Members` Newsletter for February 2015

The PROBUS Club of
Cambridge
Canada #1
Chartered March 17, 1987
Our Strength is Fellowship,
Our Success is Participation
Members’ Newsletter for February
2015
Current Events
The newly-established protocol for
cancellations due to bad weather is now in
effect: notice will be given by 8:00 am if a general
meeting is cancelled;
The first meeting of the new year 2015 featured
more items of a ‘business’ nature than is
customary. As December‘s general meeting was
the Christmas luncheon and no Management
Committee meeting was held, this was to be
expected.
President Miles introduced, his guest, friend and
neighbor Larry Markow.
We were reminded, as is appropriate, to look for
new-ish members wearing a green dot on their
nametags and to introduce ourselves to them as
they are getting to know existing members.
Those celebrating birthdays in December and
January were recognized and congratulated.
With the ascension of another friend of our Club–
Maureen Irving–to the Presidency of Probus
Centre-Canada, the position of District 4
Director is open. Your Management Committee
has nominated one of our Past Presidents–Dennis
Souder to stand for election as District 4 Director.
Be sure to wish Dennis the best as he awaits the
election results. Being a volunteer member of the
National Board of Directors offers experiences
both challenging and personally rewarding.
In order to solve some complex and timeconsuming problems of signing on and paying for
optional activities, a new policy has been
developed. President Miles explained briefly
what may be studied more fully below in the
column entitled “Optional Events”.
Norman Lawson generated responsive guffaws
with his ‘Funny Business’.
President Miles updated the membership with a
series of announcements:
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Second Vice-President Bob Rutherford is
Chair of a committee designing our Club’s
participation in National Probus Month. Bob
described some of the ideas the committee of
Murray Mills, Bob Sanders, Ken Wright and
Wayne Taylor have developed. An action plan
will be decided upon in February.
February 25th General meeting:
This month will feature another very special
event. March 2015 has been designated in
Canada as National Probus Month. We will be
honoured to host both Probus Centre-Canada
President Maureen Irving and Mayor Doug
Craig who together will launch National
Probus Month.
Brief Committee reports were noted for
Activities; Visitation (after shouldering years of
delivering TLC to those unwell and recovering–
and greeting everyone as they arrive at general
meetings–it’s now time to call and wish Howard
DeBrusk a speedy recovery from major shoulder
surgery); Financial (all is well); new membership
growth initiatives
Archivist Ivan Robinson will set up a table
where members may view some of the
photographs and other momentos of our past
and present.
The Vignette Speaker at this meeting will be
Jack Kok.
Unpleasant weather saw attendance down from
the usual number but still reasonable at 66 hardy
souls.
The Guest Speaker will be Peter Shawn Taylor
who is Editor-at-Large of Maclean’s Magazine
and a columnist for the Waterloo Region
Record and Canadian Business Magazine.
Peter’s talk will consider what Sir John A.
Macdonald would make of modern Canada on
the occasion of his 200th birthday. And
whether his contribution is worth
remembering. More details can be found at
www.probuscambridge.org
Website Alerts!
Visit our web site at www.probuscambridge.org
for the latest information on upcoming speakers
and activities.
…and Visit the web site for the latest Probus
Canada newsletter from November, 2014 - our
Club got special mention!
The Lunch Bunch will gather following the
meeting at Milestones at 510 Hespeler Road.
Birthdays: Best wishes to those
born in February: Bill Barlow,
Bill Black, Ron Howey, Don Slee
& Math Thijssen.
February promises to be an occasion not to be
missed!
2nd VP Bob Rutherford
announcing plans for
National Probus Month in
March 2015
Still Brrrrrrrrrr!
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January’s Vignette Speaker, Don Young, began
his life story with a shocking announcement:
he is an octogenarian! Your intrepid reporter
misheard this as a serious health issue. What a
relief to learn the true meaning! Don organized
his talk into three areas: family, business/career
and community.
employment as Vicom Enterprises (Aiphone
equipment); Cambridge-based General Manager
of Rutherford Controls (international distributor
of security equipment); finishing up from 1990 to
1998 as EVP of (CN) Weber Security Distribution.
All of which enabled Don to travel North America
and internationally and to meet a variety of
interesting people in many organizations.
Family –wise, Don, sadly, lost his first wife at a
very early age. Years later, he married Viola and
they created a his, hers and theirs family. Viola is
a Duplicate Bridge Master. Sons and a grandson
in the military. Far-flung travel to visit all.
Community-wise, Don has been involved in
Cambridge Senior Games; condo board
leadership; property management; golf, bowling
and Probus.
Condolences to the family and friends of our
fellow member Wally Kadwell whose wife Berva
passed away in January. And to the family and
friends of Peter Kennedy who passed away on
February 3rd.
If you know of any member who is ill or
hospitalized, please let Howard DeBrusk know at
519.621.6816. It’s important for our members to
know we care about them.
As did a surprising number of members of our
Club, Don grew up on a farm where he learned
from his father’s example the value of hard work.
Early on, his father became a home-builder and
Don learned to be a handyman. As a teen-ager he
enjoyed disparate summer jobs on farms, in
military cadets, and as an assistant golf pro at
Bigwin Inn.
A 12 month intensive course in Radio & TV
Technology at Radio College of Canada in his
twenties set a direction for his career: a
production engineer at Canadian Westinghouse
in Hamilton followed by sales of test equipment
to government departments; aerospace program
management; Amphenol lobbyist in Ottawa;
Philips Industries as National Audio Products
Manager; Noresco (intercom & CB radios); self3
Our Guest Speaker in January was Dave
Schultz, Manager of Communications for
Grand Valley Conservation Authority (GVCA).
and practical; recommendations having four
objectives:
To ensure sustainable water supplies for
communities, economies and ecosystems: Action
steps: identify long-term water needs and secure
sources; maintain and expand programs to
conserve water and manage demand; protect
areas where water enters the ground to recharge
aquifers.
To improve water quality to improve river health
and reduce the river’s impact on Lake Erie:
Action steps: upgrade sewage treatment plants;
improve operation of sewage treatment plants;
expand the Rural Water Quality Program;
Improve urban stormwater management.
Reduce flood damage potential: Action steps:
Review storm sewer systems in cities so they can
handle major events; Continue to improve
floodplain maps, flood forecasting and warning
systems; Ensure dikes and dams are maintained
and managed to cope with climate change.
Guest Speaker Dave Schultz
Increase resiliency to deal with climate change:
GVCA does a wonderful job of educating the
almost one million people who live in The Grand
River Watershed about the area covered, its
issues, its problems and, increasingly, solutions.
Numerous publications are available at GVCA
headquarters at 400 Clyde Road. The amount of
fascinating information available is remarkable!
In the space available in this month’s newsletter,
what seems of greatest value for those who
missed Dave’s note-free talk would be to focus on
the Water Management Plan completed in the
Spring of 2014.
Thanks to Dave Schultz for a marvelous
presentation on Grand Valley Conservation
Authority–a local treasure whose contribution to
our quality of life may be under-recognized by
the general population.
Dave used a phrase about GVCA that strikes one
as obvious on the face of it yet dramatic in its
potential significance: “We manage The River”.
The plan, developed through a collaborative
process leading to action, contains
recommendations that are effective, reasonable
Bruce Currie thanking Dave Schultz
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membership in excess of 180,000.
Bad Weather Protocol:
In recent years, we have had more and more
instances of bad winter weather. Sooner or later,
such an incident is going to occur on the day of a
Probus meeting or event. In extreme cases
where it is clearly unsafe for members to be
travelling, the event may be cancelled. If this is
the case, an email so indicating will be sent to all
those receiving the Newsletter electronically. For
a regular meeting, the email will be sent no later
than 8:00 am. For a Management Committee
meeting, the email will be sent no later than 7:30
am. For a Probus Activity, the timing of the email
will depend on the start or departure time of the
event.
PROBUS also has a presence in parts of Europe
such as, Belgium, Holland, Germany, France,
Portugal, Ireland, Sweden and Cyprus. South and
Central America have PROBUS in Argentina.
Mexico and Chile while in Asia we have
representation in India, Japan and Malaysia and
in Africa; South Africa and Zimbabwe. However,
it is very difficult to determine the actual
numbers of Clubs and members in any of those
regions.
Corrections/Additions : On the Membership
Roster, please change Bill Babstock’s email
address to bbabstock@live.com
If there is no email, the event will be held as
scheduled. However, each individual member
will have to decide whether he feels safe in
venturing out.
If you do not receive your Newsletter by email
(meaning that the Club does not have an email
address for you), either identify someone who
does whom you can call or give your name to
Miles Lauzon so that your name can be put on a
call list.
Downtown Cambridge’s Grand River
Hopefully, this is a precaution that we won't
need, but better safe than sorry.
Interesting Statistics about Probus WorldWide: While doing some minor updating of our
prospective member brochure, we asked Probus
Centre-Canada for current info about Probus
Clubs beyond our borders. Brian Kirkwood, the
National organization’s Webmaster provided
this: Unfortunately, there is no way to estimate,
with any accuracy, the number of PROBUS clubs,
or members, in the world. The most recent
figures I’ve seen quote 4,000 ± Clubs worldwide
and something in excess of 400,000
members. Australia and New Zealand indicate
2,180 Clubs and 172,000 members while the UK
does not have a number on Clubs but shows
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New member applications: As
everyone knows by now, these applications,
along with brochures describing Probus
Worldwide and our own club, are always
available at the greeters’ table at general
meetings. However, please note a change to the
schedule of dues that vary with the month an
application for membership is approved.
Suggestions for “The Good of the Club”? The
Management Committee continues to seek ideas
from the Membership for ways to enhance the
Club Experience. Write a note and insert your
valued ideas into the Suggestion Box on the
front table.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR MEMBERS
Regular General Meetings of The Club are
held January through July and September
through November at the United Kingdom
Club (a/k/a The British Club)-35 International
Drive, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 7M5–directly
South of the Cambridge Shopping Centre. The
December meeting is the annual Christmas
Luncheon. No general meeting is scheduled for
August. Regular meetings start at 9:30 and end
at 11:30 AM on the last Wednesday of the
month.
The membership, at the AGM in September,
accepted the reduction in dues from $75 to $65
per Club year. The schedule of dues for those
approved after the August start to the Club year
is therefore somewhat reduced.
While the $20 initiation fee remains constant, the
cheque accompanying an application should be
written in the following amount: Approval in:
August $85
September $80
October $74
November $69
December $63
January $ $58
February $53
March $47
April $42
May $36
June $31
July $25
PROBUS CLUB of CAMBRIDGE
ACTIVITIES 2015
Book upcoming activities with Dennis Samulak
at ph 519-623-8896 or
dennis.samulak018@sympatico.ca
February 18, 2015 Wednesday, 10:45 a.m.
Tour of Rogers TV Studio, 85 Grand Crest
Place, Kitchener ON N2C 2L6. Full studio tour
including Control Room, Edit Suites, live taping
of “DAYTIME SHOW”. Tour ends at approx 12
noon. Maximum of 25 people.
After the tour, warm up with a hearty Bavarian
lunch buffet at The Concordia Club at 12:15
p.m. at 429 Ottawa Street South, Kitchener
N2M 3P6. Full buffet including coffee/tea, tax
and gratuities (dessert is extra). Full price is
$20.00
The easily-remembered point to easily remember
is when sponsoring a new member applicant,
instruct him to choose the amount for the month
following the date of signing of the application.
Unless of course–and this is not so easilyremembered–he is applying in the same month of
the next management committee meeting–which
is usually the first Monday of the month unless
Monday is a holiday.
March 17, 2015 Tuesday, “The Blazing
Fiddles Show” at Bingemans Conference
Centre, 425 Bingemans Centre Dr, Kitchener
ON, Arrival at 12:00 to 12:30 p.m., Buffet
opens 12:30, Showtime 2:00 p.m., Show finish
3:30 p.m. The Blazing Fiddles Band was
Simple, eh!
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formed in 1999 and are the founders of the
Grand River Dinner Cruises. They promise a
very special St Patrick’s Day Show. The buffet
includes bread, rolls, butter, Healthy salads,
Two hot entrees, potatoes & vegetables,
puddings, pies, cakes, coffee & tea. Tables of 8.
We have 32 good seats reserved. Full price of
$46.00 per person. Deadline to book is
March 10. NO REFUNDS AFTER MARCH 10
Puslinch Lake, 45 McClintock Drive, Puslinch
ON, N0B 2J0. 2:00 pm guided tour of Com Dev
Int'l Ltd, 155 Sheldon Drive, Cambridge, ON
N1R 7H6. Total Price is $7.00 incl HST.
Deadline to book is May 27, 2015.
July 16, Thursday, to be finalized, morning
tour of the Earth Sciences Museum in
Waterloo, lunch at Kennedy’s in St Agatha (at
your own expense). Afternoon tour of the
Canadian Clay and Glass Museum in Waterloo.
April 15, 2015 Wednesday, 10:00 a.m
IceCulture Inc 81 Brock St, Hensall ON,N0M
1X0 (Hwy 4 & 84). Enjoy a 90 minute guided
tour showing how ice is harvested and made
into stunning Award Winning Sculptures by
craftsmen using power tools as well as
computerized carving equipment. Tour an
8000 sq ft freezer to see, touch and
photograph many unique ice sculpture
settings. Parkas are provided for the freezer
but you can bring your own attire if you wish.
Warm up with lunch at approx 12 noon at
Crabby Joe’s in Exeter (your own expense).
Heading towards home, 2:00 pm tour of the
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,
386 Church Street South, St Marys ON, N4X
1C2. The museum is home to 106 inductees
who have left their mark on Canadian Baseball.
The tour will be 45 to 60 minutes.
Total price is $23.00 Deadline to book is
April 8. NO REFUNDS AFTER APRIL 8.
Suggest carpooling and that passengers pay
the driver $10.00 for fuel due to distance
traveled.
August 13, Thursday, 10:00 a.m. tour and
demonstration at the Firehall at 1626 Bishop
Street in Cambridge. The tour is approx one
hour with a maximum of 25 people. Lunch at
50’s Diner (at your own expense). No charge
for the tour.
September 16, Wednesday, to be finalized,
tour of 2 museums in Brantford with a local
lunch between the tours.
October 2015, to be finalized, bus tour of the
Ghost Towns of the Grand Canal narrated by
the famous Ken Silvester. Visit many sites,
lunch at the Erie Beach Hotel in Port Dover,
visit a local winery, then tour Paris ON on the
way home.
November 19, 2015, Thursday, 2:00 pm,
Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, Irving Berlin's
White Christmas. We have 48 excellent seats
reserved. Price is $39.00 HST included.
Deadline to book is October 16, 2015. NO
REFUNDS AFTER OCT 16. You will receive
your tickets at our Oct 28 general meeting.
May 2015, Guelph date and timing to be
advised. Morning tour of Our Lady of Victory
Cathedral, local lunch (at your own expense).
Afternoon tour of John McCrae House and
Museum.
December 2015, Annual Christmas Lunch –
no date or venue yet.
June 11 2015 Thursday, 10:00 A.M.,
morning tour of Castle Kilbride National
Historic Site, 60 Snyders Road West, Baden
ON N3A 1A1. Lunch at 12:00 pm at the Old
Marina Restaurant (at your own expense) on
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Message from the President - Optional
Events
Probus Club of Cambridge
It is highly desirable for members to register
for and pay for an event before the deadline.
Recognizing that this is not always possible,
the Activities Committee may permit
registration before the deadline with a
promise to pay at some later mutually
convenient time.
Our very enjoyable Christmas luncheon was
the last of the series of varied and stimulating
events in our Club's optional Activities
Program for 2014. Congratulations to Dennis
Samulak and the Activities Subcommittee for a
job well done!
Payment should be made with a different
cheque for each event, with the purpose of the
cheque clearly marked thereon. This greatly
simplifies keeping track of and verifying
payments and making refunds when possible.
When a member invites a guest to an event, it
is the member's responsibility to see that the
Club receives payment for the guest.
The program for calendar 2015, which was
announced at our November meeting, in the
Newsletter and on our website promises to be
equally appealing. We invite members to look
over these events and consider participating.
The Activities Committee works very hard to
both conceive the ideas for events and to
manage their successful implementation. They
also try their utmost to accommodate the
individual needs and convenience of members
in setting deadlines and collecting payments.
On some occasions in the past, these attempts
to be flexible on payments and cancellations
have resulted in some difficulties. For this
reason, your Club's management committee
has adopted some guidelines for the
administration of the Activities Program.
Members may inquire about attending an
event after the deadline. However, there is no
guarantee that a spot will be available.
If a member must cancel participation prior to
the deadline, his payment will be refunded in
full at the first convenient opportunity.
Members' attendance at events in the
Activities Program is optional. The Program is
intended to be financially self-sufficient and
events are priced accordingly, with a prudent
margin of safety.
If a member must cancel after the deadline, in
general, his payment will not be refunded,
since any commitment given to the event
provider will have been based on his
attendance. For the same reason, if a member
who has registered, but not paid, must cancel
after the deadline, it is expected that he will
pay. Otherwise, the Club (which ultimately
means all Club members) must absorb the
financial penalty of his cancellation.
Typically events are organized well in advance
for the calendar year. Usually attendance for
events must be reserved in advance and often
we must give either a minimum or an exact
number of attendees to the event provider in
advance. Providing these guarantees is not
only necessary, but often enables us to
negotiate favourable group rate pricing.
However, it means that we must set deadlines
for registration and payment.
Occasionally, once an event is over and all
payments and charges have been booked, it
may be possible to issue refunds for post
deadline cancellations. This depends on
surplus/deficit situation for both the
particular event and for the overall program.
In exercising this discretion, the Activities
Committee will insure that for any particular
event, everyone who cancelled after the
deadline will be treated equally. However, the
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issuance of refunds for one particular event
does mean that post deadline refunds will be
issued for another event.
We sincerely want our members to participate
and enjoy these optional events. However, we
do ask your co-operation in helping our
Activities Committee to effectively manage this
aspect of our Club's operation.
If anyone would like to see the detailed policy
adopted by the Management Committee,
please contact either myself of Dennis
Samulak.
Miles Lauzon
President, Probus Club of Cambridge
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The Probus Club of Cambridge
P.O. Box 22011,
Water Street RO,
Cambridge, Ontario N1R 3E0
(Our new PO Box #)
Past President: Tom LeBrun
President: Miles Lauzon
1st Vice President: Wayne Taylor
2nd Vice President: Bob Rutherford
Treasurer: Walter Enns
Deputy Treasurer: John Reid
Secretary: Tom LeBrun/Raymond Morrissette
Interim)
Assistant Secretary: Math Thijssen
Activities Committee Chair: Dennis Samulak
Activities Committee Members: Bob Lawrence;
Raymond Morrissette
Archivist: Ivan Robinson
Attendance & Greeting: Howard DeBrusk
Newsletter: John Snelgrove
Club Services Chair: Ken Wright
Club Services members: Garth James; Bruce
Pulsifer
Speakers Chair: Bob Sanders
Speakers Assistant: Charlie Wilson Vignette
Chair: Raymond Morrissette
Vignette Member: Open
Visitation: Howard DeBrusk
Membership Committee Chair: Murray Mills
Membership Committee members; Bill Barlow;
Ross Brethet
Technology Advisor: Dan Clements
2014-2015 Management Committee
Special Alert! All Members of the Probus Club of Cambridge who receive electronically the monthly
newsletter or other communiqués from the Club may unsubscribe at any time by emailing the Club at
excellencequest@sympatico.ca This is in accordance with the Federal Anti-Spam legislation which
came into effect on July 1, 2014
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