The Rotary Club of Diss & District

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 History 1947 to 2005

On 22 April 1947, fourteen businessmen met in the King's Head Hotel with Rotarian
Fred Hares from King's Lynn to discuss the viability of commencing a Rotary Club in
Diss.

Following the meeting, there were some doubts about the prospects of forming a
club. However, due to the persistence and energy of Rotarian Hares, a committee
was formed with five of those present at the original meeting and regular meetings
were commenced. This eventually led to the Inaugural Meeting being held on Friday
8 August 1947 at Wren's Restaurant. Founder members at that luncheon were:-

The Charter Presentation was made to the Club on Tuesday 24 January 1948 at the
King's Head Hotel by Rotary International Representative Percy Rycroft MBE and the
6,748t" Rotary Club in the world was born. Almost 100 Rotarians, wives and guests,
including Rotarians from other East Anglian Clubs were present for this glittering
occasion.

By July 1948, membership had grown to a point where the King's Head Hotel was no
longer able to cater for the weekly meetings, so they moved to founder member
Harold Wren's restaurant in Mere Street. The move had problems initially, meetings
originally being held late on Friday evenings, but eventually settled down to regular
Tuesday lunchtime.

The wives of the Rotarians were very supportive and very soon an Inner Wheel Club
was formed and received its Charter at the Rotary Club's second Charter anniversary
celebration on Tuesday 24'January 1950.

Some members took an interest in District 108 (now 1080) affairs and took office at
District and National level. Most notable were:-

C. Reed-Williamson who became District International Service Chairman 1950 - 51
and a District Vice-Chairman 1954 - 57.

Bert Butler who, following his year as Club President in 1957 - 58, went on to
become District International Service Chairman 1959 - 61,
District Vice Chairman 1961- 63,
District Governor 1963 - 65, the only Rotarian to hold office for two consecutive
years,
RIBI International Service Chairman,
Member RIBI Credentials Committee - Toronto Convention 1965,
Member RIBI Selection Advisory Committee 1%7,
Deputy Host, RIBI Conference - Blackpool 1968,
Member RI World Community Service Committee i/c Europe and Scandinavia 1969,
District Extension Committee Chairman 1969 - 71,
District Group Study Exchange Committee Chairman 1971- 72.

Tom Cannell who served on District Foundation Committee for several years in the
1990s

By the year 1962 - 63, the Club had grown to 41 members and was very active in
local, national and international projects.

In 1968, the need for a mobile physiotherapy unit was identified, and after much hard
work and organisation by Club members, the Diss and District Mobile Physiotherapy
Unit commenced its first treatments on 4 November of that year. In its first year of
operating, 151 patients received over 2,000 treatments at a cost of £1,700. For this
endeavour, the Club was awarded a "Certificate for Significant Achievement in
Community Service" by RI. Not until 1994 was this service finally superseded by
local health service facilities.

1971 saw the first exchange visits with members of the Rotary Club in Hadsten in
Denmark.

Our 25t" Anniversary Charter night was celebrated in fine style at the King's Head
Hotel on 6 February 1973, at a cost of £2.25 per head. The main guest of the
evening was RI President Elect Bill Carter.

Having proved that exchange visits with our Danish friends were forging strong links
of Rotary fellowship, the two Clubs were offcially "twinned" in early 1974. This took
the form of simultaneous meetings held at Brome Grange and Hadsten, with
President John Jennings and Rotarian Hans Gadeberg making speeches over a
telephone link between the two gatherings. This year also saw the first visit from club
members from Oscoda, Michigan, U.S.A.

A Rotaract Club was formed in 1979, catering for the service aspirations of 18 - 28
year olds, and was quite active for several years.

In May 1985, Wren's Restaurant closed its doors for the last time and the Club had to
seek a new meeting place after 37 happy years of hospitality from Rotarian Harold
Wren. Temporary accommodation was found at the King's Head Hotel from June to
December 1985, and the Club's new meeting place from January 1986 became the
Park Hotel where it still meets to this day.

Another major community project was undertaken in 1986 when the Club set up and
founded "Waveney Words", the local talking newspaper for the blind and partially
sighted. Some Club members are still actively connected with the operation of this
service.

At a meeting in Hadsten on 14 May 1988, Rotarians Ted Mercer and Ernest Cole
were presented with Paul Harris Fellowships by the Hadsten Club to mark the part
played by them to foster international fellowship and understanding. Since then the
Diss Club has honoured members with Paul Harris Fellowships:-

Bram Davies, Tom Cannell, Doug Bartlett, Laurie Rollin, Lyn Purling, Michael Booty, 
Richard Hopgood, Rodney Howell, Jack Lee, Bert Lloyd, Lyn Purling, Ben Sasada

The Charter celebration evening of 28 February 1995 was very special in that the
Club presented a unique award to its last active founder member, Tom Cannell, that
of "President Emeritus". Sadly, with the death of Tom, there are now no founder 
members active in the Club.

Since 1947, membership has grown from 20 to 60, making the Club the fourth largest
in District 1080. While bucking the national trend of declining membership, the club
has always been active in promoting true "Service Above Self', combined with good
Rotary fellowship.

Through its various committees, the Club has responded to critical and sometimes
unexpected needs of the community and some of these responses are detailed
below:-

Community Service

• Each year, dozens of local people receive birthday parcels and are given a
  rousing Christmas party.
• Over 60s Club members are transported to their meetings.
• 2 talking book machines purchased and maintained for local use.
• Support for local groups by providing equipment for their use.
• Commencement of a group to help "Carers" in the community.
  

International Service

• Collection of books for the Ranfurly Library to distribute to developing countries.
• Paying for ,the establishment of "Eye Camps" in India to perform cataract
  operations.
• Collection of thousands of pairs of unwanted spectacles for inspection and
  redistribution in developing countries
• Raising double our monetary target towards the "Polio Plus" scheme to eradicate
  polio throughout the world by the year 2000.
• Organising international visits to Rotary Clubs
• Arranging the filling of Aquaboxes for needy areas of the world

• For many years, members have conducted mock interviews for pupils at the local
  High school, helping them to overcome the trauma of interviews with prospective
  employers when they leave school for the business world.
• Promoting the "Young Achiever" and "Young Designer award schemes
• Sponsoring and promoting Drug Awareness schemes.

• Publicising and selecting local graduates for Ambassadorial Scholarships in a
  country of their choice.
• Finding suitable young executives to participate in the Group Study Exchange
  tours to overseas Rotary districts.
• Ensuring the Club's participation in financially supporting the "Rotary Foundation

• Organising School exchange years for overseas students and students wishing to
  study abroad.
• Youth exchange programmes with "inner-city" areas
• Tri-annual youth exchange visits with Hadsten Club

CLast updated:2005 Copyright © Diss & District Rotary Club