PICTON DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB INC.

A Summary of the History of Probus

* Rotary has a long tradition of addressing the needs of the community, including seniors so from this, Probus began. Probus is an association of retired and semi-retired people who join together in clubs, the basic purpose of which is to provide regular opportunities for them to keep their minds active, expand their interests and to enjoy the fellowship of new friends.

* Probus is an abbreviation of the words professional and business and it is also a Latin word meaning honest and virtuous, from which the English word "probity" is derived.

* Probus originated in the UK in 1965. The first Probus Clubs were formed in New Zealand in 1974, and in Australia at Hunters Hill in 1976. It is now a world-wide movement.

* It is worth a visit to the Australian Probus website at http://www.probus.com.au to find out more.

* The number of Probus clubs which have admitted both men and women to membership has grown significantly since 1989, the year in which the Rotary constitutional documents were amended to provide for the election of women members of Rotary clubs.