The Probus Club of Bairnsdale held its November meeting at the Bairnsdale Bowls Club last Wednesday, November 12.
There was 34 members in attendance with one guest.
Profile speaker for this month was Tom Eager. Tom was born in Glasgow in November 1935.
His father worked in the Glasgow shipyards. During the war Glasgow was heavily bombed due to the shipyards.
Tom attended both primary and secondary schools in Glasgow and after graduating from secondary school he became an indentured clerk in an accountants office. After five years he became a qualified accountant.
He married his wife Betty and they immigrated to Australia and lived in Melbourne for three years during which time he got certification as an accountant in Australia.
He and Betty then moved to Bairnsdale and opened his own practice.
They had three children and Tom had a very active in the community, founding the Bairnsdale Soccer Club and serving on the board of the hospital for many years.
Guest speaker this month was Bruce Hurley. Bruce is a member of Lakes Entrance Rotary Club, which is part of a group of East Gippsland Rotary Clubs that provide aid to communities in Timor Leste.
Timor Leste is a very poor country and in many villages there is a lack of good drinking water and sanitation.
The Rotary clubs have raised $40,000 in the past two years to help provide clean drinking water and toilet blocks to a number of villages.
They are also involved in providing personal hygiene education and sanitary packs for young girls in the villages.
This aid is channeled through established comities of the Rotary Consortium.
