Contributions
from early members Roding Probus
INTRODUCTION
Several members, particularly those who have recently joined the club, have asked about its history and the emails that follow are in response to my notifying the Club that Eric Sawyer, one of the founding/early members of the club, had passed away.
It now seems an appropriate moment to get the Club’s ‘conception, birth and early days’ properly documented.
Once all the facts are established (as best they can be) I will prepare a consolidates document for agreement by those ‘in the know’ and then circulated.
PAPER ONE BY ROGER GRIFFITHS
Some Notes on Early Membership
The Club evolved as a result of people on the waiting list to join the Chigwell Probus Club decided to wait no longer, but see if a new Probus Club could be started up.
Various meetings were held and it is difficult to see when the meetings changed from a group of interested individuals into a full-blown Probus Club.
The earliest meeting for which there are recorded details, but not formal minutes as such, was held at the Chigwell Golf Club on the 13th January 1992. There were 29 participants, of whom 5 are still members.
A further meeting was held at Queen Mary College in May 1992 attended by 38 people, of whom 13 are still members.
A list showing the surviving participants from the two meetings is shown below.
Member’s Name Attended the meeting Attended the Meeting
on the 13th Jan 1992 in May 1992
Norman Booth yes yes
Cyril Chidley yes yes
Jack Clowes yes yes
Moran Farnsworth yes yes
Eric Sawyer yes yes
The following members only appear in the records as having attended the May meeting.
Denys Deykin
Peter Hampshire
Johnnie Johnson
John Manning
Arthur Savage
Tony Smith
Malcolm Taylor
David Wright
Research done by Roger Griffiths
16th March 2010
PAPER TWO BY ROGER GRIFFITHS
Roding Probus - the Early Days
Recorded details of the early days are fairly chaotic. Some do not show the date and some are not specific as to whether someone is a member or prospective member. Also, some items show the date as day and month but make no mention of the year.
Shown below is my interpretation of the records but cannot be relied on as being absolutely gospel. There is a fairly bulky file relating to the early days and it is of course available to anyone who wishes to study it.
All the lunches were held on a Monday
13th January 1992 Chigwell Golf Club
Meeting to discuss a possible new Probus Club
(based on the waiting list for Chigwell Probus Club?)
Of the thirty odd attendees the following are still members
Norman Booth (special list)
Cyril Chidley (special list)
Moran Farnsworth
Eric Sawyer
10th February 1992 Chigwell Golf Club
Inaugural lunch
Decided to call it Roding Probus Club, but also the Probus Club of Roding
(Please note - These two different names crop up randomly over the next few months!)
Of the thirty odd attendees the following are still members
Norman Booth (special list)
Cyril Chidley (special list)
Denys Deykin (special list)
Moran Farnsworth
Peter Hampshire
Johnnie Johnson (special list)
John Manning
Arthur Savage
Eric Sawyer
Tony Smith
Malcolm Taylor (special list)
David Wright
9th March 1992 Roebuck Hotel
Draft rules published
13th April 1992 Kings Head Hotel, Loughton
First (?) full lunch for the Club
11th May 1992 Queen Mary College Halls of Residence
Now registered as Roding Probus Club
8th June 1992 Loughton Masonic Hall
The Club now has 45 members
13th July 1992 Queen Mary College Halls of Residence
Constitution and rules formally approved
Research done by Roger Griffiths (E & OE!)
5th June 2011
EMAIL FROM FRANK BELL
To all e-mailers so far
I don't know how you all have managed to do it, but none of you have mentioned our very first Chairman Colum Cameron Mowat,1992 to1994.
I know this is a fact because I went to his funeral and he is still on the members list: at least two of them have passed on.
Frank Bell
Chairman 2005/2006
EMAIL FROM DAVID WRIGHT
The reason for this email is to take issue with Roger. The club was established at the suggestion of Chigwell Probus (now defunct)
to accommodate persons on its' waiting list. As I understand the two initial meetings were held at Chigwell G C.
The first was attended by just 7 future members, the second I cannot recall how many attended but the first luncheon, and third meeting, was at the Kings Head Loughton now Zizzi's. That meal was attended by some 30 persons where the objects of the club was explained, the first subscriptions taken and the first officers agreed.
I attended that luncheon so consider myself as a founding member. It is possible that Peter Hampshire, Tony Smith, Roy Carter and Gerald McMahon were also present although I cannot vouch that they were, no doubt the club archives will show if they were or not.
David Wright
FURTHER EMAIL FROM DAVID WRIGHT
Hello Roger,
Iris has granted access to her 1992 diary which reveals the following.
I attended luncheons on the 9th March, 13th April, 11th May, 8th June,13th July,10th August, 14th September, 9th November and 14th December.
The 9th March Lunch must have been at the Roebuck which had escaped my memory. I now wonder if there were other luncheons at the Roebuck.
The diary also reveals that we went on an outing on the 5th September and to the theatre on the 17th November regrettably no details are shown.
I do recall attending a theatre in London for a performance of the 'Pirates of Penzance' but cannot be sure that is was on the 17th November 1992.
It just proves that Roding Probus was socially active right from its' earliest days.
Pat, if you think it may be of assistance, I am prepared to do some research of the secretary’s records if it of help to you.
Rgds
David
Comments