Gallery '10

Dorothy Hunt, a new member, formerly with Manningham U3A, is an avid Scrabble player and is very keen to set up a Scrabble Club in Darebin U3A. She invites all members to come along and join in the fun with the following Course Description:

The first meeting of the Scrabble Club will take place early in Second Term: Monday 12^th April, 12:45 - 3pm at Fairfield classroom. If you wish to join the group, please phone the Office leaving your name, Membership number and telephone number.

Wednesday 31^st March, 10.30am – 12.30pm in the Main Hall at Northcote Senior Citizens Centre, 18a Bent Street, Northcote (Melway 30D7).

The Committee warmly invites all our members to meet together over an informal morning tea during the holiday break. This will be our first opportunity to meet and welcome our new members and for members to discuss ideas and issues with committee members.

We would appreciate your notifying the office if you are attending. This will help us in setting up the tables and chairs in the hall.

After morning tea, a speaker from COTA (Council on the Ageing) will conduct an information session titled Seniors Quality Use of Medicines Program, an initiative of the National Prescribing Service in collaboration with COTA Victoria.

Apparently Australians over 65 are at greatest risk of medicine related mix-ups. To help seniors manage their medicines, COTA is offering tailored, interactive information sessions to discuss "how to become an active partner with our doctor and pharmacist and to better understand and learn about our medicines".

The program co-ordinator, Karen Ivanka, says "it is hoped that these sessions will give seniors the opportunity to discuss their medicine issues and build on the knowledge and understanding they already have about the medicines they take."

• Check out our new courses, course descriptions and timetable for First Semester, 2010.
• Please note that the following classes are fully booked, with a waiting list:
  • History of European Culture,
  • Painting and Drawing and
  • Yoga.
• Most weekly classes will commence in the first week of February, with the following exceptions:
  • Draw Then Paint will resume after Easter on Tuesday, 13 April, 1-3 pm at Fairfield Station.
  • French Language for Beginners will resume on Friday 19 March, 10:30 – 12 at Northcote Senior Citizens Centre. New class members are asked to study and practise weeks 1 – 3 in 15 Minute French.
  • Improving Your English recommences on Wednesday 3 March at Span.
  • Reading and Writing for Retirees resumes on Monday 8 February at Merrilands Community Centre.
• Also note that Current Affairs is held every second week, commencing Thursday 25 February 10:30 – 12:00 at Fairfield.
• Yoga for Beginners Cancelled: Unfortunately our Yoga tutor, Shyamala Benakovic, is unable to offer this popular additional class this year. However, she is trying hard to find a replacement tutor. In the meantime, the one Yoga class is full with a waiting list.

Barry Watson, Tutor

My love affair with Tai Chi started nearly two decades ago when my wife and I attended the St Kilda Festival. I heard this soft, gentle music coming from a rather large marquee where Tai Chi was being performed. “Well”, I said to myself, “That's for me!” I stepped forward and joined in, not knowing anything about the movements. My wife said, “Don't be silly, it's too slow for you!” and I put it in the back of my mind. Three years later my wife contracted breast cancer. I suppose I panicked somewhat, thought I'd had a heart attack, because I didn't know how to cope with this sudden news, let alone how to come to terms with this disease.

That's when I visited my local doctor, who suggested I see a heart specialist, which I did. He told me that I had had a panic (stress) attack, and suggested I take up Tai Chi, which I did. To my amazement, a class was being held at my local church, not more than 200 metres from home, and had been going for six years.

So I made enquiries and joined the Celestial College of Tai Chi founded by Senior Master Eng Chor Khor (now Grand Master), under the instruction of Joe Cardimone. After completing my six levels of the Yang Style routine, I was invited to attend instructors' training under the two Masters of the college, which I still attend even today. During this time they promoted me to Instructor, running several classes in the Northern area.

Eng Chor Khor taught me how to breathe correctly, even to the point of helping me recover from open-heart surgery (clearing my lungs).

Gallery pages for previous years are still at Gallery'09, Gallery'08 and Gallery'07.