Page 120 - Friendships Through the Years

Associations are required to present reports on their activities to the Probus
Centre, usually received in response to a request, rather than voluntarily, and
sometimes given rather reluctantly; thought by some to be intended as an
indication of non-acceptance of the authority held by the Probus Centre - South
Pacific.
Membership of an association should be the voluntary decision of a club, the
requirement that membership of an association is compulsory is not permitted,
clubs are autonomous in operation and cannot be dictated to by an association.
Direct dialogue between a club and the Probus Centre remains an essential right
for every club.
Clubs are invited to discuss their questions with the Probus Centre -South Pacific
Inc and to ensure the Centre is aware of any problems they may have.
For uniformity of advice the control of Probus must remain centralised, the
Management Committee of the Probus Centre -South Pacific being the sole
arbiter, the sole authorised authority, for matters pertaining to Probus in Australia,
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands.
Whilst it has been necessary to generalise on the authorised activities and the non-
authorised self-sanctioned activities of Probus Associations, as referred to earlier
in the article any adverse remarks apply to a minority of associations and the
office bearers of those associations will know who they are.
THE TRUE ROLE OF AN ASSOCIATION is to be a social arm of Probus, to
provide a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and information between clubs; to
assist, to advise and to co-ordinate joint activities of member clubs.
Compliance with these requirements by all associations would ease tensions being
created and ensure that all Probians enjoy the fun, the fellowship and the
friendships created within Probus.
(Author’s note: let us never forget that a Probus club is a social club and is there for our
enjoyment.)
There were three resignations from the Club in 1996. Alister MacGregor resigned
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on 14 March, having only been in the Club since December 1994, but he, and his wife,
Theo, who died in December 1995, as reported earlier in this chapter, had been very
involved in the Club’s activities. Following her death, he decided to move to the South
Coast of N.S.W.
Foundation member, Harry Box, forwarded a letter of resignation that was also
received at the March meeting. He was Treasurer in 1986/87. A Committee member for
some years, he attended most of our trips on the fourth Thursday of each month, and he
and his wife, Marjorie, participated in several coach trips. However Harry was mainly
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responsible for the Club becoming incorporated on 11 of May 1984. He assisted Keith
McLennan to incorporate the Association and obtained a lot of advice from his Solicitor’s
firm of Aitken, Walker and Strachan. Harry had been in ill health for some time, his wife,
Marjorie, died and he had moved to a Croydon Nursing Home. His resignation was
accepted with regret and he was offered honorary membership. At the time of writing this
history, he is still alive, and he is now one of the three longest serving members of the
Melbourne Cricket Club, having been elected to that Club in approx. 1924.
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The third resignation was that of Arthur Geary, who joined the Club on 8 June
1989 and whose letter of resignation was accepted with regret on 9th May 1996. He and