Co-Presidents' Message: April 2024

Hello once again.  

We enjoyed another interesting speaker at our March 20thMeeting.  In Jane Blackwood’s topic – “ In a Nutshell: Pave the Way for your Power of Attorney and Executor”  - she covered a wide range of items that should be documented by every adult. Her presentation generated a lot of interesting discussions.  In Jane’s professional life she covered many other areas of possible interest to Probus members and we hope to have her back sometime in the future. A copy of Jane’s handout can be available by request.

Along with Vice President (Nancy H), we attended a District 5 meeting online March 28th.  District 5 includes about 20 Probus Clubs covering the area from Windsor to Woodstock and Grey-Highlands to Port Stanley.  Representatives of 16 Clubs took part in this meeting. Topics on the Agenda included: Committee Volunteering, Finances and Efforts to increase Club Membership. In general having a website is effective at increasing membership and keeping members informed of upcoming activities and events.

We encourage everyone to make use of our website southlondonprobus.ca

See you all at our next meeting – April 17th.

Jim and Sandra

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the March meeting,  the winner was Sandra G.  She won $58.00.

Birthdays:

April:

Gail C., April 2nd;  Louise M., April 5th;  Leonard M., April 8th;  Carol H., April 17th;  Mark G., April 18th; Roslyn M., April 20th;  Bob F., April 26th,  June R., April 27th.

 Sign up for our Social Events online or in person:  

Register for the events online by clicking on the event in our Calendar, or in person at a meeting, and bring your cheque to the meeting to secure your spot! If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Marg D. or click on the underlined name in the newsletter to gain access to the person's phone # and email.

April 10: There will be 2  tours of the Arva Flour Mill.  10 a.m. - 20 people on the tour then browse in the shop.  At 11a.m. -20 people on the second tour then browse/shop.  People are encouraged to car pool due to the large numbers and limited available parking spaces. Please note both tours are full.

Turtle Jacks  will be set up  for early arrivals at 12 noon and the second
tour group will arrive about 12:30 for their lunch. 

June 10, Walters Music Venue, 2:00 p.m.  is now  filled. Lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Charles Dickens Restaurant, Woodstock, at your own cost.  Car pooling is recommended. .     

  Fun at the Racetrack 

Activity Groups:

                 Participate - Volunteer - Have Fun!

Dine Out: 

The next Dine Out is April 3, 2024, at 12:00.

Mint Leaves Indian Kitchen, 1080 Adelaide St., North  (southeast corner) (Adelaide and Huron)

519-601-9494

Please email Susan K., by Friday, March 30, 2024, to reserve your spot, email preferred contact, I will email to let you know I got your message, thanks.

Pot Luck:                                                                                  

3rd Tuesday of the month 12 p.m. in member's homes.8 maximum. 

For more information, and if interested in being a spare call convenor: Donna Jean I.

Coffee Mornings:

Men's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. except 4th Monday in December.  We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's. Contact Larry M.

Women's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m., except 4th Monday in December.  See the photos from our  coffee meet ups, in the photo section at the end of the newsletter! Convenor: Shirley .   We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's.

Investment Club: 

The Investment Group will be meeting on  at 9:30 a.m. April 18th at Riverbend .   Regular meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Newcomers are welcome and are asked to contact Don to confirm the date and time.  

Euchre: 

4th Thursday of the month (except December) at 1 pm in a member’s home. 8 players maximum plus spares. Usually over in about 3 hours.  If interested in being a spare, call Convenor: Gail.

 

A special Birthday for Gail

2nd Euchre Group:

Contact Nancy F.  for more information.

Walking Group:                                                                                                                                                 

Meet every Wednesday except the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Meet  at 9:30 a.m. in the Guy Lombardo Parking Lot for a one hour walk.

Contact Person: Geesje 

Rummikub –         

Rummikub is a game that involves both luck and strategy. It is played with tiles, numbered 1 to 13 in 4 different colours, and is similar to Rummy O. Your mind is constantly working to win the game by getting rid of the tiles on your rack. It is fun and easy to learn, yet can be challenging. We can have groups of two to four per table, with a maximum of 10 players per session.

1st Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Louise – if interested in being a spare.

                                                                                                           

Games –

1st Friday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Linda H.  - still require substitutes/spares

Support:

Do you know of a South London Probus member who is having a difficult time (health issue, accident, hospitalization, loss of partner, etc.) and would benefit from receiving a card or a call from our team? If so, please let me know. I will be happy to follow up and/or get in touch with them. 

Contact Marg C.

Book Club:

Book Club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. except December, July & August in a member’s home. We are currently full.  Please call Susan or Liz,  if you wish more information.

 

2nd Book Club:

Book Club #2 meets every 2nd Friday of the month.  We are currently taking more members. We meet in members homes except December, July and August. Contact Nancy F. for more information.

                                 

Travel Group:                                         

Our Agawa Canyon  4 day  tour begins October 1. All members who signed up for this tour at our meeting on January 8th have now been informed  of all the details.  Please contact Jim G.

There is, within our Probus membership interest in forming group tours to other destinations, such as Nashville, New Orleans or ?????  If you are willing to act as a group leader for these or to another destination please contact Jim G.

Day Trippers:

The team is up and running.  We had our first meeting and our goal is to organize out of town day trips. The trips will be structured with the team organizing transportation and others trip where participants gather at the destination in their own transportation and we tour as a group. We have many great suggestions for travel and look forward to fulfilling as many as possible. We are currently researching flexible seating transportation to accommodate smaller groups and as many interests as possible. Most companies require at least a 30 person commitment to arrange any transportation. We have requested quotes for several test destinations to judge if this is a viable cost effective way to travel as a group. We look forward to sharing some great travel and fun destinations. Stay tuned for announcements about our first destinations.

Contact: Janice R.

Speakers:                                                                   

 Our March speaker was Jane Blackwood speaking on the importance of having a Power of Attorney for your Health and Financials in place as well as an Executor.  To learn more on how to prepare yourself and protect your loved ones,

1) Google: Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA)

  2) In the upper right corner  'Search' area, type in" virtual Shoebox"

3) Then click on "Your Virtual Shoebox Guide"

You will find a VERY comprehensive fillable pdf file that you can save to your computer (and print out if you wish).

                          

                              Upcoming Speakers:

April: Dr. Jean Hewitt, "Aging Wisely".                                    

This presentation looks at the current research on Aging, and what we can learn about this process. It is clear that maintaining independence, as opposed to simply living longer, is the key goal of most Seniors today. How can we increase the chances that we will achieve that goal? Reference will be made to the large Super-Ager study presently going on here in London.

May:  Mike S.,  Probus Member, "Travels Through Life".

                   March Who Am I Speaker:             

Meredith C.

New Members:

                                              

     L-R       Sharron  G.,  Robyn M.,  Ronalee P.,  Janice R.              

                                   

Susan W., Past President

Our wonderful volunteers on our management committee are looking for an infusion of energy and talent! While they would like to keep all the fun to themselves, they are willing to share it with a few members ready to get to work. In particular, we are looking for a Vice President next year! If you might be interested, please contact me, or any of the management committee to learn more about the role!

                     

                              

                                      

We strive to make our Club the best possible for everyone.  If you have a suggestion to enhance our Club, or a concern, please send it to our general mail box:

              southlondonprobus@gmail.com

 

 

Editor: Brigitte D.

Co-Presidents' Message:

It was great to see all of you at our general meeting on Feb 21. We noted at this and the previous meetings that many of you are bringing along friends as potential new members. This is a very necessary activity to keep our club flourishing and we would like to thank all the members who did this and would like to encourage all members to do the same.

We have a full roster of games and other activities over the winter which is well supported. We particularly enjoy our Rummikub afternoons. Sure helps to make the winter pass quickly!

Our Management Committee met on Feb 27, during which plans for our spring lunch were discussed-another sign that we are leaving winter behind.  

The guest speakers at our Probus meetings cover a wide range of topics which we hope you find interesting. We are trying to encourage the use of our ROVING MICROPHONE so that all members can hear the questions being directed to the speaker. So if you have question for the speaker please raise your hand and wait until you are presented with the mike before voicing your question. By hearing both the question and the speaker’s answer it should improve the enjoyment of the presentation for all meeting attendees.

The Management Committee were saddened to learn of the passing of the husbands of two of our members - Moira Connell (Craig) and Geesje Fulton (Richard). Condolences have been sent to Moira and Geesje and their families.

We look forward to another interesting meeting in March. It is good to see more members are remembering to wear their name badges –Thank you - may we look forward to everybody wearing their badges at the next fun time together?

Sandra and Jim Gilmour, Co-Presidents

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the February meeting,  the winner was Susan W. and she won $50.00 .

Birthdays:

March:

Jane P., March 01;  Janice R., March 01;  Hilda S. March 03;   Angela J., March 03;  Lynda, F., March 08;  Jennifer, B., March 15;  Brigitte, D., March 24;  Donna Jean, I., March 26; Larry, R., March 30

 

 

Sign up for our Social Events online or in person:  

Register for the events below online by clicking on the event in our Calendar, or in person at a meeting, and bring your cheque to the meeting to secure your spot! If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Marg D. or click on the underlined name in the newsletter to gain access to the person's phone # and email.

March 19: Top of the Fair -Cost $53.35 paid by individual at the table after dinner. (senior's rate includes tax and gratuity).  This includes the buffet dinner, entrance, betting booklet, 1 voucher for betting, 1 voucher for casino, free parking and elevator access.  DOES NOT include alcoholic beverages or pop.  Opens at 5:00 p.m.  Buffet 5:30 p.m. Racing at 6:00  p.m.  Reservation for 20 people.  Sign up on line or at the February meeting.  Final sign up March 10th.  Contact Gail C.  ONLY 8 places left.

April 10: There will be 2  tours of the Arva Flour Mill.  10 a.m. - 20 people on the tour then browse in the shop.  At 11a.m. -20 people on the second tour then browse/shop.  People are encouraged to car pool due to the large numbers and limited available parking spaces. Please note both tours are full.

Turtle Jacks  will be set up  for early arrivals at 12 noon and the second
tour group will arrive about 12:30 for their lunch. A sign up sheet will be available at the February meeting or you can register online for the 10 am tour.  Please let Sheila J. know if you are coming for lunch. 

June 10, Walters Music Venue, 2:00 p.m. $70 - no refund.  Only 2 tickets left. This is now open to guests.  Lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Charles Dickens Restaurant, Woodstock, at your own cost.  Car pooling is recommended. Contact Marg for a ticket.

We have also created sign up sheets for many more interest groups. Members are encouraged to review these and, if interested, sign up. When there are sufficient numbers, the groups will meet and each group can determine their own format, frequency, etc. Members are also encouraged to make suggestions for other groups that may be of interest.

• Watch the website for more information on social events.
• REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR CHEQUE BOOK WHEN SIGNING UP AND PAYING FOR EVENTS.  Your spot is not confirmed unless paid for.

         

              Our visit to the Fire Hall for Emergency                                              Preparedness

On February 8th , two groups of our members visited London Fire Station 12 in Byron, where we learned about emergency preparedness from Public Safety Educator Taylor Simmons, tsimmons@london.ca assisted by co-op student, Olivia.  We sat in the chairs of top city officials in the emergency "situation room" where we received valuable information and resources to share with family and friends.  For anyone who was unable to attend, visit: https//london.ca/living-london/community-services/emergency-preparedness.  On that same page, you can sign up for upcoming Citizen's Academy training sessions.

   

To see more pictures regarding this tour, click on the link.

Dine Out: 

The next Dine Out is March 6th 12:00 noon Milestones, 3169 Wonderland Rd., South.  Those wishing to attend please contact Barbara G., by noon on Friday March 1st. Please provide your name, email and telephone number.

See the event on our calendar

Pot Luck:                                                                                  

3rd Tuesday of the month 12 p.m. in member's homes.8 maximum plus spares. 

For more information, and if interested in being a spare call convenor: Donna Jean I.

Coffee Mornings:

Men's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. except 4th Monday in December.  We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's. Contact Larry M.

Women's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m., except 4th Monday in December.  See the photos from our  coffee meet ups, in the photo section at the end of the newsletter! Convenor: Shirley .   We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's.

Women's  Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Men's Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Investment Club: 

The Investment Group will be meeting on March 14th at 9:30 a.m. at Riverbend .   Regular meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Newcomers are welcome and are asked to contact Don to confirm the date and time.  

Euchre: 

4th Thursday of the month (except December) at 1 pm in a member’s home. 8 players maximum plus spares. Usually over in about 3 hours.  If interested in being a spare, call Convenor: Gail.

2nd Euchre Group:

Contact Nancy F.  for more information.

Walking Group:                                                                                                                                                 

Meet every Wednesday except the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Meet  at 9:30 a.m. in the Guy Lombardo Parking Lot for a one hour walk.

Contact Person: Geesje 

Rummikub –

1st Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Louise – if interested in being spare.

Games –

1st Friday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Linda H.  - still require substitutes/spares

Support:

If you know someone who is feeling under the weather or needs cheering up,  please contact Marg C.

Book Club:

Book Club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. except December, July & August in a member’s home. We are currently full.  Please call Susan or Liz,  if you wish more information.

 

2nd Book Club:

Book Club #2 meets every 2nd Friday of the month.  We are currently taking more members. We meet in members homes except December, July and August. Contact Nancy F. for more information.

                                 

Travel Group:                                         

The final basic arrangements for our Alaskan/Yukon beginning July 7th 2024  in Vancouver for 18 day cruise -land tour  have been arranged, as have our Agawa Canyon  4 day  tour beginning Oct 1. All members who signed up for these tours at our meeting on Jan 8th have now been informed  of all the details. There is plenty of space available as of now please contact Jim G. 

There is, within our Probus membership interest in forming group tours to other destinations, such as Nashville, New Orleans or ?????  If you are willing to act as a group leader for these or to another destination please contactJim G.. 

Speakers:                                                                      

Our February speaker Aura Burditt                                            

Upcoming Speakers:

March: Jane Blackwood “In a Nutshell: Pave the Way for your Power of Attorney and Executor”

April: Dr. Jean Hewitt, "Aging Wisely".

May: Mike S., Probus Member, "Travels Through Life".

Who Am I Speaker:

Jim E. was our "Who Am I" speaker for February.

 

New Members:

                                     

Left to right: Marie D;  Marcel D;  Carol H;  Chris M;  Howard W. 

Probus Canada has a new national newsletter.  I have included the web address today for you to use.  https://www.probuscanada.ca/news 

As the convenors of an event or group please  submit pictures to me to include in the newsletter,  as well as a brief description of what has been discussed ie. book club - the book and author and how it was received; dine out - where it was, how many attended and brief description of the food; investment club - some snip of interest etc.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter to ensure our newsletter is more interesting to our members.

REMEMBER OUR MEETINGS ARE SCENT FREE AND TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG TO THE GENERAL MEETING AND ALL EVENTS.

We now have 12 interest groups.  To sign up, bring your calendars AND Cheques.

                         

                               

                                      

                         WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED!

Thank you to the following members who volunteered to be Greeters at future meetings:

Sheila J.;  Geesje F., Roslyn M. , Angie J., Catherine and Larry M. and Chris M.

And thank you to Marcel D. who volunteered to help our audio visual team.  

This was a great response to our call for volunteers and speaks well of our members and our club’s future. Thank you!

We are still looking for a member to serve as Member at Large on the Nominations Committee. If this interests you, please talk with one of the Management Committee members. We would love to hear from you!

 

Editor: Brigitte D.

Co-Presidents' Message:

By the time you get this we will be well into winter!!

Taking our minds off winter weather are the Tour Groups being organized for later in the year.  At our preliminary meeting held at Glendale Crossing on January 8, 2024, many possible tours were discussed.  Four Group Leaders volunteered.  As of now the Group Leaders and Tours are as follows:  Nancy Fazackerley – Churchill Manitoba (to see polar bears),  Janice Rudd – Ontario extended day trips,  Bob Harris – Muskoka,  and Jim Gilmour – Alaska Cruise also Agawa Canyon. Many of our members have expressed interest in these tours. 

Information about Probus Club of South London was posted on Byron Neighbourhood Facebook and Oakridge Acorn.  As a result of these and by word of mouth by members, we saw an encouraging growth in membership in the last few months. 

We were saddened at the passing of former Probus member Bob Meredith on January 12, 2024.  Condolences on behalf of Probus Club of South London have been sent to his wife Carol. 

At our last General Meeting in January we had 3 very interesting speakers, Phyllis, Peggy and Barb on the topic of  “Home Sharing” and Bill 69 – The Golden Girls Act of Ontario which allows unrelated seniors to share a home.  Thanks to Nancy Holmes our Vice President for arranging this informative topic. 

Glad to see that many of you are taking advantage of our many interest groups.

See you at our February 21st Probus General Meeting.

Sandra and Jim Gilmour

 

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the January meeting,  the winner was Carole C. who won $53.00 .

Birthdays:

February:

Colleen, Feb. 1; Gwen, Feb. 2; Helen R. Feb. 5; David N. Feb. 7; Jill B. Feb. 9; Marg M. Feb. 11; Don B. Feb. 12; Barbara G. Feb. 16; Sandra M. Feb. 18; Audrey Burt, Feb. 20; Ron P. Feb. 20

 

 

Sign up for our Social Events online or in person:  

Register for the events below online by clicking on the event in our Calendar, or in person at a meeting, and bring your cheque to the meeting to secure your spot! If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Marg D. or click on the underlined name in the newsletter to gain access to the person's phone # and email.

Feb. 8 is the  Emergency Response Preparedness presentation at the Byron Fire Hall, 2:00 p.m.  No cost for the tour. Preceded by lunch at your own cost,  12:15 p.m. at the Byron Legion.  Please note, this tour is full. Any questions, contact Brigitte D.

March 19: Top of the Fair -Cost $53.35 paid by individual at the table after dinner. (senior's rate includes tax and gratuity).  This includes the buffet dinner, entrance, betting booklet, 1 voucher for betting, 1 voucher for casino, free parking and elevator access.  DOES NOT include alcoholic beverages or pop.  Opens at 5:00 p.m.  Buffet 5:30 p.m. Racing at 6:00  p.m.  Reservation for 20 people.  Sign up on line or at the February meeting.  Final sign up March 10th.  Contact Gail C.

April 10: There will be 2  tours of the Arva Flour Mill.  10 a.m. - 20 people on the tour then browse in the shop.  At 11a.m. -20 people on the second tour then browse/shop.  People are encouraged to car pool due to the large numbers and limited available parking spaces. Please note both tours are full.

Turtle Jacks  will be set up  for early arrivals at 12 noon and the second
tour group will arrive about 12:30 for their lunch. A sign up sheet will be available at the February meeting or you can register online for the 10 am tour.  Please let Sheila J. know if you are coming for lunch. 

June 10, Walters Music Venue, 2:00 p.m. $70 - no refund.  Only 2 tickets left. This is now open to guests.  Lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Charles Dickens Restaurant, Woodstock, at your own cost.  Car pooling is recommended. Contact Marg for a ticket.

We have also created sign up sheets for many more interest groups. Members are encouraged to review these and, if interested, sign up. When there are sufficient numbers, the groups will meet and each group can determine their own format, frequency, etc. Members are also encouraged to make suggestions for other groups that may be of interest.

• Watch the website for more information on social events.
• REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR CHEQUE BOOK WHEN SIGNING UP AND PAYING FOR EVENTS.  Your spot is not confirmed unless paid for.

Dine Out: Note: for this month only, Dine out is on February 14th.

The next Dine Out is February 14, 2024 at  12:00 p.m. at the Mandarin on Hyde Park Road.  Please contact Cheryl  by February 7th, if you are planning to attend.

See the event on our calendar

Pot Luck:                                                                                  

3rd Tuesday of the month 12 p.m. in member's homes.8 maximum plus spares. Starting in January 2024.

For more information, and if interested in being a spare call convenor: Donna Jean I.

Coffee Mornings:

Men's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. except 4th Monday in December.  We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's. Contact Larry M.

Women's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m., except 4th Monday in December.  See the photos from our  coffee meet ups, in the photo section at the end of the newsletter! Convenor: Shirley .   We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's.

Women's  Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Men's Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Investment Club: NOTE date change for February.

The Investment Group will be meeting on February 15th at 9:30 a.m. at Riverbend .   Regular meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Newcomers are welcome and are asked to contact Don to confirm the date and time.  

Euchre: 

4th Thursday of the month (except December) at 1 pm in a member’s home. 8 players maximum plus spares. Usually over in about 3 hours.  If interested in being a spare, call Convenor: Gail.

2nd Euchre Group:

Contact Nancy F.  for more information.

Walking Group:                                                                                                                                                 

Meet every Wednesday except the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Meet  at 9:30 a.m. in the Guy Lombardo Parking Lot for a one hour walk.

Contact Person: Geesje 

Rummikub –

1st Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Louise – if interested in being spare.

Games –

1st Friday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Linda H.  - still require substitutes/spares

Support:

If you know someone who is feeling under the weather or needs cheering up,  please contact Marg C.

Book Club:

Book Club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. except December, July & August in a member’s home. We are currently full.  Please call Susan or Liz,  if you wish more information.

2nd Book Club:

Book Club #2 meets every 2nd Friday of the month.  We are currently taking more members. We meet in members homes except December, July and August. Contact Nancy F. for more information.

                                 

Travel Group:                                         

For more information,  Contact Jim G.

An Alaskan Trip is being planned.  Holland American is the only cruise line that visits the Yukon. 

Agawa Canyon is being arranged with the help of a Robin Hood Travel Agent. 

Muskoka will likely be deferred until next year.

If you are interested in travelling to Churchill,  Manitoba next October there will be a meeting at Nancy F’s home on Monday, Feb. 5 at 1:30 to discuss tour options, pricing etc. Please come only if seriously interested in this trip. Please let Nancy know if you plan to attend.

Speakers:                                                                      

The speakers in January were London's Golden Girls, Peggy Matser, Barb Coughlin and Phyllis Brady with their stories of "Home Sharing".  Two stories, two separate ideas on how to share ALL costs, gain companionship, safety and better finances.  The women divide household and outside chores. Communication and mutual respect are key to the success in sharing a home. Our speakers have given us permission to publish their email addresses, if you have any questions.

Left to right:

Peggy Matser: pmatser50@gmail.com

Barb Coughlin: barbjc12@gmail.com

Phyllis Brady: bradyphyllis@gmail.com

To find out more about sharing a home etc, click on the following link:

Housemates wanted: Seniors look to co-housing to move away from loneliness (youtube.com)

Upcoming Speakers:

February speaker is Aura Burditt, Chair, The Salvation Army Ontario SW Regional Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Committee.  She will talk to us about these issues in our community, the work of her office to provide services to victims and survivors and how collaborative partnerships offer the best solutions.

March: Jane Blackwood, "Make Peace with Paper".

April: Dr. Jean Hewitt, "Aging Wisely".

May: Mike Smith, Probus Member, "Travels Through Life".

New Members:

Left to Right:  Janet R; Sue and Mike O'D; Barbara G; Judy D;

Not there where Janice R;  Carole H; and Louisie M.

                                      Museum of Ontario Archaeology Tour

                                                                January 10, 2024

To see more pictures regarding this tour, click on the link.

Probus Canada has a new national newsletter.  I have included the web address today for you to use.  https://www.probuscanada.ca/news 

As the convenors of an event or group please  submit pictures to me to include in the newsletter,  as well as a brief description of what has been discussed ie. book club - the book and author and how it was received; dine out - where it was, how many attended and brief description of the food; investment club - some snip of interest etc.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter to ensure our newsletter is more interesting to our members.

REMEMBER OUR MEETINGS ARE SCENT FREE AND TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG TO THE GENERAL MEETING AND ALL EVENTS.

We now have 12 interest groups.  To sign up, bring your calendars AND Cheques.

                         

                               

                                      

Greeters for Monthly Meetings - stand inside the church entry doors from ~ 9:25 to 9:57 am, greeting everyone and providing newcomers with directions to the meeting space downstairs. It's a wonderful way to become acquainted with members and guests. Contact to volunteer: Nancy Holmes  lmnholmes@rogers.com

A/V Assistants - help is needed with our audio/visual equipment. No experience is needed; friendly, patient training is available! Contact to volunteer:

Bob Harris  carrharris@protonmail.com  or  

John Wolnik  johnwolnik@gmail.com

Editor: Brigitte D.

Co-Presidents' Message:

HELLO EVERYONE

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday.

We had a super turnout for our Christmas luncheon. We wish to thank our Social Events Co-ordinator Marg Dean and her committee for making all the arrangements at the Highland Golf and Country Club. Once again it was a very successful event with good food, good company and enjoyable entertainment.

Our Club continues to grow in numbers.  We believe this is due in part to local advertising on Byron Facebook, Acorn for Oakridge and at the London level by the publicity we received from the City Declaration of Probus Month.

We were saddened by the unexpected passing of our member Deanna Wright.  Condolences were passed on by us on behalf of the Probus Club of South London.

We have lots of activities and interesting speakers scheduled for 2024.

See you in the New Year!

Jim and Sandra Gilmour, Co-Presidents

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the November meeting,  the winner was Jill, she won $44.00 .

Birthdays:

December:

Barbara B. December 1;   Geesje F. December 7; Ray G. December 16;  John W. December 23

January:

Marilyn W.  January 3; Pat P., January 4;  Karl V. January 9;  Moe B. January 16;   Larry M. January 19;

 

 

Sign-up for our Social Events online:  

The Slice of Life speakers for November were Bob and Shirley Harris sharing with us the tale of 2 Christmas'.  A memorable Christmas of their life as a young married couple teaching in Kashechewan, James Bay.

November 7th Event at the London Airport and Diamond Aircraft:

We learned what is new at the airport and gained some tips on how to make your flight less stressful. This was followed by lunch at the Katana Kafe and a tour of Diamond Aircraft.  Go to our Photo page to see all the pictures.

December 13 Christmas at the Hyland Golf and Country Club:

Our entertainers were Dan and Marianne Rutledge.   They regaled us with some old and new Christmas songs and led us in a sing- a- long.  Dinner as always, was wonderful and there where some lucky winners for the door prizes.  See all the pictures in our Photo page.

Probus Canada has a new national newsletter.  I have included the web address today for you to use.  https://www.probuscanada.ca/news 

As the convenors of an event or group please  submit pictures to me to include in the newsletter,  as well as a brief description of what has been discussed ie. book club - the book and author and how it was received; dine out - where it was, how many attended and brief description of the food; investment club - some snip of interest etc.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter to ensure our newsletter is more interesting to our members.

NEW MEMBERS:

Our co-president Sandra with Linda Howe, Laurie McKellar and Rosalyn Money.  Judith Darby also joined but was absent for the picture.

REMEMBER OUR MEETINGS ARE SCENT FREE AND TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG TO THE GENERAL MEETING AND ALL EVENTS.

We now have 12 interest groups.  To sign up, bring your calendars AND Cheques.

Co-Presidents' Message:

The change from warm summer weather to fall always seems to catch us by surprise.  With the abrupt change, our activities also change, usually from outdoors to indoors.  We hope some of our Probus activities are of interest to you and you sign-up!  If you think of other things we might do, either as an activity or as a visit, please use the suggestion box to let the Management Committee know of your ideas. In October we had a very interesting speaker, Derek Bakelaar from Digi Splint Company.  Thank you to Karen Banks for inviting him to speak at our meeting.

You are all aware of the ongoing issues we have had with our audio/video equipment.  To say “ours” is not completely true as some of it belongs to the church.  The committee is actively working to overcome the problems and hope to have it resolved in the near future.

October was declared PROBUS MONTH by the City of London and contact details about all the London Probus Clubs was published in the London Free Press.  Partly as a result of this free publicity we had a good number of potential new members at the October 18th meeting.  November’s guest speaker will be announced at a later date.

At the Management Committee meeting we had some discussion about the format of our regular meetings. I.e. Business followed by Guest Speaker or vice versa.  The decision was made to remain flexible to best suit the speaker.  So, on occasion we may have the speaker on first.

We wish to thank the members of our Management Committee for their guidance and support.

Susan W. - Past President,   Nancy F. – Membership Co-ordinator,

Brigitte D. - Newsletter,  Mike S. - Treasurer, Liz G. – Secretary,

Nancy H. – Vice President and Marg D. – Social Events Co-ordinator.

Thank you also to Cheryl W. and Marg C. who greet us at the Registration Table, to Louise S. who sells “Share the Wealth” draw tickets and to Bob H. for his work on the Audio/Video equipment.

 Thank you all.

Sandra and Jim Gilmour, Co-Presidents

Handover of gavel from President Susan to New Co-Presidents' Jim and Sandra

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the October meeting, Larry, the winner, received $44.00.

Birthdays:

November:

Ellen W., Fred W., Linda D., Heather , Moira, Sandra S.,

 

Our October speaker, the owner of DigiSplint, was Derek Bakelaar a silver/goldsmith by trade. He injured his finger and thought he would loose it due to the extent of the injury. After surgery, with his hand and fingers in a cast, he was unable to work as a jeweler.

He asked to have a thermal plastic splint made to free up the first three fingers of his left hand so he could get back to work. The surgeon who put Derek’s finger back together did an excellent job and the therapist who got it working again was gifted. On one of Derek’s many hand therapy sessions, the therapist asked if he could build a special finger splint for a client. After describing what he was trying to accomplish with this splint, Derek agreed.
He has built splints tailored to each client, in different variations to accomplish different goals with different fingers.

Slice of Life Speaker-

The Who am I speaker for October was Moira C.  Moira and her family own and operate Wicketthorn Farms Inc., a farm of over 3,000 acres of dairy, cattle and agriculture.  She commented on her journey of  personal growth in various organizations over the years as well as being a councillor for Ward 3 in Middlesex Centre.

As the convenors of an event or group please  submit pictures to me to include in the newsletter,  as well as a brief description of what has been discussed ie. book club - the book and author and how it was received; dine out - where it was, how many attended and brief description of the food; investment club - some snip of interest etc.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter to ensure our newsletter is more interesting to our members.

NEW MEMBERS:

Left to right: Geesje,  Jim E.,  David N;  Ron,  Doreen S.

REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG TO THE GENERAL MEETING AND DINE OUT.

Co-Presidents' Message: 

Well, we are off to a good start.  As your new Co-Presidents, we are so fortunate to have on the Executive Committee a group of experienced members and enthusiastic new members to help us. At the September 20th meeting we had a very entertaining “Who Am I” from Marg Dean.  Our guest speaker Adele Alfano and her friend Gerda were very good ambassadors for Autism Dogs.  It was such an interesting topic.  We are thankful to Karen Banks and Marian McIndoe for the work they have put into obtaining previous and upcoming speakers for our Probus Club.  For many of us the summer was filled with vacation trips.  Fall has arrived and we are now settling into pursuits closer to home and that includes the many events organized by your Probus Club.  We hope to see you there.  You will notice at the Registration Table a “Purple Suggestion Box” together with Paper and Pencils.  If you have any suggestions or comments for your Probus Club you are invited to put them in the box.  It would be most helpful if you please sign your name on the suggestion so we can follow up. Please note, NO OUTSIDE FOOD shall be brought into the meetings without prior approval of the President. 

Jim and Sandra Gilmour

 

Share the Wealth:           

Please buy your tickets when you arrive for the meeting as the winner is announced at coffee break.  The tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.  At the September meeting, the winner received $52.00.

Birthdays:

President's Message: August 23, 2023

As I write this, we are having a summer thunderstorm and the rain is coming down.

We have had a lovely summer and these last few weeks of August and the first part of September can be the best part. I feel blessed to live here in Southwest Ontario; we have heard so much about the devastating forest fires in other parts of Canada and other countries. It has been a very difficult summer for so many people.

We recently had a Management Committee meeting to get ready for the upcoming year at London South Probus. There were several items from the meeting to share with you.

The first item relates to payment of membership fee renewals, due September 1st. For those paying by e-transfer, please make sure that your e-payment is addressed correctly to the following email address; please note there is no “r” at the end of “treasure” in the email address.

 slptreasure@gmail.com

The second item relates to the election of our club’s 2023/24 Management Committee at the upcoming Annual General Meeting, which is part of our general meeting on Sept 20th. I am pleased to report that we have a full slate of new Management Committee members for your approval. This is a very positive sign regarding the continuing health of the club as new people step forward to keep the club operating. 

The third item is our club’s plan to participate with the other three London Probus clubs in requesting the City of London to issue a proclamation declaring October as PROBUS Month, as proposed by Mike Hoshooley, President of the North London Probus Club.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer, whatever you are doing and wherever you are; I look forward to seeing everyone in person at our September general meeting.

Birthdays:

September:

President's Message: May, 2023

I hope everyone is enjoying these wonderful spring days. The garden needs lots of attention, the peonies are almost ready to bloom. Seems like we are moving quickly into our always too short summer season.

Thank you to our member Hilda Smeltzer for her moving and informative presentation on her memories on WWII in the Netherlands. Living in Canada, it is possible to take democracy and our personal freedoms for granted. I’m grateful for the reminder of the sacrifices of many in the past and today.

As we move towards the summer break I want to remind you to contact our club’s Goodwill convenor, Connie Maab, if you know of a club member who would appreciate a cheerful note from the club over the spring and summer.

The membership year for the club comes to an end over the summer. You can expect to receive a membership renewal reminder around the beginning of August. Your membership renewal of $45 per member is due by September 1, 2023. You may pay by e-transfer to Probus Club of South London at the following email address: slptreasure@gmail.com  . Please include the name(s) of renewing members in the Message (Optional) area. You may also pay by cheque.

Your Nominating Committee is still recruiting an Events Coordinator. We have an experienced group of members ready to help a new person take on this role. Think of all the great events over the past year. These events are possible because a group of members plan them. Please consider if you might enjoy this role. We need a member to step forward so these special activities can happen next year.

Birthdays:

July: Liz, Barbara M., Nancy H., Sandy, Sheila L., Julie, Lynda S., Tom, Nancy F., Karen, Doris M., John, Sue W., Judith, Ralph

August: Mike H., Linda V., Grant, Mike S., Cheryl, Marg D., Sheila J., Dinie, Diane W.

Social Events

Sign-up for our Social Events online:  

Click on one of the event links below, then hit the register button to sign up for that event and bring your cheque to the meeting! If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Nancy.

Our trip to Walters will take place June 13. Attendees will car pool and meet at the Charles Dickens Pub in Woodstock at 11:45. Following lunch we will travel to the theatre. Directions and info re the car pools has been emailed out.

Our Spring Lunch will take place at the Highland Golf Club on June 22. Cash bar at 11:30 followed by lunch and entertainment. There is a choice of entrees and the cost is $42. Money must be received no later than June 12. Cheques only please. For more information please contact Nancy Fazackerley

We are still in need of someone to lead the Event team in the coming year. If you have good organizational skills and some literacy with the computer you can do this job. There is a very good team who will work with the leader to select and organize venues for the coming year. Please step forward to keep these events and activities happening.

The North London Club is planning the following:

Rum Runner Tour to Windsor September 11 - includes the bus,  a tour of some famous rum running spots and lunch at the Speakeasy Restaurant . Cost is $140. 

Trip to Toronto to see Hamilton - August 9. Bus is $50 and you purchase your own ticket for the show

On  July  27 there is a cruise on the Duc d'Orleans out of Sarnia plus a tour of the Bones Museum

Trip to Toronto to see three musicals on Oct 11. Bus cost is $50 and purchase your own ticket for the show

If interested contact Ed Blackmore at eblackmore@rogers.com, 519 672 3451

Dine Out:

Dine out for June will be on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. at the Hillside Restaurant, 26 Kilworth Park Drive, Komoka, 519-641-6733. Please contact Susan Kubik by June 2nd by email: joesusan@sympatico.ca.

See the event on our calendar. 

Coffee Mornings:

Men's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. except 4th Monday in December.  We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's.

Women's Coffee:

2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m., except 4th Monday in December.  See the photos from our  coffee meet ups, in the photo section at the end of the newsletter! Convenor: Shirley .   We meet in Westmount Mall across from Tim Horton's.

Women's  Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Men's Coffee: Click here to see more coffee photos.

Investment Club:

Contact Don.  Meetings held at Riverbend, 2nd Wednesday of the month.

Euchre: 

4th Thursday of the month (except December) at 1 pm in a member’s home. 8 players maximum plus spares. Usually over in about 3 hours.  If interested in being a spare, call Convenor: Gail.

Support:

If you know someone who is feeling under the weather or needs cheering up,  please contact Connnie.

Book Club:

The book club met on May 30th to discuss Lessons in Chemistry  by Bonnie Garmus, we loved the book and had a great discussion!

Book Club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. except December, July & August in a member’s home. Our book club membership is now at capacity. If interested in joining, please call Susan or Liz,  to be added to the waiting list. If the waiting list grows to 4-5 members, we will help prospective members form a second book club. 

Who Am I? Speaker Hilda Smelzer -

20,000 tulips are sent to Canada from The Netherlands every year. They are the gift of a grateful nation; however, they are also a reminder of a very dark period in history. The Netherlands was invaded by the Germans in May, 1940 and occupied the country for five years. Each successive year became more dire under German occupation culminating in the Hunger Winter of 1944-45 when thousands died of starvation mostly in the northern and western regions. There was no food and no fuel.

Hilda Smeltzer shared her family's experiences during that very difficult time. Hilda was born in Friesland and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1947.

Slice of Life Speakers-

in  May were John and Susan Wolnik

John and Susan Wolnik where our “Slice of Life” presenters.John built Susan a 34 LEVER harp. The Lever harp has levers, which are adjusted manually by hand rather than with the feet as in a petal harp.  The harp is basically triangular in shape and there are 3 main parts to the harp.  The neck which anchors one end of the strings, the soundboard which holds he other end of the strings, and the pillar or column which holds the strings apart. The soundboard picks up the vibrations from the strings and amplifies and radiates the sounds.

In order to tune the harp, the strings have to be tensioned and the collective tension on all the strings is about 12-1500 lbs.  The weight of the harp is about 40 pounds.  Wood moves with both the temperature and the humidity in the air, so the harp must be tuned on a regular basis.

The majority of the harp is made from cherry wood, one of John’s favorite woods to work with because it is grown locally; it is a closed pore wood and finishes nicely; it is also photosensitive and darkens over time.

Following John’s presentation, Susan played the harp for us, and for those of you who missed this, you missed a wonderful treat!!

District Management Meeting:  Your "Team" hard at work!!

Seeking Participants for a Research Study - Western University 

The Exercise, Mobility, and Brain Health Lab at Western University invites you to participate in a research study about exercise and the brain! We are seeking older adults aged 60-80 who do not currently exercise regularly but are interested in doing so. Participants receive exercise classes for 6 months.  

If you are interested in participating, please contact Olivia by phone: 

  (647) 460 6516 or e-mail: oghoshsw@uwo.ca. Thank you! 

  Western postal code: N6A 3K7  

As the convenors of an event or group please  submit pictures to me to include in the newsletter,  as well as a brief description of what has been discussed ie. book club - the book and author and how it was received; dine out - where it was, how many attended and brief description of the food; investment club - some snip of interest etc.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter to ensure our newsletter is more interesting to our members.

President's Message: April 27, 2023

I hope that you are all enjoying the spring weather we are having; even the dull rainy days help the trees to ‘green up’ and the spring flowers to bloom. 

Yesterday I enjoyed seeing a play in Stratford. I feel very lucky to be back ‘in person’ for these treasured spring and summer events in our communities and with our families. We have waited a long time for a more normal way of living, and it seems that we are getting back to a more normal way of life as we move outdoors this spring and summer. 

We had an excellent turnout of guests at our April meeting. Thank you for inviting your friends to attend. Our guest speaker – Bill Shepard of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association – was terrific. I learned a lot about the folks who maintain and fly these planes and the Association which is located so close to us in Tillsonburg. I encourage you to visit their website ( https://harvards.com/ ) to learn more about their activities and their upcoming Fly Days in May and June. 

Several of the Management Committee attended the District 5 Probus Clubs’ meeting in Stratford on April 20th. We met members of about 18 clubs from our area. Working through the day, we shared ideas and left the meeting with lots of suggestions for speakers for general meetings, activities and outings. We are planning to develop some shared outings in future with the London North Club; we know that this works well as we worked together on the Climate Change workshop last fall. We can always learn from what other clubs are doing. I came away thankful that we have an effective website for our club. We are starting to use the website even more for our social events. We also have a good number of interest groups in our Club, thanks to the efforts of many of our members. 

Your Nominations Committee is making good progress in recruiting new members of the Management Committee for coming year. And we still need to recruit new members. If you would like to join the Management Committee or if you have ideas for next year, please let us know. 

For our May general meeting we have our member Hilda Smeltzer speaking about her experiences and memories of World War II. We are continuing our “Be a Friend, Bring a Friend” membership campaign for the May meeting. Please bring someone who you think might enjoy getting to know our club and our members.  

In closing, I hope that you are enjoying getting outside these days, whether it is gardening, walking, golfing, reading or whatever you like. In the words of Horace – “Carpe Diem – Seize the Day”. Each spring day is a gift for us to enjoy.

General Meeting & Speaker, May 17, 2023

Hilda will be our speaker for May, speaking about her World War II experiences.

Bill Shepard was our April speaker. He spoke on the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.  Check out their website!!

Pictured with Bill is Nancy

Birthdays:

May:

Dianne , Carole, Inez, Meredith, Marg, Bill, Andrea, Elsie, Louise.

President's Message: 

Spring finally! Today as I write this the sun is shining, the skies are blue and I think I can see the grass greening up. Isn’t spring great? 

We had a wonderful speaker at the general meeting last week. Thank you to Miranda Bothwell of London Middlesex EMS. 

 A gentle reminder to members: Some members have scent sensitivities that can cause fairly severe health issues from allergies and asthma to migraines. We ask that you please minimize your use of cologne/perfume, scented sprays and similar body products when attending club activities. Thank you for your help with this.    

At the Management Committee we discussed our club’s need to grow our membership.  We are making our April 19th and our May 17th general meetings “Be a Friend, Bring a Friend” meetings. Please invite a friend to join you at the meeting and to learn about the London South Probus Club; how we do things together within the Probus goal of ‘providing Fellowship, Friendship, and Fun for men and women in their retirement and semi-retirement years’. Our speaker for the April’s General meeting is Bill Shepard of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. Please invite a friend to join you at the meeting. 

Connie Mabb and Louise Straub are joining Bill and Shirley Harris, Karen Banks, Marian McIndoe and me on the Nominations Committee. Together, we will be recruiting a slate of officers for the club’s 2023/24 operating year. All Management Committee positions are available. We have the following vacancies on the 2023-2024 Management Committee roster to fill: President, Vice President, and Events Coordinator.  Responsibilities of each of the Management Committee Members can be found on the Club website. Sharing a position between 2 people has been very effective in our club. Each member of our Management Committee believes in the value of Probus. We need new people to step forward for our club to continue. We are asking every club member to consider serving in this way. Speak to any of the current members of the Management Committee or the Nominations Committee if you are interested in any of the positions.   

And speaking of next year, we will be accepting e-transfers for membership renewals for the coming membership year. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to membership renewal time. 

That’s all from me today – Something that I read in Today’s Globe and Mail First Person – “At this time of year, less is definitely more; less black, less material, less cumbersome footwear. For the first time in months, our clothing no longer weighs more than we do” . Hope you spend some time outside soon, breathing in SPRING. 

General Meeting & Speaker, March 15, 2023

Miranda Bothwell is the Public Access Defibrillator/ Public Education Coordinator for Middlesex- London Paramedic Service (MLPS).  As the PAD coordinator, Miranda oversees the use and maintenance of over 480 public defibrillators throughout Middlesex- London, promotes/ facilitates emergency awareness and preparedness programming throughout the community, and acts as the Media officer for MLPS.

For our April 19th meeting, Bill Shepard will be our speaker, and he will be speaking on the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.

Pat Donnelly, Manager of Watershed and Climate Change for the City of London. Pat brought 72 hour emergency kits for a draw held  at the February and March meetings.   These kits were handed out to the lucky winners and are worth over $90.00 each.

Birthdays:

April:

Darlene, Gail, Bob, Mark, Carol, Leonard, June, and Deana.

Social Events

Sign-up for our Social Events online:  

Click on one of the event links below, then hit the register button to sign up for that event and bring your cheque to the meeting! If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Nancy Fazackerley.

March 30:  Heemans Nursery Tour at 10:00 a.m.  Cost is $10.00

April 13: Villages of Glendale Crossing Tour at 1:00  p.m. This event is free.

May 2:  Niagara Falls Hydro Tour 

There are still seats available on the bus to Niagara Falls on May 2. We need at least 20 to make this event happen, so as of March 30th you are free to invite your friends to join us. The cost is $117 which includes lunch. The bus will depart Riverside United Church at 8:10 a.m. sharp so don’t be late. You can sign up at the April meeting or online.  A seat is not guaranteed until payment is received.

 We are still finalizing details for the Spring luncheon so keep an eye on the website for more information. We will post details there as soon as they are available.