Rotary District 1070
THE HISTORY OF DISTRICT 1070
A District of England in Europe
Also see the timeline of RI in Great Britain and specifically of District 1070
CLUBS OF THE DISTRICT
Rotary District 1070 is located in the East Midlands of England covering an area from Sleaford in the north to Biggleswade in the south and from Boston in the East to Hinckley in the west, including the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, parts of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and, finally but not least, the ancient but proud county of Rutland, England's smallest county.
In Rotary District 1070 there are eighty six clubs with more than 2800 Rotarians working in their local areas and serving the community locally, nationally and internationally.
Rotary District 1070 is one of 29 UK based administrative districts of Rotary International.
Rotary District 1070 in the East Midlands of England is just about as diverse a region as can be found anywhere in the United Kingdom.
From the shifting coastline of Lincolnshire in the east, across the fens and flat agricultural plains of Anglia and Lincolnshire almost to the edge of the Peaks of Derbyshire in the west, the District includes a number of England's most significant commercial or industrial cities such as Leicester, Loughborough, Peterborough, and Northampton.
On the other hand, there is a range of quiet, historical and touristic towns such as Stamford with its Georgian buildings and annual horse trials at Burghley, and Oakham, on the edge of England's largest man-made lake, Rutland Water.
posted by RGHF Webmaster Greg Barlow. September 2008
The Leicester Club is the oldest club in the present District, having been chartered in June 1916 as BARC number 13 and RI number 340. It was a further 5 years before the next, Northampton, held its first meeting as an interim club before being chartered in April 1922 as BARC 42 and RI 1073, Bedford in 1923 and Loughborough in 1924 together with an interim club at Peterborough, followed next, with Hinckley chartering in February 1926.
In 1928, the BARC, now known as RIBI , listed 18 clubs in the Midlands East District, including all those in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire except for Scunthorpe, Chesterfield and Buxton which were transferred to other districts. The new District 7 had as its first Chairman, Herbert Schofield of Loughborough who became President of RIBI 1931/1932 and Vice President of RI 1933/1934.
1928 was also important for the District which welcomed Paul Harris at a meeting on June 11 in Nottingham. This was attended by members of 11 clubs including 21 from Loughborough who had cancelled their own meeting that day in order to attend. A few weeks later, on July 5, Harris was again in the area at a meeting attended by over 1000 Rotarians in Clumber Park on the Northern edge of the District.
In 1934, Paul Harris once more visited District 7 and spoke at a Leicester lunch meeting on April 9 before travelling on to Nottingham to a dinner at the Mikado Cafe, with morning dress required, attended by many members from all over District 7. That night he stayed with Fred Grey of Nottingham who was to be President of RIBI in 1934/1935.
Harris only attended a few District Assemblies in RIBI but one was in District 7 in July 1937 at Loughborough, staying the night with the District Chair elect Emerson Huston. The next day he was taken on a tour of Loughborough College where Herbert Schofield was President.
All the time the District continued to expand. Although Peterborough had fallen by the wayside after a period as an interim club, it had been revived and chartered in November 1931. The District had grown to 24 clubs by 1933, 26 by 1934 and 28 by 1935. But of these 28, only 10 were to remain in 1070, which increased to 14 by 1938.
In post war years, the number 7 became 107 and some clubs were transferred to new districts, and finally 107 became 1070.
Basil Lewis based on information from the District and RIBI November 2008
acknowledgements to the District Board, Clubs, Members and Webmaster of the District
CLUBS OF THE DISTRICT
The Early History and Charter of the Rotary Club of Bedford
In early 1922, Mr H. C. Rich, a Bedford businessman, was invited to attend a meeting of the Rotary Club of London, by Rotarians Arthur Chadwick and Sydney Pascall, both of whom subsequently became Presidents of RIBI. Pascall was, in fact the first RIBI President. This Rotary meeting and the conversation with Rotarians Pascall and Chadwick sent Mr Rich home inspired and determined to found a Rotary Club in Bedford.
An inaugural meeting of prospective members of the yet to be formed Rotary Club of Bedford was held on 21st June 1922 attended by 15 local businessmen. From Tuesday the 11th July 1922, the prospective members met fortnightly for lunch at the Swan Hotel, Bedford. Throughout the rest of 1922 and the first half of 1923, the prospective members were greatly encouraged by London Rotarians Chadwick and Pascall
Swan Hotel, Bedford
On 18th July 1923, the Charter of Rotary International was presented to the first President of the Rotary Club of Bedford, the Rev. Charles Frederick Farrar, by W. K. Bedingfield of the Leicester Club and the first Chairman of District 7, later District 1070. The Charter ceremony took place at the Swan Hotel and was attended by 35 Rotarians including a number of representatives from our Mother Club, the Rotary Club of London – the cost of the meal was 4/6d!
During 1924, when Alexander Morrison was President of the Rotary Club of Bedford, a large number of Rotarians from the London Club came to Lunch and the conversation, encouragement and advice was a great stimulus to further effort by Bedford Rotarians.
Provided by Rob Gaskell, Rotary Club of Bedford. Loaded by Greg Barlow, RGHF Webmaster, June 2011.
SOURCE http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/districts/districts/1070.htm
