About 80 past and present club members, their wives and partners, will be joined by parent club Mosgiel Rotary’s president John van Delft, as well as Probus Clubs director Tony Blaber for a lunch celebration on Monday, at Digger’s Restaurant in Mosgiel. Guest speaker for the event will be Mosgiel Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Sims.
Mosgiel Men’s Probus Club president Ross Merrett said the club was founded in 1983, as a social and friendship group for mainly retired rotarians — alongside similar probus clubs around New Zealand and the world.
The first probus club in Otago and Southland, Mosgiel Men’s Probus Club is under the banner of Probus South Pacific.
Taieri Rotary Club charter member and long-standing Mosgiel Men’s Probus Club member Ray Williams said the club was a large and vibrant group in its early years, peaking at about 100 members, but numbers had dwindled gradually over the years to its current membership of 58.
"We are still a good-sized club, and we remain active through monthly meetings and a whole range of trips and outings — from visiting the former Dunedin Prison to going out on Otago Harbor with Port to Port cruises," he said.
Mr Merrett said club meetings, held on the third Monday morning of each month at Taieri Bridge Club, gave members a chance to catch up and socialise, and to hear from guest speakers discussing "pretty much all aspects of life".
"It’s an interesting club to be part of, and we are always happy to welcome new members," Mr Merrett said.
Monday’s lunch celebration will be preceded by the Mosgiel Men’s Probus Club’s annual meeting.
