Volume 4 Issue 6 October 2019_____

Probus Club of Clarington

________________________________________________________________________________________________

President’s Message: It is such an honour and privilege to serve as President of the Probus Club of Clarington. In reflecting on our September 11th monthly meeting, you could feel the energy, passion and excitement of our membership. Many members could be seen hovering around the Social and Interest Groups tables and signing up for various activities. There was much interaction and conversations among our members over coffee. There was much laughter, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, the smiles were contagious. The meeting itself was upbeat with much joy and laughter. It was good to see so many members making their way to the podium to speak, make announcements and inform us of community events and activities.

We had 17 visitors to our meeting in which 8 joined as new members and 4 took membership forms home with them. Traffic to our Website has increased substantially over this time last year. Also in attendance was the President and Past President of the Probus Club of Oshawa. They were very impressed with our facilities and the enthusiasm and excitement of our members. Something very good is happening here at the Probus Club of Clarington.

It is with regret that our present Vice President George Aitken has had to step back from the position. He and Dawn are embarking on an exciting new adventure that will take them to British Columbia. They will be back and forth on a regular basis as they have roots and family in both provinces. Both Dawn and George have been very active members, taking leadership rolls and have contributed so much to the success of the club. The good news is they will remain members of our club and they will continue when in town to be active in club activities.

Our new Vice President as appointed by the Management Team until elections next April is John Muzik. Since our club was formed in 2016, John has been front and centre in a leadership role and served on the Management Committee for 3 years. He is well positioned to assume the responsibility of Vice President.

I hope everyone has submitted their surveys issued by the Speakers’ Committee. Your feedback is extremely important to ensure that we draw talented, knowledgeable and interesting speakers that you want to hear. If you have not received a survey as yet, see Paul Halliday or a member of the speakers’ committee.

Enjoy the fall season and all that the beauty and splendor that our country has to offer. Whatever you do, keep safe.

Jim Bamford

Monthly Speaker:

Patricia Lowe has been the Director of Community Engagement for Central Lake Ontario Conservation since 2006. She works with a team of staff at Central Lake Ontario Conservation to deliver a variety of environmental stewardship, education programs and corporate communication products. She has been a registered Landscape Architect for 30 years, spending time in both the private and public sector of the profession designing and developing parks, gardens, recreational master plans and streetscapes. For the past 20 years she has worked in the world of Conservation Authorities with a focus on a variety of large- and small-scale habitat restoration projects and rural and urban stewardship programs in partnership with stakeholders across the GTA. She lives in the Village of Whitevale in a rusty, crusty, musty heritage home and is enjoying her empty nest with her husband Mark after raising

their collective four children to become independent and motivated individuals. Some of her hobbies and habits touch on art, culture, fiber, food and the environment. Patricia will share with our group an overview of the business of Central Lake Ontario Conservation business over the past 60 years, their model for operation, their focus, what they are seeing in terms of climate change and how they are adapting their programs to create a resilient watershed for future generations.

Membership Report:

Our membership continues to grow… Please welcome our 9 new members:

Virginia Cole-Campbell Jan Wotton Gordon Forsyth Avril Forsyth Richard Hearne Linda Hearne Jenny Vandermeer Rosemary Rogers Hugh Laing

Interest Groups:

Probus choir

The Melody Makers, will be re-starting on Thursday October 17th, in a new

location. Weekly practices will be held on Thursday afternoons in the

Chapel/theatre at Bowmanville Creek Retirement Community, Queen Street,

Bowmanville. For details, please contact Angela Tibbles, aetibbles@gmx.com.

Dinner Club at Lindo’s Mexican Restaurant in Hampton

George Aitken (photographer)

The Probus Hiking Club went on a fall hike at the Orono Crown Lands, led by John Windatt. We hiked along

the river and watched the salmon swim upstream to spawn during the annual salmon run. It was a glorious

day.

AnneMarie Halliday

What kind of bats fly around the school

at night? AlphaBATS!

What do ghosts put on their cereal in the morning? “Boo” berries and “boo”nanas.

What do you get when you take the inside out of a hotdog? A “hollow” weenie.

What are the birds giving out for Halloween this year? “Tweets!”

The Walking Club went on the Probus walk with our esteemed leader John on the 13th of September. He always provides us with tidbits of interesting information and on this outing he pointed out Orono's Leaning Tower among other things. We ended up at the village restaurant for lunch. A good time was had by all including Dolly. Ron Henry

Gardening Club Interest Group

Dave Hinton standing beside a Magnolia tree that he had

planted about 18 years ago at a gardener friend’s garden.

Photograph by Jiwan Angl

“Friends and Wine, the older the better”

At at recent “Premier Crew Night” at Laurie Allum’s home we sampled some delicious “Wines we found while

Travelling”. It was a marvellous night with delicious samplings, great friends and travel stories. Thank you

Laurie for hosting us so beautifully. Kathleen Brear

News from your Social Committee:

Registration began at the September meeting for our annual Christmas Lunch to be held on Wednesday, December 18th at the Bowmanville Older Adults Association on Beech Street. You are invited to arrive any time after 11:30, with lunch to begin at 12:15. You will enjoy a full turkey dinner with salad and dessert. A vegetarian main dish and a gluten free dessert will be available for those who indicate that preference at sign-up. As in past years, we expect a rollicking good time, entertainment, prizes, and an opportunity to share the warmth of the season with your fellow Probus members.

Registration for the Christmas dinner will continue at the October and November meetings. The cost is $25.00. Contrary to what was stated last month, you are most welcome to bring a guest if you wish.

Why not get into the holiday spirit by taking part in one of the Christmas excursions offered by Lakeshore Tours and Travel? On December 6th you can head to Kitchener to the home of William Lyon Mackenzie King and the historic Castle Kilbride, both richly decorated for the holidays. You will also enjoy lunch at Anna Mae's, a Mennonite restaurant and bakery. All this for $89.00 which seems like a good deal to me! Stella Dorsman

Trip to OPG Thirty five Probus members enjoyed a slide show presentation, a bus tour of the Ontario Power Generation site and a view of the mock-up nuclear reactor.

Community Events

Battle of the Apps in support of Clarington Hospice. Enjoy a variety of appetizers provided by local eateries and vote for your favourite. Wednesday, October 23rd from 5:30 to 9:00 at the BOAA Tickets are $50.00 and are available by emailing Pat at masseybldg97 @gmail.com or calling 905-447-3737

Newfoundland Discovery A 10 day small group (22) tour of Newfoundland from July 4th to 13th, 2020. Contact Durham Travel for details at 905-571-6210 x164

Remember to make your vote count on October 21st

Photo Share

Is your fall garden just beautiful and do you want everyone to see it? Or are your

trees spectacularly colourful? Then send a photo to susan_d_wood@hotmail.com

and your photo will appear in the next newsletter.

And of course, send any photos of your Probus groups in action too.

Thanks to all our photographers this month. Many great pictures!

Probus Clothing:

Various jackets and shirts will be available to try on and order at our October meeting. You

can start planning now what you might like to have. The prices vary from $18 for the hats, and

$32 to $79 for the sweaters and jackets. There is a big variety of colours available as well. Let’s

look sharp!

Monthly Calendar

As the calendar is frequently updated, you can check the most recent version on the website at this link

https://probusclarington.com/schedule-of-interest-groups-and-social-club-event

Bring a friend and a mug!

Everything you need to know about the Clarington Probus group can be found on our

amazing website at www.probusclarington.com It includes information about the

Interest groups, Social outings, the management committee, the newsletter and more.

Just Click the website address now & come visit!