Most Edenbridge residents will be used to seeing the Rotary wheel emblem displayed on various occasions around Edenbridge and Rotarians standing on street corners in their bright yellow tabards collecting for charitable causes or struggling (usually in the wind and rain) to erect the ShelterBox tent in the square when raising funds for the victims of international disasters; but how much do you actually know about Rotary?
Service Above Self, a new exhibition at the Eden Valley Museum, provides an insight into an organisation that has, in just over 100 years, grown from a group of four professionals meeting once a week, to an International organisation with over 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide, all with common aims - to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio - under the motto Service Above Self.
This exhibition charts the history of Rotary, from its origins in Chicago in 1905, to the formation of the first clubs in Britain and Ireland in 1912, the birth of the Edenbridge Club in 1969, and the acceptance of women into the organisation, as late as 1987! It features local and international charities the club has supported during the past 40 years, individual achievements by members, and the fun they’ve had on the way.
This exhibition isn’t just about Rotarians or just for Rotarians. If you have ever attended a Rotary function or sponsored event, from the Edenbridge Festival to the annual Strawberry Tea for senior citizens, your picture may well be on display. And what connections do an a former ITN newsreader, a 1950s pop star, and a former cricket commentator have with the club – visit the exhibition to find out. |
