Baulkham Hills Ladies Probus Inc

October Guest Speaker: Robyn Bible

Topic: The Australian Geranium Society
The Australian Geranium Society Inc has been established for over 60 years, and is in Turramurra, Sydney, NSW.
 The Society encourages continuing knowledge of the plant, its propagation and cultivation. With the introduction of new varieties, an on going interest has been guaranteed, not only for the more experienced grower but also the new enthusiast.
 Their uses in gardens, display and landscape gardening is quite evident today. Gardeners are finding that the Geranium and Pelargonium plants are indeed making people stop and take notice. Their wide range of colour and variety simply means that there is a plant for everyone's taste; be it the subtle reds, the bright whites or all the colour variations that can be found in between. Easy to cultivate, readily available and always a colourful addition to any garden, are only part of their attraction.

November Guest Speaker: Les Parry

Topic: Humour Foundation
Clown Doctors Australia was the vision of Dr Peter Spitzer, a general practitioner, and Jean-Paul Bell, a performer. Together they were a doctor who wanted to be a clown and a clown who wanted to be a doctor. Inspired by a meeting with Patch Adams, research into the health benefits of humour, and the pioneering work of the Theodora Foundation in Switzerland and the Big Apple Clown Care Unit in New York, they established The Humour Foundation (now Clown Doctors Australia) in 1996. 

With a mission to promote the health benefits of humour, the Clown Doctors program was born. A short pilot was undertaken in 1996 at Royal Hobart Hospital, not long after the Port Arthur massacre, and in January 1997, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, became the first hospital to host the Clown Doctors program on a regular basis.

Since then, the Clown Doctors program has grown rapidly. Today, Clown Doctors visit 22 hospitals and 2 hospices for children and young people, across every Australian state and territory. They support over 300,000 children, families, carers and hospital staff each year.