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PROBUS CANADA
“NEWSLETTER”
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
It is an exciting time to be a member of PROBUS CANADA, and an even more
exciting time for me as your new President. I feel honoured and blessed to be part of
such an impressive organization. Allow me to express gratitude to outgoing
President Bob Boone for all that he has done for the organization. His leadership in
the development of the website, his efforts regarding communications with clubs and
membership has been much appreciated. I am thankful I had a year on the Board,
working with Bob as Vice President, to learn more about the responsibilities of
leading this organization. I also wish to acknowledge the contribution and special
counsel to the PROBUS CANADA Board by Past President Bill Sexsmith. His
strategic counsel will be missed as he retires from our Board of Directors. Also
retiring from the PROBUS Board this year is Linda Clark, our Board Member
and former Treasurer and she will be missed as well.
The Board and I are grateful for their service to our organization !
It is so encouraging to be able to report that in the 2017-2018 year, the Board and individual Club’s grew the national membership
by 4.7 % This growth in new members is a remarkable achievement. We now have 252 Clubs with over 37,800 members across Canada.
This number is even more impressive when you take into account that PROBUS started in Canada, in 1987, and was launched to the
World on March 02, 1966, in Caterham, England. Today, PROBUS is recognized as one of the fastest growing social organizations in
Canada. 2018 was an extremely busy year for our Board and Executives as we developed and had professionally programmed a new
website that is well on its way to completion as we put the finishing touches on it. The Board is confident that our new website will
quickly become the keystone of our Club communications. Again, a tip of the hat to the Web Site Committee for their efforts in
improving communications among our Clubs. I look forward to expanding on that effort in the coming year. We have an active Board
of Directors who share the burden of guidance and decision making and we as Club members owe them a thank you. We are well
represented from sea to sea as we like to say of our country Canada.
Let me introduce myself and my life thus far. I grew up in southern Ontario in the Woodstock area. As a young working woman, I
met a handsome young man also from Woodstock, Winston (Win) Pearce, and he chased me until I caught him. We have been family
and business partners ever since. In fact, last August, we celebrated our 60th
wedding anniversary, with our two children and our four
grandchildren. All our children and grandchildren are residents of Atlantic Canada (so far) and we enjoy our family get-togethers. We
reside in Moncton, NB, and have for the past 40 years, where we are both active in community groups and civic organizations in addition
to our local PROBUS Clubs. We both enjoy our membership in the Shediac Mixed Club as well as my personal membership in the
Moncton Women’s Club of South-East NB and Win’s in the PROBUS Club of Greater Moncton (Men’s). Your National Board and I are enthused about the year to come. We have three new national Board members to welcome to our national
agenda; David Scott, Ineke Knight, and Martin Capper. Your Board is grateful for the continuing effort and support of our permanent
staff members Managing Director Reg Whynott, and Financial Manager Gordon Hutton. We are all stronger as a National organization of
Clubs because of the support of our Staff and your Board of Directors. While there is much activity and work to do with PROBUS, it is a
wonderful investment of time and what one gets back in memories, knowledge, and experience is rich and rewarding. There is really no
better way than to spend time with the people of PROBUS.
Last Fall, while Win and I were on vacation in England, I was thrilled to be able to attend a PROBUS meeting in Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire. My personal thanks to President Walter Greaves and Secretary Brian Lee for their warm hospitality. It was a pleasure
to compare notes with the British group on how our Clubs operate so similarly, yet so distant from one another. To me that’s the
personal value about being a PROBUS member, no matter the distance from home, there is a warm welcome waiting at any Club
gathering almost anywhere in the world . During the next year I intend to visit local district meetings and I look forward to working with
as many members as possible. I enjoy hearing from PROBUS members about their experiences, and their ideas on how to make
PROBUS Canada even better for all of us. I welcome anyone to contact me and I will be happy to advise you on all things PROBUS.
I love this phrase because it sums up what it means to be a PROBUS CANADA member:
GET CONNECTED – STAY CONNECTED !!
Published for the Members of PROBUS Clubs in Canada by PROBUS CANADA MAY, 2019
PRESIDENT
MARLENE PEARCE
CURRENT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF PROBUS CANADA
President …… Marlene Pearce …… Moncton, N.B. ( Atlantic Region)
Tel: (506) 386-3492
Email: [email protected]
Vice-President .... Jamie Doolittle …… Cobourg, Ont.
Ont. Dist. #1
Tel: (905) 372-6465
Email: [email protected]
Treasurer …........ Brenda Andrews….. Bradford, Ont.
( Ont. Dist. #2)
Tel: (905) 778-1992
Email: [email protected] Secretary ………. Robert MacNair ….. Collingwood, Ont.
(Ont. Dist. # 7)
Tel; (705) 444-9161
Email: [email protected] Past-President .. Bob Boone . … Mississauga, Ont.
(Ont. Dist. #3)
Tel: (905) 823-7669
Email: [email protected]
DIRECTORS
Martin Capper Milton, Ont. (Ont. Dist. #4)
Tel: (905) 693-0354
Email: [email protected]
Jim De Zorzi ……….. Grand Bend, Ont. (Ont. Dist. # 5)
Tel: (519) 243-1683
Email: [email protected]
Fred Duck .................. Sicamous, B.C. ( B.C. # 3)
Tel: (250) 836-3298
Email: [email protected]
Ineke Knight ……… Saskatoon, Sask. (N.W. Ont., Mb., Sask.)
Tel; (306) 374-7904
Email: [email protected]
Keith McGregor ......... Lantzville, B. C. (B. C. # 1)
Tel: (250) 758-6384
Email:[email protected]
Dennis Pommen ……. Sherwood Park, Ab. (Alberta)
Tel. (780) 497-8877
Email: [email protected]
David Ricketts ……… Dundas, Ont. (Ont. Dist, # 6)
Tel: (905) 628-3687
Email: [email protected]
David Scott ………… Vancouver, B.C. (B. C. # 2)
Tel: (604) 408-9021
Email; [email protected]
NON-VOTING VOLUNTEER STAFF
Financial Manager………Gordon Hutton, Courtenay, B.C.
Tel: (250) 898-3492
Email: [email protected]
Managing Director ....... Reg Whynott, Qualicum Beach, B.C.
Tel: (250)757-8026 Fax:(250)757-8036
Email: [email protected]
Page 2. The PROBUS Newsletter, May, 2019
PROBUS Pins & Other Supplies
Regular PROBUS lapel pins are $5.50 each in orders of less
than 25 but only $4.50 each in orders of 25 or more.
The 5, 10, 15, 20,25 and 30 year pins are $5.50 each regardless
of number ordered and the President pin, the Past President pin
and the PROBUS Canada pin are $8.00 each regardless of the
number ordered. The price includes taxes and shipping cost.
Pins are shipped with an invoice and return envelope.
To order your pins, or for more information, please contact our
Managing Director Reg Whynott by regular mail at 233
Kenmuir Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C V9K 2E7 or by email
at …[email protected] ... or by phone at (250) 757-8026.
When you visit with Yvonne Breau, President of the PROBUS
Club of Gananoque be certain to wear your Sunday best, or at
least have them nearby. PROBUS CANADA Vice-President
Jamie Doolittle had happy smiles for those in attendance at the
Ontario District #1 Spring Conference .
BERNARD “BUD” CROOKES “1923 – 2019” PROBUS CANADA lost a major supporter
and a great ally recently and many of us will
find a difficult pair of shoes to fill as we
go about our daily tasks on behalf of the
organization we love so well. “Bud” , as we
knew him, was not only one of our Founders
and the right hand support of John Morris . He was very special in
his own right. Past Treasurer and Chairman of PROBUS Centre,
Inc. and Publisher of the first world-wide PROBUS web site .
Many active PROBUS Clubs in Canada today were started through
the leadership of Bud Crookes … a real PROBUS leader in every
way. Editor’s Note: Within about a month after Bud’s passing
many of us were saddened by the news of the passing of his biggest
supporter in the person of his wife “June” who was always at his
side and we feel certain that she is back with him, in a special role !
Page 3. The PROBUS Newsletter May, 2019
MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
WHERE ARE WE NOW
Our number of active PROBUS Clubs is now standing at 252 with
approximately 37,800 individual Members, a number which changes
daily. Since the last report to you by way of this newsletter we have
added 2 new Clubs, one in Ont. District # 2 and one in Ont. Dist. # 3
and the following details are for your information:
The PROBUS Club of Durham Central ...(comb.) # 266
6 Four Winds Drive, Whitby, Ont. L1N 9R9
Email: [email protected] Fax. None
140 Members (Sponsor PROBUS Club of Oshawa)
Charter Members 140 4/29/2019
DURHAM CENTRAL Meets …. Shriners Club,
3rd
Thurs.,10:00 AM
President Doug Byers (905) 576-4761
Secretary Joe Hunwicks (613) 318-9602 ………………………………
The PROBUS Club of North York …. (comb) # 267
c/o 10 Argonne Crescent, Toronto, Ont. M2K 2K1
Email: [email protected] Fax: none
150 Members (Sponsor PROBUS Club of Toronto)
Charter Members 150 4/10/2019
NORTH YORK MEET North York Mem. Hall,
4th Wed., 10:00 AM
President Fee Kiessling (416) 223-7072
Secretary Wendy Wu (416) 414-7161 ………………………………..
We appreciate the effort of the Organizing Committees of the
PROBUS Clubs of Oshawa and Toronto, the sponsors of these
latest new Clubs. If your Club has a waiting list and you would
like to consider a new Club in your community, or in a
neighboring community, please contact your Director from the
list of Officers / Directors on Page 2 of this newsletter ….
You will find they can be most helpful !
MEDOC Travel Insurance Plan
MEDOC is designed to combine all of the travel
insurance needs of PROBUS Members in one
convenient package, with plan options to suit the
coverage you require as well as your budget. MEDOC
balances the needs of travelers regardless of age or
health status. It is important that you carry the
coverage that gives you peace of mind while
traveling. Know & understand the plan you purchase.
Call Toll Free- 1- 866- 60Medoc
Or www.johnson.ca/medoc
MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – PROBUS CANADA - 2019
Bob MacNair,Sect’y / Marlene Pearce, Pres./Jamie Doolittle, V.P./ Brenda Andrews, Treas./ Bob Boone, P.P.
Director / Treasurer Linda Clark (2nd from right) and Past
President Bill Sexsmith (2nd from left) receive their parting
gifts from President Marlene Pearce and Past President Bob
Boone after having each served six (6) active years on the
Board of Directors . The standing tribute from the Board
told them they will be missed in the months ahead.
PROBUS CANADA President Marlene
Pearce took time from a personal trip to
visit the PROBUS Club of Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire, England. Miles from
home Marlene was welcomed very warmly
in the typical PROBUS style . On Pres.
Marlene’s right is President Walter
Greeves and on her left is the Club Sect’y
Brian Lee . Note the Chain of Office .
THE PROBUS
Page 4. PROBUS CANADA Newsletter May, 2019
These Members of the Women’s PROBUS Club of Grand Bend, Ont, know what it means when they are asked to support their
Club in the efforts to recognize PROBUS MONTH in their community. President Barbara Carter is surrounded by her dedicated
Members who believe that more people need to know PROBUS and our aims and objectives. The happy smiles tell their own story !
THE PROBUS Club of Shediac Shores, N.B. has just over 130 Members and it certainly appears that most of them were on hand for
this special outing for their summer bar-b-q . It certainly appears that the weather God’s were on their side as well. Another excellent
opportunity for the Club to practice “fellowship” ….. one of the primary objectives of PROBUS !
The PROBUS CANADA Board of
Directors have three new Directors serving
for the 1st year of a 3 year term in 2019.
From the far left -- Ineke Knight, Past
President of the PROBUS Club of
Saskatoon ; Martin Capper, Past President
of the PROBUS Club of Escarpment
Milton…. David Scott, Past President of
the PROBUS Club of Vancouver.