President's Message
Ilene Rushefsky Charland
Welcome to spring! Though some days it still feels more like winter (and we can still ski), we are just around the corner from some warmer weather and the activities that go with it. The impressive turnout at the recent Activity Fair shows us that members are getting ready for warmer weather activities. In addition to the usual outdoor activity groups, check out the Activities webpage for our many new groups this year. Thanks to all for making the Activity Fair a success. We owe a huge thank you to Colleen Wilson-Dick for her hard work organizing the Fair, and to Nancy Dixon, Heather Buscher, all the activity leaders and our coffee assistants for their part in making the Fair a success.
Our April meeting will be on Wednesday, April 19. This date change enables us to participate in the National Canadian Film Festival, which is being held on that day. The film chosen by the members is "The Red Violin”. Due to the length of the film (it is over 2 hours) our meeting will be longer than usual. More information will follow by email.
I look forward to working with the new management team, introduced below. Thanks to all who give their time to volunteer in so many capacities. This is your PROBUS Club, volunteer and enjoy fun, fellowship and friends.
Membership
Pam Weaver & Kathy Mercer
With the wonderful turnout at the Activity Fair, we had many who stopped by the Membership table. A number of our new 2023 members picked up their club badges. We were also excited to see the number of guests who expressed an interest in joining. They all said their interest was fueled by the club’s numerous activities and slick website.
Please continue to welcome our new members as you meet them—they have a "star” sticker on their name badge.
If you have any questions for the Membership team, you can reach us at our new email membership@beavervalleyprobus.com
2023-24 Management Committee
We are exited to introduce the new Management Committee for 2023-24.
President: Ilene Rushefsky Charland
Vice President: Joanne Vivona
Co-Secretary: Mary Ann Collins-Williams
Co-Secretary: Kris Wichman
Treasurer: Lynn Horlor
Membership Co-Chairs: Pam Weaver / Kathy Mercer
Social Convenor: Don Collins-Williams
Assistant Social Convenor: Stella Zahradnik
Speaker's Co-Chairs: Kirby Philp / Brian Cromie
Assistant Treasurer: George Czerwinski
Communications Director: Nancy Dixon
Website Administrator: Heather Buscher
Newsletter Co-Editors: Nancy Dixon / Heather Buscher
Technical Advisor: Linda Haines
Directory-at-Large: Hank Bouwman
Director-at-Large: Mary Cromie
Director-at-Large: Lucie Desjardins
Immediate Past President: Martin Buscher
We are still looking for an Activities Convenor (or 2 Co-Convenors). Colleen Wilson-Dick is stepping down after serving for four years, but she is available to train and advise. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us on our new email at management@beavervalleyprobus.com.
We also welcome our new Coffee Convenors—Joanne and Jamie Procunier. A big thank you to Joan Williams, who is stepping down after many years. Thanks also to Mae Farmer, a longtime helper who continues to assist our convenors, and to all our other coffee volunteers! Our coffee volunteers play an important role in making our meetings a success. Thank-you
April Meeting - Wednesday April 19 @ 1:00 PM
**PLEASE NOTE: Our meeting is on the 3rd Wednesday this month, instead of the 4th Tuesday**
Our PROBUS club will be taking part in the National Canadian Film Day this year, which is Wednesday, April 19. We will host a special screening of "The Red Violin"
Please register if you plan to attend this meeting—so that we have enough chairs and coffee for everyone!
THE RED VIOLIN
Director: François Girard / Year: 1998 / 131 min / G 
The incredible history of a beautiful antique violin is traced from its creation through its various owners, changing the lives of everyone who plays it. A historical epic like no other, this gorgeous film won 8 Genie awards as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
Due to the length of the movie, there will not be a regular meeting nor a 50-50 Draw this month. The 50-50 Draw will resume at our regular May meeting.
Social Events
Don Collins-Williams, Stella Zahradnik
Our PROBUS calendar was quite busy in the last month. 40 members enjoyed the additional 2 tours at the Grey Roots Museum for the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, and another 20 members enjoyed the Georgian Bay Symphony and dinner afterward on April 1. There are some new events coming up in May and June, so please watch your emails for the invitations to register.
May 17: Dancing in the Street
There are still spaces available for Dancing in the Street in Toronto on May 17, but the registration deadline is fast approaching. Unfortunately, there will not be enough registrants for us to get a bus, but carpooling is available. Sign up soon.
June 1: Blue Mountain Film Festival
We sent out an invitation last week for the Blue Mountain Film Festival on June 1, and already have a good number signed up. It should be a fun day, with two films and ample time for lunch in the Blue Mountain Village. If you have never been to a film festival before, now is your chance!
Additional Discounted Events: The Film Festival runs from June 1-4, and if anyone would like to attend other events, they can buy tickets online at https://bluemtnfilmfest.ca Early bird tickets are available at 10% off until April 15. PROBUS members get an additional 5% off using the promo code “PROBUS” which is valid until May 23. (You can use the promo code even if you do not register for our event). There will be complimentary use of the gondola at Blue during the Festival for anyone with a 5X7 pass for the 2023-24 season.
Watch for further announcements in the Grapevine every month, and we hope to see you out at upcoming events. If you have any ideas for other potential future events, please let us know at our new email events@beavervalleyprobus.com.
Annual Golf Tournament - Save the Date
Our Annual Golf Tournament is back in June—at our traditional course in Shelburne. Please mark your calendars and look for the invitation coming out next week!
Date: June 20, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM Shotgun start
Where: Shelburne Golf and Country Club
Cost: $95 per person.
Includes 18 holes with cart, lunch and prizes. Shotgun start and scramble format.
Activity Groups Update
Activity Group sign-ups are now open!
Thank you to those who turned out for our in-person Activity Fair on Tuesday afternoon at the Beaver Valley Community Centre. We had a great turn-out and lots of catching up and coffee.
As a reminder—you will need to sign-up in order to be on an activity participant list—even if you signed up for the same Activity last year (or this year prior to March 28, 2023).
There is a step-by-step video on "how to sign-up" for Activity Groups. Click on the image to view!
General Instructions:
- Log in to the Beaver Valley PROBUS Club website, otherwise you will have to add your personal contact information for each Activity you sign up for. The Log in link is on the very top right of the homepage. If you forgot your password click here for a new one.
- Click on the big yellow ACTIVITIES button on the right-hand side of the home page.
- Select the Activity Group you are interested in, which opens up the detail page for that activity.
- Click on Activity Group Sign-up button.
- Click on the red Register button, and confirm.
- You will receive a Confirmation email showing that you have successfully signed up.
When the Activity Group leader schedules an outing, you will then receive an email with the details (date, time, location etc.) which you can sign up for or skip.
If you need any help with passwords or sign-up, please contact our web team on our new email address: help@beavervalleyprobus.com
Computer Group
Martin Buscher
In our March meeting, we wanted to go through a list of things for digital spring cleaning. The first item— backups—created such a lively discussion that we didn't have time to cover much of the other things to do. So, we might as well finish that topic during our April meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, April 24 at 2 PM.
E-Bikes
Terry Kellar
We had a great response at the Activity Fair and now have 22 people signed up and another 8 have shown interest. Not all have e-bikes, so we will have a mixture of technologies. I anticipate our first ride will be early May and be around the Blue Mountain Resort area. I will be in touch with the registered participants before the end of April.
Euchre 1
Elaine & Hank Bouwman
We had an enjoyable afternoon of card playing and snacks at the home of Sharon Clayfield & Bill Rogers with 8 members participating on Tuesday, March 14. Bill Rogers had a fantastic score and holds bragging rights for the day after coming out on top following 7 rounds. On Tuesday, April 11 at 1:20 pm, both George Baker and Linda Haines will each host 2 tables, for a fun afternoon of cards and snacks. It’s not too late to join us..…just go on-line to the Euchre 1 Activity page to sign up.
Introduction to Euchre
Elaine & Hank Bouwman
Based on feedback that we received at the March 28 Activity Fair, we have decided to hold some euchre training sessions starting April 4 at the home of Elaine & Hank Bouwman. These are geared to members who have either never played euchre at all, or those who have played but need a refresher course. People new to euchre may need 2 – 3 training sessions, whereas a refresher course may only require 1 – 2 sessions. If you are interested to join any of the Introduction to Euchre Sessions, please go the
Euchre 1 Activity Webpage to see all the available sessions. Sign-up to the “
Waitlist” so you get notified when we have enough people to host another training session. Please note that these training sessions are not for experienced euchre players, as they already play on the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
Casual Dining With Friends
Sallie Kedwell, Shellie Smith, Eileen Scott
We’re very excited to welcome so many new, regular and lapsed members, to Casual Dining with Friends. Chatting with so many of you at the Activity Fair was a delight—what a wonderful turnout. Our first get together of the new season will be on April 27—please watch for the invitation right after Easter. Do keep in mind that hosts are needed for all of the regular monthly dinners. Please consider what month(s) will work for you to host, so that you can plan ahead. Looking forward to dining together!
Dining Around Town
Hank Bouwman
38 of our members participated in our March 22 luncheon at The Iron Skillet in Collingwood. Invitations for our Tuesday ,April 18 Brunch at 10:00 AM at The Georgian Family Restaurant in Collingwood were sent out on April 1 to those members who have signed up for Dining Around Town Activity. It’s not too late to join us… Just click the "Activity Group Sign-up" button on the Dining Around Town activity page.
Save the dates:
- Tuesday, April 18: Brunch @ 10:00 am at Georgian Family Restaurant in Collingwood. Great food and only $15
- Wednesday, May 17: Dinner at Match Eatery, Playtime Casino in Wasaga Beach. Includes optional guided tour & complimentary $10 slot play voucher
- Thursday, June 15: Family Style Dinner @ 5:00 PM at Marilynne Restaurant in downtown Markdale
- Wednesday, September 20: Buffet Dinner @ 5 pm at Walter Falls Inn
Golf
Brian Cromie
The Golf Group had more than 27 members sign-up to participate in the new activity. A survey was sent on April 2 to those on the participant list, in order to find the best days/times to play and how to group the foursomes. Please reply by April 15.
Hiking
Vicki Kellar
A lot of interest at the Activity Fair translated into 89 members (so far) signing up for the Hiking Group. You can still join by registering on the Hiking Activity page. We anticipate starting our hiking schedule the first week of May, depending on the weather and if ski season is still operating at Blue Mountain (yes, we’re still skiing!).
Beverley Forget and Maureen Hussey were the first 2 hikers at the Fair to volunteer to lead a hike this season and won Bruce Trail bags. Each participant is encouraged to lead their favourite hike.
Guidelines for leading are found on our
Hiking web page. We hope to hike weekly until the fall, if a sufficient number of leaders volunteer. See you on the trails!
Mah jongg
Judy Smith
This new group had more than 16 members sign-up. A
survey was sent on April 3 to those on the participant list, to find the best days/times to play, experience levels and more. Please reply by April 8.
Nordic Pole Walking
Nancy Hart
Pole Walking will start on Tuesday, April 18, weather permitting. We will meet at 9:30 AM by the pavilion at Bayview Park in Thornbury. For those that are new to Pole Walking, come at 9:15 for instruction. Please be aware there is a difference between Nordic poles, ski poles and hiking poles. It is important that you use the correct poles. Nordic poles can be purchased at Thornbury Pharmasave—they are called Poles 4 Life. Show your PROBUS name tag for a discount.
Ramblers
Nancy Dixon
Since the Activity Fair, Ramblers has grown to 70 members. On April 4 a group of over a dozen Ramblers walked on a country road, on the edge of Thornbury, to see the new Alpaca babies. I hope to get more of you out now to explore our area, now that we are not restricted by Covid. Our walks will be on Thursday or Friday depending on the weather. Watch for my emails with special instructions for meeting. I will try not to be too mysterious by including more than one date or time. Looking forward to seeing my regulars and new Ramblers.
Stitch and Bitch
Sheila Churchill
Since the Activity Fair our group has grown but we would love to expand. Our group concentrates on the social aspect every month while visiting each other's homes, exchanging ideas on our current projects and—this is the best part— enjoying a wonderful dessert or light snack with coffee or tea prepared by the hostess. Please come and be part of our group.
Photo Corner
Activity Fair Slideshow Photos shared by
Lucie Desjardins.
Click on the photo below to see the
slideshow of the March 28 Activity Fair. If anyone has more photos from the Activity Fair, please send them to our new email address at
grapevine@beavervalleyprobus.com so that they can be included in the slide show!
The Master Gardener’s Corner
John Hethrington, Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario
Click on the snowdrop photo to see what you need to be doing in your garden in April... Don't forget to look over your garden to determine what plants are in the wrong place or should be divided. Dig and pot up any extra plant material to contribute to the St. George’s annual plant sale, Saturday June 3, 2023.
Support Group
Lucie Desjardins, Maureen Lalonde, Mary Ann Collins-Williams
Have you heard of a BVPC member who is having a difficult time (health issue, accident, hospitalization, loss of partner, etc.) and would benefit from receiving a card or a call from our team? If so, please let us know. We will be happy to follow up and/or get in touch with them.
In Memoriam
Eileen Rickard - Eileen passed away on March 17. Sincere sympathies to Chris, her husband of 51 years and their family.
The Last Word
Shared by Hank Bouwman
Stay away from negative people. They have a Problem for every Solution. Albert Einstein
Activity Groups: Participate - Volunteer - Have Fun!
Convenor: Volunteer needed!
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| Please be advised that all events and activities of the Beaver Valley PROBUS Club are organized for the benefit and enjoyment of its Members. Individuals who participate do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. |
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Beaver Valley Probus Club