History
The Foundation Meeting was convened at the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) on January 19, 1999 by Jim Robinson, past president of the Rotary Club of Sandringham and chaired by Sue Bradley, President of the Rotary Club of Sandringham. There were 54 applications for membership, of which 8 applicants offered to serve on the new Committee.
The Charter Meeting (first General Meeting) was held on Tuesday, February 16, 1999 at SYC, with 77 members present. Office bearers elected were:
- Jack Driscoll – President
- Bob Burnell – Vice President
- Ruth Pentelow – Secretary
- Elisabeth Vogels – Treasurer
- John Grey – Public Officer.
The joining fee was set at $10 with an annual membership fee of $20 and a meeting fee of $2. The annual capitation fee for Probus South Pacific was 50 cents per member and rental at SYC was $100 per meeting. By May 1999, there were 99 financial members.
The Probus Club of Cerberus was incorporated on March 30, 2000, after considerable research and effort by the Public Officer, John Grey.
Because of escalating rental costs at SYC, a ballot was conducted in September 2004 to determine if the Club should move to Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron (BMYS). The motion was passed by just six votes from a membership of 119, which caused a lot of disharmony in the Club. At the November General Meeting, our Rotary convenor, Jim Robinson was invited to speak to help the Club decide, as there was a large group who were quite vocal in their desire to stay at SYC. The resultant disharmony led to a split in our Club, with 36 resignations, including the President. Consequently, at the first meeting at BMYS in February 2005, there were just 60 members present, with 13 apologies. Neil Hunter, as Vice President, took over management until he was elected President in March, 2005.
Despite a somewhat rocky start, we have rebuilt a strong, vibrant and harmonious Club with many different interest groups fostered by committed members.
®