–Issue 2013 # 5 - 2013 September - October

Parramatta Branch Inc.

Bi-Monthly Newsletter ___________________________________________________________

http://sites.google.com/site/nsaparramatta/

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Thank you to everyone for your support and extending a really big hand of friendship as I embark on my journey as National Seniors Parramatta Inc. President for 2013/2014. Congratulations and welcome to our new Committee Members - Charlotte Lewis to help with Committee activities, and Barry and Glenda Stevenson to be our Publicity Officers. It would be remiss of me not to show appreciation to John, Tom, Megan, Bruce, Margaret and other support people, for continuing to keep our club motivated and proactive for all to partake and enjoy the many social functions they give so much of their own time and energy to organise. Spring has sprung and the blossoms are blooming. One can only wonder what summer will have in store for us. Bushfires are already rearing their ugly heads. But on the happier side, what about our guest speakers so far. A journey back in time with Bruce Shying and the amazing world of The Titanic. Emily Sparling gave a magnificent account of using a computer and making it work for you. Margaret is in the process of, with a box of tissues on hand, reading “And The Band Played On”. Looked like it could be very interesting. We only have two General Meetings left before we take an adjournment until the New Year. A guest speaker will be with us for our October meeting with our final meeting in November as a “Hosting a Murder Mystery” The cast has been chosen, the plot devised, now all we need is your participation to help us solve the crime and uncover the murderous villain. So keep Wednesday 27th November free to be able to join us to share in the fun and a supper will be provided. Reminders Members are most welcome to attend our Committee Meetings which are held on 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Parramatta RSL, starting at 7pm. This gives all members an opportunity to “sit in” and find out what a meeting entails. A gentle reminder also to check our Newsletter for up and coming events and the organisers’ details that you can contact to make enquiries and bookings for any that you may be interested in attending. Enjoy whatever you may be doing and live life to the fullest. Cheers ..... Margaret Bannister NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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NSA PARRA BRANCH INC. - OFFICE BEARERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, SUPPORT PEOPLE MARGARET BANNISTER 0414 484 051 [email protected]

PRESIDENT

TOM LOUDON MEMBERSHIP OFFICER 9896 0675 / 0402 055 619 [email protected]

BRUCE POULTER VICE PRESIDENT 0413 985 295 [email protected]

MARGARET MAYNARD SPEAKER LIASON 9631 7570 Parra Perusers CO-ORDINATOR [email protected]

JOHN WITHERS SECRETARY 9614 6020 [email protected]

CHARLOTTE LEWIS 0431 633 609 [email protected]

MEGAN CLEARY TREASURER/EDITOR 8850 6818 / 0423 268 866 Public Officer [email protected]

BARRY & GLENDA STEVENSON

EVENTS

CLUB PROMOTION

[email protected]

ED MAYNARD MEETING ‘DOOR KEEPER’ BERNADETTE INGOLD MINUTE TAKER Would YOU like to fill this Committee space? MARY PETERS CLUB 'SHOPPER' DOROTHY BUTLER WEBSITE EDITOR GRAHAM JONES TALE TELLER At Meetings, 'Resident' JP's ..... June Bourke, Graham Jones and Megan Cleary ..... can help you with legal document witnessing/certification etc. ..... please adhere to specific document instructions re what you need to do and provide. JOIN THE COMMITTEE AND SEE YOUR NAME IN PRINT HERE TOO!!! NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. Web address ... http://sites.google.com/site/nsaparramatta/ NSA PARRAMATTA BRANCH INC. MEETINGS Meetings are held on the 4th W ednesday (which is not always the last W ednesday), of each month except December (no meeting). TIME - 7.15 to 9PM ............ come a bit early to check out, and to pay for, listed Events. PLACE - PARRAMATTA RSL CLUB ............ parking available, public transport close-by. To cover Administrative costs and Lucky Door Prizes, there is a small charge of $5 per person at each Meeting. ____________________________________________________________________________________________

MEETING DATES SEPTEMBER to NOVEMBER 2013 / JANUARY to FEBRUARY 2014 Wednesday 25 Sept. ... Guest Speaker - Emily Sparling (Work Ventures) Computer Savy Seniors Wednesday 23rd Oct. ... Guest Speaker - Michael O’Hara (Parramatta College) Senior Learning Wednesday 27th Nov. ......................... - Member Night Wednesday 22nd Jan. ... Guest Speaker - Don Champion Men’s Shed Wednesday 26th Feb. ... Guest Speaker - Max Sha Shen Yun Performing Arts Wednesday 26 March ... Guest Speaker - Donna Hendry Macular Degeneration th

Come along and socialise ..... One of the best features of the Club is its relaxed and friendly Members - introduce Members and introduce yourself WEAR A NAME BADGE! ..... Dine at the Club before Meetings ..... Have coffee/tea and a chat after Meetings. NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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PARRA CAPERS

CURRENT EVENTS

EVENT

DAY / DATE TIME / VENUE

Parra Perusers

Usually first Monday each month

BOOKCLUB “And The Band Played On” Christopher Ward “The Surgeon of Crowthorne”Simon Winchester

04.11.2013 7.30 PM Greystanes

But Next not until

As at ............

$ COST PAYMENT

23.09.2013 CO-ORDINATOR

ENQUIRIES

Gold Coin

MARGARET M 9631 7570

Own Transport

New Perusers always welcome

ter

CANDY MAN Riverside Theatre, Parramatta

Saturday 12.10.2013

Finalised

MARGARET M 9631 7570

There will be no further Club Crawl breakfasts, lunches or dinners in 2013. Many thanks to Margaret Maynard for her efforts in organizing great Club Crawl venues throughout the year.

STEAM TRAIN TO THIRLMERE

Sunday 10.11.2013

Your responsibility CHARLOTTE 0431 633 609

Details from Charlotte MEMBERS NIGHT

HOSTING A MURDER MYSTERY Supper Provided SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR Entertainment Centre A TOP SONG/MUSIC/DANCE SHOW CHRISTMAS PARTY

$5 Wednesday 27.11.2013 Meeting attendance fee 7.15 PM Saturday Matinee 30.11.2013 2PM

Finalised

Sunday 01.12.2013

$50 Pymt. Oct. Meeting

Park Royal Hotel, Philip St. Parramatta

A COMBINED ZONE PARTY

CREEPY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Details to be advised Friday 13.12.2013

MARGARET B 0414 484 051

MARGARET M 9631 7570 MARGARET M 9631 7570

$55 incl. meal at Club Pymt. Nov. Meeting MARGARET M 9631 7570

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS SEVEN ISLANDS PARRAMATTA RIVER TRIP

2014 Details TBA Early 2014 Details TBA

GLEN INNES TRIP

Mid week May 2014

Via Country Link

Details TBA Wednesday 11.06.2014 1 PM Further details TBA

STRICTLY BALLROOM Lyric Theatre MUSICAL

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

$450 cost not yet finalised

JOHN 9614 6020 BRUCE MARGARET B 0414 484 051

$85 Pymt. March Meeting MARGARET B 0414 484 051

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PARRA NATTA EDIT

Time has been at a bit of a premium recently, but guess better late than never for the 'Parra Natta’! Due to printer ink costs, photographs attached to the Parra Natta will only be emailed, i.e. not attached to printed off newsletter copies which are available at Meetings for members without computers. If you require any standard paper or photo paper print offs, please talk to me - for a minimal charge, we may be able to accommodate you. Otherwise, you may well have relatives or friends who would be happy to print off the Parra Natta for you. Margaret Bannister is settling in nicely to her new role as our CEO Charlotte and the Stevensons’ coming on board to lend a hand.

(President),

and it is good to have

With Christmas on the horizon, Parra Capers are now winding down. However, there are ideas regarding events etc. for next year, so stay tuned. I am still waiting in hope of volunteers for the ‘Parra Profile’ segment of the newsletter. I am sure some of you must have some interesting stories regarding your lives, so let’s hear about them. Next month is the Club’s 10th Anniversary, so I am planning a special issue of the Parra Natta, and will try to have it to you early November. Megan Cleary 8850 6818 [email protected] *******************************************************************************************************************

Parra Perusers (Book Club) continues with, I believe, an amazing November lineup! Current ‘reads’ ... “The Surgeon of Crowthorne” by Simon Winchester (see summary on page 9), and “And The Band Played On” by Christopher Ward ... both excellent! Since the last newsletter was sent out, the perusers have read “Cloud Street” (Tim Winton), “The Prince and the Princess and the Perfect Murder” (Andrew Rose), “Mad Dog” (William Cyril Moxley). As from 4th October, the Club Crawls have been suspended for the rest of the year. However, with the nine participants at the recent buffet lunch at 7Hills/Toongabbie RSL thoroughly enjoying their meals and each others’ company, we would hope that this activity will definitely continue in 2014.

Parra Capers Late June we went to Marrickville! Our interesting visit to Choice, was followed by lunch at a Turkish restaurant in Marrickville ..... photographs attached. July saw appreciative NSA members attending the Cumberland Gang Show in July. Likewise, those who attended the Gosford Laycock Theatre and Club, an August event, enjoyed themselves. The Nepean Belle Christmas in July was well patronized and a great success ..... photographs attached. “Candy Man”, coming up soon, sounds like fun. No doubt the upcoming “Schools Spectacular” will be of its usual high standard. No one is quite sure what happened to the Zone 107 Majistic Cruise!! Participation list not to be found, and apparently ‘sold out’ anyway. Better luck if there is a ‘next time’!

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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Interested visitors to

CHOICE (Consumer Advocate)

Marrickville

AND ..... CHRISTMAS IN JULY ON THE

NEPEAN BELLE

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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JUNE, DONNA, JEAN, TERRY, KAY

CHARLOTTE’S GUESTS

JEAN & TERRY

RAY & MARGARET

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

MARGARET, PAM & LIZA

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CHARLOTTE & GUESTS

T E R R Y

T O M &

& P A M

K A Y

‘MUM’ & RODDIE

KAY & JUNE

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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Margaret & Ed happy to smile ..... BUT, will Bruce?? ... MAYBE!!

...BUT JUST THIS ONE TIME!!!#

Vice-President Bruce has been in hospital recently (lateSeptember-?October), so we do hope that he has fully recovered and will do what the doctor (and RN Margaret B!), advise him to do!? AND ..... Thanks to a member for this piece of advice:

I did not know this ... When you drink vodka over ice, it can give you kidney failure; When you drink rum over ice, it can give you liver failure; When you drink whiskey over ice, it can give you heart problems; When you drink gin over ice, it can give you brain problems; Apparently ice is really bad for you. Warn all your friends!

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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AND ..... how some members behave in Meetings!!!

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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AND ..... more CLUB CRAWL food at Fox Hills Golf Club!

Summary of “The Surgeon of Crowthorne” by Simon Winchester The making of the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental fifty-year task requiring the assistance of thousands of volunteers. One of the keenest was a certain W C Minor, who astonished and dismayed everyone by declining ever to come to Oxford to receive his congratulations until, reputedly, his refusals eventually prompted the Dictionary's editor, James Murray, to travel down to Crowthorne, in Berkshire, to met him. What he found was utterly shocking. Minor was a millionaire American Civil War surgeon turned lunatic, imprisoned in Broadmore Asylum for murder, who had dedicated his entire cell-bound life to work on the English language. Simon Winchester tracks down this uplifting tale of tragedy , genius and passion in all its bizarre and fascinating detail. The Surgeon of Crowthorne is one of the great untold stories of literature. Thanks to Margaret M and fellow budding philologists, for this interesting information regarding a Parra Perusers ‘read’

NSA Parramatta Branch Inc. PARRA NATTA September-October 2013

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