Our 40th Birthday – Lilydale Probus

On the 2nd June 2023 our club reached its 40th anniversary. This event was celebrated with a lunch at Fortnums Restaurant in Sassafras.

It was a really lively event with 51 members attending together with 9 past members who thoroughly enjoyed catching up with many old friends and making new ones.

The day’s proceeding started with a welcome speech by our President, Rhonda Watson, who warmly welcomed everyone and wished the Club a Happy Birthday. A number of congratulatory messages were read including from Probus South Pacific Limited who marked the occasion with a presentation of a Commemorative Certificate which will be proudly displayed in our Club Room. We also heard from Probus Association, Victoria and Anne Oughtibridge the Probus Ambassador for our local region. Apologies were received from our local Member of State Parliament, Ms Brigid Vallance and Cathy White of the local Bendigo Bank together with some from past and present members who were unable to attend.

Following our two course lunch we enjoyed a short talk by our second longest serving life member, Mr Bill Molyneux, who took us down memory lane as he recounted a number of amusing events which have peppered our history. We were also treated to a poem written by a former member, Marlene Douglas, which expressed her pleasure and appreciation for her membership of some two decades.

Following the speeches Rhonda and Bill cut our Anniversary Cake which was served and appreciated by all.

The day was one which will live long in the memories of those who attended and to quote the parting words of one of our past members; “I felt like I had just come home.” What an accolade for the Club!!

PROBUS CLUB OF LILYDALE 40th BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON – FRIDAY 2 JUNE, 2023 HELD AT FORTNUMS RESTAURANT, SASSAFRAS. How lovely to see so many people here today able to join us to celebrate this milestone birthday for our club. We have with us many of our current members and a number of past lady guests whose husbands served our club so well before we changed our rules to allow ladies to join as full members. Plus of course we have one past male member, John Wicks, who served as president and started our walking excursions. Welcome to you all! I do hope you all have a wonderful day catching up with each other and reliving happy times. I must thank Kirsty and her staff here at Fortnums for making us welcome and we are all looking forward to our lunch together. We have a few members who were unable to attend today and along with some of our past members all send their very best wishes for our celebration. Stuart and Pauline Brown, Meredith and Keith Quibell, Bryan and Myra Walsh. Bryan is our longest serving member who joined our club in 1984. He joined the committee in 1985 serving as Vice President in 1986 and President in 1987. Along with his wife Myra they were very active members. Past members who were unable to join us send their best wishes Marlene Douglas Bev Galloway Pam Barnett Val Waterworth Marlene Kleinsmit Kellie and Rosalind Heber-Percy Cec Dowell Jan West All of these past members and ladies were very involved in the club and joined when it was a Men’s club with the men serving the club in Executive or committee positions setting the high standards our club enjoys today. Cathy White from Bendigo Bank sends her apologies for non attendance and best wishes to all. Probus Association of Victoria Probus South Pacific Limited who sent along our beautiful certificate and I would like to read out their letter… Anne Oughtibridge, Probus Ambassador who sends her Congratulations. “What a fantastic achievement. Not many clubs reach this age, so all credit to your good management over 40 years. Yours in friendship, Anne”. RHONDA WATSON, PRESIDENT		CONGRATULATIONS 40 YEARS Congratulations Forty Years No mean feat today For many clubs are closing down But Lilydale is here to stay. Reason is the friendships formed And interests provided The work put in by volunteers Future years decided. My two decades were full of fun The friendships made were special Speakers heard, the visits made Walks if in fine fettle. Trips away were special too Lovely days exploring Nights of fun with all our friends A lovely time affording. I think of all the friends I’ve made Since I became a member I thank the members – every one And my best wishes tender. Marlene Douglas.
LILYDALE PROBUS HISTORY BY BILL MOLYNEUX Probus originated in the UK at Welwyn Garden City, 33k from London, with the amalgamation of two community based social clubs in the 1960s Both clubs realised they had the same social and intellectual needs of retired business men, the inevitable happened, Probus was born. The first Probus Club in the world was formed by the Rotary Club of Caterham in the UK in1966. Since then, Probus became the fastest growing Club of its type in the world, and as far as I know still is. The first club in the South Pacific region was in New Zealand at Kapiti Coast in 1974; the first in Australia at Hunters Hill, NSW in 1976. In Victoria, the first Club was the Probus Club of Balwyn in 1981. Our Club was the 16th club to be formed in Victoria in 1983 and 169th in Australia. Our Club was founded as a Men’s Club 40 years ago to this day, and was sponsored by Lilydale Rotary. It was decided to make the Club a Combined one in 2015. Sadly, not one of the Founder Members is still with us. However, we have one member who joined the club in 1984 meaning he’s been a member for 39 years and almost a Founder Member. (Wonder if Probus South Pacific have any 40 year badges!!). That member is Brian Walsh who is here today with us. Brian and myself are the only surviving members from the 20th century. Currently, Brian has not only been in the Club the longest but I think he’s the oldest (95 last April). The first meetings were to be held at the Uniting Church Hall in Lilydale until ‘Whelan the Wrecker’ intervened with some demolition work. Venues since then have been the Elderly Citizens Club Rooms, the Athenaeum Theatre and Lilydale Lake Community Room, where we still are!! Over the years, we have had some wonderful members willing to donate their time to the running of the club, far too many to mention here. We’ve always had a committee member sourcing speakers and it’s amazing on the diversity of the ones they always come up with (where do they get ‘em). Same with trips. There’s always been member(s) who volunteer to organise outings, be it Day Trips, Bus Trips, Rambling, Lunches etc. For some time the ladies have had a ’Probus Pals’ morning coffee/afternoon tea every month and the men, not to be outdone, have a lunch every fortnight (‘Probus Mates’). A few members which I think warrant a special mention are Lex Lillie (a former councillor in the Mount Evelyn area) who was awarded an OAM in 2008 for almost 60 years of service to the communities of Mount Evelyn and Lilydale. Bert Milgate was Honorary Treasurer and Finance Director for the Victorian Bowls Association for 8 years from 1998 to 2006 quite prestigious positions I reckon. We also have had over the years, 3 members reach the great age of 100+. Bert Walker (a former President), Arthur Coster and Alf Morgan. A few amusing incidents spring to mind (well I think they are). •When I was President, we attended one of the MOER’s Picnics at Maroondah Dam. Marlene Kleinsmit had prepared a beautiful picnic basket for her and husband Con. Clumsy me not looking where I was going, put my foot straight into her basket. A classic case of putting one’s foot in it! •Henri Lausberg being awarded an OBE only to find he’d been given one 3 years previously. He thanked the committee for the extra 3 years on his life! •Sandy Orbinson’s comment on his 45 year marriage to Helene was …”and they said it wouldn’t last”. A lovely couple with Irish origins. •On one of our Tallangatta trips, one of our bus trips was to Beechworth. It was really, really cold and when we arrived at Beechworth, we lashed out and turned all the electric BBQs on in the park and all stood round them with our gloved hands on the hotplates warming them. •On a Car Trip to Cadell on the Murray. The whole motel was booked out by our Probus Club. Every morning and evening, John Wicks a former member and President of our Club would march up and down the verandah playing his bagpipes. We were packing up to come home on the Friday and the unit next door to us had been relet as David and Rhonda had gone home already. Suddenly, the front door burst open and a rather uptight man came out and shouted at me “who was that bastard playing those bagpipes this morning?” I, tongue in cheek, said “No idea mate!” Note: I’ve had to moderate the language a bit for this assembly. As you can imagine, trying to come up with a potted history of 40 years in nigh on impossible. Anyhow, I hope I’ve wetted your appetites to know more. All my pickings have been from the second album of the Club History written by Kellie Heber-Percy. Both Founder Member and Past President Keith McLennan’s original history, 1983 to 2000 and Kelly’s follow up 2001 to 2018 are on the web. Both worth having a look at for old and new members alike.
PROBUS 40th CERTIFICATE