Ladies’ Probus Club Newsletter 1991

THE LADIES’ PROBUS CLUB OF HASTINGS

Meeting Day:   Third Thursday
Time:   10.00am
Venue:   Windsor Lodge

President:   Joan Pascoe   878-3415
vice-President:   Lily Bignell   878-4060
Secretary:   Jean Walker   878-5884
Treasurer:   June Gadd   879-8257
Committee:   Norma Norton   878-7317
Greta Crist   878-3241
Bulletin Editor:   Mary Ormiston   878-7816

AIM   To stimulate thought, interest and participation in activities at a time of life when horizons are narrowing and opportunities to make new friends limited.

NO 2   JULY, 1991

JUNE MEETING:   The president, Joan Pascoe, was presented with the Collar of Office and a president’s lapel brooch, by Mr Neil Donaldson, president of Hastings Rotary. Mrs Pascoe in turn presented foundation members with their membership brooches, which were donated by the Hastings Rotary Club.

COUNCILLOR MEGAN WILLIAMS, speaking on the theme of “Recycling” and describing the scheme she is involved in, projected her enthusiasm to a sympathetic audience. Her obvious concern for the environment and her practical approach to the problems of recycling made her a creditable advocate for the plan, which is still at the testing stage. Her interesting talk was appreciated by members. On behalf of the Club, June Gadd presented the speaker with a Special Nut and Carrot Cake.

TODAY’S SPEAKER:   MARCIA TILYARD, will describe her experiences when “Cleaning up Mount Everest.”

At the AUGUST meeting the speaker will be KAREN THOMPSON on her time as a “Bluebell Dancer.”

FROM THE COMMITTEE:

1.   Twelve new members have been accepted by the committee, who are pleased to welcome the following:
Joy Archibald
Betty Doree
Betty Haig
Isobel Ingram
Mavis McNiece
Flors Sephton
Helen Cutler
Ursula Fowler
Eris Hay
Sybil Lincoln
Madeline Phibbs
Margaret Wellwood

2.   Our membership now stands at 46

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

3.   A reminder that some subscriptions are now due. Please see June Gadd if yours is one.

4.   Club Trip: A visit to Napier Museum on July 24th to view the tapestries made for London’s Globe Theatre, is proposed. This will be in the early afternoon and could be preceded by an early lunch or followed by afternoon tea, whichever members decided at today’s meeting.

5.   Lectern Cloth:  It was agreed by members that an embroidered cloth with the Probus logo would be an asset and a focal point for meetings. It was left to the president to look into this.

TEN COMMANDMENTS TO REDUCE STRESS
Thou shalt not be perfect or even pretend to be
Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people
Thou shalt leave things undone that ought to be done
Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin
Thou shalt learn to say no
Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and thy support network
Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly
Thou shalt be boring, untidy, inelegant and unattractive at times
Thou shalt not feel guilty
Especially thou shalt not be thine own worst enemy, but be thy best friend.

FROM A MEMBER

A crisp sunny winter afternoon, and still waters mirroring the reds, browns and greens of hills, pines, willows and reeds bordering the water. No exotic lake, but the top of the Ahuriri Estuary behind Bay View – a very beautiful area often, but not well-known. On June 30th, two of us strolled peacefully along the stop-bank, stopping regularly to count the water birds, because we were involved in the N.Z. Ornithological Society’s annual winter count. Further along the estuary, other H.B. members were patrolling their sections and simultaneously, other H.B. estuaries were being surveyed.

Among the birds we counted during our walk were stilts, spur-winged plover, white-faced herons, swallows (try counting hundreds of darting swallows!) gulls, Paradise duck, shags, pukeko, and banded dotterel. Nothing unusual this time, but the estuary as a whole is a truly wonderful bird habitat, hosting many more bird species, including migrants from other parts of N.Z., Australia and Siberia. Herons, spoonbill, godwits, golden plover and sandpipers come every year and quite often rarities appear as well.

The Ornithological Society exists for the advancement of birdy study and is not a conservation organisation, though many of its members are conservationists, professionally or otherwise. Membership ranges from those whose interest in birds is mainly aesthetic, to scientists recognised internationally, and all can make useful contributions.

MARY CRAVEN is the recorder for the Hawkes Bay Region of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand.