Fortnightly News 25/9/2026

Issue 19 of 2026            25 September 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Sunday 4 October – Daylight Saving starts

Monday 5 October – Labour Day Public Holiday – Club will be closed

Monday 19 October – 2026 AGM

WODEN SENIORS AGM

2025 Annual General Meeting

Date:   Monday 19 OCTOBER 2026

Time:   11.00 AM

Place:    Woden Seniors Club

.

Members wishing to bring business before the meeting must submit it in writing, in the form of a motion, to the Office by close of business on Tuesday 6th OCTOBER.

.

Nominations for the Management Committee must be on the prescribed form, giving the consent of the candidate and signed by two members of the Club. Completed  nomination forms must be handed in to the Office by close of business on Monday 12^TH OCTOBER.  Forms are available at the Office.

.

This year the meeting will be followed by a speaker and lunch as part of our ongoing Lunch and Learn series.

.

Our neighbour and valued Club supporter, Dr. Haisong Wang, will give a talk on seasonal care with respect to seniors’ health with a Chinese medicine perspective and there will be an opportunity for questions following the talk.

.

Following Haisong’s talk,  lunch will be served.

.

A quorum of financial members is required for the AGM to proceed and we encourage as many members who can do so to attend.  The meeting will be short – and as advised above, will be followed by a talk and lunch.

.

There is no limit to the numbers for the meeting and the talk….. HOWEVER BOOKINGS FOR LUNCH ARE ESSENTIAL for catering purposes and will cost the usual $7 or an activity  voucher.  Bookings with Polly as usual.

.

MONDAY LUNCHES

Following on the success of the winter Mondays soup lunches, Kari will make and serve lunch EVERY MONDAY as an ongoing activity.

Even if you don’t usually come to the Club on Monday – you might like to make a delicious, home-made Monday lunch one of your regular activities! 

The $10 cost is a real bargain so why not come along because in addition to the great food, there is also an opportunity to enjoy some good company.   Bookings not required – just come along    

.

MORE CARPARK REPAIRS

  

.

A sunny Saturday morning enhanced by the sound of cutting, shovelling and pounding and the smell of asphalt mix… the things some people will do for entertainment!!

.

Many many thanks to Sue and the team of Ron, Clint, Stephen, Maria, Jonathan and Richard for a job well done and for helping to make the Club’s carpark a safer place to walk.

.

THE HIGH TEA

Last week’s High Tea fundraising event was a great success.  I am reliably informed that it was enjoyed by all in attendance and that the Club’s finances have received a welcome boost.

Thanks to Kari for the organisation and to Maruta, Thelma, Monica, Helen, Julie and Kim for their contributions and assistance on the day, and thanks to the many members who donated items for the raffle baskets. 

.

FOR SALE….

                   .

A friend of one of our members has a no longer required shower stool @ $30.00 and a long handled grabber @ $10.00 for sale.  

Please contact Jenny on 0404 072 258 if you are interested.

.

.

      

.

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au     

************************

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Promoting the rights of seniors

.

Older people may raise concerns with the ACT Human Rights Commission about health services, age or disability discrimination, retirement villages, residential care, in-home support or other professional and government services. A senior may enquire anonymously, or lodge a formal complaint about abuse, neglect or financial exploitation they experienced. More information: https://www.hrc.act.gov.au/promoting-the-rights-of-older-canberrans 

.

The Australian Government also promotes the Elder Abuse Phone Line. 1800ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) is a free call that automatically connects callers seeking information and advice on elder abuse with the existing phone line service in their area. More information: https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/protecting-rights-older-australians#Phone

.

Canberra Art Biennial sculptures

The Canberra Art Biennial runs until 31 October 2026. There are some temporary sculptures around town that are good fun. If you’re in Civic, perhaps have a good laugh at The Crab perched on the portico of 40 Marcus Clark Street: https://canberradaily.com.au/canberras-big-crab/ . More information: https://hercanberra.com.au/city/arts-exhibitions/2026-canberra-art-biennial/

.

Seniors and pensioners kit

.

The Australian Government released a free Seniors and Pensioners Kit explaining current pension rates, concession cards, health services and aged care support. You can get a copy from your federal member of parliament. ACT residents can contact the office (or check website) of any of Andrew Leigh MP (Fenner), Alicia Payne MP (Canberra) or David Smith MP (Bean). Nearby NSW residents can contact the office (or check website) of Kirsty McBain MP (Eden-Monaro) or Fiona Phillips MP (Gilmore).

.

*************************************

.

More useful thoughts for the day…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Fortnightly News 11/9/2026

Issue 18 of 2026            11 September 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday 14 September – last soup day for 2026

Tuesday 15 September – Club Committee meeting

Saturday 19 September – High Tea

Sunday 4 October – Daylight Saving starts

Monday 5 October – Labour Day Public Holiday – Club will be closed

Monday 19 October – 2026 AGM

HIGH TEA  FUNDRAISER                  

Saturday 19 September – 2.30 for 3.00pm.

.

.

A bargain at $35.00 per head. 

.

This is a fundraiser for the Club and we would love to see you there.   And why not take the opportunity to bring a friend to show them our fabulous Woden Seniors?

Please let Polly know if you are planning to attend so we can be sure there will be a plentitude of yummies.

.

As before, there will be a raffle, and a basket for donations of non-perishable items for this is at the front office.

.

THANKS…

.

If you have noticed that things are looking brighter and cleaner at the Club – feel free to say thanks to Kari and her willing helpers.  This week Ron, Roger, and Vince gave the glass areas a thorough clean – under supervision of course……

.

                       

.

OFFICE TRAINEE

Members will have noticed that there are occasionally people who are NOT Polly undertaking the office duties.  Polly has a backlog of leave due and is taking it in occasional small blocks.  I’m not sure if the Committee members taking on these duties are the answer – there is a new trainee who might put us all out of a job.

.

                   

.

.

    

.

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au     

************************

.

Don’t blame me for this one…. (thanks Peter)

.

What is usually referred to as ‘black humour’…..

Old Fred’s hospital bed is surrounded by well-wishers, but it doesn’t look good. Suddenly, he motions frantically to the pastor for something to write on. The pastor lovingly hands him a pen and a piece of paper, and Fred uses his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then dies.

The pastor thinks it best not to look at the note right away, so he places it in his jacket pocket.

At Fred’s funeral, as the pastor is finishing his eulogy, he realizes he’s wearing the jacket he was wearing when Fred died.  “Fred handed me a note just before he died,” he says. “I haven’t looked at it, but knowing Fred, I’m sure there’s a word of inspiration in it for us all.”

Opening the note, he reads aloud, “Move! You’re standing on my oxygen hose!”

.

Fortnightly News 28/8/2026

Issue 17 of 2026                     28 August 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

.

Wednesday 2 September – sausage roll day

Monday 15 September – last soup day for 2026

Saturday 19 September – High Tea

Monday 19 October – 2026 AGM

.

SAUSAGE ROLLS….

.

Another opportunity to partake of the yummy home-made sausage rolls.  Available at the Club from 10.30am onwards on Wednesday 2^nd September until they run out, so don’t be late!

    .

MONDAY SOUP DAYS

.

Many thanks to the weekly soup-makers for this winter’s delicious offerings.  Last day for this year will be Monday 15 September so again, don’t miss out.  As always, the funds raised from these very enjoyable lunches support Club activities, especially our annual Christmas lunch.

.

HIGH TEA  FUNDRAISER                  

.

Last year’s High Tea was a brilliant success, both as a social occasion and as a fund-raiser for the Club.  So of course we will do it again!

Put Saturday 19^th September, 2.30 for 3.00pm in your diary – and be sure to RSVP to Polly to book a place.  Cost is $35.00 per head. 

As before, there will be a raffle, and a basket for donations of non-perishable items for this is at the front office.

.

2026 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

.

Members will know that we usually schedule our Annual General Meeting in September, but due to the unavailability of a couple of key participants, we have postponed this year’s meeting until 19th October.  Official notice and calls for notices of motion and nominations for Committee positions will be published closer to the time.

This year the meeting will be followed by a speaker and lunch as part of the Lunch and Learn series.

.

NAME BADGES

.

Polly has some name badges which have been ordered but not yet collected.  Is yours among them?

And Maureen is taking orders now for another batch of badges.  They cost $3.00 each, and Polly can take your order and money.

.

       

.

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au     

.

.

For the morning haters….

.

* Good morning is a contradiction of terms.

* Never face facts;  if you do you’ll never get up in the morning.

* I hate mornings, they start too early.

* Morning comes whether you set the alarm or not.

* I like coffee because it gives me the illusion that I might be awake.

* There should be a rule against people trying to be funny before the sun comes up.

*Birds scream at the top of their lungs in horrified hellish range every morning at

     daybreak to warn us all of the truth;  but sadly we don’t speak bird.

.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

.

    

.

.

Fortnightly News 14/8/2026

Issue 16 of 2026                     14 August 2026

.

ANOTHER MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

.

Queanbeyan City News last week published these great photos and an equally great story about Margaret Wright,  as part of a series on remarkable Canberrans.

Many members will know that Margaret leads the Recorder Orchestra which fills our Hall with the sounds of Mozart and Vivaldi, Handel and Rachmaninoff, folk songs and sea shanties every Wednesday afternoon.

.

             

.

.

                              

.

Congratulations Margaret, and what a wonderful story!

.

Click on the link below to read the whole article.

.

https://citynewsqbn.com.au/2026/margaret-shares-the-wright-way-to-learn-and-give/

.

KARI’S LOSS – OUR GAIN

.

A family member moving to Norway has resulted in some very welcome donations of household items which really wouldn’t fit in the overhead locker.  Importantly, we now have a very spiffy new (and much needed) mini-fridge in the Anne Murray room.

.

        

.

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

******************************************************

Something to drive us all craaaazy!!

.

Eye halve a spelling checker

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marks four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight for it two say

Weather I am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

.

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the air roar rite

It’s rare lea ever wrong.

.

Eye have run this poem through

Eye am shore yore pleased to no

It’s letter perfect awl the weigh

My checker tolled me sew.

.

Fortnightly News 31/7/2026

Issue 15 of 2026                          31 July 2026

.

LUNCH AND LEARN SESSIONS – more to come

.

This excellent series is now complete, and the feedback has been uniformly appreciative of the talks and of the food and socialization which followed.

.

Plans are being hatched for some further sessions – so keep your eyes peeled for more information to come.

.

AND SPEAKING OF FOOD…

.

Soup and bread are available for lunch on Mondays for $7.00 or a voucher, and there is often some left over for those who might like to take some home.  The proceeds from soup sales go to providing our Christmas lunch.

.

We are always happy to hear from anyone who would be willing to make a pot of soup – we have a roster at the office if you would like to pick a day that would suit – and to let us know what soup you will make.  

.

AND MORE FOOD….

.

The first Wednesday of the month (5^TH August) is coming up…. and that means Kari’s magnificent sausage rolls which are available from about 10.00 onwards on the day.  If you haven’t partaken of these culinary delights yet – what are you waiting for??  A bargain at $5 each.

.

DO YOU HAVE A PARKING PERMIT?

.

If so, please please please remember to display it when parking at the Club.  The parking team (volunteer members!) who monitor for illegal parkers will greatly appreciate being able to walk straight past your car when doing their rounds.

.

If you have misplaced your permit card, please just let Polly know and she can make you a new one.  Or if you receive an infringement notice by mistake, please bring it in to Polly who can check that we have the correct number plate registered in our database.

.

POT- HOLES

.

A quiet Saturday morning and the pot-hole elves went to work with cold asphalt mix and muscle to address some of the many rough patches in the Club carpark.  Well done team – and I believe they are just waiting to see how the first ones go before filling some more.

.

                 

.

.

.

    

(Thanks Judy)

.

.

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

*************************************************

And of  course, today’s drivel: 

.

You know you’re aging when your actions creak louder than your words.

.

I used to be indecisive – but now I’m not sure.

.

If you’re old enough to know better, you’re too old to do it.

.

Age is when you are warned to slow down by a doctor instead of a policeman.

.

It’s also when your old classmates are so old and grey and wrinkled that they don’t recognise you.

.

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter.  If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

.

If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we’d be millionaires.

.

.

.

.

.

Fortnightly News 17/7/2026

Issue 14 of 2026                          17 July 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday 21 July – Club Management Committee Meeting

Friday 24 July – Online safety and scam awareness talk

Tuesday 28 July – SPICE Program – see table below.

.

Lunch and Learn

Thanks Sue Allen for the following:

Members who have attended the previous Lunch and Learn sessions have found them valuable. And when followed by such delicious lunches cooked by Kari and Julie, the survey responses were glowing.

The recent talk by Dean and Daniel from Fifth Gear, on Driving As We Age, was really positive. Especially interesting were the practical aids that are available for drivers who may need assistance with the pedals or steering wheel.

The final two Lunch and Learn Sessions are filling rapidly and come quite close together. The first is led by Hayley Bradley from the AFP talking about scams and personal safety and security.  This takes place FRIDAY 24^th July at 12 midday followed by lunch at 1pm. Lunch will be Kari’s famous sausage rolls with mashed potato and vegetables.

The last Lunch and Learn session is on TUESDAY 28^th July  at 11.30 a.m. The presenter is Dr D’Cunha speaking on the Spice program and ways to build support in the community for people with dementia and their carers. This session will be followed by a lunch of chicken curry and rice.

Booking is essential for the lunch on these days with a charge of a voucher or $7.00. If you wish to come to the talk, but not stay for lunch we would appreciate you letting us know so we can assure there are enough chairs out and any information is available to all.

As these will be last sessions under the funded government grant program, we would like feedback as to whether to continue these talks and if so what format you would like.

    .

Date	Time	Speaker/s	Topic
Friday 24th July	12.00	Act Police Seniors’ Liaison Officer Hayley Bradley	Online safety and Scam Awareness
.	.	.	.
Tuesday 28 July	11.30	SPICE Program Dr. Nathan D’Cunha	Dr D’Cunha works on the Spice Program which provides support for people with dementia.

.

Member Contribution

Thanks Vince Condon for these pics of a recent shop window display near his home, which brought back the memories below!

.

           

The first tellies were very expensive. Our first TV was rented and had a very small screen and stood on four tall, spindly legs. I think it was an Astor. Its black and white picture used to get terribly distorted most of the day and night. Talk about aggravating! The rentals company set up another TV right next to it sharing the same rooftop antenna. 

So for a week we were a two TV family, which suggested we were wealthy – which we certainly weren’t.  Anyway, by this time Dad was wondering whether our house, being in a suburb on the fringe of Melbourne, was too far from the transmission towers and we would never get to enjoy what others were raving about on talkback radio. 

The rentals company concluded that the first TV wasn’t defective and that both were suffering electrical interference from an unknown external source. About a week afterwards the interference ended. It was thought that builders had been using power saws and drills on a construction site before finishing  the project and moving on. (Back then power tools had metal alloy casings before the manufacturers moved to casings made out of very strong plastics. Sadly a friend of our family was electrocuted while using one of the early drills with a metal casing.)

 So, the builders decamped and finally our family could join civilised society to watch in the comfort of our lounge room The Cisco Kid, The Texas Rangers, The Lone Ranger and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. Ecstasy!  We children had some growing up to do before Mum and Dad would let us watch Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock and,  later on, The Twilight Zone especially when the authoritative voice of Rod Serling said words to the effect: ‘Do not try to adjust your television as we are in control. You are about to enter another dimension.’

************************

I’d be happy to print any clever, funny, interesting or otherwise! contributions from members……

.

WANTED

Kari is looking for donations of some decorative jugs to be used for the Club kitchen area décor.  Polly will be happy to receive your contributions.  Many thanks.

FREE TO GOOD HOME

        
       

.

This child-size toy kitchen bench was part of the set-up for this year’s Book Fair but won’t be needed again.  If you have or know of a child who would love to have this – be the first to let Polly know!

       

                       .

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

*************************************************

A few quotes from well-known people:

.

Santa Claus had the right idea – visit people only once a year.

.

Be careful about reading health books – you may die of a misprint.

.

I never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.

.

Only Irish coffee provides, in a single glass, all four essential food groups:

alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.

.

What’s the use of happiness?  It can’t buy you money.

Fortnightly News 3/7/2026

Issue 13 of 2026                          3 July 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday 7 July – Fifth Gear Motoring presentation – see table below.

.

CONGRATULATIONS GAIL!!

Just wonderful to be able to share this well-deserved recognition of our Gail.           

                               .

           

.

LUNCH AND LEARN

Below is a table of the remaining sessions in our Lunch and Learn program.

.

The last three sessions are on the dates/times set out in the table below and will be followed by a hot lunch. 

The cost of the lunch is $7.00 or a voucher for a maximum of 25 people, so it is essential that you book specifically for whichever lunch session/s you wish to attend.

Anyone may attend the information component session/s free of charge – however we would still appreciate you letting us know if you plan to attend the session but not the lunch so we know how many chairs to put out.     

 

Date	Time	Speaker/s	Topic
Tuesday 7th July	11.30	Dean Chapman Fifth Gear Motoring	Tailored session to show how to stay safe and confident when driving plus vehicle modifications and aids.
Friday 24th July	12.00	Act Police Seniors’ Liaison Officer Hayley Bradley	Online safety and Scam Awareness
.	.	.	.
Tuesday 28 July .	11.30	SPICE Program Dr. Nathan D’Cunha	Dr D’Cunha works on the Spice Program which provides support for people with dementia.  The program includes education, a peer support system finding ways to build confidence, stay connected, or reconnect with friends and family

.

           .

A MESSAGE TO ALL JIGSAW PUZZLERS
We are seeking volunteers to check the puzzles that are donated to us for the bookfair.  We need people to take a puzzle home and complete it to ensure it still has all its pieces.  Then to pack it up and bring it back so we can sell it next year. 

Interested?

Jigsaw puzzles we want checked will be on the library shelf in the Anne Murray room.   Simply take a puzzle home, follow the instructions inside the box and, when finished, return the puzzle to the book fair sorting table in the annex.

The library shelf will be restocked each week so please be patient   If there isn’t a puzzle there when you look there soon will be!

.

SOUP ROSTER

Sue Allen and I would love to hear from anyone who would like to make soup for one or more of our Monday soup lunches.  These lunches raise funds for the Club.  The main beneficiary is the annual Christmas lunch, but many other small projects and items have been supported by this initiative.

.

Polly has a roster sheet for anyone interested to indicate a date and type of soup and your contribution will be much appreciated by the many soup connoisseurs among us!

.

                                                .

           

                       .

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

*************************************************

.

Thanks to Ron – a source of lots of the drivel that appears at this end of the Fortnightly News……..

.

I’m getting stronger with age.

I can now lift $100 worth of groceries with one hand.

.

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

.

Taking steps to overcome my hiking addiction.

I’m not out of the woods yet.

.

My resolution was to read more.

So, I enabled the subtitles on my TV.

.

Is the opposite of a croissant a happy uncle?

.

.

Fortnightly News 19/6/2026

Issue 12 of 2026                          19 June 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Sunday 21 June – Winter Solstice.  Celebrate as you see fit   

Tuesday 23 June – LUNCH and LEARN session – Downsizing

Wednesday 1 July – SAUSAGE ROLL DAY 

.

LUNCH AND LEARN

.

Below is a table of the remaining sessions in our Lunch and Learn program.

.

The sessions are on the dates/times set out in the table below and will be followed by a hot lunch. 

The cost of the lunch is $7.00 or a voucher for a maximum of 25 people, so it is essential that you book specifically for whichever lunch session/s you wish to attend.

Anyone may attend the information component session/s free of charge – however we would still appreciate you letting us know if you plan to attend the session but not the lunch so we know how many chairs to put out.     

 

Date	Time	Speaker/s	Topic
Tuesday 23 June	11.30	Downsizing Canberra Melissa	Steps to take to help prepare for downsizing and support available.
Tuesday 7th July	11.30	Dean Chapman Fifth Gear Motoring	Tailored session to show how to stay safe and confident when driving plus vehicle modifications and aids.
Friday 24th July	12.00	Act Police Seniors’ Liaison Officer Hayley Bradley	Online safety and Scam Awareness
.	.	.	.
Tuesday 28 July .	11.30	SPICE Program Dr. Nathan D’Cunha	Dr D’Cunha works on the Spice Program which provides support for people with dementia.  The program includes education, a peer support system finding ways to build confidence, stay connected, or reconnect with friends and family

.

.

                         

                               Great lunch!

.

SOUP DAYS AND SAUSAGE ROLL DAYS

.

Home-made soup and bread will be available each Monday until September, and home-made sausage rolls on the first Wednesday each month.  With soup at $7.00 (or a voucher), sausage rolls at $5 each, and the company of friends, what better way to spend a lunch time!

.

EYE HEALTH FOR OLDER DRIVERS

.

Separately from our Lunch and Learn series, Dr. Jerome Ha, a Canberra ophthalmologist, is willing to provide a session on eye health and driving.  This is proposed for Saturday morning 25^th July and will include morning tea.

.

Because this is outside normal Club hours, we are seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to attend.

Please let Polly know if you would be interested!

.

                                                .

           

                       .

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

*************************************************

.

Once Upon a Time…

.

When Window was just a square hole in a room

Application was something written on a paper

When Keyboard was a piano and Mouse was just a rodent

When File was kept in a personally named cabinet

And Hard Drive was an uncomfortable road trip

When Cut was done with a knife and Paste with glue

When Web was a spider’s home

And Virus was the ‘flu

When Apple and Blackberry were fruits –

That’s when we had lots of time for family and friends.

************************************

.

COMMUNITY NOTICE

.

.

Fortnightly News 5/6/2026

Issue 11 of 2026                           5 June 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday 8 June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday.  Club will be closed.

Tuesday 9 June – LUNCH and LEARN session – Advance Care Planning

.

IN CASE YOU HADN’T NOTICED – WINTER !! 😤

“Tis the season” ….for coughs, colds and ‘flu.  Please be mindful of your fellow members and don’t come to the Club if you have symptoms – everyone will appreciate your consideration.

.

LUNCH AND LEARN

Below is a table of the upcoming sessions in our ongoing Lunch and Learn program.

.

The sessions are on the dates/times set out in the table below and will be followed by a hot lunch. 

The cost of the lunch is $7.00 or a voucher for a maximum of 25 people, so it is essential that you book specifically for whichever lunch session/s you wish to attend.

Anyone may attend the information component session/s free of charge – however we would still appreciate you letting us know if you plan to attend the session but not the lunch so we know how many chairs to put out.     

 

Date	Time	Speaker/s	Topic
Tues 9th June	11.30	Advance Care Planning Janine	Advance Care Planning helps with steps towards your future health care
Tues23 June	11.30	Downsizing Canberra Melissa	Steps to take to help prepare for downsizing and support available.
Tuesday 7th July	11.30	Dean Chapman Fifth Gear Motoring	Tailored session to show how to stay safe and confident when driving plus vehicle modifications and aids.
Friday 24th July	12.00	Act Police Seniors’ Liaison Officer Hayley Bradley	Online safety and Scam Awareness
.	.	.	.
Tuesday 28 July .	11.30	SPICE Program Dr. Nathan D’Cunha	Dr D’Cunha works on the Spice Program which provides support for people with dementia.  The program includes education, a peer support system finding ways to build confidence, stay connected, or reconnect with friends and family

.

.

SOUP DAYS STARTING   

Starting again on Monday 15^th June, home-made soup and bread will be available each Monday until September.  The cost is $7 or a voucher, and as in previous years, all proceeds from soup days go to providing the food and other delights at our Christmas lunch.

If there is soup remaining at the end of lunch time, we have some takeaway containers available!!

.

SAUSAGE ROLLS

The first of a series of sausage roll days this week – yumm yumm!  Thanks Kari for this initiative – watch this space for the date for the next

sausage roll day.  At just $5.00 each these home-made delights are an absolute bargain. 

.

CAN YOU HELP?

Our kitchen team are looking to source a food mixer – on a stand, not hand-held – to keep at the Club for whipping cream, mixing cakes etc.  Do you have a Mixmaster or Kenwood  or similar food mixer you no longer need and would be willing to donate?

.

Please let Polly know if you can help. 

.

EYE HEALTH FOR OLDER DRIVERS

Separately from our Lunch and Learn series, Dr. Jerome Ha, a Canberra ophthalmologist, is willing to provide a session on eye health and driving.

This is proposed for Saturday morning 25^th July and will include morning tea.

.

Because this is outside normal Club hours, we are seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to attend.

.

Please let Polly know if you would be interested!

.

.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTION

Thanks to one of our members for the following wise words.

.

Certainty and Clarity

Many of us are considering future living options – to stay at home, to “right”-size, to live with children or relatives.

Here is what is certain: almost nothing – we rarely know exactly what will happen.

.

But here is what can provide clarity: working out your options, and the pros and cons of each. Getting clarity can ease financial and emotional pressures for you and your family. It is important to get clarity about costs of staying at home, costs of moving if that is what you might want to do, where you want to live, ongoing costs, your potential support needs and what they will cost, having a contingency for emergencies, and what is becoming an increasingly talked about issue – loneliness. At the root of these considerations is how long you might live for and how your retirement income (whether pension or superannuation or other income) sustains you over time.

There is no age limit to thinking about these things. And it is never too late to plan to get clarity.

.

                                                 

           .

                       .

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

An oldie but a goodie…

.

The Computer Swallowed Grandma

.

The computer swallowed Grandma.

Yes, honestly, it’s true!

She pressed ‘control’ and ‘enter’

And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,

The thought just makes me squirm.

She must have caught a virus,

Or been eaten by a worm.

I’ve searched through the recycle bin,

And files of every kind;

I’ve even used the internet

But nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Jeeves

My searches to refine.

The reply from him was negative,

Not a thing was found online.

So, if inside your inbox

My Grandma you should find,

Please ‘copy’, ‘scan’, and ‘paste’ her

In an email back to me.

.

Fortnightly News 22/5/2026

Issue 10 of 2026                           22 May 2026

.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday 1 June – Reconciliation Day Public Holiday.  Club will be closed.

Monday 8 June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday.  Club will be closed.

Tuesday 9 June – LUNCH and LEARN session – Advance Care Planning

.

THANK YOU AFTERNOON TEA

A great turnup for a special thank you afternoon tea for the Book Fair volunteers.  We enjoyed a delicious spread, thanks to Kari and the team (who were Book Fair volunteers themselves!). The very special part of the afternoon was to say thank you to Judy Henderson for her years of service to the Club as Book Fair Co-ordinator.  Judy has retired from that position (although not from the book sorting group) and has led the Book Fair from its early beginnings to be the amazingly successful event that we now know.

.

            

.

…..and of course we will need a new Co-ordinator.

Cue the appearance of our new Book Fair Co-ordinator! 

.

I am delighted to welcome Deb Stevens who has volunteered – with a minimum of arm-twisting – to take on the position.

.

.     .

. Deb has provided the following little pen-picture: . I worked in the book trade for over 30 years.  The last 20 years as a sales agent and account manager for Allen # Unwin, responsible for SE NSW and the ACT. I retired in 2018 to care for my mother who had dementia. In retirement I’ve served two terms on the board of Marion Writers and am still actively involved in the writing community. I volunteer  as a news reader at Radio 1RPH. And there is always the very busy family who keep me on my toes.

.

LUNCH AND LEARN PROGRAM

The first of these sessions was held on Tuesday with forty members in attendance.  Basil LeBrooy from the Council of the Ageing spoke about the services COTA provides and specifically about navigating the aged care system.  I think that the fact that many people went straight to book in for the remaining sessions says how well received it was.

.

Below is a table of the upcoming sessions. The sixth topic, just added will be on Tuesday 28 July and the presenter is Dr. Nathan D’Cunha, Associate Professor, Dementia and Cognition Theme Leader, Centre for Ageing Research and Translation, University of Canberra.

.

The sessions are on the dates/times set out in the table below and will be followed by a hot lunch.  .

The cost of the lunch is $7.00 or a voucher for a maximum of 25 people, so it is essential that you book specifically for whichever lunch session/s you wish to attend.

Anyone may attend the information component session/s free of charge – however we would still appreciate you letting us know if you plan to attend the session but not the lunch so we know how many chairs to put out.     

.

Date	Time	Speaker/s	Topic
Tues 9th June	11.30	Advance Care Planning Janine	Advance Care Planning helps with steps towards your future health care
Tues23 June	11.30	Downsizing Canberra Melissa	Steps to take to help prepare for downsizing and support available.
Tuesday 7th July	11.30	Dean Chapman Fifth Gear Motoring	Tailored session to show how to stay safe and confident when driving plus vehicle modifications and aids.
Friday 24th July	12.00	Act Police Seniors’ Liaison Officer Hayley Bradley	Online safety and Scam Awareness
.	.	.	.
Tuesday 28 July .	11.30	SPICE Program Dr. Nathan D’Cunha	Dr D’Cunha works on the Spice Program which provides support for people with dementia.  The program includes education, a peer support system finding ways to build confidence, stay connected, or reconnect with friends and family

.

BIRTHDAY BOY !!

There were in fact two birthday parties last week in the table tennis group – it clearly takes more than one celebration to cover a 98^th birthday.

Congratulations to Peter Witting – 98 years young, and still active!!

.

              

.

THE BOOK

. If you haven’t caught up with the SENIORS ROCK!! book, it is now available to read on the Club website. Just click on this link   www.wodenseniors.org.au

.

ANYONE FOR A SAUSAGE ROLL?

On Wednesday 3^rd June, Kari will make some yummy sausage rolls.  They will be available from 10.00am until they are all gone.  Just $5.00 each.

.

                        

         *******************************************************************                                       

                       .

Jenny Gregory

President

Woden Seniors Inc

PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573

Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au      

.

Things to remember:

.

*********************************************************

COMMUNITY NOTICE

RSPCA this winter

We love our fur babies, but many have been abandoned, neglected or abused. This winter, please consider donating clean towels and blankets to the RSPCA shelter – the shelter animals are in constant need of clean towels and blankets to stay warm and comfortable. You can also help by donating unopened dry or wet pet food. Of course, financial donations are always welcome. RSPCA is located at 12 Kirkpatrick Street, Weston (off Cotter Road, down past McDonalds). For more ways to help: https://rspca-act.org.au/helping-rspca-act