Rugby Rotary History

History


 Rotary Club of Rugby Founded in 1922

The Beginnings

Rotary was conceived and founded in 1905 by a Chicago lawyer, Paul Harris, who because of the loneliness he felt in the big city mentioned the idea of fellowship rather than making money from each other, to 3 business friends and at the first meeting on the 23rd February 1905 the Rotary Movement  was started. In1911 it crossed the Atlantic and by 1914 eight Clubs had been formed in Great Britain & Ireland.

The Rotary Club of Rugby

Through the enthusiasm and encouragement of George H Roberts the local district Superintendent of the Prudential Assurance Company ("the man from the Pru") a group of 9 professional men called an interest meeting at the Grand Hotel, Albert Street on Thursday 20th April 1922 where Rotarian Vivian Carter, Secretary of the British Association Rotary Clubs, spoke about the Rotary movement and a need to form a Club in Rugby.

The meeting, to which 59 business and professional men were invited, was chaired by Lewis Loverock, a local Draper, and the 27 who attended unanimously decided to form a Club and set up an interim Council to run it. They later were to elect as their First President, Capt Philip H Wykeham, Managing Director of the local building firm, Foster & Dicksee

 On Friday,9th June 1922, an inaugural lunch was held at the Grand Hotel when the speaker was Rtn William Hadley Secretary of the Northampton Club (formed in1921), who gave an address on "The First Duty of a Rotary Club" . 21 members were present with 7 visitors.

 On the 20th June 1922 the Club was officially affiliated to Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (Rotary GB&I) and became it's 85th club and the 1317th club in the world.

 It soon got involved in community work in Rugby by providing entertainment for the inmates of Rugby Poor Law Institute and from that time has provided service to the community through many avenues of work and can claim a number of 'firsts'

'What We Do' Main Pages:

In June 2022 our club was a hundred years old. In celebration of this the club initiated a centenary project in conjunction with Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to upgrade a section of the Great Central Way in Rugby.

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Installation of an Hydro Electric Power Supply in the village of Chepel, Nepal

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Two travel scholarships of up to £500 each are being offered to young people (up to age 28) whose career options may be improved by study outside the UK. Print off application form

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History of Rugby

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3 Rotary Clubs - of Rugby, Rugby Dunsmore, and Rugby Saturday Breakfast organise a Music Bursary Scheme for the children of Rugby (Under 18s) which is run in conjunction with the County Music Service.

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Planting crocus bulbs for the Rotary International Purple 4 Polio Campaign, and admiring the results!

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The Rugby Rotary clubs help Rugby Sport for the Disabled Association run an annual Sports Day

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A pack of dog walkers, with trusty four legged friends - ready for the off

The Rotary Club of Rugby organised "Dog Walk 2018" to raise money (over £1000) for the charity "Dogs For Good".

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Visit to the Abesu Housing Project in Zambia by member Laurence Wilbraham

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International links, Aabenraa, Russelsheim

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Members of the Rotary Club of Rugby planting crocus bulbs with the villagers of Brinklow, Warwickshire

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The Rugby Santa Run organised by the The Rugby Rotary Club and the Rugby and Northampton Athletic Club, December 2018. 800 people took part this year. Great fun as always.

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The Rotary Club of Rugby annual cultural Trip

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