The Aalten Wisch connection

The Aalten Wisch connection

The connection with the Rotary Club of Aalten-Wisch pre-dates the formation of the Cavaliers by many years. Several Scarborough and Aalten-Wisch Rotarians had previously been members of Round Table, and had formed a link with the Dutch Round Table club. Their first visit to Holland took place in May 1963 when Mick Thorpe, received an invitation to the Presentation of the Charter to the new club of Round Table in the Netherlands. They spent a weekend hosted by the Dutch club. This was followed by several exchange visits in both directions, which continue to this day.

Recollections of Tom Pindar: As the crow flies, Aalten in Holland is nearer to Scarborough than is Cornwall, but 30 odd years ago, one's knowledge of European countries was rather limited. When an invitation to attend a Charter celebration was received, to put it mildly; some of us were rather tickled at the thought of international Round Table activities.

We duly looked up the location on a map - Aalten is a small town right over by the German border. We checked on the ferry services from Hull and on the availability of trains and realised that if one went due east from Rotterdam, and got off the train at Arnhem, (scene of the famous wartime airborne landings), it was a short journey north to Aalten.

We spent a few days looking at the more traditional Dutch delights, although I rather overestimated the popular appeal of art galleries. Several of the group visited the, then, renowned transvestite show in Amsterdam, "Madam Arthur's". Popular memory has it that at least one member of the party failed to realise during the show that the women were men!

Subsequently, upon the formation of the Rotary Club of Scarborough Cavaliers in 1978 the connection was re-established, between the two Rotary clubs. The long-standing friendships and the exchanges have become a traditional and ongoing custom.