But former U3A president and member of nine years Penny Stanford will put you wise to the fact that the word is nevertheless used correctly.

"We use the word in its original Latin context of universitas magistrorum et scholarium, or a group of people pursuing shared interests under the guidance of a leader, who may learn as much as they impart," she will say.

The fact is Lake Macquarie U3A has no need to award paper qualifications of any kind.

All 700 Lake Macquarie U3A members, from the required minimum age of 50 years to some over 90, are richly rewarded with freely acquired knowledge.

Lake Macquarie U3A, founded in 1994 as an autonomous branch of the now worldwide organisation, runs 95 courses in 12 venues around Toronto.

Subjects are as diverse as foreign languages, history, health, travel, numerology and palm reading.

"The cost is $50 a year and all the learning is free because it is run entirely by volunteers," Ms Stanford said.

Lake Macquarie U3A president Carole Obre said members were spoiled for choice.

"Our courses cover most academic subjects plus music, folklore, social, art and poetry, to name but a few," she said.

"We even have an 85-strong choir and a 40-piece orchestra.

"The big advantage for us is that experts in their field retire from their professional lives and yet they still have an invaluable lifetime of specialist knowledge to share," Ms Obre said.

"You don't have to be an academic to join us, just having a desire to learn a subject is enough," she said.

"We have a motto that says it all: 'Learning Opportunities for Mature Inquiring Minds'."

■ Visit u3alm.org.au, phone 0490 367 591 or email president@u3alm.org.au.

Enrol now

LAKE Macquarie U3A offers courses from February to June, then from July to November. 

Course lengths vary from one to eight sessions. Each session lasts about 90 minutes.

All courses are informal, and there are no exams.

Among the courses set to start in February are:

 ■  Book Reading and Discussion Group, from Feb 10, at Toronto Library;

 ■  Speaking French, from Feb 10, at Toronto Library;

 ■ Fun with Painting and Drawing, from Feb 11, at Toronto Multi-Purpose Centre; and

 ■  Palm Reading, from Feb 10, at Booragul Uniting Church Hall.

Morisset move

LAKE Macquarie U3A president Carole Obre said she  welcomes the formation of the U3A group at Morisset.

‘‘Considering the way U3A is growing, there is an obvious need for a U3A group in the Southlakes area based in Morisset,’’ she said.

 ■  Interested in forming the group? Email president@u3alm.org.au.