On Monday morning, Presidents of both Bradford Probus Clubs David McMillan and Gwen Green joined Mayor Rob Keffer at the Bradford Courthouse for a small flag-raising ceremony in honour of Probus month.
The mayor read out the proclamation then assisted McMillan with raising the flag.
"The Probus Club of Bradford and the Probus Club of BWG join together today to raise the Probus flag and share their pride in their community and their organizations," read Mayor Keffer. "Probus Clubs month is an opportunity to spread awareness and encourage memberships in clubs across Canada and the world."
It was a dramatically different scene from last year when 30+ members of both Bradford Probus clubs were present, followed by a lunch at Boston Pizza. The week after, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by WHO (World Health Organization).
In pre-COVID times they would meet at St. John's Presbyterian Church once a month but have been meeting virtually since May 2020.
McMillan says despite not being able to meet in-person, the virtual meetings have given the members unique opportunities to connect with other Probus members from all over the world. Members have been taking part in game nights, cooking classes and 'fireside chats' with guest speakers from around the world.
"Clubs from all over the world join our meetings," said McMillan. "It gives it some international flavour."
This week the Bradford group will be tuning in to a live music performance from a group in Northern Ireland for St. Patrick's Day.
Bradford got its first club in 2010 and has grown into two clubs: Probus Club of Bradford and Probus Club of BWG.
Probus started in Canada in 1985, for retired and semi-retired individuals looking to keep busy and active in their communities.
The original founders were two men, both commuters, who were bored and looking for something to do after they had retired. Originally called the campus club, it eventually became the Probus club, which was short for ‘Professional Business Club.’
Their idea spread with clubs starting to pop up all over the world. It eventually made its way to Canada in 1986, after a man by the name of John R. Morris from Cambridge, Ontario (formerly known as Gault, Ontario), had started his own club after visiting one in New Zealand.
It used to be that Probus clubs were designed for those who only worked in professional fields, but over the years, it has shifted to a more inclusive membership.
There are 256 clubs all across Canada, men's, women's and mixed groups, with approximately 40,000 members. In Ontario, there are about 175 Probus clubs with a total of 27,547 members.
