Newsletters

June 2026

Our June Speaker is our Annual General Meeting

Our AGM will be held at the Hanover Legion on June 10 from 10:00 am until 11:45 am.

We need a quorum of 25% of our members (roughly 75) to be present in order that we can conduct necessary business at the AGM so your attendance would be greatly appreciated.

As there were no substantive motions brought forward by the Management Committee or membership to discuss, at the meeting we will:

Approve this fiscal year's financials and budget for next year
Approve the slate of candidates for next year's Management Committee
Consider a motion to remove street addresses from the membership directory

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM where a hot lunch and musical entertainment will follow the meeting.

Best Regards,

Terry Koehler, HAPC President

Dr. Christopher DiCarlo - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Building A God

AI and the Future of Humanity

Types of artificial intelligence: Weak AI vs. Strong AI
Weak AI: also called Narrow AI or Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)
AI trained and focused to perform specific tasks
Weak AI drives most of the AI that surrounds us today. ‘Narrow’ might be a more accurate descriptor for this type of AI as it is anything but weak.
It enables some very robust applications, such as Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, IBM Watson, and autonomous vehicles.
Strong AI = Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), or general AI = a theoretical form of AI where a machine would have an intelligence as good as or better than humans across nearly all tasks.
It will think like a human and will have the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future.
Strong Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) or superintelligence: Would surpass the intelligence and ability of the human brain
Introducing Stargate UAE: “The agreement – which includes our partners G42, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank—was developed in close coordination with the U.S. government, and we greatly appreciate President Trump for his support in making it possible.” – Sam Altman, CEO – OpenAI
There are a lot of benefits that AI brings and will bring to humanity: Healthcare; Education; Security; Sustainability; Transportation; Industry; Assisting people with disabilities and Scientific Discoveries
There are also a lot of risks heading our way: Absence of Clarity: The Interpretability (or Black Box) Problem; Bias and Discrimination; Privacy Considerations and Ethical Misalignment: The Alignment Problem; Employment Disruption/Job Displacement and AI Arms Race: Between Tech Bros and Countries

Are we prepared to become the second most intelligent species on our own planet? What can YOU do?

Educate yourself/Stay informed:
Check out our podcast: All Thinks Considered.
Sign our Newsletter sheet.
Form or join a concerned group.
Boycott specific Big Tech companies.
Vote strategically!
Donate!
Spread the word: Friends; Relatives and Politicians
If you click on this link, it will take you to a paper Dr. DiCarlo wrote which contains over two dozen resource links that you can use to help combat false/misleading information.

Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario: evan.solomon@parl.gc.ca

Let’s get AI right:

Want to help? Check out these sites:
ConcernedAboutAI.com
WorriedAboutAI.com
FreakingOutAboutAI.com

A Message from Your President

Hi Folks. Given when the deadline for the June newsletter falls, I am writing from the North of France as we are continuing our European trip after a fantastic trip up the Rhine River and our high speed train trip to Paris. No worries, we will be back in time for the exciting AGM (at our meeting on June 10) and the lunch and festivities to celebrate the end of this year.

My term as club president seems to have flown by this year. It seems not long ago that I was setting the Agenda for the first Management Meeting in September. I would like to thank the members of the Management Committee, the Activity Coordinators and the other volunteers that helped out for all of their hard work they put into making this a very successful year. Looking forward to the next year, I think we have a number of interesting guest speakers lined up and lots of opportunities for us to enjoy each other's company at both activities and activities.

Merci beaucoup!

News

Membership Renewals for 2026-27

We will be accepting Membership Renewals for the 2026-27 year (September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027) at the June meeting. Please download the renewal form from the website (hapc.ca) and fill it out before the meeting. There will be a limited number of renewal forms at the meeting. Payment this year can be made in cash, by cheque or by e-transfer.

Both the form and the $30 annual renewal fee must be submitted for your renewal to be complete. Please refer to the Renewal form for instructions on how to get the form to the Membership Chair and the fees to either the Membership Chair or the Treasurer. New membership applications will be accepted at the June meeting.

If you are not going to be attending the June meeting and wish to renew before September, you can follow the instructions on the form (available at hapc.ca) for completing your renewal over the summer. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the Membership Chair at mmbshp@hapc.ca

Ways to Stay Up to Date with Probus Canada

Podcast - Go to the Probus Canada website, scroll down to the footer, and click on the green Spotify icon.

Facebook - News from Probus clubs in Canada.

YouTube - two new videos that were developed this year.

Newsletter - latest issues of the PROBUS Canada Connections.

Probus Global is a network of Probians from all over the world who meet quarterly on ZOOM. If interested, you can visit the Probus Global website and follow the route to become a member at NO cost as long as you are a Probus member.

June Probus Activity Updates

There are currently 18 Club Activities. A total of 31 volunteer coordinators and committee members plan, organize, manage and share their talents and expertise to provide our members with this wide variety of activities to enjoy. Many of them have volunteered for multi-years. I invite club members to celebrate these individuals! Let’s acknowledge them at our monthly meetings by saying “Hello”, pat them on the back and say “Thank You” for all they do! They are a big part of the “heart” of our club!

Book Club (Loretta Dunn); Bridge (Bev Hambly); Cycling (Terry Koehler)

Dinner Club (Karen Farrow); Eating For Your Health (Kathy Greensides, Robin Hill)

Film Club (Pat Butler);Genealogy(Terry Koehler, Janice Koehler); Golf (Ulli Kaempfe)

Hiking(Vernon Freer); Kayaking (Paul Scott); Knitting & Crochet (Nina McTeer)

Pole Walking (Joan Ferguson);Pot Luck (Marybelle Schumacher)

Scotch Tasting (Bob Farrow, Garry McGregor); Snow Shoeing (Vernon Freer)

Theatre Committee (Peter Dalton, Jill Dalton, Tracey Neuman, Andy Keir, Susan Keir)

Travel Committee (Co-Chairs Joan Roseborough& Margaret Elliot Niesen, Peter Dalton, Dianne Mather)

Wine Tasting Committee (Frances Agnew, Dan Hobler, Bill Roseborough, Helen Peppler)

For detailed information on all the activities club members are invited and encouraged to visit Hanover Area Probus Club website at www.hapc.ca/activitieslist. It’s as easy as clicking on the “blue more info” link or click on any activity or event on the monthly calendars. If you need assistance or have any questions contact Dianne Mather, Activity Group Chair at act@hapc.ca

Dianne Mather, Activity Group Chair

Eat for Health

The Healthy Eating Group enjoyed an amazing full day at Scandinave Spa in Blue Mountain on May 19th. Most of the group of 7 also took advantage of Massage Therapy which set the tone for rest of the day...numerous hot pools, cold plunges, saunas, rest areas and a lovely lunch with great friends. Could not have asked for a better day, weather wise.

Coordinators: Kathy Greensides and Robin Hill

Click here to see all the pictures from their events.

Hiking

On May 3 we had 9 participants at Allen Park Conservation Area. May 10 we had 15 participants at Kinghurst Nature Reserve. The weather was perfect for hiking with few bugs on the trail.

Coordinator: Vern Freer

Here is the link to view all of the pictures from all hikes.

Pole Walking

Pole walking groups first outing of the year!

Co-ordinator: Joan Ferguson

Potluck

The Potluck Group met on Monday, May 25th with 13 ladies in attendance. There was no theme this time, but there was a variety of delicious main dishes, salads and desserts.
We take the summer off, but will meet again on Monday, September 21st.

Coordinator: Marybelle Schumacher

Local and Area Events

Council on Aging Grey Bruce has a new website

It is your resource and advocate for an age-friendly Grey Bruce

We are a forum of community leaders and older adults who promote age-friendly communities, positive aging, and inclusion. We focus on empowering and engaging older adults through shared resources, research, and information workshops.

Visit their website for full details and schedules.

Visit their website for full details or contact your local branch.

Visit their website for all upcoming Library programs and events.

Town of Hanover Parks, Recreation & Culture Community Guide (Spring/Summer 2026):

Of special note, see page 22 and 23 for the Senior Active Living Centre (SALC) Programs, funded by the Ontario Government through a Senior Active Living Centre Grant.

Hanover Recreation and Culture events and programs webpage