Hanover Area Probus Club Newsletters
Established September, 2014
October 2024
Celebration of our 10th anniversary
There will be no speaker as we will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Hanover Area Probus Club. We will have a “Meet & Greet ” 10th Anniversary Celebration Event from 9:30 am - 12 noon. At the “Activities” Showcase Event:
- The activity coordinators/committee members volunteers invite members to attend to learn and be informed about all the various interesting activities that are available
- Each activity will have a table set up ready to “Meet and Greet” members
- Coordinators and Committee members will have creative ways and items to “showcase and promote” their specific activity
- Drop by and say hello. Our activity volunteers are very talented and knowledgeable and would be happy to share with you their activity events and experiences
- Prizes - There will be a draw for a prize at each activity table.
- Activity Registration for “New” Members: Register/sign-up at one or more activity tables to participate in the activity. The coordinator will then e-mail you with details of the activity event, date, time, place, and other details.
- Special Note: Members already registered and participating in activities and receiving e-mails for various activity events. Your name will continue to be registered with these activities and you will receive the e-mails. However, if you are not able to participate and/or no longer wish to receive e-mails for one or more activities please advise the coordinator and your name will be removed from their activity e-mail list.
Our September Speaker was Tom Douglas
Military Historian pays homage to Canada’s Veterans and a family hero!
Author Tom Douglas addresses Hanover Probus Club
To say that Tom Douglas has a soft spot for Canada’s military and its veterans would be an understatement. He is the award- winning author of many published works about Canadians who participated in military campaigns of the two World Wars, Korea and Afghanistan. In his preamble to his latest book, “Whispering Duke Schiller”, Douglas entertained members of the Hanover Probus Club, with stories of his interactions with Canadian veterans, as part of his former job as Communications Advisor to the late Honourable Bennett Campbell, Minister of Veterans Affairs. Tom travelled with the Minister and contingents of Canadian veterans on pilgrimages to battle sites in France, Holland, Italy and Korea. During a 1983 Remembrance Day Ceremony at Vimy Ridge, Tom was with getting the veterans on a bus to tour the Canadian memorial at Vimy. “One veteran wouldn’t leave his room,” recalled Douglas. “He was still racked with guilt from that day in 1917, when illness prevented him from taking part in the attack and all his friends were killed, he simply wouldn’t move.” It was a stiff shot of rum that snapped the vet out of his reluctance. “When I asked him if he might need another, he replied, I can’t fly on one wing you know!” One of the attractions of the Vimy site is the proximity of the opposing trenches, just meters apart. “Historians made a point of identifying the German barbed wire in front of one of the trenches and as we walked back to the bus following the tour, my reluctant vet expressed the need to relieve himself, so I pointed him in the right direction!”
Whispering Duke Schiller was Tom’s Great Uncle, a veteran of the Royal Flying Corps in WW1, a pilot with the Ontario Provincial Air Service in the 1920’s and a pilot with the RCAF Ferry Command in WW2. Schiller was one of Canada’s forgotten aviation pioneers but his story was brought to light through his 100 year old flight logs, scrapbooks and personal letters not to mention extensive research by Douglas.
“Many people are aware of Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927 but few people remember a trio who flew in the opposite direction in April 1928,” said Douglas. A single engine Junkers Monoplane named the Bremen took off from Dublin Ireland bound for New York City. After 36 hours and fuel almost gone the crew had totally lost their bearings, crash landing on Greenly Island off the northern tip of Labrador, more than 1,000 miles from New York City. “One of the crew was gravely injured and a rescue ship was stuck in the ice and the weather was horrific,” explained Douglas. “The only pilot willing to try to bring the trio out was Whispering Duke Schiller, my great uncle! They may have been the first to perform an east-west crossing of the Atlantic and thanks to Duke Schiller; they lived to tell their story.” The saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished and Duke Schiller’s luck ran out on his last rescue mission. After picking up downed airmen in a PBY Catalina Flying Boat off the coast of Bermuda in 1943, Schiller’s aircraft crashed on approach to his base. The base was blacked out as a wartime precaution and ground personnel fired a flair gun to help Schiller see the field, but it had the opposite effect and blinded him, crashing the aircraft and killing all on board. Whispering Duke Schiller, The Forgotten Hero of Early Aviation by Tom Douglas is available through Tagona Press at togonapress.com.
A Message from Your President
Message from your President
September marked the 10 year anniversary of the Hanover Area Probus Club. Although I’m relatively new to the club, I’m an extremely proud member.
I moved back to the Grey-Bruce area more than 3 years ago, knowing that I had a family base here and would have opportunities to socialize with them. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was that my family members were very busy with their own lives, leaving me with many lonely days. Being an extrovert, my mental health was starting to suffer. Probus was one of the best things I’ve discovered!
Probus is what you want from it. It can be a physical activity group, it can give you opportunities to learn new skills and it is often a way to find others who enjoy similar pastimes. New friends can be found in every activity!
Although there are many other clubs around the district, province and the world, I am proud to report that in my humble opinion, we are one of the best. One of the most common topics a the Probus district meetings is how to attract new members. We have so much fun in the Hanover Area that we had to increase our maximum to accommodate new members! We’re attracting new members strictly by word of mouth!
During the October General Meeting, we will be celebrating this wonderful milestone with you.... some of my
favourite people. Please join me, and the other club members and review the current offering of activities.... or
maybe you have an idea for a new activity that you would like to start! The activity coordinators will be there to
answer any questions that you may have. Maybe you’ll discover your next hobby or make a new friend. 
Janice 
Club Business Corner
Hi, this is a new section in the Newsletter – meant to be a means to ensure clear communication between the management committee and the membership with respect to Club Business. We will repeat things given in this part of the General Meeting as we are aware not all members can make the General Meetings (though they are
great fun, with great speakers and fantastic snacks!)
As hopefully you are aware, we are moving to a new website and republishing key documents. One of those documents is the club bylaws which the management committee had reviewed last year with an aim to ensure they stay in step with changes in the way our club actually operates. In June’s AGM a motion was brought forward and accepted to amend the bylaw to increase the membership in the club, however a relatively minor change was not brought forward to the AGM to remove reference to lapel pins which are no longer presented to new club members. In September’s Management Committee meeting it was decided to bring this forward to the membership in the September General Meeting, with the view that this change is not significant to the club and is a clerical change simply reflecting our actual practices. Below is the change we are hoping to make:
BY-LAW No. 1 – Membership 2. [...] Club Bylaws and a Club roster shall be presented with a PROBUS lapel pin and provided along with a name badge by the President or delegate.
If members believe that this is, in fact, a significant change, then we would need to advance a motion in a General Meeting for this change to be effected. Please reach out to the management committee if you have concerns with this change.
News and reminders from your Management Committee
Probus Meeting Dates for 2024: Oct 9 Nov 13 Christmas Luncheon - Dec 11
Probus Global is a network of Probians from all over the world who meet quarterly on ZOOM. If interested, you can visit https://probusglobal.org/ and follow the route to become a member at NO cost as long as you are a Probus member.
Probus Canada would like all members to see all the news, so here is a link to their news page: https://www.probuscanada.ca/news
PROBUS ACTIVITIES UPDATE
There are 20 Activities and 24 coordinators and committee members that volunteer their personal time and talents to ensure members have lots of opportunities to enjoy various activities.
List of Activities in alphabetical order:
Book Club-Loretta Dunn; Bridge-Beverley Hambly; Cross Country Skiing-Terry Koehler; Cycling-Terry Koehler; Dinner Club-Karen Farrow; Eating For Your Health-Kathy Greensides; Film Club-Pat Butler; Golf-Ulli Kaempfe; Hiking-Vernon Freer; Kayaking (new-start 2025)-Paul Scott; Knitting & Crochet-Nina McTeer; Photography-John Brunner; Pole Walking-Joan Ferguson; Pot Luck-Marybelle Schumacher; Scotch Tasting-Bob Farrow; Scrabble-Ruth Linnen; Snow Shoeing-Ruth Los; Theatre-Peter Dalton & Tracey Neuman; Travel Committee-Dianne Mather, Joan Roseborough, Peter Dalton, Margaret Elliot- Niesen; Wine Tasting Committee-Frances Agnew, Dan Hobler, Helen Peppler
“Meet & Greet Event” 10th Anniversary Celebration- 9:30am-12 noon-Wednesday October 9th at the monthly meeting
An “Activities” Showcase Event:
• The activity coordinators/committee members volunteers invite members to attend to learn and be informed about all the various interesting activities that are available
• Each activity will have a table set up ready to “Meet and Greet” members
• Coordinators and Committee members will be developing creative ways and items to “showcase and promote” their specific activity at their table
• Drop by and say hello. Our activity volunteers are very talented and knowledgeable and would be happy to share with you their activity events and experiences
• They will provide information and welcome any questions and/or suggestions from the members
• Prizes- There will be a draw for a prize at each activity table. We encourage you to visit each table and put your name in the draw.
• Activity Registration for “New” Members: Register/sign-up at one or more activity tables to participate in the activity. The coordinator will then e-mail you with details of the activity event, date, time, place, and other details
Special Note:
Members already registered and participating in activities and receiving e-mails for various activity events. Your name will continue to be registered with these activities and you will receive the e-mails
However if you are not able to participate and/or no longer wish to receive e-mails for one or more activities please advise the coordinator and your name will be removed from their activity e-mail list
• For Full Activities Details and Information: See the Hanover Area Probus Club (HAPC) website
• Or contact Activity Group Chair, Dianne Mather at act@hapc.ca
Wine Tasting
In September, twenty-six people set off on a wine and cheese tour of the Niagara area. We learned an important lesson on that trip --- don't let Dan tell you stories about previous bus trips where the bus breaks down when you are on just such a bus trip. Just as Dan was telling the story, the driver pulled over, checked a few things and told us we needed a new bus! The current one wasn't able to continue on the trip. Regardless, of the breakdown I think everyone enjoyed the trip. We had tastings at two
wineries and a cheese stop as well as a nice dinner.
With the arrival of fall, the Wine Group Committee is working on a couple events. Rodger Donald is looking for wines for our November tasting --- “Unexpected European Wines”. The theme was going to be Greek wines but we decided to open it up a bit as the LCBO doesn't carry a lot of Greek wines. We will let you know more as soon as we finalize the details. The theme
of “Ring in 2025” is not only New Year's Eve, but Paris, France. The New Year's Toast will be done at midnight Paris time --- 6 pm in Walkerton. Wine pairing and dinner will follow the toast. It will be held at the Walkerton's Best Western. We will enjoy a wonderful “French” inspired dinner and wine pairing. The invitations and further details will be sent out before the end of September. Committee: Frances Agnew, Bill Roseborough, Helen Peppler, Dan Hobler
Scrabble
- Play every two weeks on Thursdays.
- We share the hosting for our games and are a very relaxed no pressure group. We use cheat sheets and dictionaries and always enjoy a sweet treat and tea and coffee. If you are interested, please e-mail Ruth Coordinator: Ruth Linnen
Pole Walking
- Walk the Hanover Community or Walkerton Trails every Friday at 10 am but with everyone’s summer plans, we have not had more than 4 participants on any given day. If you are interested please e-mail Joan Coordinator: Joan Ferguson
Eating for Health
The Eating for Your Health group enjoyed a visit to Cedar Down Farm CSA in Neustadt in September. We toured throughout the fields to see the many organic crops of vegetables in various stages allocated for food share programs that serve our extended community.
Their goal as farmers is to steward land and community, protect soil health and biodiversity, minimize their ecological footprint and bring health and joy. They are deeply committed to growing high quality food in a way that respects ecological principles and brings people together around food. They believe in honest and open communication with our community of eaters and strive to make fresh and nutritious food available to everyone.
We were then treated to an amazing delicious and healthy Palestinian buffet with the following menu: Labneth, Hummus, Gazan Tomato Dagga Salad, Salata Mafroumeh, Chopped Vegetable Salad, fresh Pita, Mussakhan Chicken, Onions with Sumac and Flatbread, Eggplant, Tomato and Potato, Mousaka, Purslane Baqleh and Swiss Chard Stew. For dessert, we had Jewish Apple Walnut Cake, Palestinian Tea and Coffee.
And... the (healthy ) icing on the cake was a fresh piece of honeycomb from the local Bee Keeper that we all savoured along with great discussion on the benefits of eating healthy organic foods and supporting our local community.
Hiking
- Upcoming hikes tentatively planned to glimpse the ever changing fall vistas along the escarpment in October: Oct 3 - Bayfield (guided walk/hike); Oct 10 - Old Baldy; Oct 17 - Nottawasaga Bluffs; Oct 24 - Bruce’s Cave/Spirit Rock Side Trail (Wiarton); Oct 31 - TBD. Pictured below (left) is from the Sept. 19 hike on the West Camp Oliver Loop.
- Hikes scheduled Thursdays to start at 10 am and there’s always room for more hikers. Hikes predominately in Grey and Bruce counties and in surrounding counties. Average 5 km and usually just under 2 hours to complete. If you are interested and would like to be added to e-mail list please e-mail Vernon. Coordinator: Vernon Freer
Pot Luck
Nine ladies attended the Sept. 23 lunch. The theme was plant-based foods, and many delicious dishes were enjoyed and recipes exchanged. The next Potluck will be on November 18th and the theme will be favourite Christmas foods.
Golf
- Out of 55 members signed up, we have 12 to 20 active players. We always book 4 tee times expecting 16 players and adjust the number short before game days. The majority of golfers seem satisfied with mix of courses. Our current challenge is to determine how to attract golfers. If you are interested (or know someone who may be), please email Ulli Coordinator: Ulli Kaempfe
Theatre
There are currently 110 members on the theatre group e-mail distribution list. Anyone wishing to join contact Peter. Coordinators: Peter Dalton, Tracey Neuman
Kayaking
Paul Scott has indicated he would like to start a kayaking activity. He plans to get things organized for
the summer 2025.
Local and Area Events
Come to our Biggest Book Sale yet at the Hope Community Church in Hanover!
We have a large variety of lightly used books, DVDs, board games and puzzles. Early Bird Tickets go on sale September 30. This is a cash only event and all purchases are by donation with donations going directly to the Hanover Public Library.
October 24: 5:30pm-7:30pm Early Bird Access- ticket required
October 25: 9:00am-8:00pm
October 26: 9:00am-4:00pm
Then Join us October 31 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Hanover Town Park for our Spooky Story trail! Fun for the whole family. Cost $2. Get more details on our website https://hanoverlibrary.ca/calendar/
For more details on this and all Library programs: https://hanoverlibrary.ca/happening/#adult-programs
Author Michelle Unsworth-Foote at the- Walkerton Branch, Tuesday, October 22, 7pm
Celebrate Ontario Public Library Week with local author Michelle Unsworth-Foote as she discusses her new book "How to Get your Sh*t Together" and answers questions.
Local Author Cindy Matthews – Cargill Branch, Friday, November 8, 1pm
Join Cindy for a reading from her latest book, “The Roach Family and Other Stories”, and have an opportunity to ask questions and hear about her journey as a writer. Registration appreciated.
For more information on this and all other upcoming Library programs and events: https://library.brucecounty.on.ca/branch/walkerton/
FOR THE LOVE OF READING - October 5th, 11 am to 9 pm Tickets on Eventbrite: $15 - $60
This full-day event celebrates West Grey's amazing range of talented authors and their regional colleagues, through panels, visits, spotlights, sales and good eats! Discover new reads, meet local and regional authors, and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of reading, storytelling, writing and publishing. Whatever kind of book lover you are, there's something here for everyone. Don't miss out on this celebration of the written word and its creators! Your all-access pass (a snappy wristband) gets you into all the literary events as well as the evening Literary Fare meal or you can just attend a single event.
For more information on this and all other upcoming Library programs and events:
https://www.westgreylibrary.com/programs-events/love-reading
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Hanover Recreation and Culture events and programs: https://www.hanover.ca/recreation-culture
Brockton Parks and Recreation Dept Programs: https://www.brockton.ca/en/be-active/Recreation-Programs.aspx
Life Long Learning Events for 2024
Bluewater Association for Lifelong Learning - Owen Sound
• Please see this link for details:
Georgian Triangle Lifelong Learning Institute - Collingwood
• Please see this link for details:
Third Age Barrie Lifelong Learning Association - Barrie
• Please see this link for details: