by Anna Van Adrichem Rochon
The North Grenville PROBUS Club in Kemptville is happy to celebrate National PROBUS Club in our community during the month of March, along with the rest of Canada’s membership. PROBUS stands for PROfessional and BUSiness.
PROBUS is a local, national, and international association of retired people who come together in non-political, non-sectarian, non-profit, non-fundraising autonomous clubs which provide regular opportunities for members to meet others in similar circumstances and similar levels of interest, make new friends, and maintain and expand their interests. PROBUS is independent of all other organizations.
The association of PROBUS with Rotary goes back to PROBUS beginnings, when Rotary participated in and sponsored the formation of clubs the world over. The PROBUS ideal immediately appealed to the wider community, and now new clubs are accredited by PROBUS itself through a central body as in Canada, or through other clubs. Rotary remains a significant part of our past, and as part of a continuing strong bond still participates at times in the formation of new clubs as was the case in our community.
The North Grenville Club was chartered in 1999. The local club has almost 100 members who meet on a monthly basis at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church at 9:30am on the third Wednesday of each month.
Members join together in clubs, the basic purpose of which is to provide regular opportunities to keep their minds active, expand their interests and enjoy the fellowship of new friends. The basic purpose of a PROBUS club is to provide regular gatherings of persons, who, in their retirement appreciate and value opportunities to meet others in similar circumstances and similar levels of interest, i.e., to provide options for members to maintain a path of fellowship and learning to remain connected to our friends, our community, and the world. This “connectivity” is a driving force underlying a member’s participation in PROBUS.
Presently, there are over 4,000 clubs the world over comprising more than 400,000 members. ln Canada, there are 240 clubs accounting for over 32,000 members. Everyone is welcome to visit the club to learn more.