History of Probus Clubs
ABOUT PROBUS CLUBS - AN INTRODUCTION
There was a Roman Emperor called Probus.
There was a boarding school called Probus School.
There is a Saint Probus, a town of Probus, which has the tallest church tower in Cornwall and a Probus plant which sports a tiny yellow flower.
Probus is also the Latin word for virtue, honesty, integrity, merit, morality, benevolence and goodwill.
Early in 1966 two recently retired but hitherto active Rotarians (Harold Blanchard of Caterham Rotarian Club and Fred Carhill of Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club) had similar ideas in that they wished to form clubs meeting monthly, for retired PROfessional and BUSiness men over the age of sixty, not necessarily ex-Rotarians. Besides their monthly meetings, these clubs indulged in outings, visits and special dinners and lunches for wives, all of which made them so popular that waiting lists had to be introduced. Rotary Clubs throughout the country started to copy their initiatives and introduced Probus Clubs in adjacent towns. Lapel badges were introduced in 1972. A Probus Information Centre (UK) was formed and in 1980 the first Probus newsletter was launched.The interaction and communication between clubs has spawned an interest, not only in the UK (well over fifteen hundred clubs) but worldwide, mainly English speaking. Australia has 1250, India 385, New Zealand 270, Holland 240, Ireland 72, Belgium 60, Canada 60, South Africa 25, USA 16, Portugal 2 and Bermuda, Cyprus, Germany, Malaysia, Trinidad and Zimbabwe have recently started clubs.
The Rotary member who instigated the formation of the Abingdon Probus Club was Tom Chamberlain, who on distributing his notification of the first formal lunch, requested that interested retired members inform him "should they be unable to attend the lunch at 12.30 pm for 1.00 pm on Wednesday, April 13th 1977 at the Upper Reaches Hotel - otherwise, the lunch charge of £1.85 will have to be paid by the members concerned"! The Agenda consisted of one item only "The nomination of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and two members for the committee" and was signed "Jim Barrett, Interim President". A list of subsequent Past Presidents is given below. All, with the exception of the first-named functioned as Secretary or Treasurer, Social Secretary or Assistant Treasurer and even then spent a further year on the Committee as Immediate Past President. One whose name does not appear on the list because he resigned before becoming President was Dr Douglas Allen, whose input and output as Secretary was truly prolific.
The basic purpose of a Probus Club is to provide regular gatherings of those in retirement who appreciate opportunities to meet others in similar circumstances and of a similar level of interest. It should be simple, free from restraints, involve members at minimum cost, develop fellowship and be made up of members who are compatible with one another. It should stimulate interest and participation at a time in life when horizons are narrowing and opportunities to make new friends are limited.
LIST OF PAST PRESIDENTS
1977-78 S J Barrett 1978-79 K A Osborne 1979-80 J E Loxton
1980-81 J S Keane 1981-82 C H Roberts 1982-83 SR King
1983-84 E A Charlwood 1984-85 E R Beall 1985-86 H K White
1986-87 K B Minshall 1987-88 G W Phillips 1988-89 W F Wiggins
1989-90 H C Brooks 1990-91 K E Brown 1991-92 J V Desemonie
1992-93 V T Morgan 1993-94 P C Randall 1994-95 F W Hutber
1995-96 E O Kohn 1996-97M M Comely 1997-98 A Carne
1998-99 E G Murphy 1999-00 P McGregor 2000-01 G S Grossart
2001-02 D Egerton-King 2002-03 A L Curtis 2003-04 W T Mellor
2004-05 C A Bycroft 2005-06 D B Halliday 2006-07 P Chappelle
2007-08 J Phillpott 2008-09 G B Tonkin 2009-10 B L Eastoe
2010-11 P R Williams 2011-12 D R Barrett 2012-13 B D Page
2013-14 G R Morris 2014-15 R T Aldridge 2015-16 E Dunford
2016-17 D Saffin 2017-18 D McQueen 2018-19 F Debney
2019-22 M Smith
The original was produced by David Egerton-King and updated by John Phillpott in November 2005 and Brian Page in 2020