Beaver Valley Probus Club

Grapevine October 2020

October 07, 2020 8:52 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

President's Message
Caroline Bacher

Dear Members, Thank you for responding to our recent survey. The Management Committee will consider your comments in planning for the future of our club.

If you have been listening to and watching the news lately, you will be aware of the rising number of cases of COVID-19, not only in our province, but in other provinces too. Canada is not alone in experiencing a resurgence of this virus, as is being seen all over the world. We need to be ready for a second wave. Our premier, Doug Ford, has just placed more restrictions on gatherings both outside and inside. It is just not possible for our club to gather in person yet. If you have not yet downloaded the app, COVID alert, to your phone, you might consider doing so. There seems to be positive feedback for this app from those who have it.

Fortunately, we can have our monthly meetings via Zoom, featuring our interesting speakers. We encourage you to participate in these meetings. There is a Q & A part where you can ask questions to the Speaker. Then afterward, we have a “Chat Room” where you can have a conversation with other members of our club, just as if we were having coffee time at the Community Centre. If you are wary of accessing Zoom, please see the link in our recent Survey Results email. You can also partner with a close friend to watch our next meeting. Please join us in October!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our volunteers in the Beaver Valley Probus Club. Without them, we would not have newsletters, meetings, or activities.

Some of our activities are continuing virtually, such as Book Clubs, Euchre and the Computer Group. Other leaders who wish to resume their activity must submit a plan to a sub-committee before they can go ahead. Their protocols must follow the Provincial Health Regulations to keep their participants safe. Activity Coordinators must feel comfortable with the protocols, in order to restart their activity. We respect their wishes.

The UK’s National Council for Voluntary Organisations states: “People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge.” If you feel a need to do something, please consider volunteering.

We need more submissions for our newsletter. We plan to include a humour section and a recipe corner. If you have contributions for these, or any other ideas for content, please contact our newsletter editor, Chris Rickard. You could also submit photographs to Heather Buscher for our website.

Please read the Submission from our Nominating Committee in this newsletter.

In closing, though we may not be able to gather with our family due to COVID restrictions, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for, living here in this most beautiful part of Ontario.

Survey Results

Your Management Committee (MC) would like to thank all 198 members who responded to a survey about our operations during the pandemic. A synopsis of the responses is available here. Based on the survey results, the MC has taken the following steps:
  • There will be no meetings at our Community Centre for the remainder of this membership year. Instead, these meetings will be conducted online and recorded using Zoom. We have had 3 such online meetings to-date and found them to be quite educational, so please join the next ones, if you can. 
  • The membership renewal fee for 2021 will be $15 per member, which is a 50% reduction. At this level and with the anticipated number of renewing members, we expect a significant reduction in cash assets while leaving sufficient funds to potentially conduct a regular year of operations. More information about the renewal process will be sent out in early November.
  • Many of our members have expressed an interest in outdoor activities. However even prior to the pandemic, we had no leaders for some of our outdoor activities (see Activities Update article). The MC also respects the wishes of the activity leaders who are not comfortable with leading their group under the current conditions. Should you wish to serve in a leadership role, kindly contact our Activities Convenors, Rick Leclair and Colleen Wilson-Dick.

Speaker Recordings

We have just started recording our monthly speakers, so if you are unable to join us live via zoom, you can view the video later at your convenience! Click on the image to see September's speaker, Dr. Robert Galway, compare the "Spanish" Flu of 1918 and the Novel Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020. You can also go to the Beaver Valley Probus Club YouTube channel and see the other videos posted there!

Our Speaker on October 27

Norine Baron
The Stephen Lewis Foundation - Grandmothers to Grandmothers

Although our regular, in-person meeting at the Community Center is cancelled in October due to COVID-19, Norine Baron will give her presentation online.

You no longer have to register to join! We will send the Zoom link to all our members a couple of days before the meeting, as we now have a license for up to 200 households! (For help on how to use Zoom click here!)

Norine was born and raised in Regina, SK. She moved to London, ON to attend UWO and lived there for 12 years, before moving to the Beaver Valley to be the manager of Kimbercote Farm – a retreat and conference centre. She worked there with Garth for 20 years. She has also worked in Simcoe County for 10 years in the field of children's nutrition.

Norine is a founding member of Beaver Valley Outreach (1983) and is still on the Board. She is a founding member of Amnesty International Group 82 in Thornbury. She is also a member of Grace United Church, the Goldenaires choir and the TBM Climate Action Now Network.

Norine became involved with the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2006. She formed the local Grandmothers to Grandmother sgroup with 2 other women in 2007 and went to southern Africa with the SLF in 2008. Also, she has travelled extensively on her own, doing volunteer work.

Norine is married to Garth and has 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.

Questions? Please contact:
Heather Buscher (Zoom information)
Ann Parsons (speaker information)

Photo Corner 

Autumn Slideshow

Tom P took this photo of his recent fishing trip on the Beaver River!

Click on the image to see all the autumn photos sent in by our members so far in our Autumn Slideshow

Please keep your videos, photos & ideas coming!
(Email Heather Buscher).

Trivia Contest 
Nancy Dixon

Pride not Prize! Although there are no prizes to win this time....take the Trivia Quiz to test your sports, science, and local knowledge! Answers will be posted in the November Grapevine, along with the names of those who got a perfect score!


Activity Groups Update
Rick Leclair & Colleen Wilson-Dick

Activity Coordinators Still Needed

COVID 19 continues to throw us those “curve balls”, which makes it pretty difficult to get back in the game, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be ready for the first opportunity when it presents itself, AND it is safe to do so. Some outdoor activities could possibly resume in the future with appropriate safeguards, following provincial and local health officials’ guidelines and restrictions.

Unfortunately, some of our outdoor activity groups with high member interest, remain without coordinators. Activities including Canoeing/Kayaking, Digital Photography, Birding and Snowshoeing, need volunteers to assist with a restart when the time is right.

We are encouraging people to consider sharing an Activity Coordinator role. Some of the tasks that could be shared by an “Activity Coordinator Team” are: planning outings, choosing locations/routes, communicating with participants, and coordinating outing leaders. There are roles for members new to the activity, as well for those that have some experience already.

Ultimately organizers of activity groups must be comfortable with resuming an activity before it happens. If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity, or would like to take on the role of coordinator, or assist, please contact Activities Co-Convenors Rick Leclair or Colleen Wilson-Dick.

Winter Walkers
Nancy Dixon

The Winter Walkers group is a newly formed group, that will meet every week for a relaxing stroll through a neighbourhood in Thornbury, Meaford or the Collingwood area. The walking is easy, and we are encouraging photographs for posting on our website. The plan is to meet Tuesdays @ 1:30 pm for approximately an hour walk, from November to March (with a break in December). The day of the week may switch to Thursdays depending on the weather.

The number of participants on each walk will be limited and other COVID-19 restrictions will apply.

Please register for the activity if you are interested in joining. Notices will be sent out via email the week before, with walking route and additional sign-up instructions. For more information see the Winter Walkers Activity webpage.

Georgian Probus Travel Group
Gloria Thompson

With any luck, we can redo Scotland in May 2021 and Croatia in the fall of 2021. This all depends on a vaccine. Seniors are at risk and there can be no compromises. We have to be flexible – Scotland and Croatia will be shifted according to the winds of COVID.

If you are still interested in the Croatia trip that is a combination of a yacht/bike week and a land tour week, please contact Jacqui at 647-404-9380 and have her add your name to the list for the fall of 2021. Hopefully, we will be able to offer Madeira and Portugal later.

Best to all on behalf of the GPTG

Paddleboarding
Ilene Charland

The season was short, but fun. A few Probus members met weekly from late July until early September on their paddle boards. Being a small group, we could easily maintain social distance as we paddled along the shores of beautiful Georgian Bay. Sometimes the water was calm and almost glassy, other days we were thrilled by small waves. See the Paddleboarding Slideshow for photos.

Thanks to all who participated. See you next season!

Nordic Pole Walking
Nancy Hart

The pole walking group usually has its final walk around the end of October, which will not be happening this year. Unfortunately, this year we didn’t even have our first walk of the season let alone anything in between. When the weather is fine, pole walking  is a great way to get outside, take in the fresh air, get some exercise and enjoy the fall colours. It is also very good for your mental health!

Later, when the snow flies, use your poles when you are snowshoeing or just out for a walk in the snow. Remove the rubber booties from the end of the poles and attach the snow baskets. Snow baskets for the Poles 4 Life brand of poles can be purchased from the Thornbury Pharma Save. Probus members get a 20% discount.

Hopefully next spring we will be able to meet again.

The Master Gardener’s Corner

Our Master Gardener's Corner by John Hethrington, Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario, has moved online. Look for the Gardening Tips on our web Homepage (scroll down on the right-hand side) or click here to see what you need to be doing in your garden in October!



BVPC Management Committee Openings

This is your opportunity to volunteer to be on the 2021 Management Committee. The following positions are open:

Please contact any Nominating Committee member if you have questions or would like to put your name forward.

Nominating Committee
Marion Stewart, Martin Buscher & Sandra Whitehead

Support Group
Lynn Corrigan

Do you know of a member who needs encouragement to get through a difficult period? Please do not hesitate to call on Lynn Corrigan or any of the management team.

The Last Word
Marion Stewart, Past President

The Last Word: “I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets.”
John Glenn

Grapevine Team

 Editor  Chris Rickard
 Photography  Cheryl Besley
 Distribution  Nancy Dixon
 Website  Nancy Dixon
 Heather Buscher

Activity Groups:    Participate - Volunteer - Have Fun!

Co-Convenors: Rick Leclair and Colleen Wilson-Dick


  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

Box 144, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0

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