Our 20th Anniversary

Shellharbour City U3A Celebrates 20 years

 Excerpts from an address given by Allen Duff for the 20th ANNIVERSARY on 22nd JULY, 2023

Happy Anniversary everyone and isn’t it wonderful that despite the need to find new venues and live through a three-year World-wide pandemic we have not only survived but thrived. 

We are grateful to you all as we are to our current membership that is making Shellharbour City U3A such a wonderful group to be part of and where, as elders, we are together, ‘Learning with Pleasure’. Over the years many visitors to our club commented to me that there was a really good feeling of friendship that made this club feel ‘special’.

Our first meeting was Thursday, 20th March, 2003 when 120 people turned up for a ‘typical’ U3A meeting in the morning with two guest speakers and an afternoon of Trivia. A very successful raffle made some needed funds, 50-60 people handed in forms expressing an interest to join a U3A, so it was decided to proceed. 

The Inaugural Committee was President: Joe Paulucci, Vice President: Glenys Elbourn, Secretary: Ken Tuckey, Assistant: Margaret Golack,Treasurer:  Dirk Meyer, Assistant: Johanna Schmidt

That committee, like all others was amazing. Within a week they a number of classes organised and this grew weekly. Some of these were: Drama, Basic German, Basic Japanese, Change & Excitement, Geography, Computer Skills, Walking Group, Life Experiences, Tap dancing & The Plantagenets. There was always two guest speakers and a refreshing cuppa.

So Happy 20th Anniversary Shellharbour City U3A. May you thrive into the technological future and a world I am sure will be beyond my generation’s imaginings. To think that at this stage, I, like many of you, have spent one quarter of my life as a member of this organisation. It has helped fill my time and helped fulfil me as a person. Who would have thought when I was young that as an elder I would have the opportunity to keep my brain active by learning what I wanted to learn, mix with people I wanted to know and be an active participant in a life that makes me happy.

Allen’s complete presentation can be found on our History page …