PROBUS
INTERNATIONAL FACT
SHEET
(extracts
from the ProBus
International
Web pages with
thanks)
Retirement
can come too
early for many
people who want
and are able to
remain active.
Probus clubs
are
organizations
for men and
women who have
retired from
their
profession or
business and
want to
maintain a
social network
with others who
have similar
interests. Each
Probus club is
sponsored by a
Rotary club and
meets at least
once a month
for fellowship
and to hear
guest speakers.
Today, there
are over
300,000 members
in
approximately
4,000 Probus
clubs
worldwide.
The
involvement of
a Rotary
sponsoring club
with a Probus
club varies.
Rotary clubs
typically
approach
retired or
semi-retired
candidates in
their community
and organize
the formation
of a club. Once
established,
the club
becomes an
autonomous
organization
and its members
take over
leadership.
Potential
Probus members
are not
required to be
past members of
Rotary. Fewer
than 10% of
Probus members
are former
Rotarians.
Since 1985,
the Rotary
International
Board has
encouraged
Rotary clubs to
initiate
projects that
address the
needs of a
growing senior
(over age 60)
population. At
its March, 1994
meeting, the
Board
reaffirmed its
commitment by
urging
Rotarians to
organize and
support Probus
clubs as a
commended
community
service
activity.
HISTORY
Probus clubs
were first
formed, as an
acronym for
Pro(fessional)
and Bus(iness),
in the early
1920's in
Saskatchewan,
CANADA, and in
New Haven,
Connecticut,
U.S.A., the
latter devoted
to helping
people with
mental
retardation,
physical
disabilities,
and autism.
Because they
were not
restricted to
retired
Professional
and Business
leaders, and
had a different
objective, they
are (were) not
associated with
our present
mainstream of
Probus clubs
worldwide.
The name was
fused into a
different type
of club in
England, and
the first
non-sectarian
Probus club
specifically
for active
retirees was
formed in 1966
by the Rotary
Club of
Caterham,
England to
allow retired
professionals
to continue to
meet together
for fellowship.
The previous
year, the
Rotary Club of
Welwyn Garden
City, England,
formed the
"Campus
Club" that
had the same
purpose. The
two soon merged
and flourished
under the
sponsorship of
the Rotary Club
of Bromsgrove,
Birmingham,
England.
In 1974,
Probus expanded
into New
Zealand and by
1976 the idea
had spread to
Australia. The
first Probus
club for
seniors in
North America
was sponsored
by the Rotary
Club of Galt in
Cambridge,
Ontario, Canada
in 1987.
Although Probus
membership has
its greatest
concentrations
in Great
Britain,
Australia and
New Zealand,
clubs today
exist in all
parts of the
world,
including the
U.S., Belgium,
India, South
Africa and
several other
countries in
Africa and
Asia.
PROBUS
ACTIVITIES
Except for
the Probus
service clubs
mainly in
Connecticut,
U.S.A., Probus
Clubs worldwide
are not service
organizations
and are
non-sectarian
and
non-political,
although
members are
largely active
volunteers in
many community
organizations.
Clubs are
formed to
provide social
events and
schedule
speakers to
keep members up
to date with
community
issues and
happenings.
Many members
have formed
smaller
interest groups
for hobbies
such as sports,
entertainment,
bridge playing,
fishing,
travel,
computers, etc.
While
numerous
individual
members
regularly offer
assistance with
area community
service
projects, (if
one should
check the
individual
service
activities of
members in any
given club, the
average member
would probably
carry out far
more volunteer
service than
those in most
service
clubs),...
Probus Clubs
pride
themselves on
their
independence
and freedom
from the
responsibilities
of a service
club. The
structure of
the clubs is
simple, and
members are not
required to
attend a
minimum number
of meetings.
Probus clubs
have no central
governing body
but Probus
Centers have
been
established
internationally
by country to
disseminate
information and
assist clubs.
Offices are
staffed largely
by volunteers
and operating
costs are met
by member
contributions.
A worldwide
web page (www.probus.org),
containing
essential
information on
Probus,
includes
worldwide chat
groups, a new
bed and
breakfast
program for
travel, and
information
about forming a
Probus Club.
ORIGINS
"PUT ME
DOWN,
FRED."
Following
the Probus
Clubs formed in
the early
1920's in
Canada
(Melville,
Saskatchewan
see old record)
and around
Connecticutt,
USA..... about
the latter part
of 1965..... an
active and
notable
Rotarian of
Welwyn Garden
City in ENGLAND
assembled some
retired
Professional
and Business
men (some
Rotarians and
some not), to
form a club. In
a Probus
newsletter, we
find a report
"A Simple
Idea" by
the Founder,
Fred Carnhill
"I used
to meet a few
retired men for
morning coffee
- mostly
ex-commuters
(to London)
with
professional or
business
backgrounds and
with a wealth
of experience
behind them.
Conversation
was always
brisk and
entertaining.
One was an
architect,
responsible for
many public
buildings over
the country,
another an
ex-borough
treasurer, an
ex-railway
official, an
headmaster, an
ex-journalist,
an ex-newspaper
editor and an
ex-secretary to
a Prime
Minister. This
gave me an
idea: really a
very simple
one..."I
telephoned 33
friends that
night and they
said, "Put
me down,
Fred."
Thus the Campus
Club, (because
it faced the
centre of town,
called The
Campus), was
formed."
"PROBITY"
- UPRIGHTNESS,
HONESTY.
Coincidentally
at the same
time, Rotarian
Harold
Blanchard of
Caterham Rotary
Club formed and
sponsored the
Caterham PROBUS
club. In his
writings of
"The Birth
of Probus"
he states:
"..One
of our more
erudite members
came up with
the idea of
PROBUS, -
PROfessional
and BUSiness,
(probably from
knowledge of a
name used in
Saskatchewan,
Canada (old
record)) and in
Hartford,
Connecticut,
U.S.A., with
similar
attributes but
not with the
same purpose -
editor). He
assured us that
Probus was a
Latin word from
which
"probity"
was derived,
and the name
was adopted
with
enthusiasm.
Incidentally we
found there was
a village in
Cornwall called
Probus and also
there was a
Roman Emperor
of the same
name who in his
day was famous
for his
cultivation of
the vine."
Due to the
success of
these two
clubs. Probus
Clubs were
promoted
through Rotary
in adjacent
towns. As a
result Rotary
International
British Isles
were informed
and a
promotional
pamphlet was
established
urging other
Rotary Clubs to
form Probus.
There are now approximately
1,700 clubs in
Great Britain.
THE MUSHROOM
The first
Probus Club in
the South
Pacific was
originated by
Gordon Roatz at
Kapiti Coast,-Paraparaumu
north of
Wellington in
New Zealand in
November, 1974.
In the mid
1970's Rotarian
Cliff Johnstone
from Australia
discovered
Probus on a
visit and began
Probus at
Hunter's Hill
in Australia.
These origins
were so
successful
there are now
1900 clubs in
Australia and
New Zealand
under the
umbrella of the
Probus Centre -
South Pacific.
Most other
countries have
followed the
Australian
example. The
Netherlands has
300 clubs,
Ireland 75,
Belgium 60,
South Africa 75
(including 7
Women's clubs).
In India there
are at least 20
clubs, in the
U.S.A. there
are
approximately
12, Bermuda has
1, and others
have started in
Germany (2009,
now11 clubs latest see
www.probus-deutschland.de ),
Chile, Cyprus,
Portugal, Spain
(1996),
Trinidad, and
Zimbabwe (3
clubs).
Growth in
Canada (since
1987) is under
the leadership
of John Morris
, and has
successfully
developed over
90 clubs across
Canada from
Saint John, New
Brunswick to
Victoria,
British
Columbia, with
an average
membership of
over 100.
ProBus
Club of Ewell 
