Excerpt from the President’s Column - December 2024

Hard to believe that it is almost Xmas already the year seems to have flown by.

Many of us enjoyed a wonderful Melbourne Cup event at the Fiddler with some having more success than others at picking or drawing the winning or place-getting horses.

Comments were really positive about the quality of the lunch and the event in general.

At our November meeting Alan Lawrenson gave a very interesting presentation about Australia’s looming energy crisis. It is a topic that will no doubt feature very heavily in the run up to the next election and it will be absolutely critical for the sake of our grandkids that whoever is in power politically gets the energy strategy right in terms of cost and functionality.

There were a number of other great events during November including the Creedance Clearwater concert, the walking group’s trip to Barangaroo, the Garden Group’s trip to Mt Colah and tour of the Plant Bug Nursery, Money Matters and Social Drive not to mention all the regular activities such as craft, book club, golf and bowls.

A huge thank you to all the organisers who make these events possible. The feature of our December events will of course be the Xmas Lunch at the Fiddler on the 12th of December. There are a number of surprises planned so please don’t miss this event. The

Link has all the details of what is on in December and into the future so please Explore, Participate, Connect, Laugh.

Download the PDF here.

Norman

Excerpt from the President’s Column - November 2024

There were two new club members inducted at our October meeting and our total club membership currently stands at 186, up slightly from 181 members at the beginning of the year. It is always nice to see new members joining and to see just how quickly they integrate into the club and start participating and attending our various events. There were several outings and events in October the highlight being the High Tea at the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains. This included a tour of the hotel as well as commentary on the, sometimes colourful, history since its founding by Mark Foy in 1901.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - October 2024

At our September meeting we had a report from Carole Murray about the very successful trip to Mauritius which included some real highlights including walking with Lions, visits to local schools and temples and lots of water activities.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - September 2024

I am writing this column at about 10am and have just checked the outside temperature which surprisingly is already at 19 degrees C. Many of you have mentioned that you really felt the Winter this year, so it is nice that the warmer weather is definitely on its way. Our 25th Birthday celebrations at the beginning of August were an absolute hit from all perspectives, I have not heard one negative comment from anyone, on the contrary there have been many positive comments regarding the historical presentation, food, entertainment and the general organisation on the day. Most importantly it was a fun and light-hearted day. Thanks again to all those members who helped to make the event so special.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - August 2024

We are on the cusp of our wonderful 25th Birthday celebration which will take place after our next Monthly Meeting on 1st August. We are expecting a record attendance for this major club milestone with our wonderful organisers ensuring an afternoon of fun, food, frivolity, music and bubbles. Please wear a splash or more of silver. The highlight of the month was no doubt our Xmas in July event at the Camden Valey Inn, A lovely Xmas lunch with dancing and entertainment from none other than Elvis. The Walking group enjoyed good weather for a walk and ferry ride along the Parramatta River from Rydalmere to Meadowbank followed by lunch at the Watergrill bistro at Sydney Rowers.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - July 2024

Better weather allowed for more activities and events in June although for the golfers who play at Windsor it has still been a trying time with the course being totally unplayable or restrictions on the use of golf carts due to the wet conditions. The social drive to Vanilla Cream and Tractor 828 took place in beautiful sunshine albeit still a chilly day. Happy Hour on Friday 14th June was well attended. We are still looking for expressions of interest for an able bodied person/s to take over the leadership of the walking group. Please chat to Vicki and/or Terry Craig if interested.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - June 2024

It has been a fairly quiet month as far as activities have been concerned. The extensive rain and flooding in NSW led to the cancellation of the Wyong Races and the Garden Lovers events as well as most of the weekly golf and bowls activities. A change in the weather did allow the Leichhardt Summer Hill walk to take place followed by a nice lunch at the Summer Hill Hotel. Indoor activities such as the Theatre, Ten Pin bowling and Craft group were of course not affected. Money Matters was as popular as ever with the two topics being Bitcoin and the impact on Senior Citizens of the Federal Budget. Next month Money Matters will look at Artificial Intelligence “AI” and Scamming.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - May 2024

Easter came early this year at the end of March, and I hope that many of you were able to celebrate Easter with family and friends. An advantage of Easter being early was the great sunny and warm weather over that period. The new Management Committee held their first meeting last week and I was really pleased with the positive attitude and contribution from all the committee members. Apart from the usual activities and events there are some great things being planned for this year such as the club’s 25th Anniversary in August.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - April 2024

As this is my first President’s Column, I would like to tell you all how thrilled I am to take on this new role and that I am really looking forward to working with the new Management Committee and Activity Leaders over the next 12 months to maintain the club’s vibrancy, comradery, spirit of adventure and fun that we all enjoy. The mantra that I have chosen for the year is: - Embrace the present: Explore, Participate, Connect, Laugh Hopefully all members will keep this in mind in their interactions with the club, the club’s activities, and events and with other members.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - March 2024

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about the writing of this final column and it has brought about a range of emotions. At times as my term comes to an end, I have felt sad, sometimes relieved, occasionally a little bit satisfied and very grateful for the opportunity to lead this wonderful club. I am fortunate to be able to reflect upon a happy year without too many challenges and much of this is due to you, the members. You have been supportive and involved in the many offerings of our club and given encouraging words throughout the year. However, events and smooth running don’t just happen, and I wish to recognize and praise the wonderful work of the Management Committee.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - February 2024

The first month of the year has certainly flown and we have been very fortunate to begin it with some great events. New Year’s Eve saw a happy group embrace the celebrations. Our meeting in January at the Fiddler was well attended with a record number of members staying on for lunch and the Parliament House visits proved very popular. The guides on both days were most professional, sharing their extensive knowledge and the food at Strangers’ Restaurant excellent. Make it your business to ask one of the attendees about the chocolate dessert or check our Facebook page.

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Excerpt from the President’s Column - January 2024

Welcome Everyone to 2024 (well almost). I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, are feeling hale and hearty and ready for many more good times here at Probus. Our family were very happy to have the ‘Queensland Connection’ down here to spend time with us. Sydney in Summer has much to offer over the holidays so I hope you may be able to take in some of the exciting highlights of the Sydney Festival. It is also a great time to catchup with friends and I am making sure I make the most of these opportunities and let’s hope the very changeable weather we have experienced can sort itself out.

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