U3A University of the Third Age

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Things that are happening:

TERM 2 NO 2 LECTURE: BUSINESS AND TOURISM IN THE WAIRARAPA
GEOFF COPPS.

Geoff works for Grow Wellington, the economic development agency which also encompasses Wairarapa. He has worked with Wairarapa businesses and has helped them to expand their services. Keenly passionate about Wairarapas potential as a tourism mecca, Geoff sees the future as bright, with our unique attractions and the right publicity promising a glowing future.
Date: Thursday 25 June 2009
Time: 10.00 am for mix and mingle, Lecture: 10.30 am 11.30 am.
Venue: Wharekaka Day Room, Oxford Street, Martinborough.
Cost: $2 per person
Open to members and prospective members; so bring your friends along!
If you would like to carpool from Masterton, contact Margot or Kim at Wairarapa REAP to offer or request a ride.

Future Lectures
Please make a note of these dates in your diary or calendar:

Term 3, No 1: Thursday 30 July: Barry Sims: Growing Business in Masterton; venue will be REAP House, Masterton.

Term 3, No 2: Thursday 17 September: Chris Pedersen: Travels Near and Far; venue will be the Wharekaka Day Room, Martinborough.
Regular Groups:
Unless otherwise stated, the venue for all meetings is the MTLT Education Centre, 22 Dixon St, Masterton. The contact person is given for each group, or you can contact Margot at REAP on 06 377 1379 (leave a message for her if shes not at work on the day you call).
Opera History & Appreciation
Convenor: Duncan Roper, ph (06) 306 9646 or email dsroper@xtra.co.nz
Venue: MTLT Education Centre, 22 Dixon Street, Masterton.

The Opera Group meets on the 2nd Friday of each month, from 11 am to 3 pm (with a lunch break in the middle bring your own). The next meeting will be 10 July.

The featured opera will be Die Dreigroschenoper - The Threepenny opera by Kurtt Weill and Bertold Brecht.

It was adapted from an 18th-century English ballad opera, John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, and offers a Marxist critique of the capitalist world, and is the original source of that much covered standard Mack The Knife.

New members are always welcome contact Duncan for more details.
Martinborough Opera Appreciation Group
Convener: Duncan Roper: ph 06 306 9646 or
Email: dsrpoer@xtra.co.nz
Venue: Wharekaka Day Room, Oxford St, Martinborough.

Our opera for 14 July is a well-known Mozart opera The Marriage of Figaro.

The plot recounts a single "day of madness" in the palace of the Count Almaviva near Seville, Spain, and was one of Mozarts most successful works.

We start at 10.30 am, and as the duration is 4 - 4 hrs, remember to bring your own lunch.
Autobiography and Journalling
Convenor: Margot MacGillivray, ph 06 304 7166 or email margotmacg@yahoo.co.nz
Venue: REAP House, 340 Queen Street, Masterton.
We're meeting next on Monday 20 July, at 1.30 pm, in REAP House, and working through the Life Story modules from the On-line U3A course; we're doing some topics from unit 5. Phone Margot for details on how to download these materials, or to request a set to be posted to you.

Last meeting, participants shared family memories and stories of family gatherings.
Writing Group, Martinborough
Convenor: Trish Engel, phone 379 5572; email pmr_mjv@yahoo.com.au
Venue: Day Room, Wharekaka, Oxford St, Martinborough

This group is producing some fantastic writing, but welcomes additional members (and theres no pressure or expectation that youll share your work until you are ready to).

Junes meeting was all about Travel Writing. Julys topic is interviewing.

The group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 1.30 pm. Next meeting: 7 July. .
Martinborough Singers
Convenor: Jancis Potter, phone 06 306 9366 or email dameja-u3a@yahooxtra.co.nz
Venue: varies phone Jancis

This group is flourishing with 18 singers. The groups first concert was given to invited guests on 17 June.

There will be a short break before resuming on 8 July with a new collection of songs. New members are still welcome.

Meets every week on Wednesday at 1pm. Phone Jancis for details.
Book Group
Convenor: Jan Veitch, ph 370 9261 or e-mail veitch@wise.net.nz
Venue: Usually REAP House, but sometimes at private homes. Check details below or contact Jan.

At the May meeting, the Book Group had an interesting discussion on 'What makes a Prizewinning book' and found that most of the books reviewed fitted into at least one of our list of categories - which included things from use of language, characterisation, complexity of story or information, and not least, the foibles of the judges. Books selected were from a range of competitions such as Montana, Man Booker, Costa and Orange.

The next meeting is Monday, 22 June and as usual will be at REAP House at 1.30 pm. Topic: Historical novel set in Britain. The topic for 20 July will be set at this meeting.

New members are welcome contact Jan..
Martinborough Book Group
Convenor: Jancis Potter, phone 306 9366 or email dameja-u3a@yahooxtra.co.nz
Venue: Wharekaka Day Room, Oxford Street, Martinborough

This group meets on the first Monday of the Monday of the month, at 1.30 pm. Facilitation is shared by group members.

There was no meeting in June as it fell on Queen's Birthday. Next meeting will be on 6 July and we'll be discussing the books by Alexander McCall-Smith.
Martinborough Film Group
Convenor: Jancis Potter, phone 06 306 9366; email dameja-u3a@yahooxtra.co.nz
Venue: Circus Cinema.

In June the group saw Last Chance Harvey. This group will be in recess until further notice..
Music Appreciation group, Martinborough
Convenor: Jancis Potter, phone: 06 306 9366; email dameja-u3a@yahooxtra.co.nz
Venue: TBA please contact Jancis.

At the June meeting, the group was set a composition task they wrote an 8 bar melody to help them appreciate how a composer goes about developing an idea. We also did a detailed study (following a graphic time-line) of the 1812 Overture. Next meeting is Monday 13 July.
Philosophy Group
Convenor: Ross McCrostie, ph 377 1058 or e-mail rossmxt@gmail.com
Venue: REAP House, 340 Queen Street, Masterton.
Philosophy Group
We will be meeting again on Wednesday, 1 July and as usual from 10.30 is to about midday. We usually meet at REAP House but on this "1st Wednesday of the month " REAP is fully booked. Ross has invited the group to meet at his home. Details will be sent out by email but any new member is welcome to contact him at 377 1058.
The topic: Education - Can each and every child be expected to reach the same degree of attainment?

Our numbers are fairly small at present and we will be pleased to see the return of both Jill and Margaret as they recover from their recent major surgery.
Lunch Group
Convenor: Mike Cooper ph 06 306 8596 or e-mail mike.cooper@paradise.net.nz

We are a group of ten or so people who meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at a different caf or restaurant within the Wairarapa to discuss current news events and to enjoy good fellowship. Food and beverages are purchased at own expense. Next meeting is 12.20 pm on Wednesday 8 July at Toppys Caf Bar, Jellico Street, Martinborough Phone Mike if youd like to join this group.
Current Affairs over Morning Tea Martinborough
Convenor: Mike Cooper ph 06 306 8596 or e-mail mike.cooper@paradise.net.nz

This group meets for lively discussion of current events on the third Wednesday of each month, and to make it even more interesting they vary the meeting place between Martinboroughs various cates. The next meeting is at 9.15am on 15 July at the Village Caf, Kitchener Street, Martinborough.
Italian Language & Culture
Convenor: Mary Rishworth, ph 377 5929 or e-mail rishworths@xtra.co.nz
Venue: MTLT Education Centre, 22 Dixon St, Masterton
This group meets every Thursday at 1 pm.

Two new people have joined the group, which is very encouraging! Another social occasion is planned, possibly with a movie and sharing of Italian lunch. I did go and see An Italian girl in Algiers in Wellington, a wonderful comic opera by Rossini and a world class standard performance - most of the cast were from New Zealand!
Beginners and new members always welcome contact Mary for details.
French Conversation
Convenor: Robyn ONeill. Phone 377 1802 or email allyon@xtra.co.nz
Venue: MTLT Education Centre, 22 Dixon Street, Masterton

This group, with a focus on discussions in French has been going for a while, but has missed the newsletter editors radar! Weekly meetings give a great opportunity to try speaking in French, with a supportive group who are also practising!

Meetings are at the MTLT Education Centre at 1 pm every Friday. For more information, please email Robyn.
Financial matters Subscriptions Due
We have been very generously supported by REAP, and their support is on going. However, REAP has many commitments in the Wairarapa and so at the AGM of U3A a motion was carried to increase the annual subscription from $10 to $15 per year. The new subscription for couples is $25 per year. In this way, it is hoped that we will be able to be more self-supporting.
Photocopying and postage are a heavy cost to every organisation. If you have email, we can send you the newsletter to your computer, thus making some savings there.
Please let Kim, Margot or me (Patricia Engel) know your email address, by sending your name to one of us below:
margot.macgillivray@waireap.org.nz
reception@waireap.org.nz
pmr_mjv@yahoo.com.au
Subscriptions are due at the beginning of July, so a renewal form is included with this newsletter. 2009-2010 membership badges will be purple, so make sure your green one is traded in for the new colour!
NZSO Friday Subscription Concerts in Wellington
NZSO Friday Subscription Concerts and Tranzit Concert Bus to Wellington: Book through the NZSO Client Services 0800 479 674. The bus leaves Masterton at 3.45 pm and picks up people on the way through Carterton and Featherston (Martinborough people - we'll organise a car pool for you - phone Jancis to work something out.) Jancis also runs the Music Appreciation group in Martinborough, see page 3.
Proudly supported by
Wairarapa REAP
For More information about U3A or if you would like to become a member, please contact Wairarapa REAP.
Ph: 06 377 1379 or Email: reception@waireap.org.nz

Alternatively you can CLICK HERE to download a Membership Form, fill it out and post it back to us at
the following address:

U3A
C/- Wairarapa REAP
P O Box 442
MASTERTON.