Interest Groups

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CLUB MEMBERS

MONTHLY CLUB MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS WILL BE VIRTUAL AS OF SEPTEMBER 2020 UNTIL WE CAN MEET AGAIN IN PERSON.

CLUB ACTIVITIES INVOLVING IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS CONTINUE TO BE SUSPENDED UNTIL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE ALLOWED UNDER PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS.

TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES ARE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY.

Hiking group

PROBUS Membership Meeting Feb

Trivia Night

Hiking group

1/11

NEW INTEREST GROUP OPPORTUNITIES

If you would like to coordinate a new remote group or shared experience, please let us know at interest.portperryprobus@gmail.com.

Remote Group Get Togethers:

Our club has a corporate account should you wish to set up a virtual meeting, and it has no time restraints! Just contact Tim Casey at president.portperryprobus@gmail.com or 905-985-3991 to use it.

We are here to help should you want to try a meeting virtually!

GROUPS REQUIRING A COORDINATOR

These times are challenging for sure. That said, with not much going on keeping our interest groups going can provide an outlet for sharing like interests. Please consider volunteering for one of these groups.

Bridge - Beginner/Intermediate

Gardening-Bloomers

Golf - with the weather changing for the better and golf being one of the only things we are allowed to do in the lockdown, it would be great if someone would take this group on for the season. We would be happy to put any interested parties in touch with someone to help you get it going.

Jazz - coordinator required once Jazz nights resume at Jesters Court

Model Boats - a great hobby where like minded people can share tips and advice

CURRENT INTEREST GROUP UPDATES

NOTE - in the case of all Interest Groups, if you have questions or wish to join, please contact the Coordinator

ACTING FOR FUN - Evelyn McKenzie at evsurfing@gmail.com or 905-985-2587

The Acting For Fun Interest Group is continuing to practice our lines for a show we are looking forward to performing for the PROBUS group hopefully when we re-open.

ART – PROBUS OPEN STUDIO Margaret Adamson madamson905@gmail.com or

905-773-2878

This past month this group had our first Zoom meeting, which gave attendees a chance to catch up on life since we last met at the Prince Albert Hall on March 9, 2020. Seems like forever ago.

Most of the members of this group have managed to paint since then, so we had a show and tell opportunity on the Zoom.

Time to talk and share often provides support, encouragement and affirmation for typically a solitary activity. Art is often thought of as easy for someone with a given talent, but most artists work hard to hone their skills and may have to push themselves to work on new art works and new ideas. Often the mood has to be right or sometimes it is a wonderful way to lose oneself for hours working with the medium or composition.

Our next virtual meeting is scheduled for April 26 at 1:30 p.m. At this time, we will again share what we are individually working on.

We continue to invite new members to join, as it is a way to form close friendships with people who enjoy creating and experimenting.

BOOK CLUB - THE BOOK WORMS Brenda Manns at mannsx2@sympatico.ca and Agnes Shaw at theshaw@sympatico.ca or 905-982-1558

Due to the new lockdown and weather permitting the Bookworms are hoping to meet outdoors at the end of May to discuss 'The Giver of Stars' by JoJo Moyes. This was an excellent book about the Packhorse Librarians in Kentucky in the 1930s.

BOOK CLUB – THE PAGE TURNERS Kathy McLeod kbmcleod24@gmail.com

Last month we discussed ‘The Giver of Stars’ BY Jojo Moyes. Some of us had read this book last year and loved forward to sharing it with the group. In 1935, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt brought the Pack Horse Librarians to Kentucky. These strong, brave women overcame many obstacles to bring literacy to the families of the remote mining areas of Appalachia. We all agreed this was another good read.

CRIBBAGE Barb Rootham at brb.rootham@gmail.com or 905-985-9066

“The Fifteen For Two Crew” meets bi-weekly on Thursday afternoons at alternating members’ homes. Cribbage can be played with 2, 3, or 4 players, so there is never a challenge of not enough players to enjoy the afternoon games. We currently have nine members. Most of the group has an App where they play against a computer opponent. Barb reports that the computer has NO interesting stories to tell! Contact Barb for more information.

CURRENT EVENTS - Linda Schell at lindaschellconsulting@gmail.com or 905-242-8877

Our last meeting was Thursday, March 18, at 1:30 p.m. The topic will be: “Act Local” and help our Environment. We addressed the frustrations that I am sure we all have as to what to do and how to do it, and what happens after that!

This was the first of a number of informative discussions over the year from the homeowner/consumer point of view, along with resources available and even some speakers. We may be tired of hearing about the 3 “R”s but we need to “re-fuel” our motivation as it becomes more important to our families and the planet as a whole! So easiest route: help each other and “Act Local”! participant information will be sent the week before our meeting. If you are not on our invite email list please feel free to send me your email so I can forward the link. New members very welcome.

EUCHRE – AFTERNOON Jayne Rees rees.jayne@gmail.com or 905-852-4997

We have twelve members of the Euchre group playing on-line on Friday afternoons. The program we are using is called Trickster Cards, and it has a video chat feature that allows us to “see” and speak to each other while we are playing. It is free, so if anyone would like to join us for some on-line games, just let me know!

FOODIES! – Melodie Scott at bmgscott101@gmail.com or 905-767-1505

We are looking forward to a virtual get-together on April 17th. We are all ordering Take Out from our restaurant of choice and will then eat and share our opinions of our dish/s with the group. It should make for some lively discussion.

GENEALOGY – Neil Kilmartin neilMkilmartin@gmail.com or 289-388-8039

WELCOME TO OUR NEW COORDINATOR FOR THE GENEALOGY GROUP!!

Hello to one and all in the genealogy group! My name is Neil Kilmartin. My wife Carol and I joined PROBUS, just before COVID came into our lives. Along with my love for gardening, family history has been a passion of mine for over 2 decades. You may have seen my 2 postings in the most recent newsletters. Heather Hill-Gibson is stepping aside, and I will be taking on the responsibility as coordinator for the genealogy group. I know we will all have varying degrees of experience in this pastime, some, perhaps with little at all. For those who are not that comfortable with computer and internet skills, I am happy to take on genealogical research for fellow members. I will also do what I can to provide guidance towards doing your own explorations if you’re up to it.

It will take me a while to understand the individual and overall needs of the group, and I welcome hearing from each of you regarding your own expectations for the group as well as anything you might want personally.

You are welcome to contact me by any way you’re comfortable with, though email is my preferred method of communication. I will provide contact info’ here.

Hopefully, we’ll get this challenging time of our lives behind us soon enough, and I look forward to us getting together as a group.

. Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree with the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland)

https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/strathclydeonlinelearning/freeonlinecourses.

MOVIE GROUP – Denise Throp at deniset1954@gmail.com

Kanopy movies through the Ajax and Lindsay libraries; virtual movie discussion at the Scugog library April 28 at 2pm - the Grand Seduction - pre register with Kyle.

PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP - Jim Wakeford jrwakeford@yahoo.ca or 905-985-2030

Nothing is astir with the Camera Club, other than the occasional sharing of spectacular photos taken from around our world. We are all looking forward to seeing COVID19 in the rear-view mirror when we can once again meet and enjoy our common interest.

SINGLETONS - Denise Throp at deniset1954@gmail.com and Cathy Jeffrey at cjef@bell.net

There are virtual events available through the Scugog library.

TOWN HALL THEATRE - Judy L. Anderson ukeladyjudy@gmail.com • 905-985-4257

The Town Hall 1873 Theatre information has not changed. SCS is still hopeful that The Little Mermaid will be performed in November. No other groups or entertainers have been booked.

WINE TASTING I – Jim Adamson at jim.adamson07@aol.com or 905-773-2878

As stated in last month's newsletter, our wine tasting group held a virtual tasting comparison of a wine from an older country as compared to a wine from a newer country. The older country, France, featured a white burgandy from a Beaune region winery tracing its existence back over 8 centuries when the monks used to produce wines for the churches. Indeed the Maison Jaffelin winery is closely linked to the Notre Dame collegiate Church in Beaune. The new(er) country, South Africa, produced a wine from the KWV winery that began in 1918 or just barely 1 century ago! The KWV winery began as a co-operative that united the struggling wine growing farmers of South Africa in the very early days.

There were no losers in this comparative tasting, and the whole group definitely won by spending a most enjoyable time together enjoying each others companionship. If anyone were to hack in to one of this group's virtual Zoom tastings, they might well mistakenly assume that its not a very serious tasting group based on the amounts of laughter floating about. We all agree that wines, good company, and laughter make an enjoyable combination.

Many of us are exhibiting varying degrees of impatience with being cooped up by the Covid-19 virus. Hopefully, the advent of warmer weather offers some relief, but perhaps this might bring a smile. After offering to drop off the wines for Mary and Bill Morrison prior to the scheduled tasting, Mary responded with:

"Yes thank you, any time would be fine and feel free to bring Margaret along - you both are welcome to stay the week. We have found ourselves quite talkative lately...holding up drive through lines for long periods of time and the delivery lady at curb side at Vos's knows the names of our kids, pets and where we have vacationed for the past 25 years. Next week we will tell her all about our medical histories. I have booked a 3 hour pick up time slot. That $9 pick up fee is a great value!"

Table Talkers Euchre - with Ken, Pat, No

Bid & Regular Euchre 2019 Holiday Pot Lu

Ron Bauer's autoCAD model of President K

The following interest groups have suspended operations during the COVID-19 crisis. However please stay tuned because some of these groups might find other methods to re-start in the coming months.

EUCHRE - THE TABLE TALKERS – AFTERNOON

Barb Rootham

brb.rootham@gmail.com

905-985-9066

Susan Merriman

susan.j.merriman@gmail.com

416-892-2127

EUCHRE – EVENING

Margaret Adamson

madamson905@gmail.com

905-773-2878

GARDENING – BLOOMERS!
COORDINATOR NEEDED!