A September ‘Hello’ to all members.
Thank you for the significant response to our online AGM and for supporting the resolutions. As Barrie stated in his August message he did not expect to be our chairman beyond April‘s AGM. During the period between the March lockdown and now there was lots of correspondence to deal with, decisions to make and frequent Zoom meetings to attend by the Chair. On behalf of all of us at Hucknall and District U3A we extend our thanks to Barrie for carrying on and for remaining on the committee until April 2022.
We would also like to thank Melvyn Francis for standing as Vice Chair and to Greg Umney who has taken on the role of Membership Secretary following on from Marguerite who did a great job for the maximum term of 6 years.
What we are experiencing today is unprecedented in our lifetime. However we know about the ‘Spanish Flu’ and from an even earlier time the Black Death. In the spring of 1918 Mother Nature unleashed the deadliest strain of influenza in modern history. The virus infected as much as 40 percent of the global population over the next 18 months. Of these, an estimated 20 to 50 million died — more than the roughly 17 million people killed during the First World War. Spain was one of only a few major European countries to remain neutral during World War I. Unlike in the Allied and Central Powers nations, where wartime censors suppressed news of the flu to avoid affecting morale, the Spanish media was free to report on it in detail. Hence it was referred to as the ‘Spanish Flu’.
Today we are adapting our lifestyles to minimise the spread and effects of Covid-19. As we are aware older people usually suffer more severe effects than young people, this means it is even more important for U3As to adopt a common sense, safety first, approach to restarting activities. National U3A advice follows from the current Government advice which changes as circumstances change.
David Rose, Chairman