President’s Report:
It’s good to be back with you all after my month’s holiday in England. First of all a huge thank you to Robin Solomon, our Vice President, who stepped in to chair last month’s meeting. Not only did she do a wonderful job but she also managed to secure two talented musicians for the entertainment at this year’s Christmas lunch.
Which brings me very neatly to December 10th, the date of our exciting Christmas celebration. We need to finalise numbers soon, so could you please put your name down on the sheet on the table, plus any guest you plan to bring. The lunch will be in the form of a buffet here at the club like last year, which proved very popular. I will let you know the cost once it has been finalised.
While I was in England I was lucky enough to be in Cambridge when the university town staged their ‘Open Cambridge’ weekend. I secured tickets to a private viewing of the treasures held in Queens College library, had a guided tour of landmarks connected with the Spies of Cambridge, and attended a presentation at Fenners Cricket Ground detailing all the contributions Cambridge has made to the world of sport. While we were waiting, who should arrive but our Probus friends, Douglas and Mary Ann . A happy coincidence indeed!
Today we welcome Sue Brian as our speaker. Sue will speak about Norfolk Island which will be of particular interest to members about to take off for a week’s holiday on the island. Norfolk has a rich history so even for those of us not going, it is sure to be a fascinating talk.
Membership Report: Our membership stands at 55 (35 women and 20 men).
Many Happy Returns of the Day for Your October Birthday: Terry N 06, George B 10, Eleanor Sh26, and Joan B 29.
Guest Speakers: As noted in the President’s report, above, Sue Brian will talk to us today about Norfolk Island. Next month, Kevin Fitzpatrick joins us and his subject is Antarctica.
Note: All our Probus meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of every month at 10:15am. The next meeting will be held on 19th November. The committee meetings are conducted in the Northbridge Golf Club at 9:15am on the same day. Members are welcome to attend.
Probus Walkers:
Tuesday 12th November. Bronte to Bondi Beach.
This walk is an annual event for our walkers which is very enjoyable. Although the Sculptures-by-the-Sea exhibits will be over, the upside is there will be fewer people along the pathway. The path
has a gradient classed as medium with many steps. Lunch/refreshments will be at The Icebergs Club (photo ID required).
MEET: At the Liverpool Street bus stop (just around the corner from the Museum Station, Elizabeth St.,) at 9:30am to catch the next 333 bus to Bondi Junction Interchange Stand E where we take the 379 bus to Bronte.
Probus Outings:
Tuesday 22nd October. Maritime Museum. The Australian National
Museum is a federally operated maritime museum at 2 Murray St., Darling Harbour, Sydney. Meet at the Museum at 10:15am. We will have a tour conducted by volunteers, and the cost is $16 (a 20% discount). A list of transport options is available on the Museum website, and will also be available at today’s meeting. The tour starts at 10:30am. We will have lunch at the café on site as there is much to explore.
Tuesday 26th November. Rhododendron Garden, Blackheath. We will travel by bus. The rhododendrons should be in glorious full bloom! Bus departs at 9:00am. Lunch TBA. This is our last outing of 2019.
Recommended Books (suggestions from Clive W)
The Almost Nearly Perfect People, by Michael Booth. The author, an English writer married to a Dane and now living in Denmark, examines the foibles of the Nordic countries, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. He uses his own observations as well as interviews with local journalists, academics and even politicians. It is both an analytical and sometimes humorous overview of similarities and differences. It appears they all have the capacity for a copious alcohol consumption.
East West Street by Philippe Sands. The author is an English barrister and Professor of Law who has been involved in several high profile international cases. This is a true story about two Polish lawyers from what is now Lviv, both taught by the same professor, and who both escaped Poland at the time of the Nazi invasion. One fled to England and became a professor of law at Cambridge and the other fled to the USA becoming a law professor at Duke University. Both contributed significantly to the Nuremberg trials, one being responsible for the introduction of crimes against humanity and the other crimes of genocide. Neither was part of the legal lexicon until that time. The author finds his own family heritage also has derivations in Lviv. A fascinating read.
Photos from Ivan’s trip. A larger, clearer and captioned version may be viewed at the table at the back of the meeting room.
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