U3A now ready to Zoom you hours of entertainment
Lynette Timme – U3A Plett programme coordinator
AFTER a very promising start in February, the Covid-l9 lockdown stopped all U3A activities, and members must be wondering when and how we will get going again.
Our U3A committee has had several meetings, some in-house and others with members from U3A branches in George and Knysna, as well as the SA national U3A committee. Everyone is trying to ensure that we can again provide interesting and stimulating programmes, albeit in a somewhat different manner.
These committee meetings have taken place on Zoom – a program that allows participants to ‘meet’ online, enjoy seeing and hearing from each other, watch a presentation, and share in a discussion.
What are we offering? Firstly, and most importantly for new-Zoomers, are sessions in which the program is explained so everyone can learn the basics. It goes without saying that good internet connectivity, computer hardware with a microphone and video camera, as well as familiarisation with the program, will be required.
Secondly, we offer a variety of topics and discussions. Knysna U3A has many small groups running on Zoom and they are happy to include interested Plett members.
There are also many films and documentaries on the internet that could form the basis for our own discussion groups. These can be viewed in advance, and then discussed in a small Zoom group at a time convenient to all.
Our electronic newsletter this month is accompanied by two attachments, the first being the programme offered by Cape Town U3A, and the second a list of suggestions for internet programmes that you can watch on your own.
Email me at u3aplett@ gmail.com to request either of these documents. Alternatively, this is where your participation could come in useful as part of a discussion group: let us know what subjects are of interest to you.
We can then cither organise a meeting on that topic for discussion, or you may want to host such a meeting yourself.
If you have computer access and lime, familiarise yourself with Zoom and then try one of the programmes. This will entail getting into contact so we can organise the groups and the dates.