What Are We About?
The Probus Club of Western Ottawa is part of a world wide association of Probus Clubs,
The purpose of a PROBUS CLUB is
to provide regular opportunities for retired and semi-retired men and
women, who appreciate and value opportunities, to meet others with
similar levels of interest.
Arising out of their association and activities, and mutual goodwill, a
sense of community develops among members. The diverse interests,
the feeling of fellowship, and the cordiality invariably evident within
the clubs ensures the ongoing success of PROBUS.
The word PROBUS was derived from the words PROfessional and
BUSiness, but membership is not restricted to these groups. While
some members may have had responsibility in some field of endeavour in
the past, most are persons who enjoy the company of others and who want
to learn more about all kinds of topics of current interest.
The emphases in PROBUS are on:
. Providing fellowship and opportunity for development of acquaintances
. Seeking members who are compatible with each other
, Free from the constraints and obligations of service clubs
. Simple structure and operation
Activities include:
, Regular meetins that are held on
a set day of each month. These meetins usually comprise a few
minutes of business, some 30 minutes coffee time with
informal
interaction, and 60 minutes to listen to a guest speaker and for
discussion
. Visits to places and organizations of particular interest
. Occasional social and sports outings.
Some important features are:
. Probus is non-political and non-sectarian
. Probus is also non-profit
making. Membership fees are minimal and used primarily for
rental of meeting facilities, printing and postage. A nominal
charge may be made at each
meeting to pay for coffee
. Although its founding is
sponsored by a Rotary club each PROBUS CLUB is autonomous and
independent. Membership in Rotary or any other service
club is not a prerequisite for
membership in PROBUS
. Attendance is not compulsory
. Spouses and guests of members
are welcome to participate in most visits and special events
PROBUS originated
from two Rotary clubs in England. First there was the "Campus
Club" founded in 1965 by the Rotary Club of Welwyn Garden City in
Hertfordshire. Then the "PROBUS CLUB" was started in 1966 by the
Rotary Club of Caterham in Surrey. Since then PROBUS has spread
worldwide. New clubs continue to be established at a rapidly
increasing rate as former professional and business people recognize
the way in which PROBUS enriches the lives of its members. PROBUS
spread to New Zealand in 1974 and Australia in 1976. In
1987 the first PROBUS club in North America was founded in Cambridge,
Ontario. Today there are more than 90 clubs with 20,000 members
in Canada and some 4,000 clubs and 300,000 members worldwide.
The PROBUS CLUB OF Western Ottawa was originally called The PROBUS CLUB OF KANATA. It was the
88th PROBUS club in Canada, and was founded under sponsorship of
the Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata in September 1998. The change in
name to The Probus Club of Western Ottawa was made on September
1, 2010.
Meetings have been well attended, and our club continues to grow with a current membership of 128.
The Probus Club of Western Ottawa meets on the second Tuesday of each month at
10:00 a.m. in the Kanata United Church on Leacock Drive, Kanata.
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