Very Brief Club History  

After a preliminary meeting on September 4th 1912 attended by 14 gentlemen, the first meeting of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh was held on September 23rd 1912. 39 Founder members were present. The Club was formally affiliated to Rotary International on 1st May 1913.

In 1913, RW Pentland was the first President of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh. He conceived the idea of uniting the eight clubs that then existed in Great Britain and Ireland, Dublin, London, Belfast, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Birmingham into a British Association "that would be beneficial to all". The British Association of Rotary Clubs was formally constituted on May 4th, 1914. Pentland was elected its first President and Tom Stephenson of the Edinburgh Club as Honorary Secretary.

The first Rotary International Convention outside North America was held in Edinburgh in June 1921 at the invitation of the Edinburgh Club.

Paul Harris, who founded of Rotary in Chicago in 1905, came to a meeting of The Rotary Club of Edinburgh in 1928 and again with his wife in 1934. Jean Thomson Harris, the wife of Paul Harris, was born in Edinburgh and returned to Edinburgh after the death of her husband and is buried in Newington Cemetery, Edinburgh.

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been an Honorary Member of the Edinburgh Club since 1952 when he invited Officers of the Club to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's residence when she is in Edinburgh. He has visited the Club on several occasions most notably for the Dinner to celebrate the Club's 75th Anniversary on June 30th 1987 and more recently in July 2007.

The Rotary Club of Edinburgh celebrated its Centenary with a series of events during the Rotary Year 2012-2013. A very successful celebration Centenary Dinner was held on Friday September 21st 2012.  It was attended by 250 Rotarians and friends from all over the world.  Muirfield hosted a Charuty Golf Day in early October. November brought an enjoyable 'Dinner at Wali's' at our member Dr Wali Uddin's Britannia Spice restaurant.  A Christmas Concert was organised and conducted by Dr Alberto Massimo, also a member of the Club.  In February a charity Concert was held in St Mary's Cathedral and in April our Honorary Member Donald Wilson, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, hosted a Civic Reception in the City Chambers.  Finally, in May and June, we enjoyed exchange visits with the Rotary Club of Washington D.C., themselves celebrating their centennial in 2012-13.