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LONDON ROTARY CLUB

Aug  2013
http://www.londonrotaryclub.org.uk/

Recently, I spoke about the RIBI (Rotary International Britain and Ireland). This week I’m going back to England.

The  Rotary Club of London, Club # 50 , is the premier Rotary Club in Britain, and  the first to be  chartered outside North America.   … By the way, did you know that each club’s number indicates the order that the club was officially chartered? Therefore, London was the 50^th club to be chartered. Our club is # 1467.

London is one of four Clubs in Britain and Ireland  founded in 1911 - the others are  Dublin , Manchester and Belfast. Therefore, these clubs, as well as Rotary in Europe, are 102 years old.

The London Club …  (central London) is the main club in the city… yet it is only one of 70 clubs in  metropolitan London. The city is administered as District 1130  which  represents all the clubs  in the City.

These  clubs  are organized into regional groups. An Assistant Governor is responsible for each group. There are 8 regional groups for these 70 clubs.

The London Club  combines experience with youthful enterprise, much like our own club. The oldest member was   inducted in 1952, and around 20 new members  currently join the Club each year.

Membership includes politicians from all major parties and numerous Ambassadors and High Commissioners  … (Not exactly like our club), plus  other diversified  and leading figures from the arts,  commerce and the professions.

Because of its international membership and frequent visits by Rotarians from all over the world, the  Club has a particular focus on international charity projects.

One of their current  members,  Sir Sigmund Sternberg, is famous  for his  efforts to build bridges between Christianity, Judaism and Islam,

 His many accomplishments included helping to arrange the first-ever papal visit to a synagogue (Rome, 1986), and helping to establish diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel (1993),

The  Club  meets for lunch every Monday  at 12.30  to discuss club affairs and, normally, to hear a  speaker. Meetings usually end at 2. The  current membership is  125.

The lunch meetings take place at Dartmouth House,   near the Green Park tube station. Dartmouth House is the most sought after London location for meetings and other catered affairs. It was originally built in the 1750’s as an elaborate home and museum. Lord Dartmouth purchased it in 1897.

Rotarians from other clubs in London and around the world are welcome for  lunches.  Women are especially welcome as RIBI (Rotary International Britain & Ireland) just installed their first women president. London, accepted its first woman member in 1996.

Check it out on your next visit to London.