CLUB HISTORY / the early days

BOSCOMBE AND SOUTHBOURNE ROTARY CLUB

THE EARLY DAYS
In the early days of peace after the Second World War Bournemouth Rotary decided
to start a new club in the Boscombe/Southbourne area. With the assistance of the
District Extension Officer they started to target and inform those they felt were
potential Rotarians.
The Inaugural Dinner of the lnterim Club was held in the Masonic Hall, Adeline
Road, Boscombe on l2th December 1945.
33 Founder Members plus representatives from the Bournemouth club held the first
Committee meeting at the Pinecliffe Hotel on 3'o January, 1946 under the first
President, A. Nottingham and his six-man Council. All addresses were shown as
being in the Boscombe and Southboume area from what appear to have been
substantial businesses. Of particular interest was the appointment to the Council of
D.C. Bailey, an engineer, responsible for the introduction of the Bailey Bridge,
indispensable to the allied invasion force towards the end of the recent war. He
subsequently received a knighthood and was congratulated by the President at this
meeting.
Ten committees were formed and officers appointed.
In February, 1946 it was decided that a President's Badge should be made (£6 budget)
plus ribbon to take bars naming subsequent Presidents
As a matter of interest, some statistics given on 26th March 1946 : General Account
held £60-3-5d, Charity £11-8-9d. Average attendance was 95.58%. Monthly visitors
averaged 35.
Vocational Committee had resolved to collaborate with Bournemouth Club to advise
of returning forces personnel with professions. Bournemouth Club had also asked for
help to be given to the Pokesdown Boys club - a charity we have assisted for many
years.                                                                                                                                    
THE FIRST HURDLE – Professions
In those days, RIBI were particularly strict in enforcing the rule that a club should
only have one representative from each profession. We had two Solicitors ! The club
refused to accept this rule and asked RIBI to use its discretion. "No way" was the
answer, even when we referred to the Boumemouth, Poole and Southampton clubs -
who had apparently achieved similar membership.
One of our solicitors offered to resign but Council refused to accept and threatened
not to apply for our Charter. RIBI replied saying they refused to "Start a club with an
obvious o'wangle". 
Council again refused resignations and would "Carry on as
hitherto". By 9th May, I947 the objection appears to have been dropped and the
Charter was presented on 29'n May, 1947. How are the mighty fallen ?!
By the end of 1946 so many applications had been received that Council decided to
restrict membership to 40 and that it was "lnadvisable to elect too many members at
first". 
Further development followed with assistance from other local clubs allowing
us to give help to local charities. Old People's Home, Douglas House were provided
with twice-weekly car outings by many club members and regular sums donated to
pay for "Cigarettes". Pokesdown Lads lnstitute were recipients of funds and
equipment for many years.                                                                                                    
THE SECOND HURDLE - lnner Wheel
"29th Apri[, This Council is opposed to the formation of a Ladies Inner Wheel"
The matter appeared to have been dropped until February 1952. A letter was then
received from the District Extension Committee of Inner Wheel suggesting we
formed a club (six members of Bournemouth I.W. wanted one in our area).
The letter was passed to Bournemouth to deal with themselves. A further letter was
received from District - and treated similarly. Nothing further transpired until May
1955 when more correspondence arrived and the matter raised again. The next
mention was simply that in April 1956 Council decided to order the President of lnner
Wheel's Chain of Office.                                                                                                        
MEMBERSHIP NOT EASY
An interesting decision occurred again in May 1947. For a reason which is
not apparent, Council decided that only three or four well-known business
personalities would be admitted each year. In addition, a strange decision also
affected the Membership Committee. Consisting of five members, only the
name of the Chairman would be made known to the club, the others to remain
anonymous and only the President Elect could call a meeting of the five to
elect its Chairman. In addition, at the AGM the voting slips were given to him
for his eyes only and only the Committee would know who they were. This
continued into the 1990s.
Until this time, too, there was an aversion to publicity - PR was a definite NoNo!
Club matters continued to develop helping local charities with particular consideration
given to old people although outings became restricted by the governmental
withdrawal of the Basic Petrol Ration.                                                                                   
TURN OF THE DECADE.
The 1950s dawned with the apparent enforcement of proprieties. Increasing
adherence to the single profession rule meant that several new members were not
admitted. Quality of business position and address also seemed significant in
acceptances.
Meeting Places: These varied - probably because of members' association with
them. They ranged from The Grange Hotel, Southbourne, Waytacks Restaurant,
Boscombe, The Reliance Laundry Building, Hendy Brothers Motor Showroom, 
The New Bell Inn, Pokesdown and The Fircroft Hotel - where in 1952 film shows were
held for members and wives by its owner. Rtn R.Peters.                                                     
THE REST OF THE FIFTIES - and all that.
1953. Parcels of clothing were sent to Germany for refugees and Rotary clubs in
Holland for Flood Relief.
Club membership stood at 43 and various normal, unexceptional club functions and
supports took place.
RIBI approved a new, extended boundary for the club which included only one
existing member and a plea was made to get more from the area of greater coverage.
However, it was emphasised that potential members should not be given the
impression that, just because his name was put forward, he was accepted !
A momentous new member was gained in 1952. Derek Scott, who subsequently
became Mayor of Bournemouth and Lord Lieutenant of Dorset ( a succession
repeated later by his son Adrian).
In 1959, Michael Green, proprietor of The New Bell Inn and later also Mayor of
Bournemouth joined the club. Membership had now risen to 50.                                         
THE SIXTIES - Northwick on the horizon.
Our use of the Grange Hotel for meetings ended due to its closing and yet more were
investigated. Queens Park Golf Club was chosen as a replacement but Rotarians had
to become associated members. This was deferred but subsequently organised. This
could not have been very satisfactory as one club President was concerned about the
positioning of his luncheon table and the Golf Club were asked to remove protruding
walls!
Cant be too careful! A lady in Southbourne had been summoned for rate arrears but
during court proceedings it appeared she was suffering from poverty. Having much
sympathy, a number of Court Officers and Rotarians had made gifts to her - a fact
that was reported in the National Press - and the club took over these proceedings
officially. It was later discovered that the lady was not in such dire need and the
matter was passed into the hands of the Chief Constable.
The strict discipline regarding only "Single membership for each profession" had
continued to be maintained - witness 1963 when a letter was received from RIBI
asking why we had one member classified as "Pharmacy" and yet inducted another as
"Medicines - Patent and Proprietary Retailing". A rose by any other name!
In January 1965 first contact was made with Chateau d'Un concerning the formation
of a contact club. Complementary visits were made by both clubs' officers in this
year.
So many members were leaving luncheons before the Speaker's talk that Council
considered this showed discourtesy not only to the Speaker but also the President and
the Speakers' Secretary. A permanent record of defaulters would be maintained !
Considerable concern was also expressed that visitors were not being adequately
welcomed - and members were to be allocated this duty.
November 1965: It was agreed that funds used to finance the Old People's Outing be
discontinued and that the expenditure be re-directed to people in real need of help.
Until 1966 our club did not have a Club Service Committee, the responsibility being
taken by the President. It appears we were one of only three clubs in the District
without one and formation was proposed. In February 1966, one E.T. Langridge was approved for membership and he was admitted in April. More later.
For the last few years membership had hovered around 50 and the number of visitors
varied between 25 and 50 per month. For the next few years the club's development
continued. Support was given to many local and national causes and the fellowship
with the French Chateau d'Un blossomed with visits being exchanged. 
Membership qualifications appear to have been a little more relaxed although lack of attendance by a number of members required reminders of their Rotary obligations.
ln July 1967 the first signs of Northwick House appear in Council business and it was
recorded that provision of accommodation for needy people was being considered by
Community Service.
Enter Rotary Club of Ciney. 
"A visit to a Rotary club in Holland" was suggested in 1968.
Ted Langridge, now Chairman of Community Service, proposed that" a Rotary
Jumble Sale Shop with worthwhile profits" be set up in Ashley Road, Boscombe.
Council wholeheartedly approved. The club Charity Shop was opened on 28th
October by our member, Michael Green, who then was Mayor of Boumemouth.
In December, 1968, club meeting agendas having become overcrowded and Speakers
having restricted time, new President, Frans Simonis proposed the holding of a
monthly business meeting.                                                                                                   
THE BLACK SPOT
ln December 1968 a Rotarian had been reported as taking loans from members of the
club and other Rotary clubs, infringing a bye law. He was summoned to appear
before officers and subsequently invited to appear before Council where he was
charged with reasons for terminating his membership. Having made a statement, he
was asked if he wished to resign. He did not and his membership was terminated by a
majority decision with Right of Appeal.
A letter was later received from another club concerning a transfer which prompted an
unexplained reply to them and District. No further action was taken.                                    
CHARITY SHOP
Profits from the shop continued to grow and to mark the f3,000 milestone, the Mayor
was invited to visit the shop and Press coverage given. Ted Langridge took
responsibility for the venture and Inner Wheel and Rotary club members turned out
their wardrobes and donated goods, paintings and objets d'art. 
The shop continued to flourish and it was decided to look for a suitable property to realise the ambition of Housing for the Needy. 
In due course, Northwick Hotel was purchased and the Housing Association registered with Charity Commissioners. 
The hotel was converted to accommodate 20 people plus a Warden. A very large room at the rear of the house was thought to make a very good club room for the residents and other elderly people of the area and a kitchen and toilet were added.
A few months later, first the lnner Wheel, then the Rotary Club were informed that
they would have to find a new meeting place and they obtained permission to meet in
this room. A bar was added and the Northwick Club was born.
Eventually the building was paid for and yet there was still a need for accommodation. 
Stourwood House was purchased to provide a further 13 places plus a Warden. 
Volunteers from the club painted the rooms and worked in the garden to
bring it up to standard.
In its first year the Charity Shop made a profit of £7,343. It moved to larger premises
in 1970 and in the first week takings doubled. It was proposed that, when registration
of the Housing Association was received, full-scale publicity would start.                            
THE SEVENTIES
MEMBERSHIP
A policy was introduced restricting membership of the club to around sixty on the
basis that, with more than this number members would not get the chance to know
each other properly. This may have reflected upon the experience of the
Bournemouth club whose membership at that time was one hundred and twenty.
The club also arranged to buy season tickets to the concerts of the Boumemouth
Symphony Orchestra. Each Thursday a member and his wife would take two elderly,
disabled or lonely people to the Winter Gardens. A different couple each week.                 
TRIANGULATION SUGGESTED
In 1970 Chateau d'Un wrote to say they would like to hold a tripartite meeting with us
and their contact club in 1971 . The idea was approved in principle. Enter Ciney.

1971 YET ANOTHER LUNCHEON VENUE
Arrangements were necessary to change our luncheon site and various hotels were
again approached, finally choosing the Pinecliffe in Seabourne Road. Following
decimalisation lunch would cost 75p.
Derek Scott becomes President.
Prices continued to rise and owing to increases at the Pinecliffe, consideration was
given to transferring to Northwick - but nothing immediately transpired, and so it
went on until in 1975. An offer of £1.50 was received from the Courtlands Hotel in the
fervent hope that it would remain unchanged for one year.
Community Service agree that we set up a Rotaract Club with Chairman John
Sturgeon in charge.                                                                                                                
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...                                                                                                   In January 1977 inc, reased hotel luncheon charges prompt a resolution that "We discuss the possibility of eventually moving to Northwick House for Club Luncheons". In February. the Housing Association welcomed us!

The rest of the story will be familiar to existing members but our gratitude must go to     all those colleagues who built the enjoyable circumstances we have today