Page 5 - Friendships Through the Years

FOREWORD.

hen Keith McLennan approached me to write the foreword for the History of
the Probus Club of Lilydale, it set me on a journey down Memory Lane.
W
I had just begun my year as President of the Rotary Club of Lilydale
when the suggestion was first made that there was a need for a Probus Club in Lilydale.
This began the exercise in the investigation, then eventually the establishment of a Probus
Club.
In 1982, many Rotarians were of unaware of Probus and its many benefits to
retired Businessmen and Women. Our Rotary Club invited Past President Martin
Munroe, who was the Rotary District 981 District Officer for Probus and Cliff Bridger,
the Foundation President of Upper Yarra Probus to our meeting to ‘enlighten’ our
members to the history of Probus and its ideals.
After a discussion at a Board meeting, I found that we had one person with the
expertise and experience to form a Probus Club. Derek Reeve-Cox had already formed a
Probus Club in England. The Board then moved that the Rotary Club of Lilydale sponsor
a Probus Club of Lilydale.
In the beginning, Derek felt Probus would not get off the ground here, as there
were already plenty of activities for prospective Probus members within this country, for
example Bowling Clubs. This was not the case in England but, with this in mind, Derek
readily accepted the challenge. (He went on to found another five Probus Clubs in
different parts of Victoria.)
There was an enormous amount of groundwork done by Derek, Stan Moser and
the late Charlie Arnold. They contacted prospective members, and arranged meetings. I
think the hardest part would have been to explain Probus as it was relatively, unknown in
those days.
The process stalled slightly when Derek injured his back and was laid low for 8
weeks, but Stan and Charlie increased their efforts and kept the ball rolling until Derek
was well again. Needless to say, they all did a wonderful job, resulting in the formation
of the Club on the 2nd June 1983 with 23 members.
Keith McLennan, who is a Past President of Probus, is to be congratulated for
taking on the arduous job of writing this History. For instance, one of the difficulties he
faced was that very few records were kept of the initial work done that allowed the
Lilydale Probus Club to be chartered.
The Probus Club has a tremendous sense of history. To celebrate the fifteenth
anniversary I was honoured to chair a re-enactment of the foundation. All Rotary
Presidents look forward to achieving major events in their year, and the formation of the
a Probus Club gave me great satisfaction. It is also gratifying for me to know that the
Lilydale Probus Club has been such a success and has gone from strength to strength
throughout its history.
In closing, I feel privileged to have written the foreword to this History and wish
the Club all the best for the new Millennium.

Colin Dean.

Past President - Rotary Club of Lilydale.