Ladies aged 55 and over who would like more social outings and companionship are invited to join Ladies Probus, which celebrated its 30th birthday on Monday.
Enjoying the luncheon, cupcakes and decorations were the club’s first President, Mrs Josephine Peter, and the first Secretary, Mrs Ina Langbine.
Enjoyment is written into the club’s constitution as every meeting has to be followed by social time, such as morning tea and entertainment.
“After the meeting, we have a social session where we play games or have quizzes or we have a guest speaker,” said Mrs Langbine.
“During the month we have a morning tea and a luncheon at one of the venues in town,” she said.
Crafts were offered but some of the best times were had when members practiced and performed shows.
“We had a group that used to do short plays and skits and perform at the nursing homes and the Civic Centre,” said Mrs Langbine.
“We had so much fun.
“It has filled up my life.”
The Broken Hill Ladies Probus group has also travelled to South Australia, including to Clare and Berri.
“We had a marvellous time and had fun in the motels with our pyjama parties,” said Mrs Langbine.
“We could get away from grown families and teenagers and really let our hair down.”
Social outings are arranged three times a month by Mrs Peter and provide valuable social connection and an antidote to loneliness, which can help ladies who are widows or who live alone.
“I had friends at a tennis club but they did not want to go on social outings so I joined the Ladies Probus group,” said Mrs Peter.
“The reason I joined was I was missing the social life.”
Probus stands for ‘Professional and business people’ and allows retired or semi-retired people to continue to connect socially after work friendships may have been lost.
In 1992, the waiting list for Rotary’s Probus Club became too long so Mrs Peter and Mrs Langbine attended the first meeting for a second club at Radford House, out the south in Eyre Street.
Silver City Ladies Club became Ladies Probus and membership was expanded to include all ladies and increased from 60 to 80. It does not raise money so there are no raffles and no disposals.
The club is in the Community Centre at 200 Blende Street, making it central for ladies who don’t drive.
“Many of the ladies still drive,” said Mrs Langbine.
“We do have two ladies here who are 93.”
“This is somewhere you can go to when you’re older and they can give you spiritual support.”
“When Ladies Probus started, the middle-aged ladies had very few things to go to besides sport and they were looking for other outings,” said Mrs Langbine.
“I think we have really filled that gap for the ladies.
“They can just come to a meeting and we will accept them.”
Ladies Probus meets on the first Monday of the month at 10am.
