Probus is future-proofed

Cupar Probus club, which celebrates its 50th anniversary today, is one of the oldest in Scotland and has its origins in a proposal made by the late Dr David Hendry and developed within Cupar Rotary Club during 1970. Probus is a purely social club and has no fundraising aspirations.

Cupar Probus held its first meeting in the (then) Royal Hotel on November 19 1970. Until lockdown in March, there had been a Cupar Probus meeting held twice per month. In the early days, these meetings took place on Thursdays in the Royal Hotel. In more recent times, the venue has been the Age Concern Hall.

Member Allan Black says: “Just as the future looked bleak and there was the fear that this could possibly mean the demise of the club in our 50th anniversary year, we decided to act and the club became virtual. We decided to use video conferencing – no mean task when many of the members had limited experience or knowledge of the internet. However, with tuition and persuasion, the meetings recommenced on May 24 using Zoom.”

Allan says that it is gratifying that a group of more than 30 switch on at 10am for the meetings and talks. “The ability to sit at home and see the screen clearly and be able to adjust the volume has proved popular and successful,” he adds.

The plan is to continue virtually, and the club has already begun looking for speakers for 2021. The main aim in this new world is to keep the club going.

New members are always welcome and the club’s activities can be viewed on the website, www.cuparprobusclub.org. If you are interested in joining, please email secretary@cuparprobusclub.org

Members of Cupar Probus Club, pictured in their 25th anniversary year in 1995, when meetings were held in the Royal Hotel in the town. Read more about the club below.