...of Loughborough Beacon Rotary Club

Written by Past President John Graham

Founder members of our club will recall that we started meeting late in 1983 around a case of beer at Loughborough College.  We were ably assisted in founding the club by Jerry Deakin and Philip Wilson from our mother club, Loughborough , and by District 107 Governor Ralph Tempest and extension officer Desmond Vaughan.  By the time of the presentation of our Charter in June 1983 our first treasurer Gwilym had gone (promoted to higher things in the police force) and with a quick shuffle we had a full list of officers and a club council. 

We began meeting at the Great Central Railway hotel in Loughborough.  The venue was notable for its sweet trolley, the unpredictable nature of the soup, leaks from the atrium roof and on one memorable occasion the timber mantelpiece of the fire kept us warm for the evening.  Meetings were convivial, helped along by anecdotes from Trevor Tyrrell and projects were planned at the full club meetings.  There were no duty members, since the treasurer took the money each week, and as Rotary’s 60% attendance rules were applied strictly we always had a good turnout.  There was little need for committee meetings and no Council meetings occurred, as we were unsure what Council was supposed to do!  Everyone was fully aware of what the club was doing and became enthusiastically involved in events. 

It came as a surprise in our third year, when Derek Tranter was President, that the District Governor wished to visit the club and sit in on a council meeting.  Sets of minutes “from an earlier meeting” were rapidly prepared and the District Governor sat in on our very first Council meeting.  We like to think he was suitably impressed.  We certainly remember the occasion well! 

It was in these early years that continuing themes were established within the club.  Members attended other clubs’ Charters to seek ideas for fund raising.  We picked up one idea, a plant sale, from Melton Mowbray.  This helped us to meet the club’s PolioPlus target and a cheque for £3,300 was presented to District Governor Frank Norburn in 1987.  It gave the club an interest in gardening, which has lasted.  The annual plant sale continues and over the years we have constructed the Tom Fielding garden at Shelthorpe School, opened by the then Lord Lieutenant Col. Martin, produced a restful garden for Epinal Way hospital and helped the disabled gardening team that operates out of John Storer House. 

We became involved with International boxes at an early stage, with the entire club involved in searching for items to fill them, including the infamous metal mirrors.  We then moved on to our long commitment to filling Aquaboxes.  This fitted an established club interest in providing safe water supplies around the world. 

We help young people.  We have supported Kids Out for many years and also help Shelthorpe special needs pupils’ annual “camp” by providing their evening barbecue.  We also launched the District’s Young Writer competition and continue to support Youth Speaks strongly.  Over the years we have helped disabled children at Ashmount School, funded projects at STEPS (a “school” for young people affected by cerebral palsy) and have provided funds and assistance to LOROS and Rainbows. 

For older people we organise a boat trip each year.  This grew out of an initial contact with the Peter Le Marchant trust.  It continues, with differing groups being invited for a day’s outing  each year. 

A Thespian flavour was established in the early years, with one of our members memorably appearing in a bathing suit at Stanford Hall theatre.  The production, in aid of the Cleft Palate association, also required the manhandling of a grand piano from the Grammar School to the theatre and its largely safe return.  Relations with the Grammar School have improved over the years, and the club has continued to put on theatrical events. 

Another strong theme has been sport.  In the early years, when we were much fitter, money was successfully raised utilising a seven-man bicycle dubbed “Pandemonium”, which we placed on rollers in Loughborough precinct.  Sponsored teams competed to see how far they could “travel” in 5 minutes.  More demanding was a sponsored leapfrog that we put on at Leicester Forest East.  Taller members of the club became increasingly unpopular as we tired, but we made good money from spectators taking sympathy on us.  Amateur boxing nights and dragon boat races have been good fund raisers, the latter in support of Prostaid.  We have also helped the British Heart Foundation by supporting research at Loughborough University into the effects of brisk walking on heart function and cholesterol levels.  This work could not go ahead without an inactive cohort and the club responded enthusiastically to this demand for controlled inactivity. 

On a more serious note the club has had to change with the times. The question of women in Rotary was put to an incredulous club in 1986. Unsurprisingly, the debate rumbled on for some years afterwards. By 1992 our District had split and we became part of 1070. We also changed venues, moving to the Cedars in late 1986 and on to the Kings Head (now Ramada) in 2003 before reaching our present location, Longcliffe golf club, during the last two years. The debate on women in Rotary having been resolved, meetings have recently become more orderly! 

The club has matured well over the years and membership has increased, as shown above. 

Membership rose from 28 to 34 by 1993.  At that time District expressed some concern that clubs were not meeting the 60% attendance rule, which in our case required 21 or more members to attend our meetings.  We achieved this on average but only just.  Members were asked to attend regularly.  This resulted in 9 people leaving that year.  Since then, Rotary has relaxed the 60% rule, in recognition that workplace pressures can make it difficult to meet such a target.  Our numbers have since increased to 43. occasions. 

The club may have changed over the years but it remains in good shape for the next 25 years!