Group Leaders Bulletin, March 2025
Why a Group Leaders Bulletin?
The Group Leaders Bulletin is intended to inform group leaders about new developments in IGO and also includes reminders about how various things work – usually because we have had queries from members about these.
It is sent out once a month to avoid overloading you with emails. Please do read it to keep up with what is going on. All our policies and procedures are described in the Help and Information section of the website, and if you have a question, it is a good idea to look there first – remember that if all else fails, you should read the instructions…
From now on, I will include a list of questions which group leaders have sent in the previous month together with our answers. Questions and comments can prompt changes to our policies or facilities.
Group Leaders Meeting
This will be held on the 12 March at 3 pm on Zoom. You will receive an invitation and an agenda before the meeting. A meeting report will be circulated after the meeting. Some of the items discussed here will also be discussed at the meeting. Please let us know if there is something you would like us to discuss at the meeting.
Admission of members to groups on Beacon
We currently advise that members should normally join groups through the Beacon Members Portal, but that group leaders may add members if there are problems. We are going to remove the latter option in the near future because it leaves us open to possible data security breaches. In future, members should join groups through the Members Portal, but if they are unable to do this, they should contact
Membership renewal
Members (including you) have already received reminders about membership renewal which is due on the 31st March. Members who have not renewed by then will appear in red in Beacon. You may want to remind such people that they need to renew their membership before the end of April as anyone who has not done so will be deemed to have lapsed their membership and will be removed from groups and IGO.
This is necessary in the interest of fairness. Paid-up members on the waiting list must have priority over group members who have not paid their subscriptions. You should update your waiting list on the 1st May accordingly.
Group Leaders Training
The informal Group Leaders meeting suggested that group leaders would benefit from training, so we have set up a New Group Leaders training meeting to be held once a month. Existing group leaders may also join via the Members Portal. This training will cover basic Zoom skills for Group Leaders, Beacon Management, the IGO code of conduct and some guidelines for setting up a new group.
We also have a Zoom Help group and a Beacon Familiarisation group which group leaders can join on the Members Portal.
Cameras ON or OFF during Zoom meetings
Our policy is that it is not compulsory for group members to have their cameras on during Zoom meetings. It is clearly set out in the Group Leaders Guidance.
Some group leaders have reported that they are uncomfortable when someone attending a meeting cannot be seen and have asked that IGO have a mandatory “cameras on” policy at Zoom meetings. However, members who currently choose to have their 'camera off' for personal, health, disability or technical reasons would be excluded from IGO if such a policy was adopted. This has caused considerable worry for some people over whether such an enjoyable and valuable part of their lives might be taken away. Recent reassurance that the policy is not changing has led to expressions of great relief.
A fundamental part of u3a and IGO policy is inclusivity, and a mandatory “cameras on” policy would be in breach of this. We will, however, continue to strongly encourage members to have their cameras on during discussions, if they are able to do so and continue to remind members of this in News Extra and in New Members meetings.
AI tool in Zoom
This tool creates a summary of what has been said at the meeting. It does the same as a minute taker, though better in some ways, and worse in others. Some group leaders are already using it (with the consent of group members) and find it very useful.
However, we are not sure if it is available to groups using an IGO Zoom account and we are looking into this. We will therefore continue to de-activate the AI tool in IGO Zoom accounts for now. If anyone knows more about this, please let us know.
Group leaders using their personal Zoom accounts may wish to use it but should get consent from group members.
Creating a group register using Beacon
Following a request from a group leader, we have activated a Beacon feature which allows you to create a list of group members in a spreadsheet. You do this by going to the Members tab in your Beacon group page, selecting the members you want to add to the list, and at the bottom, clicking on the “v” beside “Send email”. You will get this:
Select “Download Excel” and click “Do with selected”. You will get this screen which gives you additional options:
We strongly recommend that you do not download members email addresses, phone numbers or emergency contacts as you will then have to ensure that you comply with data protection laws. No-one else should be able to access the information and you must delete the details of anyone who leaves your group.
Waiting lists
Our policies and procedures relating to waiting lists are outlined in Group Leaders Guidance
The group leader decides what the maximum number in the group should be. When the number in the group reaches this number, Beacon informs anyone who applied to join the group that it is full and gives them the option of joining the waiting list.
When someone leaves a group, creating a vacancy, Beacon does not do anything. When a group has been full and a vacancy occurs, the group leader should check the membership and add the member who has been waiting longest.
Group leaders must not remove members from the waiting list. A member who wants to leave the group should leave themselves using the Members Portal.
If a group has a long waiting list which lasts for a significant length of time, we propose to explore the possibility of setting up a second group in the same way as we deal with Potential groups. The people on the waiting list will be invited to a meeting where they will consider whether they can form and run the group. The group leader of the existing group will not be expected to join this meeting or take any part in the new group unless they themselves express an interest in doing so but may be invited to provide some guidance about how they run the current group.
We use the information on Beacon to update the information on the group webpage as to whether the group has vacancies or has a waiting list. This process is done manually three times a week, so the information on the website is not always up to date.
IGO Zoom bookings calendar
This is attached. It shows all the Zoom bookings for March and April. If you are not sure that your Zoom meeting has been booked, please check this first before contacting me.
All existing IGO Zoom meetings have been booked until the end of June. Most have been booked until the end of December.
Beacon calendar
The Beacon meetings calendar for March is attached. Members can view this from the Beacon Members Portal. Please note that entries here do not appear automatically – they have to be generated using the “Schedule” tab in Beacon.
Generic Zoom calendar
This is attached. Each day is split into three cells which have different colours. This is to show which groups are assigned to which of our three Zoom accounts to make it easier to check for free slots – it should not concern you unless you want to change the time or day of your group meetings, and need to check when there are free slots, or do not currently use an IGO Zoom account and want to see when you could have a slot. Note that the labels are not the same as those used on Beacon.
Please also note that I compile the calendar “by hand” from the Zoom accounts so it may not always be accurate. If you notice any errors, please let me know. The calendar can also change from day to day as new groups start up or groups change their slots.
Accessing Beacon
It is not always clear to new group leaders they have to use a different link to access Beacon as a group leader, and to access it as a member. Here are the two links:
Also note that the administration address is the same for all u3as, so you need to select “Interest Groups Online” from the drop-down menu when you are accessing it. Each u3a has its own Members Portal, and you need to make sure you are using the appropriate Members Portal, if you are also in a local u3a.
Queries from Group Leaders in February
How do I mute a member in an IGO Zoom account meeting?
You will need to request the host code which you can then use to make yourself host. This allows you to mute, or even remove, a member from the meeting. See IGO Zoom accounts
Can I set up break-out rooms using an IGO Zoom account?
You will need to request the host code – this will allow you to set up break-out rooms. See IGO Zoom accounts. Please note that the break-out room facility is not available on tablets and smartphones.
Can I generate a group register from Beacon?
Yes, see above and Beacon for Group Leaders.
How do I update my group web-page?
You should fill in and submit the Group Description form
Is there a lower age limit to join Interest Group Online?
There is no lower age limit. However, we would also like the current membership to remain stable. Occasionally a younger member who is out of work for a variety of reasons might apply to IGO and since they are technically retired, it would be lovely if they could be welcomed.
Does IGO have a mandatory camera-on policy for group meetings?
No – see above and Group Leaders Guidance
Group Leader Bulletin location
This month’s bulletin and previous versions are available at Group Leaders Bulletin Archive. I am also attaching a PDF version which you can download
Thank you
To all our group leaders for your sterling work!
From Catherine, on behalf of the IGO team
You can contact anyone on the team using this email