To many, there's a certain level of freedom that comes with retiring.
But for others, the thought of their post-work life brings on feelings of loneliness and a lack of purpose.
That's where the PROBUS Club of Cambridge tries to help.
Through a range of gatherings and activities, the club provides semi-retired and retired men the opportunity to form connections and a sense of belonging after their careers come to an end.
"Bluntly, it's a bunch of old guys getting together having a coffee," Bob McBlain, chair of the membership committee and past president of the club, said with a laugh.
"It's a social club. I like to say retirement is a great equalizer, people from all walks of life end up in the same position."
Roots of the PROBUS Club in the city stemmed from the work of the Rotary Club in 1987. It offered retired members the opportunity to continue to meet and mingle without the fundraising obligation.
From there, Cambridge became home to the first PROBUS Club in Canada. Shortly after, clubs in Surrey, BC and Burlington emerged.
There's also a women's and co-ed club in the city.
In total, there are 242 in Canada with approximately 34,000 members.
A staple of many meetings is bringing in guest speakers from a variety of different fields. Whether it be business professionals, authors or people who work in healthcare, the goal is to educate and engage.
Dave Brodhagen, who serves as the communications chair for the club, acknowledges as people age it's not uncommon for them to become isolated.
"It's about getting people involved," Brodhagen said.
"You want to get people off their butts, get them out, get them socializing and then they can in turn become active members of the community. A lot of these people have business knowledge that gets lost as they get older and that's a real shame."
Brodhagen believes continual learning is critical, not only for engagement but for physical health.
There may be no better example of that than the three members who are 100 years of age or older, including one who will turn 102 this month.
"You have to have it, your mind goes," he said.
"You don't want dementia, you don't want the loss of anything physical or mental."
Current first vice-president Norm Steele agrees that while the club is a fun social gathering, it serves a much greater purpose for those involved.
"One of the worst things is if you don't have some things to do, you feel like you're not of value," Steele said.
"This is a way of saying you are valuable. There's people in this club and every club, it's amazing what they've done."
Current president Ray Miske loves the vignettes done by new members. The exercise allows people to get up and speak about who they are, their life story and how they came to the club.
Being retired, Miske wants people to understand that those who make their career their identity often struggle when retirement rolls around. Helping people through the transition is what PROBUS aims to do.
"One of the jobs of the president is to call new members," Miske said.
"One of the gentlemen I spoke with said 'this is the best kept secret in Cambridge.' We want to change that. We want people to know about us and for those that have that void in their life to come out and join us."
The club is currently seeking new members. To apply for the club visit probuscambridge.org.
