If you were in a class on Monday afternoon 31 August, you would have seen some visitors being shown around the Hub – see the photo above. They were from U3A Network Victoria and Melbourne City U3A, accompanied by a staff member of the City of Melbourne. They were impressed with how welcoming our U3A is and the comradeship between members, volunteers and City of Whitehorse staff.
In this edition, there is advance notice of enrolment dates and limits; some hints about using Member Wizard; reminders about the car park and absences; and an invitation to join us for the Whitehorse Seniors Month Grand Opening.
Enrolment for 2027
Enrolment in 2027 classes will open on Monday 23 November for existing members, and on Wednesday 25 November for new members.
The initial class limit will again be three (3) ‘General Classes’ (including those you are on the wait list for). You will be able to enrol in short Art, Computer and Summer School classes in addition to these. The General Class limit will be increased to eight (8) on Monday 30 November.
Course booklets will be available by the middle of November, when courses will also be visible on the website.
Member Wizard
Have you already registered in Member Wizard? So far, over 2000 members have successfully registered, and can now use the system to enrol online, view their enrolments, or enter apologies for classes. So, if you haven’t registered, and wish to be able to use Member Wizard, please do so well before 2027 enrolments in November. See the quick guide for Members or you can pick up a hard copy from the Reception Desk.
Apologies
Please note that the Apology function in Member Wizard, available from within the ‘My Classes’ menu option of the Member Portal, has been improved so that you can now enter apologies for all your classes in one action.
Accessing Member Wizard
Member Wizard is used by many U3As and other organisations, each one with its own version. You can access OUR version of Member Wizard in the following ways:
- go to our website (u3anunawading.org.au) and click Member Wizard in the menu
- bookmark/save the link to Member Wizard in your favourites so you can go straight there next time
One way you CAN’T get to our system is by searching for Member Wizard!
Wizard help is at hand
If you need help to register, or with any questions about Member Wizard, you can either book an “Appy Hour” session through the Reception Desk or ask for help at Reception. One of our Committee members, Computer Leaders or AV/IT support team will be able to help.
Ken Briscoe. Course Admin
Absences
Remember, if you are going away for three (3) weeks or more you need to put in an apology.
If you are going to be away for all of Term 4, ask to be withdrawn from the class to make room for another member who can attend. If you do not ask to be withdrawn you may find you have been withdrawn by a member of the Course Admin team.
Car park
Issues in the car park have once again come to our attention. If you happen to scratch or dint another car in the car park, please do the right thing and leave your details on the windscreen. It is very distressing for the member who returns to their car and finds it damaged and no note. We are better than that.
Seniors Month Grand Opening
We look forward to seeing you all at the Opening of the City of Whitehorse and U3A Nunawading Seniors Month at the Hub on Thursday 1 October. Come and support your U3A entertainers.
New classes in Term 4
26HUM025 Keep Your Brain Active Term 4. Tuesday 9:30 to 11 am, Meeting Room 5. Leader Tom Edwards.
It is as important to maintain cognitive function as we age as it is to maintain our bodily health. It is necessary to have a variety of types of stimuli and not just the one such as crosswords. This we can achieve with the many types of logic puzzles available: the misuse of probabilities and statistics; optical illusions; magic tricks; any phenomenon that makes us think outside the box, that gives us an Ah Ha moment.
This class will make you think but it will not be stressful – it will be great fun. This class will run in Term 4 in 2026 and is a repeat of the classes run in Terms 1&2.
26ARTS13 Digital SLR Camera Term 4. Friday 9:15 – 11:15 am, 6 weeks from 9 October. Studio 6. Leader Moses Tan. This is a repeat of the Term 3 class.
The Complete Digital SLR Camera Course
This concise course of 6 lessons is for those who wish to master their Digital SLR (or mirrorless) cameras in order to make great photographs, be it in landscape, portrait, or action.
You will learn to achieve perfect exposure, control perspective, and depth of field. Theory and the best settings for your camera will be explained simply; and practical sessions abound in the classroom.
You will also be shown how to optimise your images using free software. (Caveat: each lesson builds on the previous one; my advice, enrol only if you are able to attend all 6 sessions.)
26EXES18 Lawn Bowls Introduction Term 4. Wednesday 1 pm – 3 pm. Blackburn North Bowling Club 93 Springfield Road directly opposite Blackburn High School (use Heppner Street to access parking and entry into the venue). Leader John Blasetti.
Come and be introduced to the royal and ancient outdoor/indoor game of skill and fellowship – lawn bowls. This class is an entry level session for both the novice and the lapsed bowler. Accredited coaches will introduce students to the basics of the game.
Each session will include theory and hands-on practice, covering the following topics: 1. Bowls terminology, rules, and etiquette 2. How to deliver the bowl 3. Formats of play – Singles, Pairs, Triples and Pennant 4. Tactics, bowling to win.
The Club will provide all requisite equipment. Participants are required to wear flat-soled footwear (runners / trainers) or go barefoot. Note: Students are only entitled to participate for a single U3A term per year free of charge.
26SCI012 Exploring Space Science Term 4. Wednesday 10:30 am – 12 noon, Studio 4. Leader Christina Hart.
See the description in the Science article
26SCI023 The Technology of Metals Term 4. Wednesday 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm, Studio 5. Leader Ron Barker.
See the description in the Science article
Elsie Mutton OAM
Course Administrato