Club History

Celebrating 82 years serving Local and International Communitties


  

A Short History of the

Rotary Club of Motherwell & Wishaw

 

Some fifty years ago the late Maxwell Muirhead edited a short history of the Rotary Club of Motherwell and Wishaw which had been written by former Members Robert Munro and WD Brassington. It recorded that during 1929, "a number of well known gentlemen in the town were invited to visit the Rotary Club of Hamilton to be encouraged and instructed on how to go about forming a Rotary Club within Motherwell and Wishaw".

In Robb's Restaurant on Thursday 12 December 1929 at 6.00 p.m. a meeting was attended by some of these gentlemen namely Messrs. David Anderson; RS Anderson; WD Brassington; Lewis Costley; John Ford; Dr Dougal Ferguson; JR Forsyth; TA Irvine; James Kirkland; John Lennox; WM Marshall; Robert Munro; JK McCutcheon; T Stewart McLees; PD Neilson; John Park; Charles Ramage; AL Thomson; WH Welsh, and John Wilson. The minutes show that WM Marshall was called to the chair. The Rev TF Harkness Graham, Past Chairman of the Scottish District Council and a Member of the Hamilton Rotary Club, then addressed the meeting on the aims of Rotary being supported by Alexander Gibson, Vice-Chairman of the District Council and also a Member of the Hamilton Club. Thereafter Superintendent of Police WH Welsh moved "that a Rotary Club be formed in Motherwell and Wishaw as a Member Club of Rotary International in the Association of Britain and Ireland". This was seconded by T Stewart McLees and carried unanimously. The following Office-Bearers of the Interim Club were appointed:- President, John Lennox; Vice-President, WM Marshall; Secretary, Robert Munro, and Treasurer, JK McCutcheon.

Several meetings were held before the first full meeting of the Interim Club on 16 January 1930 in Robb's Restaurant at 6.00 p.m. On 3 March 1930 the Secretary was instructed to proceed with formal application for membership and intimation was duly received that the Club had been admitted to membership of Rotary International with effect from 11 June 1930. On 6 November 1930 at a dinner held in the Town Hall, Motherwell Rotary International Charter No.3337 was presented to the new Club by District Governor Alexander Gibson. By September 1933 the Club had grown in size necessitating a move to Fraser's Restaurant in Muir Street. When Fraser's business closed the Club moved to the nearby Royal Hotel but with the re-development of Brandon Street and demolition of the Hotel the Club moved to the Coltness Hotel in Wishaw. After only a short stay there the Golden Lounge in Russell Street became the venue for meetings followed by a move to the Garrion Hotel in Motherwell. The closure of that Hotel brought about a short stay in the Bentley Hotel then to Motherwell Football Club

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Club

back Burns supper 23rd January in the Bentley Hotel Limited number of tickets available 1st come first served on receipt of payment