U3A stands for University of the Third Age. The term third age means no longer in full time work. U3A provides opportunities for people to meet, share experiences and pursue commonly held interests.
The club meets monthly with a guest speaker who has unique experience in their field. Interest (study) groups meet at other times and it is encouraged that members belong to at least one study group.
The annual subscription is $30.
Subscription due on the 1st February.
From the President
Kia ora
Welcome to our March Newsletter.
Our speaker last month was Anthony Bush. What a great start it was to his session with everyone up to follow his instructions for squats. That set the tone for the talk “Exercise is Medicine”. This was one of our best recorded attendances for any talk. Anthony commented afterwards that our group came across as a very active group of members.
Following on from Anthony’s talk I wonder if there is anyone interested in starting a Walking Group. Anthony noticed that we did not have such a group.
The speaker for this March meeting will be Adele Jackson.
Title: Sno-Cats and crevasses: The first overland crossing of Antarctica.
An enormous bright orange Sno-Cat and a shiny red Ferguson tractor are hero objects in Canterbury Museum’s Antarctic collection. They both made history as vehicles of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-58. The Sno-Cat is one of four used by Sir Vivian Fuchs in the first overland traverse across the Antarctic continent from Shackleton Base (Weddell Sea coast) to Scott Base (Ross Sea coast) via the South Pole. Controversially, Sir Edmund Hillary overstepped his depot-laying remit and drove his Ferguson tractor all the way to the South Pole to become the first person to reach 90°S overland since Captain Robert Falcon Scott in 1912. This talk is a journey into the ups and downs of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition and into the stories of these two iconic expedition vehicles.
Annual Subscriptions are now overdue. The information about paying is below. From April membership fees unpaid will be treated as a resignation and no further emails or newsletters will be sent. If you need to check whether you have paid you will see that on the sign in sheet at each meeting.
In keeping with our goal of social interaction, if you are sitting or standing next to someone you do not know or who is new to the club, please introduce yourself
Ngā Mihi
Lynne Bull
Next meeting
Date: 12 March 2025
Venue: Mohoao Room, Te Hapua: Halswell Centre
Chairs: 9.30 am (assistance appreciated)
Tea/coffee: 9:45 am
AGM: 10 am Nomination form 2025
General Meeting: 10:15 am
Guest: Adele Jackson
Topic: “Sno-Cats and crevasses: The first overland crossing of Antarctica. “
Membership Information
2025 subscription fee $30:
Pay online by direct credit to 38-9018-0256312-00 South West Christchurch U3A, and include your family name, your given name, and U3A2025 in the reference fields.
Alternatively pay with cash by putting the cash in an envelope with your family name, given name, U3A 2025 sub on the outside of the envelope and hand this to the Treasurer at a meeting.
Or pay directly into the bank account given above
Planned Speakers
| Date | Speaker | Topic |
| 12 March | Adele Jackson | Sno-cats and Crevasses: The first overland crossing of Antarctica |
| 9 April | Dr Sarah Kessans | Taking New Zealand Science to New Heights |
| 14 May | Dr Kyla-Loiuse Horn | Neuron-degenerative Research at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute |
These are the speakers for the next few months, but be aware that things can change
SWU3A online courses
Members can use the on-line courses our group has subscribed to by logging on to our website.
Please ask for the login and password if you are interested. The courses we have subscribed to for the year are free but if there are other courses you are interested in there is a small charge.