We are living in interesting times. We are being bombarded with troubling news by every news media on a 24/7 basis. It seems hard at times to find joy in the typical day, of late.
I saw a sign recently that simply said: “Spread Joy!” What a wonderful thought. In fact, that could be a great New Year’s Resolution – “Spread joy this year!”
Joy can appear in so many small, simple ways – a smile, a wave, a humorous joke, a song that touches one’s soul, holding a door open for someone, or a simple “Thank You” when someone holds the door open for you.
It would be a wonderful thing if we could consciously think about spreading joy – so that it actually becomes the new norm. Spreading joy can be infectious. When someone does it to you, it makes it easier for you to do it with others. Joy can ripple through a family, a group, a community or a nation. All it takes is a bit of a push to get it started. Is there something that each of us can do to spread a bit of joy today – and tomorrow?
On a personal note, I have found a lot of joy through our Probus Club over the past few years. There are members who frequently send e-mail messages around with funny, thoughtful and uplifting messages. These really brighten my day. The fun and laughter that surfaces when attending one of our special events, or group tours, or a Special Interest Group (SIG) activity provides an immediate return on one’s investment of time or funds to participate.
As we approach our 2025 Annual General Meeting being held on Feb. 6th, it’s time to say a special “THANK YOU” to those members of our Management Committee who have completed their term of office – Sue Kelly, our Past President, Al MacDonald as Chair of the Speakers’ Committee, Sharon Seibt, Chair of the Out & About Committee, Norm Kilarski our Technology Chair, Don Dempson, who has served in multiple roles over many years, and Ann Barnes our Membership Chair, who moved back to Ontario in the fall. They have all served our club well. Several other members have agreed to remain on the Management Committee and continue to serve – Janet Walker as Chair of the Speakers’ Committee, Sonya Bardatti as Treasurer, Steph Smith as Secretary, Terry Kelly as Hospitality Chair, Gail Sherson and Kim Rasmussen as Communication Committee Co-Chairs, Sandy Doyle as a Member-at-Large and myself, as I shift to the Past President role. In addition, we have been blessed with an enthusiastic group of new members who have accepted nominations for positions on the Management Committee, depending on the results of the election at our AGM. We do still have one key vacancy – that of President. Hopefully, we will have a nominee in time for the AGM – but if not, we have a contingency plan in place to fill that void until we can find a new replacement.
All in all, 2025 was a very good year for our club. We can all look forward to many more joyful events and activities in 2026. By spreading a little bit of joy regularly, it will be a great year.
“Joy is increased by spreading it to others.”
Robert Murray McCheyne
Jim McKinlay