Fortnightly News 6/5/2022
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Mar
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Fortnightly News 11/3/2022
A reminder that next Monday 14th March is the Canberra Day Public Holiday. The Club will be closed on that day, but as always groups who so wish can have access for their activity by arrangement with the office.
AND NOW…………….
…..AFTER TWO YEARS IN THE COVID WILDERNESS, there are only two weeks until
…………………………THE BIG BOOK FAIR !!…………………..
We will need volunteers. As mentioned in the last newsletter, there are volunteer sign-on sheets at the front office of the Club. These help us to know when people are available and to ensure that we don’t have too many or too few people at any given time during the three days of the Book Fair. Please think about giving an hour? a morning? a day or two or three? and letting us know so that we can best roster people, make sure they know what to do, and organise for the success of the Club’s big annual fundraising event.
![image[6]](cid:image004.png@01D83533.03B6DE70){kind=small}
We will need customers. We really need to press the publicity button now. The Book Fair committee have organised radio and print community notices as well as social media options to spread the word. Members can help by distributing posters and bookmarks – there are plenty available to take from the front office. Maybe give them to friends, pop in the neighbour’s letterboxes – there are even posters at the local dog park!!
![image[11]](cid:image006.png@01D83533.03B6DE70){kind=small}
We will need your usual space – so regular Club activities on Thursday afternoon 24 March through Friday, Saturday and Sunday 27 March will be suspended. Thanks everyone for your understanding here.
See you at the Fair.
Our usual message stands….please Do Not Enter the Club if you are feeling unwell and developing cold or flu like symptoms (including headache, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath).
Jenny Gregory
President
Woden Seniors Inc.
PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 6282 2573
Email: president
COMMUNITY NOTICES AND INFORMATION
1800 171 866 Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
8.30 am – 6pm(AEST) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
The latest information on COVID regulations and restrictions is always available at www.covid19.act.gov.au.
Discussion group at Woden Library:
From Peter Sheldrake <peter@travellingnorth.com
I am trying to get a discussion group running in Canberra. I have run similar groups in Melbourne, where I lived for many years, and in the USA, which is where I was based for the past 11 years. I recently arrived in Canberra.I have been in discussion with the ACT Library, and hope to have a group meeting in April, and this is being overseen by Laura Shelley, who looks after events there.
If you are interested in discussing a wide and eclectic range of topics in a group, please contact Laura – Laura.shelley
And of course, some more drivel …
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.
A backward poet writes inverse.
A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
Dijon vu – the same mustard as before.
Practice safe eating – always use condiments.
Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.
When two egotists meet, it’s an I for an I.
What’s the definition of a will? (It’s a dead giveaway.)
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
If you don’t pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.
Mar
3
Fortnightly News 25/2/2022
I imagine we are all feeling that the easing of COVID restrictions is good news – although mixed with a touch of anxiety about whether it is happening a bit fast. The latest information on restrictions is always available at www.covid19.act.gov.au.
From next week mask wearing is only mandatory in a limited number of settings, so not required at the Club. However members who prefer to wear a mask are of course able and welcome to do so.
Our usual message stands….please Do Not Enter the Club if you are feeling unwell and developing cold or flu like symptoms (including headache, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath).
THE BIG NEWS…. THE BIG BOOK FAIR
The good news is that the easing of restrictions is going to make the conduct of our forthcoming Book Fair an easier task for our volunteers.
We are of course looking to Club members to volunteer some assistance – for an hour, half a day, full day? Many hands make light work so we really hope to have plenty of volunteers to help.
A sign up sheet is available at the office.
Volunteers will be needed for the following
· Setting up from mid-day onwards Thursday 24 March – ie moving boxes, tables, etc so we need some able bodies for this – family members welcome!!
· Help in the book rooms
· Checkout in Hall 2
· Checkout in Sitting Room
· Car park management
· Packing up at 4 pm on Sunday 27 March – more moving of boxes and tables to return the Club premises to normal ready for Monday’s activities
It is now time to start on wider advertising of the Book Fair. We all can play a part in this –
The beautiful posters advertising the Fair, in A3, A4 and B5 sizes are now available to distribute. Lots of businesses are happy to display them in their windows. Members are encouraged to pick up a couple from the office, take them to your local shop or next hair appointment and ask if they can be displayed. There are lots of noticeboards around town too where they can be put. There are plenty of the B5 size ones which are ideal for letter boxes – so take some on your walk around the neighbourhood.
Book marks are also available – these are good to hand out to members of groups you are in – or put in letter boxes.
Jenny Gregory
President
Woden Seniors Inc.
PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 6282 2573
Email: president
COMMUNITY NOTICES AND INFORMATION
1800 171 866 Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
8.30 am – 6pm(AEST) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Feb
12
Fortnightly News 11/2/2022
I’ve been delighted to see that most of our regular activities have either started up after the lockdown and then the Christmas holiday break, or have scheduled a start date.
… and to make it easier, a change to check in requirement
A change tosome ACT Government COVID regulations takes place at midnight tonight. When you come to the Club from Saturday 12 February onwards, there is no requirement to check in using either the CBR phone app, or our paper check in. We will however leave the check in table as it is in the foyer, with the QR code sheet and the paper list, for anyone who may wish to check in as a way of keeping track of where they were at a particular day or time. It is understood that most business and venues will continue to do the same thing.
OF COURSE….please Do Not Enter the Club if you are feeling unwell and developing cold or flu like symptoms (including headache, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath).
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
DONATIONS SOUGHT FOR GARDEN UPGRADE
Our garden gnomes are preparing to finish off the garden bed at the back of Hall 2. We are seeking donations of the following:
6 plants in 15 cm pot size (available from Bunnings) from the Correa, Callistemon, Grevillea, Dianella or Lomandra families (NOTE: not 6 of each 😊 )
6 bags of potting mix
6 bags of mulch/bark
If you would like to contribute, please contact Ron – stewr12 – who is co-ordinating the supplies and the pickup/delivery process.
OUR BOOK FAIR IS FAST APPROACHING
Its only six weeks to Book Fair.
We are making plans to ensure that it will be a COVID safe event.
We will ensure good air circulation with as many windows as possible open.
Adherence to the health restrictions such as mask wearing, room density, hand sanitising etc will be strictly followed.
We are now looking to Club members to volunteer some assistance – for an hour, half a day, full day? Many hands make light work so we really hope to have plenty of volunteers to help.
A sign up sheet is available at the office.
Volunteers will be needed for the following
· Setting up on Thursday 24 March
· Help in the book rooms
· Checkout in Hall 2
· Checkout in Sitting Room
· COVID marshals to ensure room density is not exceeded.
· Car park management
· Packing up at 4 pm on Sunday 27 March
To help with the publicity we are seeking a volunteer with expertise in social media such as Instagram and Facebook. It would be useful to publicise the Book Fair through these media in the two weeks leading up to the Book Fair.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Jenny Gregory
President
Woden Seniors Inc.
PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 6282 2573
Email: president
Jan
28
Fortnightly News 28/1/2022
As we are constantly being told, we are ‘learning to live’ with Covid, and with this in mind,
please, do not enter the Club if you are feeling unwell and developing cold or flu like symptoms (including headache, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath).
Groups are gradually starting up again – if you are in doubt please contact your group leaders or co-ordinators for an update regarding start dates. We have been advised of the following:
These Activities have resumed
Mahjong: Wednesday 1.00 to 3.30 pm
Craft: Thursday 10 am to 12.00 pm
Table Tennis: Monday 2.00 to 4.00 pm
Wednesday 9.30 to 12.30 pm
Friday 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
Water Colour Painting: Wednesday 9.00 to 11.30 am
Painting & Drawing: Friday 1.30 to 4.00 pm
Stitchers: Thursday 10.00 am to 12.00 pm
Gentle Exercise Class: Tuesday 9.30 -10.30 am
Tai Chi: Thursday 2.00 to 3.15 pm
Tai Chi and Gentle Exercise: Class will resume on Monday 31 January
Wednesday Exercise Class: 8.30 – 9.30 am class will resume on 2nd February.
Tuesday New Vogue Dance Group is looking for new and returning dancers. Hosted by Roni and Adrian,
11am-12.30pm Walkthroughs – dances are not taught however assistance is provided (club session cost $6.00 each)
1.00pm-3.30pm Social (dances announced and music played) (club session cost $6.00 each).
Whilst on the subject of Club activities,
we have times and spaces (Halls 1 and 2 and the Anne Murray Room) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for more. Perhaps you, or
someone you know, would be interested in starting up a group – cards? board games? some kind of musical activity or an exercise group? or how
about carpet bowls? The Club has three sets of top quality carpets and bowls so all the equipment is available and it just needs someone to get it going!!
2022 BIG Book Fair – Save the date
It’s getting closer now! The Book Fair is scheduled for Friday 25 to Sunday 27 March 2022. Add these dates to your diary and please do think about how you can assist. This is the major fund-raiser for the Club and we have been unable to hold it for two years now.
The container and store-room are jam-packed with boxes of high quality books just waiting for enthusiastic customers.
Club History Project
Before we began providing an emailed fortnightly newsletter, the Club printed and posted the Meridian news publication to members. Many of these issues have now been digitised and are available as an archive on the Club’s website (www.wodenseniors.org.au). We are looking for early copies of Meridian to add to that archive, specifically issues listed as Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4. If you have any of these, we would love to borrow them to be scanned and returned to you, and we would also like to have hard copies of these issues to be filed with our collection. Any help will be much appreciated.
And back to the present… thanks to Gary our fantastic handyman, repairs to the wavy wall were done during the Christmas close-down period.
Jenny Gregory
President
Woden Seniors Inc.
PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 6282 2573
Email: president@wodenseniors.org.au
_______________________________________________________________
COMMUNITY NOTICES AND INFORMATION
This excellent guide was published by COTA in a recent newsletter.
Cybersafety – your guide to being safe and secure online
It’s a digital world – now more than ever. But with the rise of people linking to the wider community with digital devices comes the increased threat of cybercrime. With everything from medical appointments to shopping lists being actioned online, this means that many of our most vulnerable are more at risk than ever. In most cases, connecting to the world digitally is not just an interesting pastime, it’s an absolute necessity. Knowing how to go about your business while putting effective measures against cybercrime in place is a must for the digital user, and these eight tips are a great start to making your computer or device a safer place to work and play.
1/ USE TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
The security settings of most accounts will offer something called ‘two-factor authentication’. If you activate this, it means that every time you log into your account, you’ll receive a special code or pin number on a different device (usually your mobile phone) to enter in. This ensures that it’s you logging in to your own account, and not someone else who won’t be sent this special one-time code.
2/ USE STRONG PASSWORDS OR PASS-PHRASES
It’s important to think about using a password that’s not obvious or guessable. This is why using your birthdate or surname or the name of your grandchild isn’t a good idea. It’s relatively easy to glean this information about a person – so choose something more private that’s hard for people to figure out. Better still, think of a short phrase or pair of words to use as your code. Most accounts now require you to use at least one capital letter, special symbol and/or number but if it’s not required it’s still a very good idea to do this.
3/ DON’T USE THE SAME PASSWORD FOR ALL ACCOUNTS
If your password is stolen or guessed, each account under your name with this password will be vulnerable to being hacked. Although it’s easier to remember one password, DON’T use the same one for everything. It can be a variation but it
must be different – and if one of your accounts is compromised, you’ll be glad you switched up your passwords to protect the others.
4/ UPDATE YOUR DEVICE
Older technology tends to be less secure than upgraded technology. If you’re resisting buying a newer model computer or device because you don’t want to have to learn how to use it, be advised that your anti-spam software and virus protection on the old one may not protect you against newer forms of infiltration. We’re certainly not saying that you need to spend lots of money regularly – but it’s definitely worth keeping in mind the extra protection updated technology offers the user.
5/ ENTER USERNAME AND PASSWORDS FROM WEBSITE NOT EMAIL LINKS
Many scammers will send you an email asking you to type in your username and/or password from the link in the email. NEVER do this – always go directly to the official website and enter details from there. The website linked to the email may be a fraudulent copy made to look exactly like an official website with only small differences.
6/ INSTALL AD-BLOCKING SOFTWARE
Installing reputable ad-blocking software limits the amount of banners and pop-up ads that appear on your screen. This is a common way that cybercriminals get you to click on their links.
7/ DON”T OVERSHARE PRIVATE INFORMATION
Social media sites such as Facebook are a great way to celebrate your milestones and share information with people. But think about what you’re sharing and how wide your network is. Pictures of your grandchildren in their school uniforms may be super cute but may also alert people to their location. Make sure you know exactly what you’re sharing and with whom. Facebook has privacy settings that allow you to select who will see your posts and whether they are allowed to share your posts with others. It’s a good idea to check these settings and control who has access to your information.
8/ EDUCATE YOURSELF
It’s not easy to understand how the internet operates or how cybercriminals effectively target their victims. What you can do though, is read through some of the many bulletins and tutorials on government websites and consumer groups that offer up-to-date advice on current scams and how to be more aware. A little bit of knowledge goes a long way in helping you protect yourself and your digital information. To start, check out this great site for more tips and advice on cybersecurity:
esafety.gov.au
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Council on the Ageing (COTA) ACT
Opening hours are 9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday
Hughes Community Centre, Wisdom Street, Hughes
Call 6282 3777, visit https://www.cotaact.org.au or email contact@cotaact.org.au
1800 171 866 Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
8.30 am – 6pm(AEST) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Jan
16
Fortnightly News 14/1/2022
.
I’d like to wish all our members and their families a happy and healthy 2022.
Unfortunately the year is starting with what are very concerning COVID infection numbers and I would encourage everyone to keep abreast of the latest ACT Government COVID health regulations. These can be found at
https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/restrictions/current-restrictions
How quickly things change –two years ago who would have that that at the beginning of 2022 I would be wishing for you that you would have an adequate supply of RATS on the shelf and be reminding you to wear a mask when you go into the bank!!
The Club has re-opened following the Christmas/New Year break. Currently the weather is allowing us to keep doors and windows open to maximise fresh air ventilation in the Club’s rooms and help make things safer for our members.
Please Do Not Enter the Club if you are feeling unwell and developing cold or flu like symptoms (including headache, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath).
Not all groups have started up again, if you are in doubt please contact your group leaders or co-ordinators for an update regarding start dates. We have been advised of the following:
Tai Chi and Gentle Exercise
Class will resume on Monday 31 January.
Exercise Classes
Tuesday 9.30 – 10.30 am class will resume on 25th January.
Wednesday 8.30 – 9.30 am class will resume on 2nd February.
Woden Seniors Club Tuesday New Vogue Dance Group
Hosted by Roni and Adrian
Please note that a partner is preferred, however, singles wanting to practice their dance steps are welcome.
11am-12.30pm Walkthroughs – dances are not taught however assistance is provided (club session cost $6.00 each)
1.00am-3.30pm Social (dances announced and music played) (club session cost $6.00 each)
Dances include:
- Those danced at other New Vogue venues in the ACT
- Competition New Vogue dances
- Old time dances (eg Pride of Erin, Maxina)
Dress up days (style will be announced in advance):
- Winter Christmas (July)
- Melbourne Cup Day
- Christmas ‘break-up’ Party
Music played will be a mixture of formal new vogue dance music as well as some hits from the 60s and 70s.
2022 BIG Book Fair – Save the date
It’s getting closer now! The Book Fair is scheduled for Friday 25 to Sunday 27 March 2022. Add these dates to your diary and please do think about how you can assist. This is the major fund-raiser for the Club and we have been unable to hold it for two years now.
The container and store-room are jam-packed with boxes of high quality books just waiting for enthusiastic customers.
Jenny Gregory
President
Woden Seniors Inc.
PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 6282 2573
Email: president
_____________________________________________________
COMMUNITY NOTICES AND INFORMATION
1800 171 866 Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
8.30 am – 6pm(AEST) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Dec
17
Fortnightly News 17/12/2021
With our last newsletter for 2021 I would like to wish all our members and their families a safe, peaceful and happy Christmas.
Firstly I offer some advice on how to deal with Christmas stress…….
and of course, 
The past week has seen a number of get togethers either here at the Club or at nearby venues as our various activity groups celebrate the season. It was so good to see that people were enjoying the opportunity to share some Christmas fellowship with each other.
Club Closing Times for the Festive Season
The Club will close at 4pm on Friday 17 December 2021 and re-open on Monday 10 January 2022. Activity groups can continue to use the Club through this period by arrangement with the front office.
We’ll be famous
A couple of weeks ago the Club was approached by a firm tasked with putting together a stock photo library for the federal Department of Social Services. They used the Club as a background for a number of ‘scenarios’ featuring some of our members as well as some professional actors. The photos taken remain the property of the Department, but the Club received a welcome location fee of $200.00.
OUR CONTINUING REMINDER…………BIG Book Fair – Save the date
The Book Fair is scheduled for early next year. It will be over three days from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 March 2022. Add these dates to your diary and think about how you can assist. This is the major fund-raiser for the Club and we have been unable to hold it for two years now.
The container and store-room are jam-packed with boxes of high quality books just waiting for enthusiastic customers.
| Jenny Gregory
President Woden Seniors Inc. PO Box 345, Woden ACT 2606 Tel: (02) 6282 2573 Email: president |
 |
COMMUNITY NOTICES AND INFORMATION
Older Persons Covid-19 Support Line
Some older people are vulnerable to COVID-19 but less connected to the
internet and in need of ways to access information for their circumstances.
The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line provides information and support.
Older Australians, their families, friends and carers can call 1800 171 866 (FREECALL) if they:
- would like to talk with someone about he Covid-19 restrictions and its impact on them
- are feeling lonely or are worried about a loved one
- are caring for someone and need some information or a listening ear
- need help or advice about changing the aged care services they are receiving
- need some help to access new care services or essential supplies such as shopping
- are living with dementia or are concerned about a friend or family member living with Dementia
- would like to arrange a one-off or regular wellbeing check
1800 171 866 Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
8.30 am – 6pm(AEST) Monday to Friday, excluding public holiday.