Sec, Mary Matthews, 12 Sycamore Close, Buxton SK17 6FB or by email to mw257@cam.ac.uk to be received on or before Monday 7th April. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Buxton & District U3A held on Monday 15th April 2013 at 10.30am in the Methodist Church. Present; John Cassidy (Chairman), Ralph Baker (Treasurer), Malcolm Bradbury (Business Secretary), Avril Hedley, Trish Kukiewicz , Simon Rogerson, Anne Rogerson, Derek Bodey, Jean Evanson, Linda Estruch and 74 others. Apologies; Fran Allen, Anne Webb, Mike & Mary Monaghan, Ken & Dorothy Parker, June Noble, Peter Skinner, Iris Thomson. Adoption of Minutes of AGM 2012; Proposed; Anne Rogerson, Seconded; Bruce Thomson; Passed.

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Chairman’s Report 2013 It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here today to our 17th Annual General Meeting and a very special welcome to those of you who are here for the first time. I am delighted to report that the organisation is vibrant and in good health both socially and financially. It continues to adapt to the changing demands of its members and to meet the requirements set by the Third Age Trust. In this my second year as your Chairman I have had the pleasure of working with an excellent group of dedicated Group Leaders and a Main Committee who have done all the work for me. I was particularly grateful for the support given to me by Anne Rogerson, who deputised for me during my prolonged absence in Australia in January but all the members of the committee have done a great job and need to be congratulated. Some will be staying in post but others will be leaving but I will come to that later. Membership and Groups Membership currently stands at 549, which is 3.7% down on last year’s number of 570. We have seen a number of changes to the Group list during the year. We lost, for a variety of reasons

Music Appreciation

Anti - ageing Aerobics

Biblical Studies

Dancing for Fun and

Tai Chi But we have gained:

Computer drop in clinic and demystifying computers

Science

Adventures in Good Music

Wheel chair exercises It is an amazing choice of activities covering the Arts, Sciences, Recreation and Sport and all for a £25 annual subscription. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO PLEASE SEND IN YOUR RENEWAL FORMS AND CHEQUES ASAP Administration It has always been our policy to keep bureaucracy to a minimum. We are after all a self-help organisation and informality is key to our success. However the main committee does have to conform to rules set by the Third Age Trust for Trustees. The two most important requirements are that we keep close control of finance and membership. This has resulted in a revision of our financial procedures and a renewal of registers. So a plea to Group leaders please keep your register up to date and to members please keep your membership card to hand. THIS WAY WE KNOW WHO IS PRESENT AND HENCE COVERED BY OUR INSURANCE. During the year I hope you have been impressed with the work done by Bruce Thomson to improve the web site and Simon Rogerson keeping us up to date with events via the Ad Hoc updates and the publicity we got in the Advertiser and Pure Buxton magazine thanks to Linda. The Main Committee As mentioned earlier two members of the committee will be retiring this year under the three year rule, Malcolm Bradbury, Secretary and in November, Avril Hedley, Membership Secretary. Also Frank Barratt who took on the job of Group Leader liaison on a temporary basis would like to stand down but continue in his role as President.

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All have done a great job and deserve a well-earned rest. I trust we will be able to find new people to take on these important roles during the year. During the year we co-opted Jean Evanson, Occasional Helpers Co-ordinator, Trish Kukiewicz, Newslink and Linda Estruch Publicity and External Communications. Thanks so much for your help. It is much appreciated. We owe a great deal of thanks to all our occasional helpers. Derek Bodey continues to keep the General Meetings interesting, lively and well organised. Anne Rogerson keeps me in order and is keeping the organisation in touch with the wider U3A membership in the area and Ralph Baker makes sure our accounts are sound and professionally managed

Final words It has been my privilege to be your Chairman for the past two years and hope to be able to continue in office for another year assuming you will have me. Buxton and District U3A is a fantastic organisation and without doubt one of the best in the country. However we can never be complacent and we are always looking for ways to improve. SO PLEASE COME FORWARD LET US KNOW YOUR FEELINGS AND IDEAS YOU WILL BE MADE MOST WELCOME John Cassidy

Treasurer’s Report Ralph Baker drew everyone’s attention to the “ Notes on the Statement of Accounts for 2013”. He described the importance of Gift Aid and thanked all those who do this. He thanked David Hedley for organising all the data necessary for claiming Gift Aid. There are changes in the Regulations ahead and it is very important in future that we have all the house names, numbers and post codes of members in order to enable the claiming of Gift Aid. The Social, Family History and Walking Group Accounts are available for inspection. He thanked the Members who held meetings in their homes for helping keep room hire costs down, John

Stewart(Past Treasurer) for his help during the change over of Treasurers and Geof Fielding for Auditing the

Accounts for the past 11 Years.

Asked the Meeting to give permission to raise subs by £5 in 2014 should it be necessary.

Proposed by Simon Rogerson, Seconded by John Stewart.

Question and Answer (Q&A) Discussion followed:

Q. How will the decision be made? A. Analysis of Accounts.

Q. Are there any cost increases in the pipeline? A. Not yet but inflation of our costs may occur.

Comment from John Stewart (Past Treasurer). The Membership trusted the Committee to make the responsible

decision re the last Subscription increase and should trust them regarding this proposal.

Q. Why are there Reserves? A. To meet Charity Commission rules

Amendment to proposal; “ to increase Subscription by up to £5” proposed by Anne Rogerson, Seconded by Malcolm

Bradbury.

Q. Has membership fallen? A. refer to note 1 on Statement of Account

Q. This proposal has come out of the blue and there aren’t many of the Members at this AGM, how will it be seen by

the majority of Members, proposed an EGM to discuss this? A. There are costs to informing all the Members re an

EGM and we have a Quorum at this meeting. Again the comment was made that it a question of trusting the

Committee Members to conduct the business of our U3A. Proposal for EGM was then withdrawn.

14

Q. What proportion of Members are not active? A. Very few.

Q. re cost of room hire; Why don’t more Groups meet at the Fire Station? A. Up to Group leaders. There was a suggestion that the Treasurer and Past Treasurers get together to discuss our finances. Vote taken on the Amendment that the meeting give permission for an increase in the Annual Subscription by Up To £5.00 if necessary for 2014. Show of hands; Passed. Adoption of Accounts proposed by John Estruch, Seconded by Dan Blunt. Passed. Election of officers and Committee; John Cassidy, Anne Rogerson, Avril Hedley, Derek Bodey are all willing to be relected. Show of hands. Elected. Election of two Co-opted Members, Jean Evanson and Linda Estruch. Show of hands, Elected. Election of Mary Matthews as Business Secretary, proposed by Malcolm Bradbury, Seconded by Cathie Bradbury by show of hands, Elected. Election of Malcolm Bradbury as Group Leader Liaison Officer, proposed by Simon Rogerson, Seconded by Anne Rogerson. Show of hands. Elected. Appointment of Examiner of Accounts; Prem Kumar was appointed by show of hands. Agenda items submitted to Secretary; None Announcement; Bruce Thomson, our Webmaster; Since June 2010 there have been 90 daily visits on average. Date next AGM; 14/4/14. OPEN FORUM AFTER THE AGM 2013 The President Frank Barrett warmly thanked and commended the Committee to the Meeting and requested a round of applause which was resoundingly given. Anne Rogerson thanked Frank for his input and taking on of the Group Leader Liaison role last year. We owe him a great debt. In response to a request Mary Matthews introduced herself to the Meeting. Bruce Thomson mentioned the Stand and the recruiting potential it offers at the Spring Bank Holiday event and that we needed Volunteers to attend the Stand. Re new Groups, what percentage are held in homes? Frank Barrett explained that we do encourage the use of the Fire Station and there is a list of Venues and the associated fees. There being no further business the Chairman closed the Meeting.