Month: April 2016

Wednesday, 27th April 2016: Dr John McClure: The Development of the Red Cross Movement

As National Chairman of the British Red Cross Society from 2001 – 2007 Dr McClure was uniquely placed to address the club on the origins and development of the Red Cross Movement. In terms of those who have made lasting contributions to the wellbeing of mankind throughout the world it is somewhat sad that the name of Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross and first recipient of the Nobel Prize for peace, is not well known. Today 187 countries – more than in the United Nations – are supporters of the Red Cross Geneva Conventions which set out the humanitarian principles by which casualties of conflicts and prisioners of war are to be treated. In tracing the development of the Red Cross from its foundation in Switzerland 1863, Dr McClure described how Henry Dunant had gone from hero to zero. Having set up the Red Cross he became a hero but, like volunteers in the organisation today he was an unpaid and when his business enterprise failed he was left with nothing. For a time he lived rough on the streets of Paris before he was rehabiltated by the organisation he had helped to set up. Whilst the ideals of the Red Cross are globally accepted, its emblem of a red cross on a white background is a sensitive issue in some middle eastern countries where it has been replaced by a red crescent on a white background. Dr McClure was thanked for an enlightening, engaging and informative talk by Probus member, Jim McBain.

Wednesday, 20th April 2016: Billy Pollock: Omagh Lawn Tennis Club

Mr Pollock was introduced by club Vice-President, John McCandless whose words of welcome included mention of Billy’s other enthusiasm being that of a “radio ham”. Billy thanked the President and members for their invitation to speak and had doubted his ability to do so as many of the club records (covering the period 1921 – 1995) had ben mislaid. The club was formed in October 1892 and in March 1893 land was acquired from the Fleming Estate. A croquet lawn established in 1896. Billy’s talk focussed on people well-known in the world of tennis both locally and abroad. The club entered a period of decline in the 1970’s and he told many amusing anecdotes about their efforts to turn things around. The President thanked Billy Pollock for his most enjoyable and informative presentation. On Wednesday 20th April the club welcomed a new member, Mr Ivor Samson.

Wednesday 13th April 2016: Anthea Owens, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council: Recycling

Using slides to illustrate her talk Ms Owens began by demonstrating the scale of the problem presented by waste management and recycling. On average each household produces 1 ton of domestic waste per year, the bulk of which is dumped in landfill sites. FODC [Fermanagh and Omagh District Council] operates two landfill sites, Tullyvar in Co Tyrone and Drummee in Co Fermanagh. In 2014 – 15 the Council spent £3.5m on collection and a further £4.7 m on disposal. The remainder of Anthea’s talk was on the theme of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recovery. Food waste averages out at £60.00 per household per month. For advice on how to reduce this she referred her audience to the website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. Discussion about the appropriate way to dispose of textiles, plastic, glass, paper, card, metal, ashes, polystyrene and paint made for lively exchanges and generated many questions. In closing she encouraged members to download the FODC app “bin-ovation”, which contains useful information on waste management and recycling in the local area. Anthea was warmly applauded for her talk which had kept members fully engaged for over an hour.

Wednesday, 6 April 2016: Inter-club Quiz
The annual inter-club quiz was contested by 17 teams from Probus Clubs in Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Londonderry, Omagh and Strabane. The quiz master was Joseph Cummings and after 8 rounds, each with 8 questions, Londonderry Men’s Probus Club emerged as the winners of the James Eakin Shield for the third consecutive year. The Bert McCrory Cup for the best Omagh Team was won by Omagh Probus Men’s Club 1, the club having entered 3 teams. The event took place in Omagh Golf Club and guests were treated to tea, coffee and refreshments during the half-time interval. The morning also included a succesful raffle with prizes donated by members of Omagh Probus Club.