Page 115 - Friendships Through the Years

Association of Victoria and pay an annual affiliation fee of 50 cents per member. This
was moved by Clive Winnett and seconded by Martin Taylor and carried unanimously.
There was a deal of acrimonious discussion between the members over this whole
matter. This should not have arisen in any social club such as Probus. Its initial cause was
due to lack of information about the history and full details of the subject being
discussed. However, it was particularly due to a lack of understanding of the true
functions of a Probus Association and the Probus Centre – South Pacific.
It is appropriate, after the above item, to quote some excerpts from an article in
the Winter edition of the quarterly Probus News, July 1999, written by Mr. W.A. (Bill)
Thornton J.P., F.C.A., the then Hon. Treasurer of Probus Centre – South Pacific. His
article commences with a brief story of the formation of Probus by Rotary Clubs and then
goes on:

A Probus Information Centre was set up by the Committee with the authority of
the Rotary District governors. Subsequently, it developed into the Probus Centre –
South Pacific, and, on incorporation, it became controlled by the 29 district
governors in both countries (Australia and New Zealand). In 1983, the name and
emblem were registered under the Trade Marks Act in the name of R.D.U Pty.
Ltd., the only established legal entity in the region able to hold property in the
name of Rotary.
Recommended standard Probus Club constitutions were distributed to Rotary
District chairmen and accreditation certificates were issued to Clubs. Funding for
the operation in the early stages came from the corporate sector by way of
donations, besides fairly heavy subsidisation from Rotary itself. Later, Probus
Clubs elected to make donations. This then was the situation into which I stepped
as Hon. Treasurer in 1996.

th
(Author’s note – This Club decided to donate $25 per annum at the meeting on 12 July
1984. See Chapter 3). He went on:

“Little did I realise when I s et out two years ago to open up the portals of Probus
Centre financial affairs, and get some equity and creditability into the accounts,
that I would also be opening up another can of worms.
I then discovered that many Clubs were not making ‘donations’ towards
administration costs as requested, and, in Australia, for insurance cover, which
meant that those, who were not making a contribution, were virtually ‘free
loading’ on their fellow Probians. This became increasingly obvious at the end
of the 1996/97-year when 282 Clubs in Australia and New Zealand failed to
contribute, and I gave notice, when publishing the annual accounts, ‘we should
make sure that it did not happen again’.
So, in the following year, I sought authority from the Management Committee of
the Probus Centre, under the Terms of Reference which provide it with the
authority of R.D.U. Pty. Ltd. to justifiably raise a capitation or administration fee
for 1997/98 (for services rendered and use of the Probus name and emblem), not
to raise more money, but to make sure every Probian paid an equitable proportion.
Please tell me if that was unfair in any way.”