~ March 2007 Edition |
~ March 2007 Edition |
|
THE
PROBUS CLUB OF PERTH P. O. Box 2164, Perth, Ontario K7H 3M9 www.probusperth.ca Meets first Wednesday of each month, September to June. Management Team2006/2007 President Past President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Program
Ian Doig Special Events Membership Facilities Newsletter Webmaster |
"Living on Earth as if we want to stay"Guest Speaker: Mike Nickerson,founder, Institute for the Study of Cultural Evolution
Mike sees an economy based on continual growth as the Earth’s biggest problem. While growth as a goal was possibly valid in past generations when the population was much smaller, a United Nations study published in 1987 concluded that mankind is now overwhelming the planet. Since then ‘sustainable development’ has become the goal of those who believe that the human race has reached the end of its adolescent growth spurt, and is capable of adjusting to a mature steady state. It is (past) time to assume the responsibility of creating a society which lives in balance with its environment. Mike suggested that, building on the creed of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, we should replace the ‘cradle to grave’ cycle of pro-duction with a ‘cradle to cradle’ approach, in which producers are responsible for their products through a closed cycle of production, use and renewal. Mike Nickerson was thanked by Orion Clark for his presentation on sustainable development. Notes from the Management Team Watch what you eat! A doctor was addressing a large audience in Vancouver: “The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we have all eaten it at one time or another. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?” After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said, “Wedding Cake.” |
| Personal Profile Ann and Gordon Munroe Ann and Gordon both grew up on small Ontario farms and met at the University of Guelph where both were pursuing Masters programs. They married in 1969 and began their teaching careers at Kirkland Lake Collegiate Institute. In 1973 they moved to Perth, teaching at PDCI and establishing Munlaren Farms on the Drummond Second Line as their home for the next 33 years. 
Special Events May 30: Gananoque 1000 Island Playhouse production of The Ballad of Stompin' Tom. June 25: The Annual Probus Golf Tournament, organized this year by Dale Nugent. Golfers, mark your calendars. October 11-13: Shaw Festival; at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Accommodation at the Oakes Hotel overlooking the Falls. Wine tasting at Pellier Estates. We will also visit the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory. The two plays are Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams and the musical, Mack and Mabel. Cost/person is $695 single or $560 double accommodation, and includes bus, two breakfasts and two dinners, plays and attractions. Notes: For all trips, the bus leaves from the Legion. If you have ideas for new events or trips, talk to Denise Mullins (613-267-3479). |
Visit our main website: www.probusperth.ca |
Throughout his life, Mike Nickerson has been fascinated by how societies evolve. In 1971, he founded the Institute for the Study of Cultural Evolution. Even then, when many of today’s problems were still projections, Mike sensed that the human race was on the brink of what will likely be the greatest sociological transformation of all time. Mike is the author of five books, the latest being Life, Money and Illusion; Living on Earth as if we want to stay.