There is a village in Cornwall called PROBUS which reputedly has the highest church tower in the County. It was also the name of a Roman Emperor famous for his vines! However, these details do not appear to have any bearing on the name of our Club, which is based on the first three letters from PROfessional and BUSiness.
In September 1965, a member of Caterham Rotary Club realized that many recently retired business and professional men would appreciate meeting other gentlemen with similar backgrounds. Many of them were London commuters or had worked away from the area with limited opportunities to participate in the life of the town.
Caterham Rotary Club decided to organise monthly luncheons for these gentlemen so they could meet for fellowship and social activities, and the inaugural luncheon of the first Probus Club took place on 2nd March 1966. The success of the Probus Club of Caterham soon became known among other Rotary Clubs, and more Probus Clubs quickly followed. There are now over 1,700 Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland. Some are sponsored by the local Rotary Clubs, while others are formed from the waiting lists of thriving Clubs.
Our own Club started in 1981, sponsored by Bourne End and Cookham Rotary Club. At that time Desmond Atkinson belonged to Maidenhead Probus Club and he attended an initial meeting at the "Spade Oak" held to establish the new Club. A steering committee was formed chaired by Desmond. and during its first three months the policy and rules were settled. Afterward the late Tony Sabin became Chairman and the early luncheons attracted about 35 members. Desmond became Chairman again in 1991 and the monthly luncheons now attract about 50 gentlemen.
At the luncheons there is a raffle and after the meal there is a speaker whose talk lasts about 20 minutes. Sometimes it is illustrated by slides and exhibits. The June and December luncheons are special occasions to which our ladies are invited.
There are also social outings to places of interest or to the theatre, which are arranged by the Social Secretary
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