Chairman’s Speech

Leonard Suransky

AGM Atlantic Seaboard

12.06.2025

Welcome all.  Thank you for helping us making Seapoint Place our new home for the second year. It has started out as a very good year.   Our membership has grown by about 45-50 new members which is reassuring.

We continue to have difficulty reaching out to new 60-70 year olds, but that is true of most u3a’s in the Western Cape.  Any ideas about how to engage that generation? One conjecture is that they are so taken up by their social WhatsApp groups, their podcasts, and now by AI as their new best friend, that they no longer need face-to-face meetings!  We do.

Our dedicated committee of five members works hard to keep our Atlantic Seaboard U3a going, but our secretary/treasurer Gaby has finally been permitted to retire. Please let us give Gaby a huge hand of applause for her sterling work over the decades. //// We must admit we are having difficulty filling her shoes. Hilary has courageously volunteered to take on the financials that Gaby handled so well, but we would appreciate help here.    

Joining our committee is not a large burden.  The committee meets for only two hours once a month.  Only two hours a month! And much of our work is done on WhatsApp. I should also mention Julianna Organe who has moved to Noordhoek and who manages our Data Base so well. Julianna is the person who sends you all announcements about all our activities and some of what is happening at other U3a’s, especially Derick Rule’s popular tours.

Please step up yourself or suggest someone who you know who could help us out. It’s actually great fun most of the time and you would be contributing to enlivening and enhancing the lives of us 3rd agers.

Sue, our publicity and groups committee member, has finally launched our full website this week.   When we have sorted out our Nedbank problems you will be able to EFT your annual subscription, giving us your name, email and phone #. Events, Courses, and all Atlantic Seaboard information can be found there. Simply google ‘Atlantic Seaboard U3A’ and you will find the latest information.  Ask Sue for the exact address: https://www.u3a-atlanticseaboard.co.za

At Sea Point Place in this hall we have had an impressive array of speakers each month. Most recently Irina Filatova and John Matisson.   Any ideas for new speakers?

In April Julie arranged a very interesting tour of parliament with Michael Bagraim. About 20 of us came and marvelled at the historic buildings. We avoided the still burnt-down main parliament.  We were lucky enough to meet and visit the office of the DA chief John Steenhuisen. That was Steenhuisen before our SA delegation visited Trump in the oval office, where he tried to inform him that there is no wholesale genocide going on in our lovely land.  

We are hoping to have some additional visits, perhaps a tea and scones at the Winchester, or a visit to the Aquarium.   Julie organizes these events but this is an example of where we need your recommendations and your help.  Engage her with your ideas

This year is the 25th anniversary of the founding of U3a in South Africa by Sylvia Schrire and her husband. There are in the region of 10,000 members across South Africa bringing education, entertainment and community to so many of us.   There will be a celebratory event at the Baxter on August 28th, particularly for founding members but there is room for some others.  Approach Julie

Any Apologies?

The previous minutes were accepted and seconded, as was the income statement.

Existing Committee members Julie, Leonard, Sue, Hilary and Julianna are prepared to stand again. Do we have any proposed  nominations to join our committee? Please vote your committee back in.

Huge thanks to our volunteers Veronica Garde, Carol Barnett, Sheena Kaal, Adele Saven and others who keep us going at our two front desks. 

We had one interesting new course on  Enneagrams with Kit Hodges, where we each learned we were one of 9 species of people. Hilary will offer ‘Deepening relationships’ later in the year if there is interest.

Join me in applauding our grateful thanks to Gerald Schaeffer and his Seapoint Place team for welcoming us and for taking such good care setting up the hall and providing the video and electronic equipment.

Also great thanks to Mione and her team of gracious and charming tea and coffee servers, especially their delicious home-made biscuits.

Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support and please try and draw in any of your friends, family or associates to join us.  Its good fun and keeps us young and on our feet, if not on our toes.