A HISTORY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF BRIDPORT
The Club was founded in 1947 with its Charter dated 13th August 1947, and given the club number 19916, our mother being the Weymouth Club with whom Bridport developed a close relationship.
Among founder members were: Harold Rink, the first president; Guy Atherton, chartered accountant; Leslie Guest, solicitor; Geoffrey Oliphant, G.P.; Robert Palmer, brewer; Arthur Payne, timber merchant manager; Donald Spencer, retail clothing; Jim Spencer, school teaching and John Turner, dentist.
The first venue for meetings was the Greyhound Hotel, where the club met for some 20 years or so, the second being the Bull Hotel with the third the West Mead Hotel. At this time the club was flourishing with membership being restricted to a maximum of 50 due to lack of dining facilities until the room was extended and a splendid ballroom with bar also added. Unfortunately, the hotel closed in October 1988 and the club again returned to the Bull Hotel then eventually to its fifth and present location at Highlands End.
Our two daughter clubs are Lyme Regis, chartered on 1st December 1950 and Brit Valley chartered on 8th May 1991.
The club was fortunate in establishing twinning exchanges with the Rotary Club of Jarnac, with our club's first visit to Jarnac in 1969 with President Gilbert White. Alternating visits take place every other year.
During the 1980's Rotary International gave clubs the opportunity to become dual gender. Bridport Rotary Club voted unanimously (almost) to remain exclusively male only.
In fund raising the club has always been active in supporting international and local projects. Some notable events being:-
* the contribution of £200 per member to Rotary Foundation towards Polio Plus.
* the creation, during 1978/9, of the Riverside Gardens which were funded by personal
appeal to businesses in the town. An engraved stone commemorates this and is sited inside
the East Street entrance.
* In 1992 some 40 trees were planted in celebration of the Queen's Anniversary near the
Morrisons supermarket in South Street.
The Club Pennant
Features of the Club pennant:
The central Shield is the Borough Coat of Arms which was granted to Bridport in 1623. In the open port are three spinning cogs or hooks.
The shield background shows a rope and net, Bridport having been noted for rope, hemp fabrics and net making for over 800 years.
In 1213 King John instructed 'cause to be made at Bridport, night and day, as many ropes for ships both large and small and as many cables as you can, and twisted yarns for cordage for balistae'.
Throughout the centuries Royal Navy has always used Bridport ropes.
The rams head is that of a Dorset Horn sheep. This breed has been used in sheep breeding programmes all over the world and is noted for its good carcass conformation and excellent quality wool.
Also, uniquely, the Dorset Horn can breed twice each year.