Minutes of the meeting of Coleraine Probus Club

Attendance: 45 members.

The Club President, John Graham, welcomed members to the meeting. He then introduced our speaker for the morning, John Johnson, the topic of his talk being “VARIOUS VERSES”.

John was for many years the farming correspondent with the BBC. He was also involved in the local “concert party” scene and as a result developed a high regard for the poems of the Rev WF Marshall whom he described as a tremendous wordsmith. Marshall began his ministry in Co Tyrone, but spent 26 years as the minister in Castlerock Presbyterian Church.

John amazed the members with a selection of monologues. W F Mashall’s “Me and me Da” and “Sarah Ann” ; “ An Irish Mother” and “Later On” by Percy French; “If” by Rudyard Kippling and finally “Only a Slum” by James Young.

The word pictures created by these poets were both amusing and poignant.

A question and answer session followed the talk.

A summary of this talk is available in the Speaker’s Record Book and also here on the Club website.

A vote of thanks proposed by Norman Gallagher was passed to John Johnson by the President. The members showed their appreciation.

Weekly Business

Apologies: Joe Alcorn, Leslie Brennan, John Dobson, Eric Fulton, Ivan Gough, Aubrey McElhinney, John McHenry, Ian Murray, Reggie Patterson, Ernest Preece and Robin Semple (11)

Minutes: The Minutes of the 17 November 2015 were read, agreed and signed by the President.

Matters arising: None not covered by the agenda.

Correspondence: An email received from Valerie Saunders of NI Chest, Heart and Stroke appealing for volunteers for a street collection on Saturday 28 November 2015.

REPORTS:
Social: Des Johnston reported that 36 members have signed up for the Christmas Lunch. Next Tuesday, 1 December will be the deadline for receiving bookings.

Welfare: Cecil Spotten reported that John Dobson’s recovery was progressing.

Treasurer: Nothing to report.

A O B: 1. Notice was given for the Counterpoint Christmas Concert to be held in St Patrick’s Church on Friday 4 December at 7.30pm.

2. Jim Donaghy informed members that a meeting will be held in Portstewart Town Hall to launch a branch of “Men’s Shed” on Thursday 26 November at
7.30pm. Branches already exist in Londonderry, Ballymena, Antrim and Belfast.

3. Peter FitzGerald recommended that members should endeavour to attend the “Show Stoppers” concert in Coleraine High School on Thursday 26 November at 8.00pm.

Next Speakers Meeting: Will be held on Tuesday 1 December 2015 and the speaker will be Mark Patton on the subject of “SPERRIN GOLD”.

The President thanked the members for attending and looked forward to seeing them at the next meeting.
Meeting closed at 12.00 noon.

SIGNED: John Graham
President
Date: 1 December 2015.