Newsletter No. 27  - December 2018 - January 2019

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President's Report

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Tony Coote President

​Hi Fellow Members

What a great time we had at the Christmas Lunch at Entrata at Glenhaven. Over 80 people came along to enjoy the food and fellowship. A perfect finale to another fabulous year for our club. Well done Bev Davison for making the event happen!

I want to thank all our members who give up their time to serve on the committee, help organising activities, work behind the scenes and help with the running of the monthly meetings. Our members contribute based on their abilities, health, skills, interests and the time they have available.  Some give an enormous amount, others contribute what they can.  Probus is totally voluntary and we must show appreciation and respect for all the contribution our members make.  Their efforts make this a great Probus club.

Please give thought to taking on a committee position in the 2019/2020 year. The workload is not heavy and it’s a chance to really get involved and make the most of your club membership.  Please talk to Ian Roberts, or any of the committee members and we will help clarify the role and responsibilities. Position descriptions and nomination forms are available in the secure section of our website (in Information For Members page). Nominations close at the February Meeting in 2019.

Don’t forget that our General Meeting has moved to Wednesday 30th January, as the Hall is not available on the prior Wednesday.

Wishing you and your families a happy and prosperous year in 2019. Come along and join in our activities. Enjoy Probus!

Tony

Secretarial

Correspondence In

30th November received an email from PSPL with the capitation and magazine subscription fees for 2019-2020 Probus year. Magazine subscriptions to remain the same and the capitiation fee to increase by 50 cents per Probus Club member.
 
Correspondence Out

None
Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!


Cathy Turner - Secretary

Details of the Probus Member Benefit Scheme are at: www.probussouthpacific.org/pages/members_offers_member_benefits_scheme
(click on link)

Treasurer

Treasurer’s Report - January 2019
 
General Account for December 2018
Opening Cash Balance 1-Dec-18                  $5,988.16
Total Deposits                                            $50.00    New Member dues
Payments                                                  $69.20    Meeting costs
Closing Cash Balance as at 31-Dec-18         $5,968.96
 
Activities Account for December 2018
Opening Cash Balance 1-Dec-18                  $5,526.47
Total Deposits                                            $2,345.00   various activities
Payments                                                 -$1,701.00  Hollies, Xmas lunch
Closing Cash Balance as at 31-Dec-18          $4,630.47          
 
Activities as at 7-Jan-19:                             Receipts              Expense                 Balance     
Jesus Christ Superstar                                $611.00               $0.00                    $611.00
Hollies                                                       $2,358.00            $2,198.00             $160.00
Blue Mountains                                          $3,000.00             $0.00                   $3,000.00
Xmas Lunch                                               $4,980.00            $4,960.00             $20.00  Closed
Human Nature                                           $5,040.00             $4,487.60             $552.40
Madame Tussauds                                      $168.00                $0.00                   $168.00
Surplus                                                                                                             $439.97
               Bank Balance:                                                                                  $4,912.47
 
There are no unpresented cheques, so bank balances equal cash balances.

The Xmas lunch at Entrata had a surplus of $20 due to unexplained deposit ($60) less bonbons subsidised ($40), activity closed.

Bob Davison - Treasurer
8th January 2019

Membership

Please remember to notify the membership officers Lynne Henderson or Kim Nichols if you will be absent for an extended period of time, or if your personal details change.  

For any membership issues please contact Lynne or Kim or please email the Membership Officer at [email protected]

Lynne Henderson & Kim Nichols – Membership Officers

Guest Speaker - Peter Stanton - Recent Trip To Flores, Indonesia - A People Perceptive

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Married 47 years, to Julianne who has had a long career in teaching and basketball.

Three Children:
  • David, Regional Telco Sales Executive,
Living in Singapore last 14 years.
Married to Lynn and two children, Sophie (6) and Joshua (2)
  • Andrew, IT career, living in Pennant Hills
  • Rebecca, Communications manager
Married to Marko, living in Newtown.
Two children Alek (5) and Elizabeth(2)
 
Peter’s career has held a number of senior roles with major multinationals, including British, American and Dutch.
Whilst in Indonesia, he built a manufacturing facility and established an export capability in Pharmaceutical products.
He has managed, built and closed several manufacturing sites.
He has always placed people at the centre of his decisions.
 
Peter is interested in family, grandchildren, history, photography and Rotary.
 
Peter has recently travelled to Flores, Indonesia to review the charity work of NTA and other Rotary clubs.
This talk is a reflection of that programme and focuses on personal insights and the people he met…..
Sue Hackett & Donna Fraser

Welfare

Being a member of our Probus Club fills a gap for us retirees. It gives us a sense of purpose and community. Please take advantage of your club and its activities. It’s a great opportunity to socialise, and getting out and about will make you feel good.

It is important, as members of Probus that we care for the welfare of one another. Anyone with information about an illness, bereavement, physical disability or hardship affecting a member please advise me, in order for me to make contact and offer companionship and support. I’m available any time for a chat or a coffee.
 
Please be assured that all information provided will remain completely confidential.
 
Terry Ridge is assisting with welfare. He is another point of contact and will be available if I am absent from the club.
 
Marilyn Savic – Welfare Officer

Lunch After the General Meeting Wednesday 30th January At 1 PM

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Lunch after the General meeting will be at Pennant Hills Bowling Club, 52 Yarrara Road Pennant Hills.

Parking area available, or parking in Willis Avenue at the rear of the club.

Please confirm with Glenda if you will be attending.

Glenda Coote
Activities and Events Coordinator

Important Notice – Attendance at Activities

As a matter of courtesy, please consider the Activity Organiser, and sign up and pay well in advance. It is very difficult for the organiser and the venue if most people have booked and paid well in advance, and a few people decide to turn up at the last minute. Restaurants and venues have often allocated tables, and squeezing extra people in is difficult. It also makes the job of accounting for the payments very confusing.

If you cannot attend a function that you have booked, please notify the Activity Organiser as early as possible so that the venue can be notified.  If you have already paid, your payment will be refunded if the venue agrees to accept the reduction in bookings. This is covered in detail in our Activity Refund Policy.

Because of several recent events, we are forced to change our policy. For pre-paid events, if your money is not in the Activities Account by the organiser’s due date, you will not be able to join the group at the venue.  You are of course free to make your own booking, but those who have paid in advance will have preference for seating, and if no space is available at the booked table you may have to sit separately.

Our Activity Organisers work hard to provide you with great activities. Please help make their job as easy as possible.

Photos From Meeting On Wednesday 28th November 2018 (Peter Stanton)

Australia Day Brunch – Glenorie Bakery

Just a reminder about Australia Day Brunch at Glenorie Bakery 9/9.30am on Saturday 26/1/2019.
Who-ever is there first, could you please hold a couple of tables as they don't take reservations, Tony and I will do our best to be there at 9am.

Hope to see you there.
 
Glenda Coote

Christmas Lunch Wednesday 19th December 2018

We had our annual Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 19th December at Entrata in Glenhaven.
 
We had a fabulous turnout with 82 people attending (many more than had originally booked).  The meal was really lovely and very plentiful.  The staff were great and couldn’t do enough for us, happily accommodating the extra people with very little fuss.
 
We all had a great time and I had many comments on the day from people saying how much they had enjoyed the lunch.
 
Such a great lunch, at a lovely venue.  A great time was by all.

Bev Davison

Activities & Leaders

As a result of the sign-up sheets at the Foundation Meeting and expressions of interest on application forms we have set up numerous activities and interest groups.

Newsletter Copy Deadline

Please provide your contributions for the February Newsletter by Friday 15th February.

Please email to Glenda Coote for activities or direct to Andrew Little for other articles.

Alternatively place directly into Dropbox under WPHD Probus Activities / Activity Newsletter Contributions / Contributions – 2019 February
​
Click on activity to go straight there!
Activity Group    Leaders
Book Club Bev Davison
Bridge Glenys and Graeme Hendry
Cycling Bruce Bartle & Greg Holmes
Day Trips (Bus/Train/Ferry) Helen Games
Dining Out Douglas Lam, Glenda Coote
Gardening Sue Small, Lorenza Power
Golf Terry Ridge, Tony Coote
Investment Group Mike McLeod
Lawn Bowls Morrie Fitzpatrick
Mixed Social Group Kim Nicholls
Movies Sue Small and Lorenza Powyer
Opal Card Overnight Trips Max Henderson
Overseas Travel Looking For Leader
Photography Bain Shenstone
Ten Pin Bowling Douglas Matthews
Tennis Bob Davison
Theatre and Musicals Bruce Bartle
Travel within Australia Tony & Glenda Coote
Walking Group Bob Carritt
Wine & Cheese Julie Shenstone, Susan Antonjuk
 
Other groups where members have expressed interest include-
Investment Interior Decorating
Carpentry/Woodwork  
                              
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We will next meet on Thurs 24th January at 7.30pm. 

We will meet at Elizabeth Wojtczak’s home.

Our current book is Growing Old Outrageously : A memoir of travel, food & friendship – Hilary Linstead & Elizabeth Davis.
 

We meet on Thursday evenings at eight weekly intervals at 7.30pm. Our future dates are 21st March, 16th May, 11th July, 5th Sept, 31st Oct.
 
If anyone is interested in joining, please let me know.
 
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a lovely New Year.

Leader - Bev Davison
Back To Activities List
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The Bridge Group did not meet over the Christmas period and we hope all had a good time into the New Year. Unfortunately we cannot met in January, so our next get together will be on Tuesday 26th February. We hope everybody can come.

If there are any more members that have finished or having lessons, or are new to the Club, and would like to start playing, then please give us a call.






Leaders - Glenys and Graeme Hendry
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Cycling November 2018

We cancelled the November ride. A number of our members were away and the weather was not good. So we will re-schedule the Gosford – Woy Woy ride for February 2019.

We have had some great rides in 2018 and will have a break for the hot months.

See you in February.


Leaders - Bruce Bartle & Greg Holmes
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Next Day Trip - To Be Confirmed


Leaders - Helen Games, Glenda Coote
Back To Activities List
Next Dining Out Date To Be Confirmed

Leaders - Glenda Coote, Douglas Lam
Back To Activities List
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December 2018 Garden Report

Our garden group met at Bunnings Castle Hill for the final meeting for 2018. We had Cecily, a past chair of the Royal Agriculture Society and florist, demonstrate how to create a variety of Christmas table decorations using bits and pieces from the Bunnings hardware section, artificial items and fresh flowers. 

The results were fabulous and lucky us - three of our members each took one of the creations home.

A delicious morning tea followed and a good time was had by all. Next meeting will be held on 14th February, 2019 (second Thursday of the month).


As there will be no meeting held at Bunnings in January we have decided to visit the new exhibition at the Calyx in the Botanical Gardens instead.

More information will be sent to the group with where and when to meet.
Leaders -  Sue Small, Lorenza Powyer
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Golf at Gordon 11th January 2019
 
For our first game of the year we played at Gordon. It’s a tight little course with quite a few par 3’s and some narrow fairways and “jungle” rough.

11 of us ventured out and there were some notable great shots as well as numerous shots off the tee into water or trees.
Lunch and a few drinks in the clubhouse afterwards rounded off the morning.

It was great to have Bev and Glenda join our group. We hope they will become regulars and encourage more ladies to come along.

Terry Ridge
Co-Leader
Golf Group 2019 Program
For 2019, we have mapped out a plan for the whole 12 months. Each of the courses has a member of that club listed, and it is up to them to make the arrangements. The normal format will be an 8AM start for the 18 hole people followed by a 10AM start for the 9 hole people, followed by lunch at the course or a nearby venue. 

The event at Pennant Hills in July will be a Nine and Dine starting mid-afternoon and then dinner in the clubhouse for members and partners. Similar to last year.

Sign up sheets will be put out on the back table at each of the General Meetings.
Co-Leaders: Terry Ridge & Tony Coote
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Happy New Year to the Investment Group.

Our last meeting for 2018 took place on Thursday morning the 29th of November at Cathy and David Turner’s house. We had an excellent turnout with 11 attendees.
The meeting started with a discussion on the progress of the Group and what members want to see in 2019 and what improvements may be undertaken. We gathered some very beneficial impute including the desire to try and attract outside presenters to address specific topics or aspects of investing and in particular, superannuation.

An update, post the meeting, on the team positions in the competition for November 30th sees the Blue team reassuming the lead, followed by the Green team with the Red team in third position.
 
Our next meeting is on the Thursday 21st February commencing at 10.30am at our home, 27 Sanctuary Point Rd, West Pennant Hills.

​Leader - Mike McLeod
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 Barefoot Bowls January

There will be no bowls for January due to limited green space @ previous heavy bookings for weekend bowls.

Our next proposed bowls date will be held on Sunday 17th February at the Hills Bowling Club in Jenner St, Baulkham Hills. Bowls to commence approx. 1.30m


Cost is $10 for 2 hours with bowls provided. Bistro is open for lunch prior to bowls & why not stay for a couple of cool drinks after.

Min. number of 8 starters is required, so come along for some good fun.
Attendance sheet will be available at next meeting.

Leader - Morrie Fitzpatrick
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We hope to catch up with you at the Castle Hill RSL Bistro Area at 11.00am Monday 25th February.

See You There!





Leaders- Kim Nicholls & Sue Cordukes
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December 2018 Movies Report

As announced at our last meeting it was decided to have a morning tea to finish off the year rather than a movie day as there were no suitable movies showing. We met at The Three Beans café and the conversations could be heard from afar.  Lots of fun!

The Dendy Opera Quays will be our next movie venue during January.  Hopefully there will be a good movie showing. Date and times will be forwarded to the movie group soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Leaders – Lorenza Powyer & Sue Small
Back To Activities List
Our next trip;
Blue Mountains, Sunday 7th to Wednesday 10th April 2019.

To date sixteen have parted with a $200pp deposit with a few more contemplating releasing the moths from their wallets. Of those booked we have one female and one male seeking to share their respective rooms (same sex please with separate beds).
We have twelve one bedroom apartments currently on hold (being six two bedroom apartments with an interconnecting door). Thus nine have a deposit paid, so if you intend releasing those moths be quick, as after 31st January any additional bookings will be subject to availability.
For our Blue Mountains experience we are focusing on the popular Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba district. Also for this trip we have one couple contemplating using their Opal card and catching the train, it’s a great option.
As with any overnight trip our priority is to lock in our accommodation:

Falls Mountain Retreat, Wentworth Falls

For a full listing of apartment features please visit: http://www.fallsmountainretreat.com.au/apartment-features.htm 
Based on a 3 night stay for circa 20 guests our rate is $398 per night for a two bedroom apartment. This is a 30% saving compared to Trip Advisor ($565). It equates to say $100/person/night based on two sharing a one bed apartment (in a two bedroom apartment).
By comparison if we let the ground floor or loft one bedroom apartments individually our rates are $238 and $208 per night respectively.

What’s next?

If you would like to go and haven’t paid a deposit:
  • Please make an initial deposit of $200/person into the club’s activity account and identify your payment with your Surname and Blue.
  • Advise me by email so I can amend our booking (assuming availability) including:
    • Number of people and names
    • Number of nights (apart from three, you have the option of varying, dates required).
  • Also advise me if you would like to be on the organising committee (loosely speaking), basically just looking for ideas, some local experience etc. that may enhance our trip. Possibly requiring just one evening over a cold beverage or two.

The attendance list will be available at our next meeting on the 30th January.
Any suggestions or questions please give me a call.
Leader - Max Henderson
Back To Activities List

Probus Photography Group Report January 2019
 
Happy New Year, we are looking forward to enjoyable and stimulating year developing further our photography skills
 
Meetings
The last planning meeting was held in December with the next one to be held ion the first Wednesday evening in February
 
Five of the group visited the Australian Museum on Wed 12th Dec to see the Australian Geographic Wildlife Photographer of the year Exhibition. There was an excellent range of phots to provide inspiration about different perspectives and techniques of Wildlife photography.

No workshops have been undertaken or planned before February of next year.
 
At the last meeting format of meetings and activities of the group over the year.
Current format was regarded as satisfactory, Weekly planning/photograph review meeting, monthly workshop, and occasional field trips.

Decided to encourage interested members to join the Castle Hill RSL Club photography group and go along to meetings as time permits. Will provide high quality photographers as speakers. We intend to use their monthly competitions as a focus for monthly photography topics and workshops.
 
Workshops and field trips subjects for next year
 
Program Planning
  • Field Trips
    • None currently planned. Options for next year
      • Astrophotography
      • Australian Reptile Park and Ken Duncan’s Gallery
      • Wentworth Falls Opal Trip – Waterfall photography
      • Beach Sunrise
 
  • Workshops
    • Restart in February
 
Photography Website
Continue a monthly Photo project based on Castle Hill RSL Photography group competition to encourage everyone to take some photos and post the ones they like most on the website.
 
Probus Photography Group Google plus and Viewbug account details
  • Username                   WPHDProbus
  • Password                    WPHDProbus2017
  • Email address             [email protected] (is not necessarily required, but set up if you wish to follow notifications in between Wednesday evening meetings)
  • Photo competitions
    • Deferred at present
 
This Month’s Photo Project Themes
  • Nature
 
Next Planning/Review Meeting
Date & Time:      Wednesday 6th February 2019, 7:30pm
Venue:                Bain Shenstone’s residence
Address:             5 de la Salle Place
                          Castle Hill
Back To Activities List
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We played our last game on 16 November 2018 with 12 players participating, which included Hilda, Ken & Paul who were playing for the first time.

The highlights were the excellent bowling from Jeanette (139 pins) & Max (169 pins) who have set the standard for 2019.

Our next game will be Friday 15 February, with a new start time of 1.30 pm (previously 2 pm). To facilitate shoe hire & ball selection please be at the venue at 1.15 pm.

As has been the case in the past, I will send a “sms” to all who have played previously, or expressed an interest in playing, a week out from game day asking for those wishing to play to get back to me by the Sunday evening so I can book & pay.

If anyone else would like to participate please contact me.
Leader - Doug Matthews
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A small group of us meet at West Pennant Hills Sports Club every Monday at 9.00am.
  
It would be great to have more players. Your standard of play isn’t important, just come along and give it a go.
 
We resume on Monday 14th January 2019. 






Leader - Bob Davison
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Live Theatre January 2019
 
Happy New Year to all, as we look forward to our two theatre parties in February 2019.
 
1.     20 Members and guests will be attending The Hollies -The Road is Long, 2019 Australian Tour at the State Theatre, Sydney on Tuesday, 19 February 2019. The show starts @ 8:00pm and transport details from WPH Sports Club will be sent to all participants prior to the evening, whilst all tickets will also be distributed on the evening.
 
2.     We also have our theatre party to a new version of the world's first rock musical, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR presented by Packemin Productions on Wednesday 20 February at 7:30pm at the Riverside Theatre at Parramatta. The cost is just $47, for members and guests with payment by Friday 12 January to help secure good seats for that evening. Please note that no bus transport will be provided to the venue however, car-pooling can be organised given sufficient notice.
 
Please pay into the West Pennant Hills and District Probus Club Activities and Events Account
 
Please quote your surname and “Superstar"
 
Tickets for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will be distributed at our January 2019 meeting.
Leader - Bruce Bartle
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TBA
Leader - Tony & Glenda Coote
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Date For Next Walk To Be Confirmed.
Leaders - Bob Carritt & Ian Palmer
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The next wine & cheese night will be on Friday 15th February at the Antonjuk Residence 7.30PM.

 Leader  Julie Shenstone
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PLEASE NOTE
The Club Newsletter is for the private and confidential use of Club members and is not to be used for any other purpose.  Approval for any form of advertising or promotion not directly related to club activities or general club information must be granted by the club committee.
Newsletter Editor: Andrew Little