Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in GB&I
http://www.associationofinnerwheelclubs.co.uk
Paul Harris
On 23rd February 1905, the first service club in
the world, the Rotary Club of Chicago (Illinois USA), was formed by Paul
Harris. He was a lawyer who wished to recapture the friendly spirit he had
felt in the small towns of his youth, within a professional club. The name
"Rotary" stems from the early practice of meetings being rotated among
member's offices. Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents by 1921.
Margarette Golding, née Owen
Meanwhile, in Hay-on-Wye, England, a young
lady by the name Margarette Owen had been growing up, going on to train as a
nurse and serve in the First World War. After her return and rise to
managing director of a local business, she married Oliver Golding, a
Manchester businessman and Rotarian.
The first glimpses of Inner Wheel were on the
15th November 1923 when a number of Rotarian's wives convened in Manchester
to form a "Ladies Rotary Club". It was on the 10th January 1924
when Mrs Margarette Golding presided over this club of Rotarian wives that
the name "Inner Wheel" was adopted.
Over the following decade, clubs started
appearing all over the UK and Ireland and so in 1934 the Association of
Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain & Ireland was formed.
It was 1967 when International Inner Wheel
International was then formed which enabled members in any country to serve
as officers.
International Inner Wheel links together
clubs from different areas of the world including Europe, Africa, Asia, the
Americas and Australasia. It comprises approximately 100 locations around
the world with 103,000 members.
The name of the founder, Margarette Golding,
is given to Inner Wheel’s only award for outstanding personal service.
Each year, the 10th January is
celebrated as "World Inner Wheel Day" to honor that day when Inner Wheel was
officially christened back in 1924.
Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in GB&I
http://www.associationofinnerwheelclubs.co.uk
