Our Club
History
On 22nd March 1985 the Rotary Club of Melbourne South inaugurated the Probus Club of South-Port. The initial meeting was held at the Middle Park Bowling Club. The founding President was Frank Crean, and that initial meeting had 14 members, 2 apologies, and 3 guests.
On 15th December 1999, the Club was certified as an Incorporated Association and the name of the Club was changed to The Probus Club of Port Melbourne.
After starting with membership of just 16 in 1985, membership has steadily increased over the years to currently sit at around 90 to 95 members.
The Club is proud to recognise members who have rendered outstanding service to the Club by conferring them with Life Membership. There are only ever two Life Members at any one time. The first Life Members were Frank Crean and Bert Stafford, later followed by Keith Crowther. Our current Life Members are Ron Cassano and Charlotte Bradley.
Administration
The operation of the Port Melbourne Probus Club is overseen by a Management Committee. The Management Committee is comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, supported by additional committee members responsible for organising guest speakers, activities and events, and for managing membership, member welfare, the club newsletter and club website.
The Committee is elected by Club members each year at the Club's Annual General Meeting.
We encourage members to become actively involved in helping to run the Club, eg by joining the Management Committee, or helping with the hospitality and housekeeping at meetings. Not only does this help with the running of the Club, but it is a great way to get to know other members.
Meetings and Activities
The Club has monthly General Meetings (except December and January) at which a guest speaker presents a topic of interest to club members. To encourage social interaction between club members, after every meeting we get together for lunch at a nearby pub or restaurant.
For more information about General Meeting location, dates and times, visit the ‘Meetings & Speakers’ page.
The Club also organises regular activities throughout the year to a place or places of interest, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for members to discover more about the local and broader community and at the same time being a great way to socialise with fellow members and make new friends. Activities are planned by the Committee, and are advertised at general meetings and through the club newsletter and this website.
For more information about forthcoming outings, visit the ‘Activities & Events’ page. For a sample of past activities visit the ‘Typical Experiences’ page.
Communications
Our Club has two main communication channels:
"The Probian" newsletter which is published monthly. Members receive this newsletter via an email from the Probian editor. The Probian provides information on forthcoming Club meetings and outing activities for the next few months, as well as the names and contact details of the current committee members.
This Website, which provides current, future and historical information. Members are encouraged to regularly consult the website for up-to-date information. It is also useful for non-members who would like to find out what happens in the club - a useful source of information for those contemplating future membership.
The Webmaster emails all members whenever something interesting and new (such as a photo slideshow of a recent club excursion) has been added to the website.