ROTARY CLUB OF WHITEHAVEN

ROTARY CLUB OF WHITEHAVEN

Formation: The parent Club was the Rotary Club of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the inaugural dinner was held on 19^th June 1923. Rotarian Leo Reid, President of the Newcastle club attended together with Rotarian J Leadbitter, Secretary of the Tyneside section of Rotary International. Sir John Russell was guest speaker.

Meeting Places: The original meeting place was Batty’s Café until the café closed in 1958 whence meetings transferred to the present establishment, Oak Lea Hotel Inkerman Terrace since re-named The Chase Hotel.

Family Tree:

Organization Chart

The Whitehaven Probus Club was formed by the Rotary Club of Whitehaven in 1971 and presently enjoys a full and active membership. The Whitehaven Rotaract Club was formed in 1982 which flourished throughout the ‘80’s but regrettably went into demise by 2000.

Membership: Although members voted to be a dual gender club presently there are no lady members. An active Membership Committee has steadily recruited new members to a total of 41 even allowing for natural wastage.

Three members were elected Paul Harris Fellows during the 1990’s. Our longest serving Rotarian is PHF Frank Todhunter who joined in 1955 and was Club President in 1967/68.

Prior to that Robert Lyon-Wylie CBE joined the Club in 1926 and passed onto higher office in 1996 after 70 years service albeit as an Honorary Member during latter years.

Club Presidents: The first President of inaugural year 1923/24 was Rotarian W H Wandless who continued as President in 1924/25 whilst also serving as Mayor of Whitehaven. The only other Rotarian to hold two Rotary years in office was President Joe Partington in 1946/47 and again during the 50^th Anniversary year 1973/74. After Joe’s death a sandstone font was placed in St Nicholas Gardens to his memory. At the club’s 75^th Charter Anniversary on 3^rd July 1998 the guest speaker was local MP and Minister of Agriculture the Rt Hon Dr Jack Cunningham. Rotarian Brian Proctor was invested President at that ceremony.

District Officers: In former Rotary District 119, Whitehaven Rotarian Bernard Sowton was District Governor during year 1963/64. In recent years Whitehaven Rotarians Cliff Delamere, Terry O’Connell, John Kennedy, Jim Rothwell, Tom Stout, Paul Turner, Richard Stout, Geoff Burgess & Ronnie Proudfoot have all held, or currently hold, positions on District Committees.

Club Activities: During the 1950’s and 1960’s Club activities were devoted to providing services for senior citizens as well as the international projects of Rotary International. In 1972 President Donald Henderson instigated an ambitious program of providing accommodation for the homeless in Whitehaven. In the mid-‘80’s the Club organised regular Whitsuntide Bank Holiday Fun Runs around the town attracting circa 600 entries each time, the revenue raised was targeted to local good causes. In the late ‘80’s some of the country’s top Brass Bands held sell out concerts in the Civic Hall all organised by the Club. With the advent of the national ‘Kids Out’ program in the ‘90’s the Whitehaven Club have organised very successful events for disadvantaged local children every year since. In recent years the Club organises a Rotarians, friends and family excursion from the northern part of District 1190 to enjoy the annual cruise from Whitehaven Harbour to the Isle of Man. The Club actively supports youth projects: RYPEN, RYLA, Youth Speak, mock interviews at local schools and the local NSPCC branch.