Rotary District 1160
THE DISTRICT 1160 HISTORY
Prepared by the district and not verified by Rotary Global History History of 1160
District 1160 of Rotary International comprises the whole of the island of Ireland. It has 2,700 members in seventy-four clubs, the first of which was founded in Dublin in 1911 as the first Rotary Club outside North America, followed a few months later by the foundation of the Rotary Club of Belfast
The idea of Rotary was brought to Ireland by Williarn Stuart Morrow, who returned from the United States to his native land in 1911 - just six years after the first Rotary meeting in Chicago in 1905. In conjunction with his brother-in-law, William A. McConnell, Morrow formed the Dublin Club (22nd February, 1911), after which he moved north where he brought into being the Club of Belfast (24th July, 1911)
In 1912, a few months after the formation of the Belfast Club, Hugh Boyd, the Honorary-Secretary of that Club, visited the Rotary Headquarters in Chicago for the purpose of obtaining greater knowledge of the Movement. Whilst there, he discussed the possibility of Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland becoming affiliated to the 'National' Association, and on his return, the six original Clubs in these islands did affiliate as the result of the information which he was able to impart. At its 1912 Convention, The National Association of Rotary Clubs was renamed The International Association of Rotary Clubs (I.A.R.C.).
On his appointment in 1913, as a Director of I.A.R.C., William Findlater (Dublin), representing Great Britain and Ireland, became the first Rotarian in these islands to hold International Office. The first Convention of the International Association in 1913 was attended by five delegates from Great Britain and Ireland, one of whom was John Sheridan (Dublin). Shortly after the formation of the Belfast Club, the London Club came into being (on 3rd August, 1911), followed by Manchester (1912), Glasgow (1912), Edinburgh (1912), Liverpool (1913) and- Birmingham (1914).
In May 1914, at a meeting held in London and attended by representatives of the eight original clubs, the British Association of Rotary Clubs (B.A.R.C.) was formally constituted. Each club was entitled to appoint two of its members as Directors on the Board. Those representing the Irish Clubs were Richard White and William A McConnell (Dublin) and William C. Gabbey and Hugh Boyd (Belfast). At the Convention of the international association held in June 1914, the B.R.A.C. was officially recognised, and further, William Findlater (Dublin) and- W. H. Alexander (Belfast) were respectively elected Vice-President and Director of the International Association. In 1912 Charles E. White (Belfast) was one of three representatives from the B.A.R.C on a joint Committee that met in Chicago for the purpose of drawing up a constitution for the international association. At the international convention in 1922, the International Association of Rotary Clubs changed its title to Rotary International (the suggestion of this new title coming from Charles E. White). At the same time, the British Association voluntarily affiliated itself to the international movement and changed its name from The British Association of Rotary Clubs to Rotary International, Association Great Britain and Ireland; this was subsequently changed again to Rotary International in Britain and Ireland (R.I.B.I.). It was a condition of the affiliation by the British Association to the International Association that the liberties and practices already in force in the Clubs in these islands would be preserved, and they were in fact safeguarded by the International Convention of 1927 and 1933.
The first gathering of a representative character in the Irish District took place at 'Ye Old Castle Restaurant', Belfast, in 1924. The official delegates attending were William McConnell (Dublin), Robert G. Todd (Belfast), Walter Malcolm (Belfast), Charles E. White (Belfast) and James N. McLaughlin (Londonderry). At this meeting the first District Committee was formed. The Officers elected were Chairman, James N. McLaughlin (Londonderry); Honorary Secretary Walter Malcolm (Belfast); Honorary Treasurer, Herbert Bailey (Dublin).
'Cogs', the district magazine, first appeared as a Dublin City publication on 17th November 1913. With the approval of the District Council on 30th November 1928 Cogs became the official journal of all the Clubs in the District. 'Cogs', together with our district directory, or 'Roster' are the pride of the district. The detail contained in our district directory remains unique in the Rotary world. The district's presence on the Internet and increasing use of modern communications is a natural extension of these publications.
Many Rotarians in District 1160 have held high office in Rotary International and R.I.B.I. (and their respective predecessors). The most prominent of these are:
Charles E. White, who was elected a Director of Rotary International in 1927; William A. McConnell (Dublin), President of B A R C in 1921/22; Charles E. White (Belfast), President R.I.B.I. in 1925/26; John Little (Belfast), President R.I.B.I, 1965/66; Hugh Boyd (Belfast), Honorary Auditor of the B.A.R.C. for many years. From 1967 the work of District 116 took on an additional outward look, and Group Study Exchange, Special Grants and Technical Awards were added to the 'fifth avenue' of service - Foundation Service. Pioneer work was accomplished in world community service and other facets of the international aspect. Leadership Forums and Rallies became established features in the annual programme.
Extension went on progressively. In the seventies, 11 new clubs were chartered and in the eighties 21. So far the nineties has seen another four clubs, bringing the total in the District to 72. Of these, thirty-five clubs meet on Monday and there is only one breakfast club in the district. During the same period there was considerable extension of Probus Clubs, which now number 110 clubs, and strenuous efforts were made to organise Rotaract and Interact Clubs.
The worldwide Rotary campaign, launched in 1986/87 to provide vaccine for the prevention of Polio, measles, tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria and tuberculosis (PolioPlus) caught the imagination of Irish Rotarians. Clubs set targets to ensure that the district maintained its just reputation as generous. With the total pledge of Rotary International at $120 million, the District’s share at £100 per member was £243,300 - a target that was eventually exceeded. District P.D.G.s have served with distinction on R.I.B.I. committees for Extension, Vocational Service, Community Service, the Consultative Committee, the Conference Committee and on the committees for Rotaract, and World Community Service.
From the 1st July 1991 the district became known as District 1160, all Rotary districts adding '0' to their district number. So since 1911, Rotary in Ireland has progressed from District 16 to 116 to 1160.
SOURCE http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/districts/districts/1160.htm
