2 minute read
Chairman’s Message
As we head into March, many new Club leaders will be taking up their positions on the Management Committee. I would like to emphasize the importance of Club leadership and how lucky we are to have so many leaders with excellent skills gained in their former professions.
I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage members to consider putting their hand up to serve their Club. A Management Committee is a team working hand in hand for the success of their Club and is a rewarding way to get more involved.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of social engagement.
SO DO A FRIEND A FAVOUR –we have all come to appreciate each other’s company perhaps more than ever since the introduction of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Do you have a friend you haven’t seen in ages or a former work colleague or a neighbor you would like to get to know better?
Why not invite them to a Probus meeting or Club outing (if restrictions allow) – you may be doing them a big favor by widening their circle of friends and interests.
In our work lives, we regularly saw familiar faces, said hello to our coworkers and had lunch with at least one or two regulars. We talked about the news, movies, new places to visit or shared aspects of our lives.
When retirement arrived, we no longer have that familiar routine.
We are free to do whatever we want, and yet for some of us, with that freedom can come loneliness.
This pandemic has shown it’s easy for us to stay at home and spend more time alone, especially if our mobility decreases.
Maintaining relationships and spending time with others is essential to our emotional and mental well-being. It can help prevent depression. In fact, some studies indicate 20 percent of the population over 70 years of age may suffer some form of depression. There are many causes, but it’s often made worse by the fact that people who were once active now spend much of their time alone.
You can do something positive for a friend, neighbor or former work colleague – introduce them to Probus, either for your own Club or one nearby to where they live. It’s all about sharing and caring!
Spread the word about Probus - if only one in ten members brought a friend along to our Clubs, many more would be thriving.
Did you know that members of Clubs in Australia and New Zealand make up nearly 50% of Probus members worldwide? I believe that this is the result of the hard work and commitment of Probus Club leaders, local membership teams and Association leaders who continue to share the word of Probus in their local community. I also express my appreciation to the team at Probus South Pacific who are there to support the Probus Community.
Finally, I would like to share that I am continually amazed at how some Clubs have overcome meeting restrictions and developed new ways of meeting. Recently I heard of one Club who are meeting in the open air with members bringing a chair and then having a sausage sizzle after the meeting. If your Club has experienced some challenges in returning to meetings, I ask that you keep thinking of new ways of gathering together, inside, outside, face-to-face or virtual – engagement is the key.
David Simpson
Chairman | Probus South Pacific Ltd
