Page 117 - Friendships Through the Years

Besides covering the club membership of the Association, they also agreed that
the Association shall not have any authority over any member club, no
Association resolution shall be binding on any member, it shall not formulate
policy concerning Probus nor influence clubs on policy and management (several
Association had been ‘breaking these rules’.) Clubs are also free to leave the
Association without notice.
The clubs, having formed the Associations, are responsible for seeing that they do
not step outside the conditions of their accreditation. Member clubs should not
give the Associations free rein but should have the courage to say to the
committee when necessary, ‘what you are now doing, or contemplating, is
contrary to our constitution (conditions of accreditation).’ The Probus Centre is
not in a position to know of any breaches – Associations are not officially
recognised nor are they directly accountable to it. It is a member club
responsibility.
One Association seemed to think it had the authority to tell its club members what
they should do, even to telling them not to pay the capitation fee, despite the fact
that only two years earlier it agreed ‘not to exert any influence over its members
on policy or management’. It also had no authority to advise or act on Probus
matters generally.
These are matters exclusively confined to the Probus Centre and their clubs
individually. The only official connection for the clubs is with the Probus Centre
from which they received their accreditation and autonomy. Associations are
required to confine themselves to the terms of their accreditation, and are
expected to ‘service’ their clubs, not to control, govern or compel them in any
way.
The Probus Centre is also aware that other constitutional breaches are taking place
within some Associations. At least two are canvassing for new member clubs, for
what purpose is a mystery, when their constitutions read ‘membership is open to
accredited clubs only, should be voluntary without inducements.’”

(Note. Lilydale was approached to join ‘this most progressive Probus Association by the
P.A.V!)

“Another Association claims to have provided a telephone service to its members.
It has happened more than once before that an Association, not being familiar
with the correct information, has wrongly advised an inquiring club. Several
Associations consider they should be represented on the Probus Management
Committee of nine. There is no such provision, which if there were, would be
contrary to the autonomy granted to clubs, with a ‘subsidiary’ Association over-
riding what is really a club prerogative. Nominations to the Management
Committee are invited from CLUBS.
“WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT’.
“Practically all problems have arisen over the phasing out of the old ‘donation’
system, which should have been done away with years ago, and the problems
have come from a few pedantic and belligerent associations and their member
clubs and why? Because, generally, they have not strictly adhered to their