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PROBUS CLUB OF BALNARRING INC. Established September 1985

2019-2020 COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT

Daryl Cowen 5983 5321

VICE-PRESIDENT—MARKETING &

DINE OUTS

Roger James 5983 2940

TREASURER

Harold Weber 5983 1757

SECRETARY / PUBLIC OFFICER

Dennis Paskins 5983 2952

SPEAKERS

Bob Chynoweth 5983 2232

IP PRESIDENT

Brian Bailey 5931 3521

WELFARE

Derek Grout 0417 545587

NEWSLETTER

Rob Walker 5983 5159

GENERAL MEMBERS

Carlo Orlando 5983 2099

KEY ROLES (Non Committee)

Membership Ray McCutcheon 5983 1092

Webmaster Roger Price 5983 2006

LIFE MEMBERS

Eric Kings Jay Nagl

Bruce Margetts Col Randall

Col Saunders + Stan Byrne +

John Hart-Davies +Ron Deane

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Welcome to the first Covid-19 edition of our Newsletter. In these

unusual times we have changed things a little. I hope you enjoy it

Rob Walker

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE APRIL 2020

Gentlemen,

Anzac Day this year, like Easter, will be subdued but none the less

a key day in our lives. Our thoughts will be with those who sacri-

ficed so much for our freedom and way of life. All local community

services have been cancelled but we hope they will recommence

next year and we can again be represented and lay a wreath at the

Balnarring service.

As you are aware there will be no general meetings or attended

activities until further notice. The new Committee will operate by

the use of technology namely phone, email and video conferenc-

ing. Rob Walker has researched the use of Zoom and we have al-

ready successfully used it on several occasions to hold meetings.

It means Committee meetings, Happy Snappers, Finance and Book

Groups will still be able to operate in some form. The Bridge group

are continuing using an on-line program. Sadly, Zoom is not suita-

ble for our Choir.

The mutual welfare of our members has always been a key reason

why our club has existed for nearly 35 years. At this difficult time

of limited social interaction, we are going to be proactive. Derek

Grout is leading a group of committeemen who will keep in contact

with each member every few weeks. It is important for us to know if

you are unwell or need assistance in ways such as limited driving

or picking up essential supplies. Please contact the committeeman

you have been allocated or contact Derek. With more than a quar-

ter of our members living by themselves I’m certain a catch up call

from other members will always be appreciated.

We managed to hold our AGM, in a limited form, on Friday 20th

March but sadly had to cancel the BBQ and the performance by

our Choir. We thank those who attended under difficult conditions

but it meant that we had to curtail some of the agenda especially

the contributions made by retiring committeemen.

I would like to thank the three retiring members who have each giv-

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en great service to the club. Brian Evans had been Treasurer for the

past ten years as well as participating in all aspects of committee

work. Whilst we will miss his monthly joke session from the stage I

plan to ask him to have a short segment from the floor at each meet-

ing. Tony Duboudin joined the committee in 2015 and served two

terms as President, a first for the club. During his time on the com-

mittee Tony provided great leadership and communication skills. To-

ny is currently interviewing and writing profiles on our life members

for future newsletters. Roger Price joined the committee in 2013 and

performed a key role in club development and membership. In 2014

Roger volunteered to develop a club web page based on the model

provided by Probus South Pacific. The success and presentation of

our web page is solely due to him and I thank him for his ongoing

support.

I welcome to the committee Harold Weber who becomes Treasurer, a

role he is well used to. Harold has also been on the committee of Red

Hill Probus and comes with a load of experience. Our other new

member is Carlo Orlando, who has a background in hospitality, and

I’m certain he will be involved in Dine-outs and long trip planning

once we commence our normal activities.

The Committee has decided to include new features in the newsletter

and there will be an opportunity for members to contribute short arti-

cles or web links in future. I thank Rob Walker, Roger James and Bob

Chynoweth, who are the new newsletter sub-committee, for their ef-

fort in producing this new version.

Please stay safe and best wishes

Daryl Cowen

WELFARE REPORT

It was decided that because of the current situation Covid-19 we

would split the welfare into four sections with each person taking the

members to whom they were more acquainted with. In this respect, I

would like to acknowledge and thank Brian Bailey, Roger James and

Daryl Cowen for their assistance. Please contact your assigned per-

son if you are unwell, know someone who is unwell or need our as-

sistance.

Most of our members seem to be well, with a few exceptions. Geoff

Wiltshire had a fall which ended up him going to Frankston hospital

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and is currently in rehab in the Mornington Centre. John Carter, has had a

successful major operation and is currently living with his daughter in

Geelong. Mike Wooldridge spent several weeks in hospital after a bad fall

and is now recovering well at home. Richard Reeves has had a successful

operation after a fall and is in the Golf Links Road Rehab. Tony Vrzina’s

wife Maria has been in hospital recovering from a back operation and we

wish her a speedy recovery. Brian Mitcham is currently in hospital with a

back complaint.

I spoke with Ted Gale and when asked how he was going and could I do

anything for him, he asked if I could make him 10 years younger !!

Derek Grout (Welfare officer)

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

A series in which Tony Duboudin profiles the club’s life members, their lives and their

contribution to the club. Here he talks to Eric Kings.

Eric Kings was the club’s inaugural president and is the only foundation

member still alive.

He and his wife Beryl moved to Somers

after Eric retired in1983 following a

highly successful career with his twin

brother Stanley as dentists in Kew and

later in Collins Street, Melbourne.

“We were the biggest practice in Mel-

bourne and employed 11 people,” Eric

recalls.

Eric, a spritely 96, had for many years

been a member of Melbourne Rotary

Club and was approached by Hasting

Rotary Club 1985 with a view to estab-

lishing a Probus Club in Balnarring.

He recalls being interviewed by the

Hastings club and after answering a

number of questions one of the panel

said that they had heard enough about

Eric and asked “what’s your wife like”

and Eric recalls someone called out “she lovely” which was enough to win

Eric the task of establishing our club.

Portrait by Margaret McCutcheon

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Eric and Beryl had been together for 80 years when Beryl passed away last

year aged 96. He remembers taking her to a school dance when she was

16. The couple had two daughters and a son. Sadly the daughters have

both passed away. Eric is still kept busy by his seven grandchildren and

six great grandchildren.

Eric enrolled in dentistry at Melbourne University in 1940 and after com-

pleting his first year he told his parents that he felt he should join the army

which they agreed to. However, after six months the government decided

that all medical and dental students who had completed their first year and

had joined the forces should resume their studies as medical people were

sorely needed.

Eric duly completed his degree and joined the air force ending the war as a

squadron leader. His war time duties included visiting bases across Aus-

tralia tending to the dental health of servicemen.

A keen golfer Eric joined Flinders Golf Club in1964

when he and Beryl had a holiday home in Dromana.

He only stopped playing two years ago.

Tennis was Eric’s other great sporting love and he

played competitively for many years only giving up

in his early 90s.

So what does Eric like about Probus… the equality

among members? “It doesn’t matter a damn what

you did before you join Probus, everyone is equal”.

He believes he has met many people he would nev-

er have otherwise come into contact with thanks to

Probus.

CLUB BANK ACCOUNT.

Bendigo Bank: BSB 633 000. Account No 150404721 Account Name: Pro-

bus Club of Balnarring Inc. Important that you insert payer’s name & pur-

pose of payment in the description box.

Harold Weber

AT A TANGENT

The Covid-19 situation has brought the Internet and wireless technology

into sharp focus. Here are a few cartoons to reflect this.

Caricature by Past

Member, Geoff Hooke

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“They obviously haven’t heard of social distancing!” Roger James

And here are a few more .

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OUR ACTIVITY GROUPS

Many of our activity groups are hibernating during the Covid –19 re-

strictions. But you can still read about those still active.

A MESSAGE FROM RON DEANE

The ArmChair Entertainment Group are still being entertained in their arm-

chairs, the Wine Appreciation Group are still appreciating wines, but with-

out the need to share them with fellow members and the Choir is perform-

ing as a group of soloists under their showers and in places where they

can’t be heard! The Choir is also receiving lessons from Roger Price at

regular intervals!

Every best wish.

MONEY MATTERS

We are planning to hold a Zoom meeting to discuss the financial and in-vestment implications of the current crisis next Wednesday (29 April 2020)

commencing at 4:00 pm.

We will keep the agenda fairly simple. Roger will talk briefly on some of

the implications of switching to cash in uncertain times.

Daryl will then present on the topic of Estate Planning, which had to be

postponed because of the shutdown.

Time permitting, we will then have an open discussion on future plans for

the group including the share game.

To add authenticity, members are invited to order a takeaway from Hoolies

which can be consumed in isolation in front of the computer!

A reminder and instructions will be sent out to all members with an invita-

tion to participate early next week. New members are welcomed.

For further details please contact: Roger James 0400 837 884.

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

We are continuing our Bridge playing using an online Bridge playing appli-

cation during the Covid –19 restrictions Jay Nagl 59832551

BOOK CLUB A. To become a Whale by Ben Hobson

Book Group “A” have just read the book “To become a Whale by Ben Hob-

son. The main character is 13 year old Sam Keogh who has recently lost

his mother and is a study of the subsequent relationship between Sam and

his father (Walter). The author presents the reader with a young boy who is

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struggling with life after the death of his mother and a father who

“struggles with the responsibility of being a father”. Walter struggles to

accept that Sam his son, is still a child who needs his on going support

and that his, Sam’s, life may have to change to provide this ongoing sup-

port.

The story is written over a two month period and the author has captured

the desperate search of a young boy to get his father to accept him,

against the brutality of the a whaling station at Tangalooma in Moreton

Bay. The reader is presented with a vivid picture of the whaling process,

the men involved with this industry and how young Sam survives in this

environment in the desperate effort to achieve acceptance by his father. It

is difficult to imagine but this whaling Station was operating in Moreton

Bay up to the early 1960’s

The author shows us Sam’s guilt and the repercussions of his stealing

( Wetstone and torch) when they are living on the Whaling Station and the

impact on those who live with him. Slowly Sam feels he is gaining the ac-

ceptance of his father until he has his accident and is sent off on his own

to hospital.

Sam feels deserted all alone, finds his dog at his Grandparents house,

then rather than going to hospital he drives his father’s friend Phil’s car

(far fetched) back to their “lean to”, in the bush overlooking Moreton Bay.

Sam then destroys the “Lean to” after being told by police it must come

down and he is to move on.

He makes a small raft from the wreckage of the “Lean to” and with his dog

attempts to get back to the Whaling station. On the journey he encounters

a severe storm, his dog dies and he is eventually is recued off Noosa.

Sam and his father are reunited and his father leaves his employment at

the Whaling Station and the story ends with his father telling Sam and his

Grandparents that he has changed and will look after Sam.

Overall it is not a book I would recommend to Our members to read. As a

group we ranked the book 5 out of 10.

Contact Tom Leyden 5983 1933.

BOOK CLUB B

Book Group B meets at 7.30 on the second Tuesday evening of each

Month

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Due to CONVID-19 virus and the need to keep social distancing, the scheduled 14th. April meeting at Dennis Paskins was abandoned. Howev-er, Book Group B members were able to meet "remotely". Dan set up a composite site to which each member emailed their written reviews. While this is not a ZOOM type meeting as it did not require participants to report at the same time, it nonetheless meant everyone could not only send their comments and have them listed on the site but also read the comments of the other members who did likewise. This arrangement

worked well.

As Dan had negotiated with Monash Library to receive advance copies of the monthly books before the Library closed, Book Group B have enough books on hand and despite the embargo, will be able continue to meet albeit remotely. The Library has kindly extended indefinitely the return

dates for all the books.

"The Secret of Cold Hill" by Peter James promoted as "The Number One

Bestseller" was the first to be reviewed under our remote process.

The fly sheet of the cover showed author James has over 18 crime and thriller efforts to his name. His success is to follow a predictable pattern of plot and character development following " a recipe" model of writing

which has obviously placed him in a very profitable market niche.

Not all of the group persevered to even finish reading Cold Hill, adopting the late Brian Crowe's test that, " if after 50 pages you're not hooked, stop and read something else". Of those made it to the end, most reviews were less than praiseworthy and found the writing poor and the plot and characters unappealing. Despite having won over forty awards for his

work, our overall a score was just 1.5 and certainly not recommended.

The next meeting conducted remotely will be on 12th. May when

"Conclave" by Robert Harris will be reviewed.

Contact: Dan Hourigan. MOB. 0407754774

HAPPY SNAPPERS.

Well 13 Happy Snappers Zoomed in for our first online meeting. It went

well very well for a first-time effort and can only get better. Our greatest

problem was the 40-minute time limit so we all disappeared and then had

to start another session.

Our next “meeting” is on Monday, May 11 at 1:30 and I am sure it will be

smoother and better as we learn how to use the medium. The subject is

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“Snapperazzi”. Please send me only 2 images and reduce the images to

about 2 meg so as not to clog my email box.

Newcomers are most welcome. Ring or email Max on 5983 5274

maxhem@iprimus.com.au

MEMBER PHOTOS

Just reminding you all that we are photographing members to assist

with emergency contact.

If you do not wish your photo to be included please contact Daryl Cow-

en.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Links have been used in this Newsletter so that a lot of additional con-

tent can be added, but keeping the Newsletter reasonably small. All

links are in blue text and underlined. To visit any of these hover you

mouse or other means of pointing over this text. You can then click,

tap or follow the prompt on your screen

Keeping up to date with useful information relevant to our circumstanc-

es is essential. The following information and links has been borrowed

very heavily from the Somers Combined Probus Club Newsletter with

many thanks.

STAYING IN TOUCH ON OUR DEVICES

If you have the inclination, this Victorian Government link – ‘Be Con-nected offers suggestions to remain connected and how to get your computers, smartphones and other devices set up for safe and efficient

operation

Your committee is now meeting on Zoom, but there are others that may suit you better and help you feel secure at the same time. You may

want to consider these 10

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION

The ABC podcasts by Dr. Norman Swan, provide a wealth of reliable information, updated daily, regarding Covid19. If you’re in doubt about what’s allowed and what’s not look at the Victo-rian government website The WHO will help you sort fiction from fact

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I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL THIS

I thought for all you travellers, you might need a dose of travel to keep

you sane. However be warned; entering many of these is not only a

journey of wonder, you are also entering a labyrinth. Your curiosity

may become your prison and the sentence is indefinite. You may never

return.

Note: You may Adobe Flash Player installed and enabled to access all

features on some sites.

For those of you with Smart TVs or your devices paired to your TV, you

can enjoy these links more engagingly.

Traveller and armchair traveller have a lot on offer. I decided to include this list of virtual tours for this month. For Museums and Arts you can start with Museo Galileo. Lovers of machines, tools and history of Sci-ence may find this addictive. I got lost for an hour here when my task was to collect material for our first Covid 19 newsletter. If you haven’t discovered Google’s collection of galleries and museums, pack a lunch, (or maybe a back pack for a few days). You may be gone a long time.

Virtual travel safety tips:

• Go slowly on each page you visit and read carefully before you

click any links

• make sure your anti- virus software is up to date and turned on

Covid-19 creativity.

There is a plethora of Covid-19 parody songs appearing and this is a

small sample.

Do Re Me

Maria

Corona

Sounds of Sirens

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I think the Beatles ‘Let it Be’

needs a tweek.

“When I find myself in times of

trouble

Street graffiti comes to me …”

Some of the remarkable, inspiring

and humourous observations by

street artists:

Coronavirus street art in pictures (The Guardian)

Around the world in pandemic street art (Atlas Obscura)

Coronavirus pandemic inspires the art of graffiti in India (The Eco-

nomic Times)

For a quick browse around start with Google search for Images

Maybe creepy crawlies and photography intersect in your inner world.

“A Field Guide to the Miniature Menagerie Inside Your Own

Home” (Atlas Obscura) discusses finding and documenting critters we

live with.

And finally, for this issue, you may want some live streamed events.

The Guardian Australia put together a schedule on March 20. A number

of the events are yet to be streamed. I hope they have an update soon.

DESERT ISLAND DISKS

As way to learn a little more about your fellow members, this section

includes an anecdote or story . It includes some music or video links

to music or video relevant to it.

If you would like to contribute something like this, please contact Bob

Chynoweth to discuss it. The Newsletter sub committee can help with

adding your music or video selections to your piece.

Into the irregular world of the sound recording studio.

For a period in my sound engineering career, I was assistant engineer

in a Sydney recording studio in the early 1980s. These are wonderful

places if a little strange. All that technology and equipment maybe

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what you are thinking of. But it’s time and people that I am referring to.

Studios intersect with ’normal’ time during the day – from about 10 am

to 8 pm. The rest of the time, they become a flexible space occupied by

those with less money and others being given a break – budding film

makers, musicians and bands. It’s a totally isolated environment, artifi-

cial light, air-conditioned, cut off from the outside world and a small,

basically closed group of people.

Time is different. A few minutes feel like hours, but a few hours can

seem to pass in minutes. I think of it a ‘concertina’ time.

Sometimes things are just not going right and re-take after re-take fail

to capture a good recording. Tension rises, time stalls and the atmos-

phere thickens. A good engineer needs to circuit break with an alterna-

tive approach or encourage a break.

A send out for food (frequently pizza and coffee). Often, while the re-

freshments were being fetched, things would click, creative inspiration

flows and the studio buzzes. Smiles and laughter as take after take

goes down and then, finally the crowding into the control room to listen

to the result. The food and drink waits patiently, cooling it’s heels.

Some fiddling with the mix and another sudden flash - more takes,

more listen-backs until eventually, a satisfied lull. It feels as though

only 30 minutes have passed but the food and drink we so craved earli-

er tells us it’s been hours. The clock confirms this. These periods of

inspiration are addictive. All the people in the studio are pulled into the

mood and they radiate back. Even the observers become a part of it.

Joy, busy, frictionless, becoming as one, personalities meld. And the

previous frustrations evaporate. Most sessions have some of this but

on rare occasions, there is none; it is all plod. It’s like a little death.

One session we were recording demos for an emerging band

‘Flowers’ (to become ‘Icehouse’). It was very productive – we got four

tracks down with some sweeting and overdubs. Energy was high but

time took a holiday. We had started mid afternoon and when we were

finally spent, the clock said mid-morning the following day. Despite

knowing the time, walking out into the day was dis-orienting and it felt

like a continuation of “Yesterday”.

Idiosyncratic people seem to concentrate in recording studios. This

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world is populated by a high number of idiosyncratic people. We had

one last session for the demo tracks for a hopeful band. The session

was flowing and we had recorded the backing tracks and a few over-

dubs for the last two tracks. It started to fall apart on takes for lead gui-

tar on the second track. Tensions rose, frustration clouded the studio.

Before the mood could crystallize, the chief engineer called for a re-

freshment breaks While orders were being arranged, he talked with the

band leader and guitarist placing the idea that piano would be great for

the song. A midnight call and an hour wait; a welcome release to the

night streets, coffee, a snack and a supply of Tim Tams for the key-

board player.

He seemed professional as we worked through a couple of rehearsal

runs and some ideas for keyboards on other tracks. As we prepared

for our first take, the chief engineer, warned me that we would not get

anywhere until he was naked. Timing and punch seemed to evaporate

during the first two tries at the track. He became agitated. A myriad

problems and faults emerged. And the clothes came off – a piece for

almost every false take or false start. After nearly an hour of prelimi-

naries, it took little more than 15 minutes to fully disrobe. He played the

piano possessed. Whatever it was, it worked. The takes went from

good to sublime in that fifteen minutes. With the remaining hour and a

bit of his session time, four other keyboard takes added to previously

recorded demos. And the naked keyboardist had become ‘normal’.

And I love these places.

“People are strange” The Doors

“We can get together” Icehouse

Rob Walker

If you have an idea for the Newsletter or would like to write a

contribution, Please contact one of the Newletter sub-

committee”:

Bob Chynoweth

Roger James

Rob Walker

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WHAT TO DO ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA AFTER COVID-19

Members are invited to write a short description of a recommended

drive, walk or visit to one of their favourite places on the Mornington

Peninsula. Please email them as a Word document to Rob Walker.

President Daryl Cowen has entered the following:-

WALK TO BUSHRANGERS BAY: This walk gives you two ways to ac-

cess the beautiful Bushrangers Bay. Named after two escaped con-

victs, the bay comprises a sandy beach surrounded by basalt cliffs.

This serene location is contrasted by the dark and brooding headlands

and wild waves that often crash onto jagged rocks guarding the en-

trance to the bay.

Bushrangers Bay can be accessed from the Boneo Road car park and

picnic area (2.5km). This section of the Two Bays Walking Track passes

along Main Creek and provides fine views and passes through shady

Banksia groves. You also get views over the surrounding farmland and

into the creek valley below. There are lots of birds calling as you walk

through the Banksia forest and there are grassy clearings where it's not

difficult to spot kangaroos.

Alternatively, follow the 2.6km Bushrangers Bay Track from the Cape

Schanck car park to see some of the best coastal scenery near Mel-

bourne. This coastal clifftop walk has excellent views over the sea and

rocky bays as well as the spectacular Cape Schanck and its lighthouse.

Cape Schanck is at the most southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula

at the meeting of Bass Strait and Western Port. It has been protected

since the 1800's and was made a national park in 1988 and offers spec-

tacular scenery.

The Club There’s a Probus Club down at Balnarring Its no women; men only, but no swearing The meetings are monthly on Fridays, 9 in the morning In a Hall cold and dull cos the lighting’s so appalling

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There’s a committee of course, with a great President Chief Who chairs the meetings; it’s no mean feat He begins with a warning about emergency events And tells us who to follow, in his plain common sense Minutes of the last meeting are then read and agreed Cos there’s nothing contentious in that dull old screed Reports are then sought of group comings and goings Their leaders comes forward, their faces all glowing First, the Treasurer reports on our financial account And the Secretary records it in precise detail, no doubt Good news items are welcomed and visitors for attending And Merton reports on our sick ones, now hopefully all mending Then, with Ian Taylor we all sing along Though we’re heartedly sick of those same old songs There’s book group ‘B’ and of course book group ‘A” Which one’s best I know; but wouldn’t dare say We’ve rides on a bike with the Bikey gang Or songs with the choir whenever they sang The long trips we know, are for three or four days And we have two investment groups, each in a perpetual daze Of secret mens business, there’s nothing to be said For I don’t know where they meet, is it in a closet or a shed? Then, there’s snooker of course or walks by the bay Col’s ramble for fit types, but many say nay There’s regular dine-outs with good things to eat Or morning coffees which are always a treat For music and theatre, of course there’s a group They watch videos, read plays and think its beaut! We’ve painting and drawing with art so sunny And of course Dan’s armchair travel, for those with no money!

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But what we like best and see as a test Are the jokes that are told along with the rest To hear those ones best not to mention We all tremble with great apprehension Will Bernie reform and begin making us laugh Or embarrass us all, about the one in the bath With the formalities completed and our business all done Its time for our tea break with biscuits, but nary a bun When the guest speakers arrives they’re given the floor Their subjects most interesting, they’re rarely a bore Then its time for farewells to pack up and leave To stack up our chairs, but not to grieve For next month we’ll return; of that there’s no doubt Cos we come for the friendship, that’s what the club’s all about Dan Hourigan 26 November 2010