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01 New Affiliation Form 2025

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01 New Affiliation Form 2025

PAV Member Clubs 

Website Registration procedure for club secretaries

To access directories for Guest Speakers and Club Outings, you must register your club by mouse clicking this link http://www.probusvic.com.au/login.html?view=registration and your Club will then be registered by the PAV secretary and have directory access. 

Then mouse click directories in menu above.

Registration will ask for your Club and secretary name, and your Probus club number issued by PSPL.

Choice of Password. We are advised by our webmaster for the club secretary to create and type in a password of minimum 8 digits comprising letters and numbers or symbols. This is to prevent website hacking which has become prevalent.

Finally, confirm the password, and confirm club email address. Then click ‘Register’.

– once they activate their email address, the PAV Secretary is then sent an email to authorise the account and you should then be able to access the directories or member only pages that may be created in the future.

IMPORTANT

Club secretaries be sure to record your club’s password in your club’s minutes and securely record for future secretaries.

**** BEWARE OF SCAMS ****

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A VICTIM OF A SCAM?

It is sometimes said that Seniors are easy targets for perpetrators of scams!

To avoid getting caught by a scam and be forewarned

go to 

http://www.accc.gov.au/publications/the-little-black-book-of-scams

and do your homework today!

Latest Scamwatch Tips

 To stay one step ahead of scammers, learn more by visiting the ACCC’s Scamwatch website

Protect yourself—sign up to Scamwatch

www.scamwatch.gov.au

—where you can sign up for free email alerts on new scams targeting consumers and small businesses. You can also follow Scamwatch on Twitter at @scamwatch_gov or http://twitter.com/scamwatch_gov.

How About Creating A Website For Your Probus Club

and thereby create a greater awareness of Probus in your local community

Whilst many Probians – especially those who are in the 70+ age bracket – still endeavour to maintain a degree of denial about the value of using the internet, younger Probians – and especially those that have more recently retired – are very much into making use of the internet as their principle communications medium and information source.

No longer do we need to rush to the encyclopaedia as our prime information source, and often a telephone call – especially to government institutions – involves a lengthy wait for someone to answer. Then one is sometimes told that the information that one requires can only be obtained ‘on line’. Your time has been seriously wasted! The internet can be your best source!

Whether we like it or not, we are being forced to recognise the value and necessity of learning how to use a mobile phone, tablet, or computer. Otherwise we even run the risk of being ignored by our grandchildren who have started to use these devices when even barely out of the cradle!

As administrator of your Association’s website, I am asked by your PAV executive and your sponsors to post information on your website including sporting information, Probus events, travel and tour details, and administrative information. Yet I am very much aware that there are still many club officials that rarely – and sometimes never – view our website, and then wonder why they miss important news and information.

Club officials especially need to know how to use the internet NOW, or be left behind!

I also  receive questions at the quarterly delegate meetings from club delegates, as well as phone calls, about information on the website which sometimes show that a delegate is obviously unfamiliar with using our website. In fact, because of enquiries received, there are many organisations, businesses and individuals outside of Probus who take more interest in our Association website than do our Probus members.

What could your club include on its website?

Where and when you meet

What your activities are, such as outings, sports and social activities

Your club’s tours and trips

A contact person to enquire about membership

Some clubs with websites even post their monthly news bulletin on their website which can be read by the world at large

Some photos of recent activities can tell the viewer a lot about your membership and whether they appear ‘user friendly’!

As you can see, the information can be quite basic, but the more interesting the content, the more likely you are to attract new members.

There are unfortunately clubs that are facing a decline in membership, so a club website could be your best advertisement. If you are hoping that younger seniors might join your club, then remember that these are people who are already familiar with internet use, and their internet searches could lead them to your club.

How do you go about creating a club website? Where do you start? Here are some suggestions for your club committee to consider:

Start by forming a website sub-committee with a minimum of three. One to actually administer your website; one who is a deputy; and one who ‘knows the ropes’ in case one of the first two decides to retire from the ‘job’. All three need to be competent users of their personal computer. Maybe your club might also have its own laptop, in which case they should be familiar with that.

Decide on what information you want posted on your website. This could amount to just a single page, or extend to a number of pages. Maybe your committee should view the ‘Probus Club websites’ page on this website for ideas used by other Probus Clubs. Some have comprehensive websites whilst others are quite simple.

Your club committee then needs to consider allocating a budget, because there are domain and hosting costs, and, if employing a professional webmaster, he/she will need to be paid. There are many professionals around who would be willing to set up your website, but at your expense. They will charge a one-off cost for website design – this could be several hundred dollars, and there will be always be annual hosting fees and domain charges. You may even be fortunate enough to have a member with the relevant skills to set up your club website ‘in house’.

Another option is to approach a local secondary college to see if they have a student or students who would like to tackle creating you club website as a project – great experience for them, and a great help to your club. This could greatly minimise your costs. Maybe also a willing grandchild could provide inexpensive assistance, as computers, tablets and mobile phones, and the workings of the internet are ‘second nature’ to that age group. Recompense for any work done would be for you to negotiate. Other options to investigate are U3A, or maybe your local community house. If a club finds an inexpensive option for website construction, please advise your website administrator on webadmin@probusvic.com.au

You may also like to do your own research by typing – for example – ‘how to create an inexpensive website’ – into Google. There are a number of listings, and you may find something that suits your club’s budget and your capabilities.

For one example, check out recently advertised GoDaddy.com on the web and see if this could be an option for your club.

Finally, clubs should be aware that neither your Association nor its administrator are willing to become involved in website design. The Association employs Chris Maber of YouChoose to host this website and, while all postings are made by the current PAV website administrator, he cannot offer advice on website construction.

Member Benefits Scheme for Australian Probians

The following listing provides details of discounts and benefits available to

Probians throughout Australia.

They include Travel, Finance, Lifestyle & Entertainment, and Health.

Appropriate contact details and websites are provided. Copy website and e-mail addresses into your browser.

PAV – From The Beginning 

A Brief History of Your Association

On 21st November 1984, the Dromana Men’s Probus Club and the Frankston Probus Club sponsored a ‘handshake’ meeting of Probus Clubs in the south-east of Victoria with the aim to form an Association. This became the Victorian Association of Probus Clubs South East Region, and later changed to Probus Association of Victoria South East Region. After two years, in 1986 the Association became incorporated.

Ted Lewis had discussed the idea of forming an Association of Probus Clubs in Victoria with Cliff Johnson, Chairman of the Probus Centre South Pacific. Included in the discussion were suggested aims and objectives. Cliff Johnson was most enthusiastic, and even suggested that, if it would help, he would come to Melbourne to chair the meeting and guide the discussions in support of the proposal. Cliff Johnson  did attend and opened the meeting with an address to those in attendance in which he outlined the suggested Aims and Objectives of the propose Association.

In 1995, the words ‘South East Region’ were removed and the name became simply The Probus Association of Victoria Inc.

The first meeting of the Association was held in 1996 at Dingley International Conference Centre, and the Association continued to meet there until 2011 when, due to increasing costs, the Association’s quarterly meetings of club delegates were moved to the Village Green Hotel, Springvale Road, Mulgrave.

As Probus has flourished, so has the Association’s membership which currently, in 2014, includes over 400 Probus Clubs.

Life memberships have been conferred on three members – Ted Lewis, secretary for 17 years, and Bill Walters and Bob Osborne, who were long serving presidents. Also in 2003, Bob Osborne was elected as a member of Probus Centre South Pacific.

A guide to Guest Speakers and Outings was the first objective of the Association. Stan and Joyce Hawken undertook this project and it was first issued to twenty four clubs. Today this publication continues, and the guide is provided to over four hundred clubs. 

In 1985, the first newsletter was produced in A4 size. This has now grown to the publication known today as the Victorian Probian.

In 1990, President Stan Hawken introduced the section of ‘Open Forum’ at meetings of delegates. From this, a suggestion was put forward to issue a medical card – now the Vial of Life.

A diary was designed and there were 4000 required required in the first year.

The first Arts, Crafts, and Hobbies Exhibition took place in 1990 at the Masonic Hall, Chelsea, with 28 clubs submitting 350 articles for display. Since then, successful exhibitions have been held at Mornington, Langwarrin, Whitehorse Centre at Nunawading, Williamstown Town Hall, and the Glen Ira City Hall with up to 900 exhibits.

The first of many Friendship Days was held at Mossfield Park, Leongatha in 1992. Twenty-seven coaches and over 2000 Probians attended.

Friendship days have continued and are held mostly by region.

The first Musical Afternoon Concert took place in September 1995, and became the forerunner of our annual Variety Concert. In 2008 and 2009, successful concerts were held at St Arnaud and Maryborough. A further concert was held in 2012 at Bendigo. The most recent concert was held in March 2014 at the Whitehorse Centre, Nunawading.

During 1999, Ken Heaslip suggested for those interested in holding a caravan meet to contact him. From this, the Caravan Wanderers group was formed. This group now holds meets every six months in various locations throughout Victoria and caters both for caravaners and those wishing to stay in cabins.

Lawn bowls tournaments have been taking place for some 30 years, and in 2004 these became mixed tournaments.

The Association has sponsored these two groups over recent years, which has been much appreciated.

More recently, the Association sponsors an annual Golf Tournament Challenge, and an annual Croquet Tournament Challenge.

In 2000, Australian Pacific Touring offered a sponsorship deal to the Association. Nowadays, the Association receives sponsorship from two travel companies, Trade Travel and Grand Pacific Tours. The latter caters exclusively for tours of New Zealand.

To further awareness of the Association, in 2010 the Association commenced developing a website (www.probusvic.com.au) so as to publicise the Association’s functions and activities, both to club officers and members, and also to the world at large.

The first regional meeting of the Association to be held in a country district was held at Traralgon with 78 Probians representing 22 clubs attending. The agenda for the meeting followed along the lines of the city meetings of delegates, and the discussions raised many of the same issues. Regional meetings continue to attract great interest and have become a part of the Association’s program.

The 20th and 25th Anniversary Luncheons that were held at the Caulfield Racecourse were deemed a huge success.

Over 30 years there have been more that 80 Probians elected to the committee.

Foundation Office Bearers

President                       Bert Seymour

Secretary/Treasurer        Jim Greig

Committee                     Bert Enno, Jean Wood, George Raphael, Laurie Wain, Allan Coombe, Ted Lewis

Past & Present Office Bearers

Presidents:                    Bert Seymour, Wal Rattray, Stan Hawken, Jean Wood, Bill Walters, Bob Osborne,

                                   John Mitchell, Wal Fordham, Irma Dymke, Jim Frew                               

Secretary                      Jim Greig, Laurie Wain, Joe Ratcliffe, Ted Lewis, Fay O’Toole

Treasurer                      Jim Greig, Laurie Wain, Joe Ratcliffe, Ted Lewis, Jack Francis, Monica Sheffield,

                                   Ian Grahame, Ken Falconer

Life Members                           Ted Lewis (deceased), Bill Walters (deceased), Bob Osborne

PROBUS MEMBERSHIP CARDS

Quite some months ago, all Probus members were, through their clubs, issued with a Probus Membership Card similar in size to a credit or other similar card. This card shows the name of your club, your name, and a membership number. The card was issued by Probus South Pacific Ltd.

Your committee and many club members have been unaware of the use or value of such cards.

We can now tell you that there is now available information on a variety of deals, and refer Probians to the PSPL website. Go to:

www.probussouthpacific.org/pages/members_offers_member_benefits_scheme 

or use the menu heading ‘Members’ Offers’.

There you will find the following sub-headings: Travel; Finance: Food and Beverages: Lifestyle and Entertainment; and Health. Use these to do your searches for deals.

It is noted that PSPL’s Advertising and Partnerships Manager is seeking information on deals, and if you know of any worthwhile deals for Probians, you might refer the relevant company to katie@mahlabmedia.com.au, or phone 02 9556 9118.

In the meantime, check the deals currently available.

Probus South Pacific Ltd has published an informative booklet entitled ‘Your Passport To Probus’ which is a valuable resource for all Probians. We quote verbatim below the following important information from page 23 of this booklet, entitled:

‘What You Can Do For Your Club’

As a Probus club member, you are encouraged to:

•Pay your annual membership fees in a timely manner
•Attend meetings regularly
•Get to know your management committee
•Participate in discussions and club decision making
•Understand your club’s policies on risk management, apologies and privacy
•Attend club activities and special events
•Join club special interest groups
•Act as guest speaker
•Bring a friend or neighbour along to a meeting
•Bring new ideas to your club
•Encourage other active retirees in the community to join a Probus club
•Be welcoming to new members
•Promote Probus awareness in your own community
•Submit newsworthy articles to Active Retirees™ magazine and your local newspaper
•Post Probus information on community notice boards
•Promote the Probus Jingle to your local community radio station
•As some stage, during your membership nominate to take an active role and serve as a member of your club’s Management Committee. If you are interested in becoming a member of your club’s Management Committee, discuss it with a fellow member; you’ll find it both fun and rewarding.

Your Association considers this an informative pocket booklet containing a great deal of useful information with which all Probians should be aware. The booklet is available free of cost through your club. Ask your club’s management for your copy.

Probians should also be aware that newsworthy articles, club news, and other relevant information can also be submitted for publishing in the Victorian Probian journal which is available free of cost to members of all Probus clubs affiliated with the Probus Association of Victoria. See ‘Victorian Probian’ webpage on this website for details of how and where to submit your articles.

Club or Travel Insurance Matters

All Victorian Probus Clubs please note that, for all matters relating to club or travel insurance, they must contact Probus South Pacific Ltd on toll free 1300 630 488 or e-mail admin@probussouthpacific.org

Club Activity Sheets – Clubs – and in particular, committee persons who arrange club outings or activities separate from Club monthly meetings – please note that it is their responsibility to ensure that individual members participating in an activity ensure that they are recorded on an activity sheet to ensure that they are covered by Probus insurance in case of accident.