Probus North Sydney

NEWSLETTER No. 248 February, 2012


President’s Report 21st February 2012

A warm welcome to all members and guests.
I am very sad to report that Bob Gorman died last month. He had already expressed a
wish to resign from the club as he could no longer attend. I had asked him to stay on until
the end of the year as we are very short of men members, but this was not to be. Bob was
an old member and we are sad that he is no longer with us.
We had a most interesting talk by Dr. Colquhoun on dementia, which is very relevant to us
and we can only hope that by the time when one of us or our loved one is struck down with
this disease that they have found a cure.
The outing this month is to the train museum at Thirlmere and if it lives up to the brochure
it should be a great day.
The committee has considered whether we should increase the annual subscription and
morning meeting charges, and have decided that we can retain the existing charges for a
further year. It is now some years since we have increased these charges and soon we
will have to do so, but the increased membership and Valerie’s hard work in organizing themonthly outings which have been very well patronized, has enabled us to keep a healthy
balance in our accounts.
My year as President is nearly up and we have our annual AGM in March, and if any of you
would like to serve on the committee please inform me. We can always find a useful
position for you.
At the AGM we hope to have our display of paintings and other works of art done by our
members, so I hope you will contribute.

February Birthdays"
Joan H 4, Gwen M 21.

Membership Report: The current membership is 59 (36 females and 23 males). We
sadly lost Bob Gorman in January.

PROGRAM of ACTIVITIES


MONTHLY MEETINGS:
Feb. 21: Dr. Ron Houghton, a pilot in WW2 and also an ex-Qantas pilot, will speak
on “The New World of Aviation.”

April 17: Brendan Walsh, a Professional Speaker and Communication Skills
Coach, will speak on public presentations.

May 15: Paul Barclay, speaking on “The History of our Calendar.”

PROBUS WALKERS
March 13: Wynyard Park to Art Gallery via Gardens. An easy short walk to start the year
(steps at beginning of walk), which will take in some of Sydney’s attractions. These
include the Cahill Walkway with a history of the bridge, ‘Stonehenge’, the grounds of
Government House and a walk through the Botanical Gardens where we will stroll through
the Australian Rainforest area and the Fernery. Refreshments in the Art Gallery Cafe.
Meet: North Sydney Station 10:00 am to catch 10:07 am train to Wynyard.

OUTINGS

Feb. 28: We will visit the Trainworks at Thirlmere. Home to Australia’s largest display of
rolling stock. Trainworks tells the story of NSW rail history. We will have a guide to take
us around, and we will also have a multimedia presentation in the theatrette. I think it will
be a fascinating day. Cost: $25. Time and place of departure will be announced today.

March 27: “A Scenic Drive.” We will drive to Woy Woy, have lunch at Ettalong Beach, then
go to Umina and Patonga. These are all beautiful areas and there is much to admire.
Further information is being sent to me regarding places of interest–-more details in next
month’s newsletter. Names today please.

April 24: We will cruise on the Hawkesbury River and Berowra Creek, surrounded by
National Park and 200 million year old sandstone gorges. We will have lunch aboard–this
promises to be a very special outing. Names today please, and further details next month.

RESTAURANT MEETINGS FOR 2012 - A new acticity for members

John Nixon has set the following dates for Probus restaurant meetings for this year.

Please contact John on 9929-6054 for further details. The first meeting, held on the 31st
of January, was enjoyed by 14 club members.

Dinner: Tuesday, 29.5.12 and Tuesday 30.10.12

Lunch: Friday, 30.3.12 (at the Masonic Club of NSW), Tuesday, 31.7.12, and
Tuesday Christmas Party in December.

Note: 1: All our Probus meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of every month.
2: Committee meetings are conducted in the NSLC Bistro area, usually on the first Tuesday of the
Month. Members are welcome to observe.