Probus Club of Gravenhurst Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 10 October 2008 Founded March 18, 2003 Club No. 142 P.O. Box 822, Gravenhurst, ON. P1P 1V2 This Month’s Speaker: Terry Boyle, Author Topic: Haunted Ontario October Many in attendance would already have watched, read or listened to Meeting Terry Boyle before Keith Cross had begun his introduction. For 14 st October 21 , 2008 years he hosted “Discover Ontario” on CBC Highlights radio and later the TV series “Creepy Canada”. Over the past 30 years, this believer Recorded Attendance: in the paranormal has authored 12 books and given countless tours and talks. 106 members, 3 guests Door Prizes For Terry, who now lives in Rosseau, Ontario, his belief in the paranormal began in the early Lorrie Beavis 70s in his own home near Brantford when inexplicable movements of teacups would & happen from time to time that both he and his Photo by Marv McCabe Harold Dowd wife witnessed. This belief and his training as a journalist have led him to investigate reported hauntings all over Ontario including such famous sites as the Donnelly Estate in Lucan. In one of many stories that Terry recounted, he told of his actual experience while shooting a segment for Creepy Canada at the Orillia Opera House November using infrared film. While in a tunnel containing a jail, everyone Meeting heard footsteps at about 4:30 a.m. and went running. By Terry’s th own admission, this was not a particularly professional response by November 18 , 2008 a film crew attempting to document a haunted phenomenon, Gravenhurst Opera House however, a significant temperature change from 21 0 C to 0 0 C was 10:00 a.m. recorded at that exact moment. Regaining their composure, the crew followed the sound to the elevator room where groaning was Guest Speaker heard and eventually a floating object or spirit appeared. Cheryl Cooper - Muskoka If, like me, you would normally scoff at such stories, Terry asks us to Heritage Foundation consider this - We are all taught to think in terms of time being linear while our lives may really have many parallel events occurring all Topic around us so “Who’s the ghost?” He noted that children are the ones most likely to see or capture an unseen image on camera, Ontario Visual Heritage perhaps because they are more open-minded. Project – Muskoka DVD Highlights Our own Opera House has a well known ghost story with several people, including one of our members, bearing witness to its unexplained behaviour with lighting, computers and printers. Terry also covered a great deal of folklore relating to fairies and native spirits which have led to traditional superstitions that persist in our society. Halloween potions that may be brewed this month have nothing on the “love potion” of toe nail clippings and lemonade that was thought to cast a love spell on the intended who drank it. Whether you are a believer or would just enjoy experiencing more of this haunted world you may wish to participate in one of Terry’s guided tours that take place in Bala and Parry Sound throughout each July and August. If so, here’s a link to his website at Entwood Tours. http://www.entwoodcottage.ca/information.htm Terry was thanked by Marv McCabe who, among others in attendance gave witness to his belief and experience with our haunted Ontario. Contributed by: Barrie Brown Two New Members Introduced To Club Vice President, Barb McCabe and Membership Committee member, Jack Young welcomed Alan and Maggie Keates to our club at this month’s meeting. Unfortunately, no picture was taken at the time. Please watch for it in the next newsletter and make them feel welcome. Christmas Luncheon Tickets are now on sale for the Christmas luncheon. It will be held immediately following the December Probus meeting on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 at the Canadian Legion. The cocktail hour begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $15/person for a complete roast beef dinner and your ticket also entitles you to several great draw prizes. For tickets contact Barb Jones at 684-8752 or purchase them from the Dining Out ladies at the November meeting. Nine & Dine Season Wraps Up At The Diamond In The Rough Our own mischievous Marv McCabe created this little collage of some of the participants in the final golfing event for the year which took place at The Diamond In The Rough in Utterson. Thanks to John Wheeler and Gerry Tanner from all of our golfers for organizing so many successful outings this year. Country Roads & Ghost Towns Make For “Spirited” Outing A fantastic road tour of Muskoka ghost towns by 70 members, randomly teamed up in 18 cars was the culmination of weeks of planning and preparation by our own relic hunter, Marv McCabe. Smiling faces and laughter were evident everywhere as each team tried to accurately complete the tour questionnaire. Blessed with mostly sunny weather, participants and spotters captured the action in hundreds of photographs that were hastily compiled into a slide show and shown back at the Anglican Church Hall while participants noshed on pizza and snacks. Collage by Barrie Brown A Word From The Organizer When an event is put on by the club and members have a good time, we often do not recognize the effort of the many people who make it a success: The equipment that is carried in and out, the floors that get swept, the coffee that is picked up and brought in, th e pop coolers that are filled with ice and soft drinks and hauled to the site and taken away after, the tables and chairs that are set up and taken down, the garbage that gets taken to the dump, the salads that get made, the teapot that arrives magically, the meetings with food suppliers and site renters, the photos that are shot and shown at the next meeting, the expenses that are taken care of and all those details that are managed. We have a great club because we have people who know what to do, how to do it and get it done with no muss, no fuss. Thanks to all who are there when needed. Marv Our 2008-2009 Management Team President: Last Posted Newsletter George Douglas 687-8152 [email protected] Past President: In an attempt to control club Enno Hoekstra 687-1146 [email protected] Vice President: expenses and to become an Barb McCabe 684-8333 [email protected] environmentally “greener” Secretary: organization we have ended the Marv McCabe 684-8333 [email protected] practice of sending Newsletters to Treasurer: the membership by Canada Post. Nan Brown 684-8872 [email protected] Membership: The Newsletter is available on line at Liz Rice 687-8325 [email protected] Speakers: Probus Canada’s web site by clicking Keith Cross 684-9334 [email protected] this link: Newsletter: Barrie Brown 684-8872 [email protected] http://www.probus.org/8grvnhnw.pdf Activity Chair: Linda Harrison 687-7679 [email protected] NOTE: Social Chair: Richard Hearne 684-9845 [email protected] Hard copies of the each month’s Meeting Facilitator: Newsletter will be available at the next Janice King 687-4844 [email protected] Archives: monthly meeting for those who do not Sue Wheeler 687-8690 [email protected] or cannot participate in the electronic Media: distribution of the Newsletter. Barrie Brown 684-8872 [email protected] Corrections and Additions to the Membership Directory Surname Given Name Address Ph# Email Address Follis Sandi [email protected] Follis Dave [email protected] 570 Hotchkiss St., [email protected] Keates Alan & Maggie Gravenhurst P1P 1H8 687-4364 Please send any changes to Membership Chair, Liz Rice at [email protected] The Last Word THANK YOU, Marv from all of us who took part in our recent Car Rally. We were overwhelmed by your historical notes of interest on our instruction sheets, along with the many interesting places you led us to see, especially the "ghost" towns of Muskoka. Your crew was fantastic, including the organizers, the spotters, the photographers, the kitchen help, and the clean-up gang. Special thanks to Barrie for all his "behind the scenes" work, too. The video of the collection of photos was a bonus; we all had a chance to see ourselves searching the places for our required answers, all pretending to be detectives. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and to get to know so many members. We are very fortunate to have you as such an active member of our Club, and we hope you will do a similar adventure again next year. George .