History of Inner Wheel

Perhaps the quintessence of Inner Wheel can be crystallised in the following words by HilaireBelloc

“From quiet homes and first beginnings, Out to the undiscovered endsThere’s nothing worth the wear of winning, But laughter and the love of friends.

Mrs. Margarette Oliver Golding (nee Margarette Owen)in 1923 took the first step to form anorganization which today is considered as one of the Largest organization of women in theworld.

Margarette was born in the town of Hay on Wye of Welsh origin. She was trained as nurse andserved as such during the first World War.Jay French in her book Inner Wheel History writes –“It may very well be that her years of service in the nursing profession triggered off a deepDesire to help all ailing deprived humanity.”

Mrs. Oliver Golding was successful business woman too. When World War was over, she joineda firm known as Nurses Outfitting Association Ltd. in Stockport. The wife of a ManchesterRotarian, she started the Inner Wheel movement in 1924.Prior to that, wives of Rotarians inmany cities and towns, prompted by a concern for public welfare, had been voluntarily, in thebackground, giving their time and energies to help in any service being undertaken by their menfolk.

If Paul Harris in Chicago in 1950 formed the First Rotary Club, Margarette Golding on 15th Nov.1923 started the First Inner Wheel ClubIn Manchester.On the 15th November 1923, twenty-seven Rotary wives, led by Mrs. Golding,met in a Cooling Room (because it was free ofcharge)at Herriot's Turkish Baths,St Mary's Street, Deansgate, Manchester;they discussed thepossibility of forming an independent ladies' group run on Rotary lines. The objects of the Club,they explained, would be twofold, to foster friendship and to offer much more in the way ofservice.

Jay French writes – “it was a curious first meeting place, held in the Cooling room of baths, Onbeing asked much later why such an extraordinary ‘choice of venue’ had been made, Mrs.Golding admitted naively That it had been the only room that they could get for nothing. Thisthriftiness has always been the guiding factor of Inner Wheel. Even today the Inner Wheelmembers are faced with similar problems.

From the carefully preserved minutes – the First inaugural Meeting of the First I. W. Club forthe world, twenty seven members attended. The Objects were clearly defined as “Friendship &Service”.

The next meeting, held at the Social Club in Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, which becametheir regular meeting place, was on 10 January 1924,and marked the actual commencementof Inner Wheel with the formation of the Manchester Club.Since 1970, January 10th hasbecome universally recognised as WORLD INNER WHEEL DAY,when we celebrate theanniversary of that first meeting. Margarette Golding, the founder, was elected as the firstPresident and Mrs. W. A. Nixon, the first Secretary. Thirty members were present, and six basicrules were agreed. The first rule was 'The name of the Club shall be 'The Inner Wheel'. Thusingeniously, they respected the wishes of Rotary, and the use of the word 'Rotary' was avoided,while the link with the men's organisation was symbolized by reference to their badge – theRotary Wheel. This link is still nurtured today and we proudly share the same ethical values andobjectives. The basic rules laid down that day, with slight variations, continued to be used untilthe formation of the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland in 1934.

In 1936 the decision was taken to mark the occasion of a Club’s formation by granting of aCertificate of membership (now called a Charter).