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Centre Talk
15 February 2026
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Monday 16 February 2026 - First Day Term 1
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Monday 2 March - Public Holiday (no classes)
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Friday 13 March - Centre Lunch
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Friday 27 March - General Meeting
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Friday 3 April - Public Holiday (no classes)ne (9weeks)
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Welcome...
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Welcome back for Semester 1, 2026 - classes start on Monday 16 February.
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I hope you all had a lovely break; perhaps catching up with family & friends, gardening, travel, reading or being part of Summer at the Centre. The time since Semester 2, 2025 finished seems to have flown, or maybe it is my advancing years that creates the illusion of time going faster!
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This edition has a welcome from the Executive, a reminder from John about tagging and testing of any electrical equipment that is plugged into a powerpoint at the KCLC, Registrar Bronwyn gives a roundup of a successful Enrolment week, and the first class news is from The Philosophy Circle, Semester 2, 2025.
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A request: would it be possible to take a photo or two of your first day back in your class and send to Editor. A pictorial record of the KCLC in action, and see why members return again & again...
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Welcome Back to KCLC
As we step into the new year at KCLC, we extend a very warm welcome back to all our members. Whether you are new, returning after a short break or have been part of our community for many years, it is wonderful to have you with us again. The start of a new term is always filled with renewed energy, fresh opportunities, and the shared excitement of reconnecting with one another.
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Over the break we continued our Summer in the Centre programme for three weeks in January. The sessions took place on Mondays and Thursdays, each lasting two and a half hours. Summer in the Centre was well attended, with members regularly dropping in to stay connected, enjoy informal gatherings and take part in activities at a relaxed pace and most importantly stay cool.
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Alongside familiar faces and well-established classes, several new courses enrich the life of the Centre. We encourage everyone to make the most of their involvement, foster meaningful connections and enjoy all that the year has to offer.
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For those who are new or considering becoming more involved in KCLC, the coordinators are always happy to answer questions and help you find roles that might suit your interests. KCLC thrives because of the generosity of members who give their time and talents, and we are always delighted to welcome new faces.
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As we begin the new year together, we also take a moment to thank everyone who contributes behind the scenes. These members work tirelessly to ensure the Centre continues to run smoothly and remains a place where everyone feels valued and included. Their dedication keeps KCLC strong and ensures we can continue offering meaningful courses to our community.
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We look forward to a year filled with learning, laughter, connection, and shared experiences. Let us make the most of the months ahead by supporting one another, participating wholeheartedly, and continuing to build the friendly and inclusive spirit that defines KCLC.
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Once again, welcome back. We are so glad you are here, and we cannot wait to see what we will achieve together this year.
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From the Registrar...
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Thanks to so many of you taking heed of the hints in the Special Enrolment editions of Centre Talk, enrolment week ran particularly smoothly this semester. Being able to overcome members’ log in problems before the start of enrolments certainly helps.
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During the week 780 orders were received and processed, with over 700 members enrolling in the array of 89 courses we had on offer: some of our very popular courses were sold out within 2 minutes! We are welcoming 79 new members, and I know that all our returning members will make them feel at home.
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During the first two weeks of the semester, we do not accept class visitors or late enrolments to courses commencing in the first term (except for new members and returning members with extenuating circumstances – a $10 administration fee is charged). This allows all the classes to settle in and any problems to be sorted out. From week three we will accept late enrolments for classes that have vacancies, but full course fees are charged. As we have eleven courses starting in term 2, these have been left open on the website so they can be enrolled in anytime online.
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If you haven’t registered for your workgroup yet, please check if there is a vacancy for class secretary. While this is a very important role it is not onerous and we have many places vacant. Your tutor and the administration team will be very grateful for your registration.
I wish you all a very happy and successful semester.
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Testing and Tagging - electrical equipment...
It is a requirement of City of Kalamunda that all portable plug-in 240V appliances are regularly tested but, more importantly, your safety at the Centre is paramount so we insist on it any way. If you intend to use ANY plug-in 240V item, it must be “in test” and display a valid label on the cord.
Firstly, a big “thank you” to our members, Pam, and Chris, who did our testing/tagging in the past. Unfortunately, for us, they have moved away and unable to help, requiring us to hire in a commercial operator this year. The operator came in early on Wednesday 11th February and ploughed through around 70 items by lunchtime. It was a marathon effort - collecting the gear, setting up, testing, and handing back – three days - but now all the tutor electrical equipment and quite a lot of member items have been tested/tagged until February 2027. If you missed out, you would need to arrange your own test. You can use any person authorised to do the test to the required standard. If unsuccessful, please contact the coordinators John or Anne-Marie asap for an alternative option. Hand back day was Thursday 12th February, but if you missed that, item/s will be in the office and can be picked up first week of term.
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Please don’t help yourself - make sure it gets signed out to you.
A final point, if your item is battery powered (e.g., laptop, drill etc.), and has an untested charger, don’t fret, simply charge it up at home and leave the charger behind. It should be able to cope for the duration of a lesson.
Regards
John Paskulich (Coordinator 2)
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Class News...
Philosophy Circle
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The Thursday morning Philosophy Circle, led by Brian Jones, had lively discussions on a wide range of subjects in 2025, most of them connected with philosophy.
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Many were centred on the question ‘What does living a good life mean?’ Does it mean as the Hedonists believed that the most important pursuit in life is pleasure? Or as Confucious thought that it is our relationship with other people, particularly family, friends and colleagues? If that is so, has the internet and social media improved these relationships or diminished them?
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Some of the other questions we debated were:
Are good manners and etiquette still important or are they outdated? Is it better to be a pessimist, rather than an optimist? Why do we fear death? Why are some people cruel? Are you the same person you were twenty years ago, and if not, can you be held accountable for the things you did then? Why do superstitions still exist in the modern world?
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We also talked about female philosophers and the rise of feminism, and the existentialists’ belief that everyone should decide their own moral code.
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All discussions were conducted in a relaxed and friendly way with everyone contributing if and when they wanted to.
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We look forward to similar interesting discussions in 2026.
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Requesting your Memories...
There are KCLC members who have been involved with Centre for many years with interesting memories to share. If you have a story about the KCLC then perhaps you would like to send a description to future editions of Centre Talk.
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Make it succinct, around 150 words and please include photos, which should be sent as separate images with the word document. These items will be included in an edition of Centre Talk when space permits.
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