President's Address 2026

AGM 16 MARCH 2026

The last twelve months was a very busy year for our U3A. Our 30th Anniversary Lunch at the Wainui Golf Club was the highlight and was a great success, and although I have already thanked all those who helped, let me just reinforce if it were not for those members who gave their time willingly, the event would not have been the success that it was. It was particularly pleasing to have early Presidents Maureen Christensen and Graham Lamont and the President of U3A Takapuna the club that supported and sponsored our establishment, and the President of the U3A Auckland Network, all with us at the event.

The other matter that focussed my attention for much of the year was the request by the new Head Librarian at the Whangaparaoa Library to both reduce the number of our groups using the Pohutukawa Room from about fifteen to six, and to move our meeting times of those six groups to the afternoon. She also decided that to recover costs attributed to the Pohutukawa Room, we and other community groups would have to pay for the usage of the room.

This decision meant that there was a need to find venues for many of our groups and I am very grateful, particularly to Maureen Jansen, for all her help and advice as we both visited and negotiated with many venues to ensure that our groups had the best possible locations for their meetings. Unfortunately, as we now must pay for the Pohutukawa Room and most other venues that we use. our hire costs for venues will rise substantially from $,1000 last year to approximately $8,000 this year. This includes this hall which we will use this year for our General Meetings.

Last year we applied for a grant of $7,700.00, to help cover these new costs, from the Hibiscus Coast and Bay Local Board but only, but gratefully, received a grant of $1,000. Many of the 67 local community groups that also applied for grants received either nothing or received as small a percentage as we did.

Our membership fees have risen a modest amount to $35 for an individual and $60 for a couple to help cover all our new costs, mainly related to our venues.

A couple of final points on the matter of venues.

At the 30th Anniversary Luncheon we heard from our Inaugural President Maureen Christensen that she was invited to be on a Council committee that advised the Council on the design of the Whangaparaoa Library. When she saw that the lobby was huge, she suggested that they reduce this area and put in a meeting room which she saw as an ideal place for her U3A groups to meet. Even back then finding suitable venues was proving elusive. Today the Librarian for some reason does not see U3A as a community group as our activities are for seniors only!

As Maureen and I were on the hunt for venues, it occurred to me that we might be better off if we had our own accommodation which we could use for all our groups and our General Meetings. My previous U3A on the Gold Coast in Queensland had its own space, and its use was most beneficial.

At the 30th Anniversary Luncheon I announced that I would be investigating a proposal to fund the building or leasing our own dedicated accommodation. At the next meeting of our Management Committee, I presented a draft document proposing that we pursue my proposal. The main element of the proposal was that all costs would come from grants, such the casino and lottery grant, i.e. that our U3A would get our own accommodation at no cost. Unfortunately, there was little or no enthusiasm for the project from the Committee, so I have not taken the proposal any further.

The really good news though is that appears that we should have a record number of members this year pf in excess of 270, which will make us amongst the biggest U3As in Auckland. I believe that amongst the reasons for this has been both the vibrancy of our 26 groups and the new groups that began in 2025 including Hand Drumming, Mindful Walking, Poetry Writing, Religious Studies and Literature.

I want to thank all the Convenors of all of our groups for their enthusiasm and commitment to their groups and the members who attend them. Without each of you our U3A would not be as strong as it is.

To finish it would be remiss of me not to thank many who have helped me this year.

First and certainly foremost is Maureen Jansen. We are particularly fortunate have someone of Maureen's enthusiasm and energy as our Secretary. Maureen is an enthusiast for the basic philosophy of U3A, and we have all benefited from the time she gives every day to our U3A. I am personally grateful to Maureen for all her advice and support during the past year, so thank you very much Maureen for all you do for all of us.

I also wish to thank those members of our Management Committee for their time and attendance at our meetings and for the work they do on behalf of all of us:

Charles Deane, our Vice President for all his advice and support.

Wendy Hawkins, Membership Secretary, who helps and processes new member applications and the not so enjoyable tasks of chasing members who have yet to pay our fees and finding members that have yet to pick up their badges.

David Shaw, our Treasurer who has had the extra task of now having to pay for the Pohutukawa Room via an arcane Council payment system, as well as other venues.

Jenny Casale, who has continued to provide us with our valuable and well-presented Newsletter.

Netta Dearsley who has been our Welfare Officer. Netta does not wish to be on the Management Committee this year but has agreed to continue as our Welfare Officer in an ex-officio capacity.

Jill Everest, who continually looks for interesting Speakers for our General Meetings

And Gavin Whyte who represents our interests on the Auckland U3A Network Committee.

And thanks also to Aileen Horspool and Jackie Ross and others who have helped with the refreshments at our General Meetings.

And last but not least, thank you our members. Without you there would no U3A Hibiscus Coast.

Peter Gillmore

President

U3A Hibiscus Coast