The New U3A Howick Committee
The following committee members were elected at the AGM in April 2024: June Poole(President), John Savory (Vice President), Robert Rigby (Treasurer), Judith Nel (Director of Studies), Jan Naish-Wallis (Secretary) and committee members: Lynette Upshire, Cyril Nevezie, Mary Kennedy, Dorothy Viljoen, Linda Stubbs and Graeme Diver (Immediate Past President).
Christmas 2023 Event
At the Christmas Event in December 2023, the members were entertained by “Elvis” lookalike, Braden Harris, as well as having input from Julia Banks who showed us how words could be used in humorous ways, through song and poetry. A delicious lunch followed the speaker and entertainment.
Past President’s Event: Waiheke Island Trip 2023
On 15 November 2023, 35 members travelled by ferry to Waiheke Island to attend a performance by the Waiheke (Whittakers) Music Museum. The museum has over 100 beautifully restored unusual musical instruments and we were treated to stories and performances suitable to the era of the various instruments by the two skilled presenters. Members then had the opportunity to try their hand on the instruments, then to visit the Community Art Gallery and to have lunch before heading back on the ferry. The weather was kind to us and it was a fun and insightful day.
Featured Groups
Mobile Photography Group
The Mobile Photography Group works on the principle that the best camera is the one you have on you at the time – usually a mobile phone. The group meets monthly to watch video lessons on settings, composition, lighting and photography scenarios. They practice the techniques during the month and put their photos onto a private Facebook group, for discussion at the meeting. They also do field trips to various venues around East Auckland to practice street photography, reflections, shadows and other aspects of photography. Members have a range of mobile phones, but the basic principles apply to all.
World of Art Group 1
U3A Howick has two World of Art groups. World of Art 1 group’s activities have included gallery and sculpture garden visits, bring and tells, member presentations and videos by art experts. Local, Australian, American and European artists, both modern and historic, have all been of part of the group’s interests. The World of Art 1 group has explored sculpture, painting and even beach art. The regular meetings are at Bruce McLaren on the third Mondays of the month at 10am. You are welcome to ask to join the group by using the Contact Us button.
Book Discussion Group
The Book Discussion Group generally discusses the various books members have read during the past month, resulting in wide ranging input and views. In August, Linley Jones, local author from Half Moon Bay met with the group to talk about the various books she has written for children, teens and adults. She shared how her ideas evolve, her process of writing and the occasional challenges of meeting the needs of publishers. Some of her stories for children are now used in Australian and US schools and her adult short stories including a number of those in her collection, “Apple Tea And Camel Pee” have received awards. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month. Contact Us for further details.
Walks and Talks Groups
The Walks and Talks group meets monthly on a Friday morning to explore and learn about the area in which we live, by going on a shared walk together. The group also discusses the history of the place visited. Any members who enjoy walking can join the group and it caters to most levels of capability. Some of the group walk slowly and others walk faster, with a few way out front! There is generally a shorter loop for anyone who does not want to walk the whole distance. Walks last about an hour, with plenty of stops to enjoy and talk about the views and the history. Some of the walks the group has done, include: The Panmure and Mangere Bridges, the Panmure Basin, the Cascade Waterfall and Highbrook Park. Every month a new place is explored. Contact Us if you are interested in joining this group.
Movie Group
The Movie Group meets monthly shortly after the general meeting on the second Monday afternoon of the month. We bring along our own lunch and after lunch, we watch a movie on a particular theme. This year we have watched movies based on real life controversial stories and they have covered an interesting range of issues including: medico-legal (Taking Care of Maya), human rights (The Banker) and inspirational (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story), as some examples. The group also attends movies at the Monterey Theatre from time to time. Movie Group Meetings are followed by discussion and tea.
Current Affairs Group
The Current Affairs Group meets monthly on the second Wednesday afternoon of the month. Generally we choose a topic at the previous meeting to discuss at the following meeting, with a short period at the start to cover burning issues of the day which might have arisen in the interim. Members do some research in the topic prior to the meeting. Some issues covered have been Artificial Intelligence, the Israel-Gaza situation, the Chinese economy and its likely impact on NZ, the concept of co-governance and India as a trading partner. The next proposed topic is Crime, Prison and Rehabilitation. Meetings are generally facilitated with members having diverse views, resulting in robust discussion.
Military History Group
The Military History Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 2pm. They discuss various historical events relating to war. On occasion they visit the cinema to watch movies such as “Lancaster” and go on visits, such as a recent one to Avspecs at Ardmore Airport, where they were able to hear about progress in the restoration of WWII Mosquito bomber NZ2308. The plane is built of a balsa composite 3 ply birch wood and was a very fast plane for its job during WWII, being powered by two Rolls Royce Merlin v-12 engines.
Gardenz
The Gardenz Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 10am. They visit various gardens such as the Auckland Botanic Gardens and the Parnell Rose Gardens. At other times they meet to discuss topics like Planning a Garden or The Maori Planting Calendar.
World Of Art 2
The World of Art 2 Group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 1.30pm at the Bruce McLaren Theatre. They discuss various artists and their works. Some members like to do an individual presentation on a particular artist and to show pieces of their work. The group meeting concludes with a cup of tea or coffee.
NZ History 2
NZ History 2 meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 2pm. Topics have included the NZ Wars, past Prime Ministers of NZ and the history of the Great South Road. The group also undertakes field trips to historical sites. New members are most welcome.
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