OVER decades of professional or business life there are relationships that build up between those in the same or related industries, which creates a vacuum when people leave for retirement.

Entering into that space is Probus, which exists to provide retirees with the opportunity to maintain social connections when someone’s working career is over.

Hamilton Men’s Probus president, Ken Brand, knows the history of the organisation well.

“It started in 1976 in Australia, 1974 in New Zealand,” he said.

“It’s part of the retired people out of Rotary which is the international set up and they were initially wanting to try and organise people who were used to being in business and having the personal contacts – then they retired (and asked) ‘What do you do?’

“And so they had the other arm come in from England and that’s where it started.

The qualifications to join were straightforward and the organisation’s name reflected this.

“People have to be either retired or semi-retired and the P R O is (for) professional and B U S is business,” Ken said.

“The persons had to (have been in) professional business, which was the link with Rotary with the selection process.”

Although Ken has spent some time on the Probus board at the head office in Parramatta, NSW, he’s happy to be part of the activities in Hamilton.

“The setup is really for socialising and having a guest speaker and then you go out on trips,” he said.

“The camaraderie, that is the thing, and we’re finding that all the time now with people that come in … we might say, ‘oh, it’s morning tea time now’, and no one will get up for morning tea for 10 minutes - they’re all chatting!”

Although the local men’s club has been running since 1986 and the women’s since 1988, a third combined club has also now been running about 15 years and has been gradually gaining numbers, a change Ken said reflected a national trend.

“When I was on the board in 2011/12, what was happening then (was) there was no single gender clubs being formed,” he said.

“Hubby and wife were retiring, and they were wanting to do things together.

“In those earlier times, it was very much men-orientated (and) ladies-orientated. So the single gender clubs are gradually dying out.”

But despite shifting demographics, Ken said the overall picture was a positive one for retirees and Probus was adapting to becoming more typically a great option for those who might’ve come back home after ticking off their lengthy travel bucket lists.

“People want to do things together - hubby and wife want to do these things together, and they’re not … retiring and then wanting to join (Probus) - they are retiring and taking holidays together,” he said.

“That can last up to 10 to 15 years.

“People are a lot fitter now and travelling and seem to have a lot more money, and that’s their focus - so if you retire at 60, at 75 they might come down to ground and look for something in their own town with what’s going on.”

For more information about Probus and to contact one of the three local clubs, head online to probussouthpacific.org