The Newcastle Rotary club
was started in 1915, the first in North East England and the tenth in
RIBI. The idea was inspired by a conversation Charles T.Marshall, a
Newcastle architect, had in a railway carriage with G.E.Breeze, a member
of the Manchester club.
Marshall with Tom Emley, Sidney Reid and E.S.Robinson
gathered together a nucleus of potential members. Assistance was
forthcoming
from Peter Thomason of the Manchester club, Dr Tom Stephenson of the
Edinburgh club and W.H.Alexander of the Belfast club, all of whom
came to address gatherings of prospective members. Eventually the club
was officially founded with a membership of fifty on August 20,
1915. Of these fifty, thirteen attended the 21st
anniversary in 1936 and five the 35th in 1950. As the club grew in size,
the original meeting place, the Royal Turks Head Hotel became too small
and the club moved several ties, finally finishing at the Royal Station
Hotel where it remained from 1919 until 1951.
In spite of the difficulties of war those early Rotarians built well,
laying solidly the foundations of fellowship, friendship and service on
which the club has expanded and thrived through the years. In these
years the club has had the opportunity to help in the sponsorship and
development of no fewer than 25 clubs in District 1030 and beyond.
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Newcastle was fortunate in
its first President, Dr T.M.Allison who set a fine example which others
have followed. Two members of the club went onto be elected Presidents
of RIBI, Hugh Galloway in 1932 and Thomas Young for three years from
1939 to 1942. Both went onto become Directors of RI.
The Newcastle club was visited on two occasions by Paul Harris and
details of this appear in a separate section. It was also visited by the
then Presidents of RI in 1924, 1932, 1934 and 1944.
Adapted from 'A Short History of the Newcastle Club' provided by Bill
Dunlop of the Newcastle club.
Basil Lewis Rotary Global History 13 March 2003
See also, Paul Harris' visit
to Newcastle |
