President's Message
Kirby Philp
As we step into March, our skiers are enjoying the final stretch of the season, while many others are eagerly looking ahead to the arrival of Spring. It’s not far off now, and I know I’m already counting the days until I can dust off my golf clubs! March is an important month for our club. It’s when we reflect on the past year at our AGM and also look forward to the year ahead with the excitement of our Activity Fair. I encourage all members to participate in the voting process and attend the online AGM. We need a 25% quorum for the club to continue operating, and your involvement truly matters. Wishing you a wonderful month, and I hope to see you at the Activity Fair on March 24.
Membership
Pam Weaver / Kathy Mercer
This is a busy time for our newest Members. In February, there was a welcoming ‘Meet & Greet’ luncheon. On March 24, all our members can visit the Activity Fair at the Community Centre to learn more about the wide range of activities we offer to members. Throughout April and beyond, there will be lots of opportunities to become involved with many of these activities. Our website offers answers to most of your questions, but if not, contact our ‘Help Desk’ at help@beavervalleyprobus.com.
Please remember to wear your badge to all PROBUS events!
Annual General Meeting - Tuesday, March 24 @ 11:00 AM
This year's AGM will be held on March 24, 2026 at 11 AM. It will be an online meeting using Google Meet, lasting only about 30 minutes. An invitation will be emailed to our members ahead of time, with instructions on how to join this brief online meeting.
We kindly ask that all members vote online to elect our officers, to accept the 2025 AGM Minutes and the 2025-2026 Annual Financial Statements. Check your email on March 17, 2026 for instructions on how to vote. Voting closes on March 23, 2026, the day before the AGM. To view the timeline for the AGM and current nomination for our officers, please see our 2026 AGM webpage. Since we didn't have another candidate stand for President, Kirby Philp our current president is willing to stand for a 2nd and final term.
Following our online AGM Meeting, we will be holding our Annual Activity Fair in the Beaver Valley Community Centre between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. This is in place of a regular members’ meeting. There is more information on this important event below.
Activity Fair — Tuesday, March 24 @ 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Ilene Rushefsky Charland - Activities Convenor
March is upon us, and we are planning for the Activity Fair on March 24. The Activity Fair will again be held at the Beaver Valley Community Centre starting at 1:00 PM. You will note the excitement as you move from table to table, chatting with old friends and meeting new ones. For new members, this is a time to learn about the 30+ activity groups and think about choices for the upcoming year.
For this year there are a few new groups for you to consider: Hiking, Down a notch; G.L.E.A.M., (a ladies lunch group); Bid Euchre and a Non Fiction Book Club. It is looking like we won't have enough days in the week to accommodate our large number of activity groups!
**NOTE: you must sign-up again online for any activities this year—even if you were signed up last year, or this year before March 1, 2026.**
Check out all the activities on our Activities webpages and be ready with your questions before you attend! We have several new Activity Groups, and it is not too late to create more new groups—if you are willing to volunteer!
25th Anniversary Celebrations
Pam Weaver
Prior to the February monthly meeting, we presented a selection of archived photos highlighting both 'Winter Activities' and, during the break, 'Activity Fairs’. There will be no Anniversary Slideshows in March and April. When they return in May, the theme will be 'Summer Activities'.
Save the Dates:
April 28, 2026: The Anniversary Committee is planning a 'Pizza and Playtime' event at the Beaver Valley Community Centre.
October 22, 2026: Additionally, we're beginning to organize a very special afternoon gathering scheduled for Thursday, October 22, with more information to follow soon. Be sure to save both dates!
25th Anniversary Celebration— Pizza & Playtime
Pam Weaver
Join us for a fun afternoon with pizza and games!
Look for the invitation coming out at the end of March! This celebration will take the place of our usual April meeting.
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026 @1:30 PM
Location: Beaver Valley Community Centre
Cost: $5 (payment is online only during registration).
Social Events
Don Collins-Williams
March 6—Line Dancing Potluck: On Friday, March 6, we will be having a potluck dinner followed by Line Dancing at St George's Anglican Church in Clarksburg. This event is SOLD-OUT!
March 29—Board Games Afternoon. Our last Board Games afternoon for this season will be taking place on Sunday, March 29, and we hope that you will be able to come out and enjoy the fun. Look for the invitation sent out on March 2.
Your Social Committee is planning a full slate of events for the Spring and Summer—details to follow in the April edition of the Grapevine!
Theatre Event - Nashville Music City - July 16, 2026
Vicki Kellar
We’ve never been disappointed in a King’s Wharf Theatre production, so join us for another fun musical production from Drayton Entertainment. This feel-good musical revue encompasses the musical evolution of Nashville becoming the uncontested home of country music. 'Nashville Music City' shines a neon light on the artists and songs that gave the city its name; the hits of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift plus many others are featured in this toe tapping production.
With only 63 spots available for our Club, tickets will go fast!
Look for the invitation with all the details to be sent out on April 2!
Date: Thursday, July 16 @ 2:00 PM
Location: King's Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene
Cost: 53.81 / per person (including HST)
Optional Dinner available.
Georgian PROBUS Travel Group
Gloria Thompson
We have several exciting trips planned for 2026 and some already in the works for 2027. Remember all members, friends and family are welcome to join. Check out the Georgian Probus Travel Group webpage for details on all the upcoming trips.
Upcoming Trips:
- Majestic Morocco Tour (Apr 10 - 24, 2026): *The interest in this tour has been huge—book soon if you are hoping to join! 15-day trip through Morocco’s ancient cities and countryside. There is enough interest for a second van! See the Poster and the Detailed Itinerary.
- Ireland Tour (Jun 1 - 12, 2026): Small group escorted tour, including the Aran Islands. *SOLD OUT*, but there is a waitlist if interested as cancellations do occur!
- Muskoka Cruise (July 7-8) *New! Muskoka day cruise from Port Carling with an optional overnight at a luxury resort. This cruise sold out quickly last year! You won't want to miss the views of "millionaires row" from the Peerless 2. See the Flyer for more information!
- Haida Gwaii (August 17 - 22, 2026): This is a very special experience that will appeal to the adventurous. See the Poster and Detailed Itinerary. This tour by large Zodiac is perfect for active members. If you have friends out west, this would be a great add-on.
- Le Petit Train du Nord Bike Tour (Sept 13 - 20, 2026): 8-day scenic cycling tour along Quebec’s famous Petit Train du Nord, with charming villages, restaurants, microbreweries, and beaches along the way. E-bikes available to rent. Click to view Poster and Detailed itinerary.
- Japan Discovery Tour (Nov 3 - 16, 2026): A bucket list trip for sure. Click to view Flyer and Detailed Itinerary.
- Costa Rica / Panama Sail Tour (Jan 9 -16, 2027): Star Clipper, sailing from Costa Rico (Pt. Caldera) to Panama (Balboa). *SOLD OUT with no PROBUS members on board.
- Scotland Tour (May 2027) is being investigated right now. Details coming soon.
Activity Groups Update
Ilene Rushefsky Charland
Here is a step-by-step video on "how to sign up" for Activity Groups. Click on the red arrow to view!
Book Club - Non Fiction
Don Collins-William / John White
*New Activity Group. We are excited to let you know that we are creating a new Book Club starting in April. We will be looking at books ,essays and articles dealing with topics such as Political Economy, History, Economics, Public Administration, Business, Medicine and Technology, which continue to impact the world we live in. For more details check out our Non-Fiction Book Club Activity page, or visit our table at the March Activity Fair, where we will have a display of proposed initial books, and can answer any questions.
Dining Around Town
Hank Bouwman
Invitations for our March 18 Luncheon @12 noon at Katherine's Chateau in Collingwood were sent out March 1 to those members who have signed up for Dining Around Town. It’s not too late to join us—just go to the Dining Around Town Activity Group webpage and sign-up in order to receive the invitations!
Future Dining Dates:
- Wednesday, March 18 @ 12 Noon Luncheon - Katherine's Chateau, Collingwood
- Wednesday, April 16 @ 5 PM Dinner - Copper Blues Bar & Grill, Blue Mountain Village
- Thursday, May 7 @ 5 PM Dinner - Walter Falls Inn
Euchre 1
Elaine & Hank Bouwman
The next Euchre 1 monthly tournament will be on Tuesday, March10 at 12:45 PM in the downstairs great hall at St. George’s Anglican Church. Invitations are sent out on the 1st of every month. Cost: $2.00 / person at the door. You must register in advance to secure your place.
High Score in February - Bruce W.
Euchre 2
Allan Smith
The Euchre 2 group plays on the last Wednesday of the month at 7 PM. The members of the group take turns hosting (usually 2 - 3 tables). Please sign-up via our Euchre 2 Activity Page or contact me directly if you are interested in joining!
In addition to our in-person games, we also play Online Euchre on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month using Trickstercards.com under our own group, “Probus 2.” The platform includes full audio and video at no cost, there’s no maximum number of players, and a hidden bonus is that you can enjoy a glass of wine while you play!
Bid Euchre
Mary Jansen
*New Activity Group. This new Activity Group welcomes players of all skill levels to enjoy Bid Euchre. The group will meet twice monthly from October through April at members’ homes. Bid Euchre is more strategic and competitive than regular euchre, featuring bidding and higher stakes — a more tactical version of the classic game. I will host a Bid Euchre introduction on Sunday April 12 for those who would like to learn about the game and to see if they would like to participate in this activity next fall. Please contact me if you are interested in joining! See the Bid Euchre Activity Page for more information.
G.L.E.A.M.
Mary Ann Collins-Williams / Beth White
*New Activity Group. Introducing a new dining activity group for ladies—G.L.E.A.M.—Glamorous Ladies eating at Mid-day! More details will be available at the March 24 Activity Fair and shortly on the G.L.E.A.M Activity Page.
Mah Jongg
Judy Smith
Our Beaver Valley Mah Jongg group meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month. We alternate our location between St George's Anglican Church and the Legion in Clarksburg. Lessons will be held in March for members who are interested in learning to play American Mah Jongg - Tuesday, March 10 / Wednesday, March 18. We set up at 1:15 p.m. and play until 3:30 p.m. Please sign up on our Mah Jongg Activity Group page to receive our emails and also email judy.o.smith@gmail.com if you would like to attend either of the March lessons.
Puzzle Exchange Table
Elaine Bouwman / Rita Melzer
Enjoy doing puzzles? We are starting up a jigsaw puzzle exchange table at our monthly member speaker meetings starting with the Activity Fair on March 24. Bring 1 or 2 jigsaw puzzles and exchange them at the back of the room. Puzzles must be 100% complete with no missing pieces.
Ramblers
Nancy Dixon
Our Ramblers group enjoyed an amazing winter walk last Friday. The best
temperature, sunlight and some amazing people, made our walk through Meaford one of the most enjoyable yet. Those of you regular Ramblers sitting back in your warm and cozy homes, think about getting back out with us to enjoy the rest of the winter. All of you new members and potential Ramblers make sure you sign up after our Activity Fair. We Ramble in the area including the trails, streets of Meaford, Thornbury and Collingwood as well as Creemore. It's incredible how walking for an hour or hour and half can make you that much healthier. See you soon!
R.O.M.E.O.
John White / Louis Charland
The R.O.M.E.O group of 'retired outstanding men eating out' enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Mill restaurant in February. Our next lunch is at Polpette on March 11. We have just concluded a survey of our group members which gives us information to choose venues for the next year. We are planning for 12 lunches and 2 brunches, targeting a number of new locations.
Ski Legends
Chris Mifflin
What a great winter with more snow than we’ve had recently, although the cold temperatures did challenge us as well! Still lots more skiing this winter - hope to see you out there!
Ski Days: We continue to ski every Tuesday and Wednesday at Blue Mountain (meet at 9:30 AM at the Silver Bullet) until the end of March. Stay for lunch on Tuesdays at one of the restaurants in the Village or at the Inn.
2027 Ski Trips: While we don’t have any details yet, the planning process is underway. We will likely have 2 trips, one in Canada and one in Europe. Expect more details at the annual year-end breakfast, with trip sales to begin in the spring! All participants must be PROBUS members and members of PROBUS Ski Legends:
https://probusskilegends.ca/membership/ Membership cost is $50 per year.
Snowshoeing
Ilene Rushefsky-Charland
We have enjoyed weekly snowshoe outings to a variety of areas. We loved watching the water rushing down the river on the Beaver River Trail; the peaceful Nippissing Ridge trail; Judith leading an outing on the Lora Bay Golf course with scenic views of the bay and Bruce leading a hike through the forest at Kolapore south; We are hoping for a few more outings before the snow gets mushy and melts.
Humor Corner
Shared by Dr. Seuss
You have brains in you head; You have feet in your shoes; You can steer yourself in any direction you choose; You're on your own and you know what you know and you are the guy Who'll decide were to go?
Photo Corner
Lucie Desjardins
This photo of a red squirrel was take by Lucie D. For other recent photos please check out our 2026 Slideshows!
The Master Gardener’s Corner
John Hethrington, Master Gardener Emeritus
Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario
Click on the image to see what you need to be doing in your Garden in March.
Support Group
Lucie Desjardins / Mary Ann Collins-Williams
Do you know of a BVPC member who is having a difficult time (health issue, accident, hospitalization, loss of partner, etc.) and would benefit from receiving a card or a call from our team? If so, please let us know. We will be happy to follow up and/or get in touch with them.
In Memoriam
Kathy Goodman passed away suddenly on February 18. Our sincere condolences to her husband Ray.
The Last Word
Shared by Nancy Dixon
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
Author Thomas Edison
Beaver Valley Probus Club