Role of the Groups Co-ordinator
As at September 2021
The requirement for a Groups Co-ordinator is included in the Andover U3A Constitution, and the incumbent is a member of the Andover U3A Committee.
The Groups Co-ordinator role includes the following activities:
Encourage the Formation of New Groups
Ideas for new groups are encouraged. The Groups Co-ordinator will assist as much as possible to get a new group up and running, particularly by communication with the Andover U3A Committee and other Group Leaders.
The Groups Co-ordinator has been given responsibility for the approval of the formation of new Groups and will only refer a proposal to the Committee if the suggestion for a Group is contentious or controversial.
Maintaining the Groups List
The Groups Co-ordinator must ensure that the Groups List is kept up to date. It contains the following information:
Title of the Group;
Details of when and where each Group Meets;
Name of the Group Leader(s);
Appropriate and accurate e-mail Addresses and Telephone Numbers.
After the Groups List has been updated, copies should be provided to all members of the committee.
Groups Notice Board
The Groups Co-ordinator is the custodian of the Groups Notice Board. This will be displayed at the back of the hall at the monthly meetings. It will display an up-to-date copy of the Groups List. It will also show other information as appropriate.
Group Leaders Meeting
It has become established practice that the Groups Co-ordinator holds Group Leaders Meetings. These are held after a monthly meeting in the Fairground Hall. There is no set timetable for these meetings, but they should be held at least twice a year. The aim of the meeting is for the Groups Coordinator to pass on any relevant information from the Committee to the Group Leaders, and to collect information and feedback from Group Leaders for transmission back to the Committee.
Passage of Information
Information that is specific and relevant to Andover U3A’s groups and needs to be passed to Group Leaders is invariably sent to the Groups Coordinator. The Groups Co-ordinator will distribute this information to Group Leaders, either by email or face-to-face at a Group Leaders Meeting. If appropriate, it will also be sent to the Newsletter Editor for consideration for inclusion on the News or Grapevine pages on the Andover U3A’s website.
Information from Outside Agencies Requests from Group Leaders or other U3A members to distribute information that is not specific to Andover U3A has proven to be a contentious issue. It has now been agreed that only material that relates directly and specifically to the Andover U3A will be distributed to Group Leaders and U3A members as a matter of course. Items that may be of interest to U3A members - for example, charity events, articles on health issues - should be sent to the Newsletter Editor for possible inclusion in the Grapevine section of the website. Advice from the Committee on the suitability of the material should be sought if the suitability is debatable or contentious.
Member of the Andover U3A Committee
The Groups Coordinator acts as a link between the Groups and the Andover U3A Committee. The Committee needs to be appraised of any changes to the Groups and of any significant activities or problems that Groups have encountered.
Annual Exhibition
The Groups Coordinator will coordinate and participate fully in the organization and setting up of the Andover U3A Annual Exhibition at the AGM.