Inner Wheel Club
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Inner Wheel is an international organisation closely linked to Rotary that was founded to unite wives and daughters of Rotarians.
Before year 1989, Rotary generally prohibited women as members. Inner Wheel was established for the wives and daughters of Rotarians in 1924. Women now are able to join Rotary, but Inner Wheel Clubs continue in over 103 countries.
The International Inner Wheel objectives are (a) promoting true friendship, (b) encouraging the ideals of personal service, and (c) fostering international understanding. Women do not have to be linked to Rotarians to join Inner Wheel anymore.
History of Inner Wheel. Mrs. Margarette Golding, a nurse, business woman and the wife of a Manchester Rotarian, started the Inner Wheel movement in 1924. Prior to 1924, wives of Rotarians in many cities and towns, prompted by a concern for public welfare, had been voluntarily, in the background, giving their time and energies to help in any service being undertaken by their menfolk.
On the 15th November 1923, twenty-seven Rotary wives, led by Mrs. Golding, met in a Cooling Room (because it was free of charge) at Herriot’s Turkish Baths, South Parade St Mary’s Street, Deansgate, owned by the Electro-Medical Treatment Company Limited.
Like Rotary, Inner Wheel is divided into local clubs and districts. First proposed by Mrs Margarette Golding, wife of Oliver, in January 1924, her aim was to unite all ladies’ Rotarian groups under the Inner Wheel umbrella. In 1929, the aims and objects of Inner Wheel were stated -
"to promote true friendship and the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service and the betterment of social conditions".
By the time of the next meeting on 10 January 1924, held at the Social Club, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, funds had been raised and woollen garments knitted and sent to local hospitals. It was at this meeting that the name suggested by Mrs Golding “The Inner Wheel Club of Manchester” was adopted, thus cleverly indicating the Rotary connection. The emblem quickly followed, which is the Rotary wheel with another smaller wheel within.
Even before 1934, some Clubs were formed in other parts of the world, having heard about the Inner Wheel organisation in Great Britain & Ireland - such as Ballarat (1931), North Sydney (1933) and Bendigo (1933) in Australia - in the following years, more Inner Wheel Clubs formed, for example, the Napier Club (1936) in New Zealand, Port Elizabeth (1938) in South Africa, and Winnipeg (1943) in Canada. From 1945 Inner Wheel continued to expand globally, with the formation of at least 15 Clubs in remote places.
During 1931, the first Inner Wheel Club was chartered in Australia at Ballarat, Victoria. The Rotarian President at Ballarat, Mr Maddern, had written to Mrs Golding asking for details about the Inner Wheel movement in Great Britain and Ireland. Mrs Golding was overjoyed at the enquiry. In fact she was said to quote "This is the first enquiry from the Colonies". Ballarat was the first club formed outside Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1934, the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland was formed with 79 founder clubs.
