PROBUS is an international organization of men and women who have similar interests and want to maintain a socially active network. The name itself derives from two words, ‘professional‘ and ‘business’, the working background of most of its members. This month celebrates 50 years as an organization.
With rare exceptions, PROBUS clubs are not service clubs, and are always non-sectarian and non-political.
The Comox Valley is home to four active PROBUS clubs: Glacier, Orca, Strathcona, and Comox Valley. PROBUS members share a common interest in an active lifestyle and a broad swath of shared activities. From physical pursuits such as walking and hiking, bicycling, golf, snowshoeing, kayaking, motorcycling, and downhill/cross-country skiing, to more relaxed events like gardening groups, dances, dining, book clubs, organized tours and more, these four clubs actively engage in furthering the PROBUS motto – “Get connected – Stay connected.”
Each club features a series of monthly meetings throughout most of the year which present speakers on engaging topics pertinent to our locale or drawing on the rich and varied experiences of members. The meetings also provide an organizational umbrella for the many activity groups (mentioned above) that cater to individual interests.
Members can be as active or restrained as they like in the sub-groups that each club offers. They may also propose and organize a new interest group if they perceive that an activity they would like is not currently represented.
The current PROBUS concept was initiated in Britain in 1966 and has grown to a Canadian total of 240 clubs and 32,000 members. Worldwide, PROBUS boasts about 300,000 members spread across approximately 4,000 clubs. Although PROBUS has its roots in Rotary, fewer than 10 per cent of the individuals that make up the clubs today have ever been Rotarians.
The PROBUS clubs of the Comox Valley are dynamic, dedicated and inclusive. Each club strives to help make life in ‘The Valley’ richer and more meaningful for the retired and semi-retired that make up the bulk of membership. Judging by the roughly 750 combined members that ‘The Valley’ PROBUS groups contain, they are clearly on the right track.
Details about each of these clubs can be found at www.cv-probusclubs.weebly.com