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
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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
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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.
