A brief History on "Getting more out of life through working together for others"

1. Early Diversity...
2. 60's and 70's Growth...
3. Personal Service/Disaster Fundraising
4. The last 10 years
5. Past Presidents

Early Diversity reflected in the life of Slough Rotary today

The Charter founding the Rotary Club of Slough was granted on 22nd December 1932, but it may be said that the club really started some months earlier, on 24th May 1932, when a small group of professional and businessmen met to discuss the idea of a Rotary club for Slough at the town's Royal Hotel. The first weekly luncheon meetings began on Tuesday 6th September and the presentation of the Charter was made at a banquet held at the Old Crown Hotel on 15th February 1933. The occasion was a milestone in the business and professional life of Slough, as previously there had been little opportunity for social contact and exchange of ideas.

Representing the diversity of vocations for the early club members, the Founder President was a prominent Estate Agent as well as Chairmen of the Urban District Council before Slough was elevated to the status of Borough, the Founder Secretary, originally from Cambridge, came to Slough at a fairly young age to join the Slough Observer newspaper and the Founder Vice President, was eventually the first Headmaster of Slough Grammar School. Other early members were builders, architects, printers, retailers, solicitors and representatives from key local employers such as Horlicks and National Adhesives. This broad mixture of vocation and skills remains with us today.

The early years saw the establishment of the clubs working committees, but it is interesting to note the focus of their activities, which too are paralleled in the life of the club today.

Community Service was the first committee to function. In 1936 they took over the Slough Christmas Gift Fund, putting it back on its feet before handing it back to the council. A Whit Monday Carnival saw £126 being raised in aid of the Slough Hospital Building Fund.
The International Committee first met in 1934. In August 1936 an exchange scheme between boys of Slough and Denmark took place, perhaps the forerunner of the club's continuing support for local educational projects involving the town's schools and schoolchildren. Today the club maintains links with three twin clubs, in Bremen Hansa, Germany, Vierzon, France and Dothan in Alabama, USA. Exchange visits are made between Slough and each of these clubs every few years or so. 2005 has seen a visit of four members and their partners to the Dothan club, the joint planting of a commemorative tree in Bremen, and the fulfilment of a long-term joint project with the Vierzon club to provide two passenger transport vehicles to the Lebanese Arc En Ciel Association.

One of the most successful educational links, which began in the early 1950's and ran for over 50 years was the annual 'Rotary School's Prizegiving'. Originally a luncheon but latterly a Dinner, gifts of books are made to recognise those students from each of the Town's schools who contributed most to the school itself or their community, as exemplified by the Rotary Motto of "Service above Self". More recently, and still one of the Town's major external events for school age children is the 'Youth Speaks' competition, organised wholly by Rotary and enabling the students to develop and practise their public speaking skills. Also on the youth theme the club today works with the Borough Council to award the Rotary Club of Slough Young Citizen of the Year award.

1. Early Diversity...
2. 60's and 70's Growth...
3. Personal Service/Disaster Fundraising
4. The last 10 years
5. Past Presidents