Following the reading of the April Minutes by acting Secretary, Ruth McKellar, the correspondence was dealt with, including an invitation to the 70th Grenfell Rotary Changeover dinner on June 21 and to Narrandera Open Gardens on October 22. The Treasurer’s report for the month of April was presented by Brian McDonald. Jean Freudenstein won the draw for birthday of the month, after Social Secretary Rosalie White read Birthdays and Wedding anniversaries.     

Tourist Officer Nola Nobes announced plans for a Mystery Trip in August and a 4 or 5 day trip to Tamworth in October. Brian McDonald gave a report of a trip to Moree enjoyed by 5 Grenfell members with Cowra Men’s Probus Club. Ian McKellar reported on the Probus Friendship Day hosted by Cowra Men’s and Ladies Probus Clubs at the Cowra Services Club and attended by 170 Probians from 11 surrounding Clubs. Over 20 Grenfell members enjoyed a slide show presentation and talk centred on the Lachlan liver by Laurence Ryan and a fashion parade for Men and Ladies provided by Bushman Boots and All. The 2018 Friendship Gathering will be held at Bathurst.

After morning tea, Entertainment Officer, Gwen Clark, introduced our Guest Speaker, Graham Apthorpe, who has worked for Cowra Shire Council for 30 years and is now Director of Corporate Services. His topic was The Great War and Australia and with the aid of slides, he presented many interesting facts on World War One.

At the start of the War, the key players from Russia, England and Germany were cousins, all related through Queen Victoria. The loss of life was astounding. Graham’s grandfather’s battalion, usually 900 men, started a battle with 450 men and only 70 men were intact at the end. Some battles lost 50,000 men in a morning. In World War 11, 39,000 men died including 8000 in Prison Camps but in World War 1, 62, 3000 died and 60,000 died from war related wounds in the next 20 years.

On July 4, 1918, General Monash, whose parents were German Jews, had planned a battle to last for 90 minutes and it lasted 93 minutes. He was knighted in the field by King George V and when he died in Australia in the Thirties, his funeral was the biggest ever seen in Australia, still today.

Graham ended his presentation by singing a Digger’s song and we all joined in the Chorus. “Dinky Die, dinky die, I’m only a Digger and cannot tell a lie”. Max Barr, on behalf of the Club, thanked Graham and presented him with a small gift of appreciation.

Our next meeting will be held on Monday, July 17, with Max Walters and David Cobham on the Door Roster and Bev and Allen Kelly, Coral Mitton and Nola Nobes on the Morning Tea Roster.

Probus always welcomes expressions of interest to join us for Friendship, Fellowship and Fun and visitors are welcome at the Bowling Club at 10 a.m. For enquiries phone President Les Schaefer on 02 63431274.