An Introduction

There are some 58,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,845 clubs, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace. It is a fulfilling role, and Rotarians can get involved as much or as little as their time will allow.

But there is much more. Clubs meet on a regular basis, which allows members to build firm friendships. Every Rotarian has a right to attend any Club meeting anywhere in the world, so there is always somewhere to go, and people to meet, wherever business or leisure travel may take you.

Various Clubs have different emphases, which can reflect differences in size. A small market town may have a Club of perhaps 20 members, whereas in large centres the number can be closer to 100. Some concentrate on local community or vocational projects. Others link up with a sister club in another country to undertake an international project. Each Club decides how it wants to use the resources it has available.

Andy Forgham dealing black jack

We were asked to provide some of the entertainment for our District Conference in Eastbourne at the end of March. Fourteen of us from the club arrived in Eastbourne with all the casino equipment and duly set up in the place ollocated for the Friday evening entrtainment..

The guests were supposed to arrive at 21:00 but this time came and went and there was only a trickle of Rotarians from other clubs in the district arriving. Then all of a sudden, they were pouring into the hall and the space we had allocated ourselves did not seem big enough.

Around 200 people collected their chips and played the tables all night long. It was hard work but very enjoyable indeed. Everyone agreed it had been a most succesful evening of entertainment, the music was supplied by Gentel Jazz from Hemel Hemstead. It was just a shame that Les lee our DG could not be there.

The rest of the conference was enjoyed by Andy Forgham, Elizabeth and Andrew Sheldon. The highlight was the performance on Sunday morning of the Chicken Shed theatre group. An inspiring group of able and less able young adults. Delightful.

Richard looking very professional on the blackjack table	Roberto and Helen controlling the roulette table
Richard looking very professional on the blackjack table	Roberto and Helen controlling the roulette table

• FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

• SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of theworthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

• THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life;

  FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

Room 711 of the Unity Building at 127 North Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, was the site of Rotary's first meeting on February 23, 1905. At that time, it was the office of Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer and one of the founding members of the organization.

The four businessmen didn't decide then and there to call themselves a Rotary club, but their get-together was, in fact, the first meeting of the world's first Rotary club. As they continued to meet, adding others to the group, they rotated their meetings among the members' places of business, hence the name.

Soon after the club name was agreed upon, one of the new members suggested a wagon wheel design as the club emblem. It was the precursor of the familiar cogwheel emblem now worn by Rotarians around the world. By the end of 1905, the club had 30 members.

The second Rotary club was formed in 1908 half a continent away from Chicago in San Francisco, California. It was a much shorter leap across San Francisco Bay to Oakland, California, where the third club was formed. Others followed in Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles, California, and New York City, New York. Rotary became international in 1910 when a club was formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

By 1921 the organisation was represented on every continent, and the name Rotary International was adopted in 1922.

For more About Rotary click here

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