Group leaders discussed a wide range of creative and administrative ideas
beryl sinclair
Leaders representing 15 or so groups took part in wide-ranging discussions in a meeting held at St Joseph’s on Thursday 7 July. Among the topics covered were: use of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses); advertising and promotion of groups; opening our groups to other u3as and non-members; succession planning and assistance for group leaders; planning of future topics for group meetings; promoting inclusivity to group members who don’t have access to computers; use of Beacon database; venues; and suggestions for new groups.
All the group leaders who attended agreed that it was a very worthwhile meeting and lots of potentially useful ideas came out of it.
One thing that was agreed by all was that group leaders often need another person to help organising and running their groups. They can help with planning and administrative tasks and give group members an alternative point of contact in the case of holidays and suchlike, when a group leader may be unavailable. Why not offer some time to help with the running of groups you are a member of? Please speak to the leader of your group if you feel you could offer some assistance.
Gareth Balle