The Probus Club of Ladysmith has been a great way for people to stay active in the community since 1995.
The club, whose name is a combination of professional and business, started as a club for retired professionals and retired Rotarians, said vice-president Vince Devries. He noted while some people did not have the energy to keep up fundraising activities, they still wanted an organization to stay connected to their friends and the community.
“Then they decided to open it up to people with similar backgrounds,” said Devries.
Devries said the membership is open to everyone and people are welcome to join and see what the club is about.
“Our philosophy is anyone can join, because if they are not so inclined, pretty soon they’ll leave again.”
“We are not a service club, we are just here to have a good time,” said Devries.
Probus Club has many breakout groups including a walking group, bridge group, poker group and others.
The Probus Club in Ladysmith is 87 members strong, however the international organization has around 4,000 clubs worldwide, including several in the Nanaimo area, where there is a waiting list.
Club membership is $35 a year which goes to fund coffee, refreshments and some events.
For more information on Probus, visit www.probus.org. The website contains a history of clubs, members as well as meeting dates, times and places.