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continued from p.27 Protocols have changed over the years, but friendships are key He noted the club's members enjoy a monthly meeting offering 45 minutes of fellowship with coffee, a 30-minute pre-meeting slideshow, 30-40 minutes of club business, including a member speaker and 45-60 minutes with a guest presenter. "When I first joined Probus, the thing I liked best about it, besides my fellow members, was each guest speaker. To me, it seemed like getting a university lecture for free," said Hutchison. Over the years, there have been numerous changes to the PCOO, some minor, representing "mere tweaking to get better," Hutchison said, while others have been significant enough to alter the club and its operations. One major transformation has been the membership base, which has fluctuated greatly. "This is a common feature with most Probus Clubs, with attrition being the biggest factor," said Hutchison. Another change is communication. "Some things were not available in 1996," Hutchison said. "Twenty years ago, we used typewriters that produced our documents for communicating with members. Envelopes and postage stamps were used and we used liquid paper to make corrections." Nowadays, the PCOO enjoys being in a "computer and tablet age," Hutchison said. "We are now in the age of electronics, an evolving age that appears to have no end. As a result, we have changes in communicating within the club and to other Probus Clubs," said Hutchison. Ed Shane, past president (2013-14), has been a member of the club for nine years. He said the PCOO keeps him and the others active, allowing them to "mix it up" socially. The friendships he has established and meeting those friends once a month is what makes the club unique for him. "There are lots of people with very interesting things (going on). They still have lots of contacts in the business world. If you're looking for something, you can get an answer here for wherever you want to look," said Shane. "They can give you advice for every professional aspect. Usually they get you steered in the right direction. It makes it fun." St. John Blakely, past president (2011-12) who joined PCOO in 1999, found himself "hooked into a job" 12-18 months after becoming a member, he said. The quality of the speakers and their remarks provides a great experience for Blakely. "You get enthusiastic (as a member). The more you do, the more you want to do," said Blakely. To celebrate the 20th anniversary is important because it shows how the PCOO has remained active, whereas many Probus Clubs are unable to sustain themselves for that amount of time, Shane said. "Obviously, there is enough interest here and it's going to keep going for a long, long time," he said. 29 | Thursday, November 10, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com It was formed when the Probus Club of Oakville, which preceded PCOO, had capped its membership at 100, drawing a long waiting list. "The membership grew quickly and the hall at St. Jude's was somewhat too small and a move was then needed," said Hutchison. After two years at St. Jude's, the Probus Club of Old Oakville moved to Knox Presbyterian Church in 1999 for its monthly meetings and remained there until 2011. In 2012, it relocated to its current home at the Oakville Club, 56 Water St. The group began with 42 members and now has 170. About 100 attend each meeting. It more than doubled its membership by 1997 and reached a figure of nearly 100 people. "At a meeting of the management committee, it was decided founder member status would be granted to those signing for the February 1997 meeting," said Hutchison. ON NOW AT THE BRICK! 2376 Parkhaven Blvd, Oakville 2376 Parkhaven Blvd, Oakville · 905-257-5880 905-257-5880 maximekitchens.ca maximekitchens.ca SAVING YOU MORE For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. Leaky Basement? Call Us! Call Us... 905-510-9739 Professional, Cost Effective Solutions for Wet wayne@wisecracks.com Basements w w w. H a l t o n Wi s e C ra c k s . co m Impression Collection® doors have been magnificently engineered with an artfully molded wood-grain fiberglass surface concealing durable steel construction. Overhead Door (Hamilton-Burlington) Ltd. Impression Collection Showroom: 5450 HARVESTER RD. (West of Burloak) BURLINGTON R0023925262 905-333-1772 · www.overheaddoorburlington.ca