u3a - March 25 News Extra

IGO March 25 News Extra

Dear member - it’s that time of the year again when your membership is up for renewal. I hope you want another year with Interest groups online. In this March News Extra we have some info about new groups, a few notices for your attention and a short quiz to tax your little grey cells - enjoy.

Helen Titherington, Trust Volunteer – IGO News Extra Editor

Leaving a Group?

If you no longer want to attend a group, please remove yourself via Beacon. It would be very helpful to all because this will free up space for other members who do want to attend and Group leaders will have a better idea of who is in each group. Members should join AND leave groups by accessing the members Beacon portal themselves - then click on their group in the A to Z listing and follow the instructions

If a member has difficulty doing this they should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Groups and Introductory Meetings

New Groups

Introductory Meeting

Italian - Tuesday 25 March at 5pm

Join all groups via Beacon

New Group - What are you watching?

First Sunday in the Month 2-3.30pm

Tastes in what people watch on TV differ widely. We decide individually what we want to watch. At our meetings, each member of the group talks about what they have been watching - fiction, documentary, wildlife crime, comedy or whatever. The other members can then exchange views about it. Sometimes, the group may decide that they will all watch a programme which has been discussed and explore it further

Julian, group leader

Join via Beacon

Groups with Specific Subjects in their Calendar

19 March - Military History - The Balkan Wars - The Rigby Jones Brothers
20 March - World History - India Foundation talk
25 March - Geology - Anglesey
31 March - Family history for beginners - Census Returns
31 March - Social History - Witchcraft
1 April - 40 Question Quiz - Board Games, Tabletop Games
2 April - British Cementaries - the work of the National Federation of Cemetery Friends
7 April - Science and Technology - Why Hydrogen?
8 April - Read Write Discuss - All things English

Follow the link to the Beacon calendar for all group dates

green and white flag with red dragon flying in wind

Introductory Meeting - Italian

Introductory meeting scheduled for Tuesday 25th March at 5pm

News Extra Format Feedback

63% preferred Padlet versions

25% liked all three versions

12% only liked the traditional News Extra

Be assured we will make all three versions available - you choose ...

old fashioned cinema with red velvet chairs

Coffee and Conversation - Leaders - Helen and Fergus

Next meetings and times plus conversation openers:

27th March, 3pm, A game you play or watch
7th April, 10am, Elder Orphans

Join via Beacon

graphic created with words to describe what you can use canva for

Five brain Teasers

In the Roman calendar there were three phases of the moon depicting times of the month - Kalends around the first day - Nones around the fifth to the seventh day - Ides around the thirteenth to the fifteenth day. What makes the Ides of March particularly portentous?
In the 1865 book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland the illustrator was John Tenniel - his March Hare appears with straw around the head - straw like this commonly depicted what type of behavior?
What are the two Counties which make up the English border in the Welsh Marches?
What was the real name of George Eliot who wrote Middlemarch in 8 installments during the 1870s?
March of the Mods was a dance craze in the mid 1960s - which British band leader made a record of the same title?

a dress made for Darcey Bussell with gold and silver embroidery.

Answers at the end

Your Display Name

Naming your screen when zooming with IGO

The u3a trust advises members to name their screen in one of two ways

Your full name, OR Your first name and your IGO membership number

For me that would be Helen Titherington OR Helen 2279.

This helps Group Leaders to identify all the people in meetings and makes meetings more secure.

My zoom account is installed on my IPAD and I have two ways of making and editing my Display Name

Via my account profile - this sets my display name for all future meetings until I decide on an edit
During a meeting I can click on participants at the bottom of the screen, find my name and tap rename to change it - but this only lasts for the duration of that particular meeting

Renewing Your Membership

Every member gets 4 renewal notices around this time of year including this one - the annual fee is £12

Ask for help if you find this difficult

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Group Leaders Sending Emails

A reminder for group leaders regarding sending emails to group members:

PLEASE always use your admin in Beacon access

Click on groups then your group then members
Then at the top click Select those you want to email and at the bottom click Do with Selected then you will see your email page waiting for your message
When you have completed your message REMEMBER to push the send button …
To check whether your email has been sent and delivered click on the email delivery option on the admin home page.

Brain Teaser Answers

The Ides of March fell on the first full moon of the new year which was felt to portent great significance
Madness
Herefordshire and Shropshire
Mary Ann Evans
Joe Loss

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