Probus Stratford
Get Connected, Stay Connected
For retired and semi-retired people
Fellowship
Rising out of membership activities there is a self-generating goodwill, a sense of fellowship, a diverse background of interests, and a strong feeling of cordiality.
Friendship
Probus clubs provide regular gatherings for semi-retired and retired people that appreciate and value opportunities to meet with others of similar interests.
Fun
Focus on fostering similar interests, social events, and providing regular meetings with interesting speakers.
Meeting new people, making new friends, discovering new interests are just some of the advantages of being a Probus member.
What is Probus?
The goal of the Probus organization is to provide Fellowship, Friendship, and Fun for all men and women in their retirement and semi-retirement years.
We are a volunteer-based, non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian fellowship organization with over 4,000 clubs worldwide, some 250 being Canadian clubs made up of over 35,000 members. Our clubs are all about encouraging healthy minds and bodies and socializing with other retirees in the community.
In Probus you’ll find a wealth of new experiences and a much expanded social network. The opportunities abound in each club with awesome guest speakers, a broad range of interesting activities and social events, stimulating conversation and the chance to explore your community, Canada and the world with new friends.
Probus has a vital role
To stimulate thought, interest and participation in activities at a time in life when it is easy to become complacent.
To provide regular gatherings to those who, in retirement, appreciate and value opportunities to meet others in similar circumstances and of a similar level of interest.
Existing Probus clubs and Rotary Clubs can sponsor new Probus clubs.
Each Probus club is autonomous but is coordinated through PROBUS CANADA so that the clubs themselves, through regional representatives on a national board, agree to minimal measure of conformity through a standard Constitution and recommended by-laws, to preserve the integrity and reputation of these clubs. This has proved a successful basis for serving the needs of retirees in the many countries in which Probus clubs are now flourishing.
The Probus Club
The emphasis is that the club be simple in structure, be free of the constraints and obligations of service clubs, and involve members in a minimal cost. The club is directed primarily to providing fellowship between members who are compatible with each other, and the opportunity for development of acquaintance. Clubs can be all men, all women, or combined men and women, decided usually at the first interest meeting by those attending. (The spouses of club members are often included in the club social activities).
Activities in clubs vary with each club:
Each club will hold regular meetings as established in its bylaws. Meetings will usually include a guest speaker, a short business meeting with reports and updates, and a coffee break that allows for social time.
EVENTS (between meetings) Club members visit organizations or places, sports and social activities of every conceivable nature (examples of typical Social Events can be viewed under the A Day in the Life menu. Arising out of their membership activities there is a self-generating goodwill, a sense of belonging, a diverse background of interests, ensuring for Probus a highly successful future as a firmly established part of the community. Indeed the general public often recognize that although the club itself is not involved in service work or fundraising, the persons in the Probus clubs, are perceived to be collectively but separately involved in a wide range of volunteer pursuits, even greater than most service clubs
Club Interest Activities - Members within each club organize their own range of ongoing activities, examples being walking, hiking, bridge and euchre, books, theater, lunch & breakfast groups, wine tasting, art appreciation and many more. The members themselves decide on the activities they choose to hold and the activities they choose to participate in. A list of typical activities can be found under the A Day in the Life menu.
Probus clubs are to:
Be non-political and non-sectarian
Be non-profit making and non-fundraising
Be initially sponsored by another Probus club or a Rotary club, using a HOW TO manual
Be not only for retired service club members
Use a distinctive lapel pin, and name badges to assist in friendship
Keep membership fees low, covering just the costs for operating a club
Probus clubs are not to:
Impose a restriction on the number of members from one former vocation
Require compulsory attendance at meetings
Place any restrictions on members belonging to other clubs or organizations