University of the Third Age (U3A) Mount Gambier’s newly re-elected president Carole Ryan is looking forward to the arrival of “the new normal” after a testing year for the community organisation which caters to active retirees.
“COVID-19 restrictions and well-founded reticence to attend activities have obviously seen the numbers attending significantly reduced,” Mrs Ryan said in her annual report.
“Hopefully our membership of 2020 appreciated the waiving of the member’s fee for 2021, with the fee for 2022 being unchanged from 2020.”
The organisation has about 180 members and offers a wide range of interest groups aimed at keeping people’s minds and bodies active.
Highlights for the year included securing a $3850 grant from the State Government to provide exercise classes and the success of an online course run by geology group leader Bob Dalgarno.
Another highlight was the Christmas picnic in the Crater Lakes area attended by more than 40 members.
About 70 people attended Friday’s annual meeting which returned Trish Wolinski as vice-president, Rosemary Carter as secretary and Stuart Stansfield as treasurer, along with committee members Stephanie Yoannidis and Helen Drinkell and Chris Willoughby as past president.
Mrs Ryan welcomed new committee member Tatiana Joukoff and thanked retiring members Gayle Green and former president Doreen Kennedy.
Mount Gambier Hospital general surgeon Associate Professor Matthias Wichmann was guest speaker for the event.
