Chairman's Report for Exe Valley U3A 2010-2011

 

IT is said that as you get older it becomes increasingly enjoyable to look back and tell anyone who will listen how good things were in days gone by. Well, Exe Valley U3A is a year older and looking back over the past 12 months has been enjoyable: the many good things far outweighing those not quite so good.

I like U3A and what it offers many of us. I hope you do too. The longer I am associated with its members - you - it becomes more rewarding.

Like a fine wine, Exe Valley is maturing. Hopefully it is playing an important role in the life of Tiverton and the Exe Valley. We now have nearly 200 members and, when added to the 300-plus belonging to Tiverton U3A (our parent group), a large number of Third Agers are involved and their interests met.

What makes U3A so popular?

Why is it so popular with a growing number? Is it the range of interest groups, the monthly meetings with the fascinating range of speakers, or the coming together of people who have an enthusiasm for life and the things U3A can offer.

Who knows? Perhaps you would like to write and let me know what joining the U3A has meant to you and maybe we can publish them in a future newsletter, on the website or on the noticeboard - or all three!

It is good to report that we have a strong and growing membership and, as our treasurer will be pleased to cover in his last report before resigning from the committee, our finances are sound.

It has been another busy year with the committee leading the way in providing a programme of meetings and events. Working with your committee is always rewarding. We seem to get along without too many altercations.

We had a member attending a recent meeting to "check us out". Afterwards he remarked on how well the meeting had gone: serious business mixed in with some light humour - not to mention the excellent cake and biscuits with the teas and coffees.

Being a committee member does have its perks! All the committee members have done their jobs well. There have been opposing views and healthy discussion but we always finish - I hope - with a democratic decision made for the good of Exe Valley. Once you have a "team" working together it is slightly sad when it breaks up.

Each year this happens as people decide it is time for a change: they have done "their bit". This year is no exception. Treasurer Rod Hilton and publicity officer Sue Dark have decided not to seek re-election.

For me it is particularly saddening because Rod was at our very first get-together of five people at our home in the autumn of 2007. Then Sue joined us at the next meeting and the small steering committee moved forward laying down the foundations for Exe Valley and our first public meeting in February 2008.

Without the guidance and strict control over our finances that Rod has given us we would have been struggling. He has always offered us clear accounts and budgets and backed those up with sensible advice. And at monthly meetings and events he has always been there looking after our financial interests.

The same applies to Sue. Her first major role on the committee was as speakers' secretary. She found speakers for monthly meetings and made sure they turned up without fail and looked after them during their visit. Then she switched to become responsible for publicity, liaising with local papers and community magazines and caring for the noticeboard.

Apart from these roles, she has always been there to help organise and run social and other events and the successful Driving Safer for Longer events were her idea.

We will miss both of them on the committee but I hope they will continue to add their considerable energy to the organisation.

Groups bring fun and friendship

The committee might provide guidelines for the organisation but it is the groups that provide the weekly, fortnightly and monthly involvement in a wide range of interests.

Each group has a leader or, in some cases, joint leaders. Many of our members are involved in one or more of the groups, but I am always surprised that more of you aren't. The fun and friendship arising from following an interest or hobby in a group is probably what makes them so successful and popular.

None of us can speak too highly of these leaders who are the lifeblood of the U3A. Without their enthusiasm and willingness to step forward to lead we would not have much to offer our members. Thanks to all of you.

In March 2010 there were 20 groups. Now there are 26. I am sure that more will be added during the coming year. It would be a good goal to encourage more members to be involved in group activities and to see more activities added and, perhaps, more existing groups growing and dividing.

I would never want to hear that any member joining Exe Valley is not able to join an existing group because it is "too full". If that happens then it is the committee's job, with the help of the group leader, to find a solution. So far I have not heard of that happening but if it does please contact our group co-ordinator Ro Darlington or vice-chair Bernice Philbrick.

A "thank you" to all who help

It is very easy in a report such as this to start saying "thank you" to certain groups and individuals - and then not being able to stop. Can I just say thank you to everyone who has helped in so many ways - particularly at our monthly meetings with the refreshments, laying out the room and then clearing it all away.

We have continued to work hard at notifying members of local and national activities through the newsletters, website and noticeboard. Another 12 newsletters appeared during the year thanks to the work of Margaret Wallwork and all those who make monthly contributions about group activities.

It would be easy to forget our place in the big wide world of U3A with its 251,462 UK members in 792 groups. In the south-west alone there are 104 groups and 36,000 members. We have a national office which provides the U3A News and Sources magazines and ongoing information and support from insurances to legal and constitutional matters.

Exe Valley plays its role as a member of the North Devon Link, a network of eight groups, which meets three times a year and runs an excellent educational event each year. One step removed is our association with the South-West Region and the opportunity for our officers and committee to attend conferences. Beyond that is the national picture made of annual conferences, study days and events throughout the country and the national office at Bromley providing a substantial back-up and support to all of us. There is an impressive national website and you can access it through our own excellent website: www.exevalleyu3a.org.uk

Enough looking back: Now to look forward. We are a lively organisation with lots of enthusiastic members. Keep on doing what we're doing and everything will be fine.

Wrong!

No group can afford to take that attitude and survive. New ideas and new people are needed each year. This is a Self Help organisation. Self means YOU. Help means YOU providing the HELP and taking responsibility and leadership.

I don't want to finish this report on a negative note. It's not my way. But when our secretary Annette provided me with a list of nominations for the committee for the annual meeting a warning bell went off. We have two resignations and one nomination: result one short to do the same number of jobs as last year.

Each year our Constitution requires resignations of officers and committee: some to seek re-election, some to step down. Next year the chairman and other committee members complete their terms of office and replacements will be needed.

So the answer is simple. If YOU want to continue to enjoy Exe Valley U3A and what it offers, then YOU will have to do something about it. Each one of you has skills in one form or another. I don't expect you all to step forward and offer. But unless some of you do - and we could do with one or two of you showing a keen interest today and others prepared to offer help for the future - then the load will eventually be too great for those remaining committee members and officers.

Where would we be without volunteers?

How Exe Valley U3A came into existence is a good example of people stepping forward to volunteer. At the meeting in the autumn of 2007, to target interest for a new group, it would have been easy for people to keep their heads down and not offer help.

Just think of the consequences of that: no Exe Valley U3A. We wouldn't be here today as part of an organisation of nearly 200 members.

Sometimes putting a hand up or coming forward to offer help is very worthwhile for all - but especially rewarding for the volunteer.

Peter Stuckey