PROBUS Global Newsletter
June 2025
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Mary Wilson, our stalwart editor has once again produced an outstanding newsletter. The June edition has articles of interest to everyone. If you have interesting news or information to share in the next newsletter, please write a short article and send it to us for inclusion.
The theme of several articles this quarter is clubs and gender. Canada has recently specified that all new clubs be mixed. Existing men's and ladies clubs are grandmothered in and will be allowed to continue operation. From our database, we have compiled statistics by county on the percentage of clubs of each type. France has an amazing 98% men only clubs, while Australia boasts 82% combined clubs. For the complete table, see the newsletter.
President, Richard Furlong, is looking for someone willing to take over as leader. After five years in the post, he thinks it is time for some new blood and new ideas. Let us know if you are interested. Richard will dedicate more time to expanding the virtual club aspect of PROBUS Global, emphasizing socializing and informative Zoom meetings.
Every new member is asked why they are joining PROBUS Global. An analysis of the answers reveals that more than half are primarily interested in the social aspects, making new friends, fellowship, and networking. Despite that, only a few ever join the Facebook group, or participate in the online chat opportunities. What can we do to encourage more interaction among our members?
June 2025 Newsletter Contents:
Newsletter Contents
President’s Comments
Editorial
Marketing Idea
Probus Belgium’s new President
Hybrid meetings
Moving with the Times
Sustainable Chocolate
Rotary Connection
Cameo Talks
Gendered Clubs
Armchair Travel
Photo of the month
PG Management Meeting
Password Protection
Thanks Linda
Why people join PG
Write to us!
Smile
Artificial Intelligence in the form of LLMs (Large Language Models) and tools based on these models is being used by more and more people. Recent studies have shown that more seniors (78%) have actually tried ChatGPT or one of the other models (Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Grammarly, etc) than any other age group. Have you tried to use AI? Do you use it regularly? If not, what are you waiting for? Please click a button below and tell us more in the Question of the Month:
By popular vote, we heard Jos Nolle speak about his time with MSF at our recent Zoom meeting. You can watch his presentation on our YouTube Channel.
For future meetings, currently there is a tie between Adam Shoalts, Exploring Northern Canada by canoe, and Peter Jennings, Artificial Intelligence. The poll is still open. Vote for the speakers you would like to hear at future meetings.
The newest addition to our list of speakers available to present to your club in person (near Leeds, UK) or globally by Zoom is Trish Colton, author of Lawless Ladies. Female criminals of the last 1,000 years. For more than 1,000 years, women have been committing murder, robbery, forgery, rebellion and scams. There have been rampaging female criminal gangs, as well as women being found guilty of witchcraft, piracy, highway robbery and religious crimes. From before William the Conqueror arrived until modern times, there has been very little change in the types of crimes women commit. In March AD 978 Aelfthryth murdered her stepson, and in the 1940s a woman was in one of her ‘funny moods’, so she murdered her neighbour. I talk about some of the almost 200 female criminals whose stories appear in my latest book, and the times they lived in. Invite her to speak to your club.
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I was very surprised to read the opinion of the Editor regarding mixed gender clubs and her apparent objection to them.
Male only clubs have a different atmosphere to mixed clubs, I have experienced both. Male clubs enjoy different debates, allow story telling and even risque jokes. We debate different topics to those at home with our partners. We leave with a smile on our face . The last club I was in in Scotland voted to go mixed after a strong involvement from the then President, months later after the club became mixed it closed.
Women only clubs and organisations abound but men only groups, apart from Mans Shed, are very rare. Please leave us alone if that is the clear majority wish.