Rotary's baby of 1948
The Past Rotarians Club of Bournemouth was formed in 1948 by the Rotary Club of Bournemouth. War service and work had held up retirement for many people, often Rotarians, now coming to the Bournemouth area to retire. The Rotary Club, very soundly, feared that their age profile would grow alarmingly if more and more older people joined. So they founded the Past Rotarians Club of Bournemouth No 1 that led in turn to the formation of other clubs and eventually to that of the Association of Past Rotarians itself.
Instigators were, principally, the Rotary Club's President, Howard Bennett, and the Hon Secretary, Bob Heynen. They encouraged the holding of a meeting of 70 ex-Rotarians, with Past President of RI Tom Warren in the chair. It was resolved that the Bournemouth Club of Past Rotarians should be formed in July 1948. In a document dated 19 April 1971, Bournemouth Rotary President A. J. Pearce told of the steady growth of the Bournemouth P.R. Club, and how, through the sustained efforts of its extension committee, more clubs showed clearly that many ex-Rotarians wished to continue as far as possible their 'Rotary ways'.
Bournemouth Rotary Club is very proud it was the means of starting such a great world-friendly movement. The first meeting of Bournemouth Club Council was held at the Grand Hotel on Tuesday, 17 August 1948. A year later, at the first AGM, the Club resolved that the reigning Presidents of the Rotary Club of Bournemouth (ex-officio) be elected to Honorary Membership. The minutes report that the new President, George Wolfenden said it was amazing that we should have had such a happy year with all kinds of developments. We met as a Fellowship but as the year has gone on, we have developed into a great Friendship. At the same meeting, Howard Bennett remarked on the happy growth of the Club, and desired to express the appreciation of his own Club of the good work Past Rotarians had undertaken for them.
Bournemouth Club then began to start Clubs in other areas after interest had grown in what Bournemouth had done. The numbers grew in such a way that at a meeting at the Rotary House of Friendship in London, an Association was formed in 1960.
Clubs now meet at an annual Conference and AGM at good hotels in popular areas. In 2010 the Conference was held in Bournemouth and celebrated its Golden Jubilee, just two years after the founding Club, Bournemouth, celebrated it's Diamond Jubilee.
The Association's Council holds regular meetings, including Presidents' Forums, which Presidents of any Club can attend and raise any point they wish as well as bringing suggestions that can help Clubs or the Association itself.