| For
the individual Rotarian the date of entry into the Club is of
great significance. However, when reflecting upon the history
of Rotary at Aberystwyth a number of other significant dates come
to mind. The first and most obvious is 15 March 1948 when the
inaugural meeting of the Club was held (with the Charter being
presented on 23 November 1948). The Club was sponsored by the
Rotary Club of Machynlleth which had been formed a year earlier.
The initial membership of the Aberystwyth Club was 23. This prompted
the inaugural President to describe the birth of the Club as “the
biological miracle of all time” because the membership of
the mother club (Machynlleth) was only 16!
A second important
date was July 1983 when the Club moved from Rotary District 1180
(North Wales and Merseyside) to Rotary District 1150. During its
time in District 1180 the Club had played host to three District
Conferences. Aberystwyth’s location had placed it on the
geographical margins of District 1180 and increasingly it had
been agreed that a location in the South and Mid Wales District
was more appropriate, albeit still subject to the ‘tyranny
of distance’.
A third important
date was that of the April 2000 Annual General Meeting when members
voted, by a significant majority, to change the status of the
Club to that of dual gender. This matter had been discussed on
a number of previous occasions with strong views being expressed
on both sides. Ultimately arguments about changes in the nature
of the workplace and equality of opportunity held sway. That said,
the ability of the Club to recruit female members has been disappointing.
2005 saw Rotary
celebrate the centenary of its Foundation. To mark this important
event the Rotary Club in association with six other Rotary Clubs
(in 1180 and 1150) embarked on an ambitious fund raising programme
to equip a new palliative care centre at Bronglais Hospital. The
response of Rotarians and of the general public exceeded all expectations
and a sum approaching £100,000 was raised. Having satisfied
the needs of the palliative care centre funds are now being applied
to related projects within the catchment areas of the six Rotary
Clubs. Aberystwyth Rotary Club had chosen to celebrate its own
special birthdays by engaging in projects aimed at benefiting
the local community. For its 25th anniversary funds were raised
to purchase a specially fitted minibus for use by the elderly
and infirm. For the 50th anniversary money was raised to aid the
landscaping and the provision of a garden to surround the new
addition to Bronglais Hospital.
The history
of any Rotary Club is, of course, much more than a series of notable
dates. It is a story of vision and commitment which translates
into action in local and global communities and of making a contribution
to the worldwide Rotary movement. In these respects the history
of the Aberystwyth Rotary Club speaks volumes. The highlights
at local level include holding Hobbies and Leisure Exhibitions,
the formation of the Probus Club in 1971 and the opening of Jasper
House in 1984 as the home for the local Abbeyfield Society. In
terms of serving the global community there has been a ongoing
commitment to Water Aid (especially a matched funding project
in Uganda), emergency boxes (now known as aquaboxes), Book Aid
International, Polio Plus and in 1996 two Club members participated
in the District 1150 Convoy of Hope to Croatia. Being located
in a University town has given Club members the opportunities
to participate in a range of Rotary Foundation programmes. The
Club has hosted in excess of 50 Ambassadorial Scholars many of
whom have gone on to attain excellence in their respective fields.
In similar vein Club members have opened their homes to members
of Group Study Exchange teams from India, Louisiana, Australia,
the Philippines, Philadelphia, Indiana, Oslo and, most recently,
Charleston/Savannah. In all of these events and efforts the lives
of Aberystwyth Rotarians and their families have been greatly
enriched. The history of the last sixty years is ultimately about
“service above self”.
Richard H
Morgan |
