Newquay Rotary 1946
How it all began. In 1946, Bill Baker, a member of the Rotary Club of Truro, at the request of Bill Bailey, a Past President of Truro Club and later to become the District Governor of R.I.B.I. District 117, carried out a survey of Newquay with the object
.Following several preliminary meetings, the first of the luncheon meetings of the Club was held on the 15th June, 1946, at Stephens Cafe, Fore Street, Newquay, under the chairmanship of Rotarian A. J. Greenslade, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Truro. There were eight members in attendance at that first meeting - R. G. Oram, W. Dougall, R. T. Pappin, W. J. Gilbert, C. Tisdall, G. Varnals, C. Needham and W. C. Baker. During the next few months the meetings were attended from time to time by the District Chairman (now called Governor) Norman Black of Falmouth, and the District Extension Officer Percy Moulton, and many members of Truro Club, including President P. Davey and Past Presidents R. J. Hore, W. R. Bailey, J. W. Lodge, and L. E. Letcher, and a number of visiting Rotarians, and soon there was a sufficient number of interested members (the original eight had grown to seventeen) to form a Club.
The Inaugural Meeting took place at Stephens Cafe on the 20th November. Four more members joined soon after that date and one member left and on the 23rd April, 1947, the Rotary Club of Newquay received its Charter.
At that time Bill Baker, a Physiotherapist looking after three hospitals - Newquay, Bodmin and Truro - had his home and surgery in Newquay and he relinquished his membership of the Truro Club to become a founder member and the first Secretary of the new Rotary Club of Newquay.
The Charter was presented on Wednesday, the 23rd April, 1947, at the Hotel Bristol, to the Club's first President, E. H. Trembath (Trem) by Norman Black, the R. I. Representative and District Chairman. The first officers were:
President - E. H. Trembath (Trem)
Vice President - R. G. Oram (Gerry)
Secretary - W. C. Baker (Bill)
Treasurer - C. H. Needham (Charles)
There were twenty Charter Members, and their names, with particulars of their classifications, are as follows:
E. H. Trembath -
Local Government Finance
R. G. Oram - Automobile Industry
W. C. Baker -Chartered Physiotherapist
C. H. Needham Banking -(Commercial)
W. L. Daniel -Ice Cream Manufacturing
W. Dougall -Gas Industry
W. J. Gilbert -Pharmacy
G. H. Hardwick -Medical Officer of Health
D. Laidlaw -Wool Industry
L. B. Lee -Local Government Administration
H. M. Mogford -Paper Industry
P. B. L. Nicholas -General Medical Practice
R. T. Pappin -Accounting Service
J. N. Tucker -Quantity Surveyor
G. H. Varnals -Optical Service
J. A. Luxon -Building Construction
E. W. Wearne -Security Booking
C. A. Beasant -Private Hotels
L. S. Iles -Groceries Retailing
L. E. Tonkin -Light and Power Installation
The Rotary Club of Newquay then came into being, fostered by the Truro Club, and its area covered Newquay, Crantock, Cubert, Newlyn East, St. Columb, St. Enoder and Mawgan in Pydar.
MEMBERSHIP
In the first year, following the presentation of the Charter on the 23rd April, 1947, four new members were admitted - Ron Westlake and Arthur Griffiths on the 24th April, Bill Rodgers on the 4th June, and Jim Potter on the 4th March 1948, and the Club lost two members, Dr. G. A. Hardwick who resigned in May 1947, and Ernest Wearne, who resigned in June 1947.
On 10th November 1948, Victor Shrimpton, Charles Read and Jack Littleton joined the Club, bringing the total membership at the end of the second year to twenty five. Unfortunately, due to pressure of work, Victor Shrimpton resigned in March 1950, and Ron Westlake resigned in May, but soon after on the 21st April, Ruben Strong, a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Dagenham, joined the Club but regrettably, his stay was short as he left Newquay in February 1951.
Ron Cole and Ben Legge joined on the 29th May 1951, and in December of that year. Bill Dougall's membership ceased on his leaving Newquay, but fortunately he was able to continue his Rotary membership with the Truro Club. In the next two years the membership increased to thirty with John Rickard on the 6th March 1952, Jack Mitchell on the 6th November 1952, Roy Edwards on the 13th November 1952 and Canon Peeke, Ron Palmer and John Julian on the 1st January 1955. Jack Littleton's membership ceased when he left Newquay in April 1952, as did Arthur Griffiths' who also left the district at that time.
In 1953, the Club welcomed four new members, Russell Harman in February, and Jimmy Rogers, Len Clay and Ted Jenkin in December. Charles Read left Newquay in September of that year and his membership ceased.
Membership numbers remained fairly constant during the next few years - thirty three at 31st March I960 - although there had been a number of changes during that period. Bill Baker, during his year as President, and Ben Legge, left Newquay in January and February 1956 (fortunately Bill was able to continue his membership with the Rotary Club of Sutton and Cheam).
In March 1956, numbers were strengthened by the admission of Arthur Gummow and Terry Rogers, and in the next month by Fred Lloyd and Ernest Goudge, and in October 1956, by Dick Downes (the only Services member). Unfortunately, the Club lost a very valued member, Monty Mogford a Past President and an honorary member, who died on 20th November 1956.
