Rotary Club - Cambridge, UK - Profile

The Rotary Club of Cambridge was founded in 1922. E.S. Peck, the chemist, was Founder President and was President again in 1930 to 1931. Initially meeting at member Bernard Matthew's cafe in Trinity Street the Club moved on to the Dorothy Cafe, then briefly to the Royal Cambridge Hotel before the penultimate move to the Old Kitchen at Trinity College and now, for some twenty years the University Arms Hotel.

On 9 August 1932 Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, visited the Club and is shown on the photograph leaving the Dorothy Cafe.

In the inter-war years to 1939 the activities of the Club were studied by "the town" very closely thanks to its meetings being reported on at length in the local paper. All members were prominent citizens at the top of their profession or business. Much of the work of the Club tended to be through the individual, by his behaviour in social and business life, rather than specific projects initiated by committees.

One specific project was the establishment of the Boys' Club, in conjunction with the YMCA and members were involved until the demise of the Club in 1962. But support for YMCA continued especially during the Appeal leading up to construction of the YMCA in 1970's with two Rotarians remaining as Trustees to this day.

Club members played a part in the establishment of the Cambridge Housing Society and four are on the Board of management. The Club also supported the birth of the Cambridge Preservation Society in 1928. The Club was also the inspiration behind the establishment of the Folk Museum in 1934.

The 50's and 60's saw a dramatic change. In Cambridge the population increased and became more mobile.Rotary became less newsworthy and regular reporting ceased. Interest in the local community continued especially after a new group of former Round Tablers (a club sponsored by our Rotary Club) joined the Club in the sixties, reducing for a time, the average age of the membership. The Club sponsored the new South Cambridge club in 1964.

A major step forward recently was when the Club became dual gender. Now we have 8 lady Rotarians (Thea Macleod becoming our first lady president in 2002/3) in a Club of 62 plus 6 Honorary and 9 Honorary Life Members.