COTSWOLD LINK 27TH FEBRUARY 2008

 

A group of seven interested members attended the Cotswold link AGM and General meeting. Up to the minute information from the national U3A head office and Third Age Trust was given to all attending.  

 

A request was made that national meetings, seminars and lectures be held in the regions and not only in London - Birmingham being central and equally well served by transportation links would be an obvious alternative.

 

Emphasis was also placed on the need to communicate quickly and cheaply with link members, ideally with Broadband and a Windows Excel programme installed so that the more lengthy documents could be sent via e-mail. (We have advised the secretary of our e-mail connection.)

 

After lunch four stayed for a seminar about the importance of support for U3A Group Leaders. These are the "jewels" on which the diversity of the movement is founded, according to Alan Morris the speaker for the afternoon.  There is no argument with that!  For without our Group Leaders we would have no groups, and no U3A!

 

We were asked "What do you think we (the Cotswold Link) should do to support our interest Group Leaders?"  It was not a question that invited an immediate response.  However, it was agreed that the individual U3A's representatives would take the question back to our own Committees for their comments to be sent to the link Secretary for collation and action.  (We, in Ross and District U3A have organised a coffee morning for our Group Leaders in April to elicit what support they feel that they would like.)

 

The meeting was stimulating, and the general feeling was that we all learned something to improve our own U3A.