Page 162 - Friendships Through the Years

Over the years, numerous suggestions were put forward for members to be able to
have access to the Club’s Rules, but nothing came of them, mainly because of the cost. It
became possible for members to have ready access to see, or own, the Rules because they
were saved on computer, courtesy of a ‘ floppy disk’.
Three raffles were conducted at meetings during the year, mainly thanks to the
Cockcrofts. Jack Cockcroft donated one of his paintings at the May meeting as a prize for
a raffle and it raised $144. Lyla then donated a beautiful framed piece of embroidery at
the next meeting in June and this raised $90. Although the prize was not revealed in the
newsletter or Minutes, $41.50 was raised at the October meeting from a further raffle.
th
Foundation member and past president, Lex Lillie, conducted the meeting on 8
July 1999. President Bert, Vice President Jack Cockcroft and immediate past president,
Martin Taylor, were all ‘Up North or somewhere’. Lex welcomed 36 members, 24 ladies
and 2 visitors to the meeting which adjourned for morning tea at 10.28 a.m.”.
An extract from the August newsletter:

“Carl Adamson was admitted to the Epworth Hospital for the removal of a stone
in his bile duct. He is progressing well. Carl’s wife, Dorothy, said that Carl had a
wonderful American surgeon.” The newsletter editor commented, “I suppose that
means one good YANK and it was out.”

At the September meeting, Treasurer Rex Wyatt expressed concern that, unless
expenditure was cut, we faced a deficit at the end of the financial year. After discussion,
Jack Cockcroft gave notice of motion that he would move at the annual general meeting
th
on 9 March 2000 that the joining fee should be raised from $15 to $25.
Also at the September meeting, Keith McLennan spoke on a directive from the
Probus Centre-South Pacific. This directive was that a non-political and non-sectarian
clause was to be inserted in every Club’s Rules (in our case to the ‘Statement of
Purposes’.) Keith then moved a motion that (inter alia) stated:

“Pending an amendment to our Statement of Purposes at some time in the future,
with respect to the Department of Fair Trading and Business Affair’s
requirements, we will amend Clause (B) on page one of our Statement of
Purposes as follows.”

Then followed the wording required by the Probus Centre re political and sectarian
involvement by Clubs and their members. The motion was carried.
At Martin Taylor’s suggestion, some of the members manned a stand at the
st nd
Lilydale Show on November 21 and 22 1999 in order to promote the Club and,
hopefully, attract some new members. Vice President Jack Cockcroft organized the stand,
and at the December meeting he thanked Alby Dowel, Owen Egan, Con and Marlene
Kleinsmit, Ivor Lewis and Kevin Robb for helping out. He said it seemed to be successful
and some new members may eventuate.
All members were issued different type forms for completion to enable a new
Contact Book to be completed, particularly for the records to show a day- time contact
number, rather than the ‘Home’ number. In the previous book, a large number of the
phone numbers of relatives appeared to be for the evening, rather than when the contact