Probus North Sydney

 Newsletter 359                                                                          19 July 2022 

President’s report:  A very warm welcome to all members and guests to the Probus Club of North Sydney.  I hope everyone has weathered the recent rain events well. 

We need to remember that COVID hospitalisations and deaths continue to be a worry in New South Wales.  Hence we still ask that if you have any symptoms, even a mild cold, please do not attend any of our activities.  Australia now has the most new cases of COVID per capita in the world.  So I encourage all members to wear masks.  I look forward to the day when I can omit this reminder. 

A good number of members and visitors met at the Golf Club last month to hear our excellent guest speaker, Ian Westmorland, who spoke on the organisation he founded, “Mentoring Men”.  This is a registered charity providing free one-to-one life mentoring programs for men Australia wide. 

For those less able to join in our monthly walk, our first social morning was held on the second Tuesday, 12th July.  It was advertised as a games morning or an opportunity to meet and chat over coffee.  By all accounts it was a very enjoyable morning and those present would like to see it continue.  Please consider joining this group if you are no longer able to join us on the second Tuesday walk. 

The walk from Burwood to Cabarita Wharf was wonderful!  The weather was perfect, with the sun shining at last.  We then lunched at the Abbotsford Rowing Club overlooking the Parramatta River. 

The outing to the alpaca farm was well attended and most enjoyable.  After meeting several alpacas and invited to feed them and feel their fleece, we were given an explanation of the qualities of alpacas at a barbeque lunch as one of the animals was paraded around us. 

The trip to Floriade in Canberra from 29th September to 1st October has been taken up by several members.  If you are interested please let me know and I will check to see if there are still seats available.  It promises to be an excellent trip with visits to many of Canberra’s sights including the Corbett Gardens, the Arboretum, the Tulip Farm plus a choice of two of the major attractions.  The tour includes all meals, morning teas and admissions and accommodation at the Alpha Hotel, Canberra.  The cost for the 3 days is $720 per person with a $165 single supplement. 

All activities are open to all members, and visitors and guests are very welcome to attend as well. 

Posters and leaflets advertising the club are still on notice boards across the North Sydney LGA.  I still have a couple of large posters and lots of leaflets available.  So if you know of a prominent notice board that may be able to display a large poster, please let me know. 

Plans for celebrating our 40th Anniversary in April  next year are underway.  Please mark the date of 18th April 2023 for a luncheon.  We are looking for ideas for the lunch.  So if you, or someone you know, would like to entertain in some way, please let somebody on the committee know.  If you are interested in helping with table decoration, cake making and decorating, or have any ideas, please also come forward.  We are again asking for photos of any activity, both for a slide presentation at the lunch and potentially for the booklet. 

Note:  All of our Probus meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of every month at 10:15am.  The next meeting will be held on 16th August 2022.  The committee meetings are conducted in the Northbridge Golf Club at 9:15am on the same day.  Members are welcome to attend. 

Membership report:   Our membership stands at 52 (34 women and 18 men). 

Many happy returns of the day for your July birthday:  Oriel T 12, and Peter B 27. 

Guest Speakers:  Today we welcome Paul Treichel, whose topic is “A Day in Ostrava”.  Next month Ian Bryce will join us, speaking on “Skeptical Investigations”. 

Probus Walkers:  Tuesday 9th August:  Fairlight to Manly 

This will be a pleasant easy walk to end our cold wet weather.  The walk is gently undulating, with great harbour views.  We will assemble on the Pacific Highway outside St. Leonards Station to catch the Manly bus.  Alighting at Fairlight, coffee will be available at one of the three nearby cafes.  We then proceed through a couple of streets to the start of the coastal walkway.  On reaching Manly we can extend the walk if desired to North Steyne or Shelley Beach or go directly to lunch at the Ivanhoe Hotel in the Corso.  Approx. 5 klms. 

Meet:  9:30am at bus stop Pacific Highway outside St. Leonards Station. 

Probus Outing:  Tuesday 26th July.  Picnic at Tunks Park 

Unfortunately Covid is upon us again.  It is so hard to plan ahead.  We have decided to have a picnic lunch at Tunks Park where we can keep in the fresh air and isolate enough from each other.  Such a disappointment needing to delay the other outings we have planned for the year.  We will meet at 11am with our lunch, thermos, and picnic chair and spend the day catching up with our friends and watching the activity on the water.  Those who wish could have a walk along Flat Rock Creek. 

Please let me know if you need transport to get to Tunks.   

                                            Long Bay                            Tunks Park