Greenway Probus Club's History

From little things big things grow…. and so it was with the Greenway Club.

Joy Chandler President of the Tuggeranong Ladies Club rang Graeme Quarry Honorary Rotarian and spoke to him about her concerns with their declining numbers. Including herself, there were only 11 members; Cec Hill, Cherry McKenzie, Norma Steele, Jean Dyer, Pat Walker, Joan Harrison, Val Thomson, Eleanor Magers, Eileen Houghton, and Jan Petrie. Graeme suggested that a public meeting be held inviting peoplet to join Probus.

On Tuesday 18th September 2007 a meeting was held in the Town Centre Club in Tuggeranong. David Granger a Rotarian and Graeme Quarry, Honorary Rotarian, presided over the meeting. Also in attendance were Fred Fawke Chairman of the Rotary District Probus Committee, Brian Kildea President of Tuggeranong Rotary Club.

5l people interested in joining Probus attended the meeting, 42 applied for membership. Cherry McKenzie thanked Graeme Quarry who had originally set up the Tuggeranong Ladies Club for always being there to assist them. Brian Gilmore from the Probus Association was significantly involved in assisting the formation of the Club. At this Meeting a Committee was elected. The Tuggeranong Ladies Club amalgamated with the newly formed Greenway Club bringing the membership to 53.

THE FIRST COMMITTEE

 
PRESIDENT Joy Chandler,
VICE-PRESIDENT Rhoda Parker,
SECRETARY Joan Harrison,
TREASURER Helen Richards,
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Brian Gilmore,
GUEST SPEAKERS Alan Parker,
WELFARE Louise Samuel,
NEWSLETTER Charlie Samuel.

The first committee meeting was held in the home of Charlie and Louise Samuel on 22nd. September 2007. It was decided that the newly formed Greenway Probus Club would meet on the 3rd. Tuesday of each month at the Tuggeranong Town Centre Club. The inaugural meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Greenway was held on the 15th. October 2007.

We have awarded four Life Memberships. Certificates were awarded to:

Joy Chandler, on 20 September 2012

Cec Hill, on 21 June 2016

Alan Parker, on 9 May 2023

Glenda Sullivan, on 9 April 2024

During its first year the Club had many social activities all with the Probus motto in mind, “Friendship, Fellowship and Fun”. There was a Christmas lunch at Hill Station, Melbourne Cup lunch, Family picnic day at the Cotter, a Chinese banquet lunch at the Lanyon Vikings Club, a visit to the theatre to see The Three Tenors and a coach trip to Sydney to see the musical Billy Elliot, to name a few. We celebrated our first birthday with a delicious lunch held at the Chisholm Vikings Club. Every birthday we have had since then has been celebrated with a birthday party with a cake and entertainment with a quiz.

At our meetings we have been entertained by many interesting and informative Guest Speakers such as Mal Booth - Lawrence of Arabia, Linda Apps - Safety in the home, Michael Link RSPCA, John Hunt - The Men and Women of Christmas Island. The Club has always had good participation in the wider Probus activities such as the Friendship Lunch and has joined with other Clubs on outings.

We have a monthly newsletter. This includes the names of the people who having a birthday in that month. Those who do were intially given a chocolate frog by Joy Chandler. These days Janette Wentworth has taken on this task. Members sing Happy Birthday dear friend. Also in the newsletter we try to include articles about the Guest Speaker from the previous month, the Cameo Speaker (which is one of our members) etc.  In addition there are details of any outings we may have had during the month, quotations, items of trivia and full list of the upcoming outings and Guest Speakers. The Newsletter always has photographs illustrating the text. The photographs used to be taken by Charlie Samuel who was also the PROBUS Liaison officer. Many of his photographs in relation to outings have been featured in the Active Retiree.

The Club has a good relationship with the Conder-Lanyon Club. Some years ago the Outings Officers from Lanyon and Greenway began working together on outings. Since then we have shared many outings together and made new friends.

The Greenway Club has a Sunday Dining Group. It takes place on the first Sunday in each month. There is a roster and the people on the roster take turns to organise the outing. It is good fun and we have been to a variety of restaurants over the years. Other Activities are planned!

Since that first year the Club has gone from strength to strength. It is a happy Club. At morning tea the members mix and mingle with each other and new friendships have been formed. Over the years members have come and gone for a variety of reasons, in the main moving house, not driving anymore and moving interstate to be with family etc. Sadly we also lose members through deaths. We can only look at the time they all spent with us and the friendships we had with them; we miss them but we had the honour of calling them our friend.

THE CLUB PRESIDENTS

 
Joy Chandler         2007 - 2008
Rhoda Parker        2009 – 201l
Colin Petrie           2011 – 2012
Alan Parker           2012 – 2014
Peter Howitt          2014 - 2015
Joan Munro           2015 – 2016
Elizabeth Phillips   2016 - 2016
Jane Taylor           2017 - 2017
Janice Petrie         2017 - 2018
Paul  Varsanyi       2019 - 2021
Barb Manning       2021 - 2021
Sandra Barker      2021 - 2023
Paul  Varsanyi       2023 - 2024
Noela Power         2024 -

GREENWAY FOUNDATION MEMBERS 2007

Sandra Barker
Clarice Bower
Margaret Brown
Mike Brown
Joy Chandler
Faith Digby
Tilly De Smeth
Jean Dyer
Lola Ensbey
Rex Ensbey
Ern Fisher
Brian Gilmore
Marlene Gilmore
Ed Goldsmith
Jaquie Goldsmith
Helen Harris
Joan Harrison
Cec Hill
Houghton Eileen
Peter Howitt
Anne Johnson
Faye Keating
Cherry Mackenzie
Eleanor Magers
Vi Moore
Karen Nastvogel
Alan Parker
Rhoda Parker
Col Petrie
Jan Petrie
Helen Richards
Louise Samuel
Charlie Samuel
Linda Snedden
Ned Steele
Norma Steele
Don Suine
Shirley Suine
Glenda Sullivan
Anne Temperly
Carl Thompson
Sue Thompson
Val Tomson
Pat Walker
Betty Walters
Ada West
Jean Woods
Rusty Woodward
Toos Zilverschoon