From the President’s Desk
The new Network Committee is hard at work establishing new programs that you, the Presidents, tasked us with at the recent Presidents Council, held at the State Conference hosted by Pine Rivers.
The new Network Committee is hard at work establishing new programs that you, the Presidents, tasked us with at the recent Presidents Council, held at the State Conference hosted by Pine Rivers.It came through loud and clear that a closer and more interactive relationship between U3As and Network would be welcome and advantageous. Network has responded quickly and efficiently to this suggestion, and we have introduced a new program as the first steps to achieving greater interaction. A Liaison Person from the Network Committee has been appointed to each of our 35 U3As. I have personally written to all U3As advising them of this new initiative and encouraging them to get on board. The response has been instantaneous, and meetings are being organised as I write.
This new initiative will be the foundation stone for a more streamlined approach to seeking connectivity with Network. I sincerely hope your U3A has taken up this offer.
The new Network website launched at the conference will be the key tool for all future marketing and communications. New posts are added regularly, and current Network news, your newsletters and all relevant documentation will be found there. This new website has been created by our Vice President John Armstrong and our gratitude goes to John for the excellent product that we now have. It can be found at u3aqld.au
Also launched at the recent conference was a taste of the 2023 Network Conference, to be hosted by U3A Rockhampton. In celebration of 50 years of U3A worldwide the conference theme will be “U3A Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. The International U3A President Professor Francois Vellas and the International Secretary General Professor Maria Chester will be two of the international guest speakers.
Many of you attended the recent webinar ‘Navigating the Digital World’ which was jointly hosted by nbn, COTAQ and U3A Network. So many of the things we do each day require us to go online – from paying our bills, doing the shopping, or catching up with friends and family. Not everyone feels confident navigating the online world, and to assist in easing the digital divide is where OSCAR (Online Skills Check & Resources) comes in. The National Broadband Network created OSCAR to help Australians measure their level of online skills and to find the resources to become more capable and confident online. If you missed the webinar you can investigate further at this Online Skills Check website.
As we rush headlong into the last six months of 2022, like you I am hoping for a more settled way of life. We cannot expect the pre-covid “good old days” to return but what we can do is to look forward with optimism, enthusiasm and confidence and know that our contribution is central to a brighter future for all, and especially for seniors.
Rhonda Weston AM
English