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The Club's Genesis
1959-1960
Early in the 1959-60 year, Gordon Dicks (then President of the Woolloongabba
Rotary Club) was approached by the Governor of District 260 - stretching
north from South Grafton to Nambour and west to Charleville - to consider
the establishment of another south-side Rotary Club, say at
Stone's Corner or Mt. Gravatt. With the backing
of the Club, President Gordon readily agreed to the creation
of a new Club at Stone's Corner, that goal to be his Club's major project
for the balance of the year. From the ranks of the 'Gabba members,
Eddie Knoblauch was chosen as the District Governor's special representative
to establish new boundaries and set up preliminary meetings with potential
members from within the feeder area. Initially, it was an extensive
area stretching from Cannon Hill and Morningside in the east, - Dutton
Park, Annerley, Rocklea and Salisbury in the west, and Mount Gravatt and
Kuraby in the south.
As Governor's A Special Representative, Eddie's first task was to convene
a provisional meeting on the 31st of March, 1960 out of which the Provisional
Rotary Club of Stone's Corner was established with a membership of twenty-six. Ed
Newton was appointed Provisional President by the parent Club, and after
a brief discussion at this first meeting, the respective Service Directors
were elected and Committees established.
It had been decided that the club would meet on Monday evening at 6.00
PM, and the first meeting took place on the 4th of April, 1960. At
this time the venue was the Mount Gravatt Hotel.
There were twenty members present at that first meeting plus one visiting
Rotarian, the venue was to remain the weekly meeting place for four years
until the swelling membership forced a change to the Australian National
Hotel at the 'Gabba.
At the meeting of the new Club on the 28th of April, 1960, the tradition
of giving weekly addresses was firmly established with the very first
given by Bill Job, one of the Charter Members. His was a light-hearted
talk about his first working in Engineering and Architecture.
At another meeting soon after - still before the Club was formalised
- mention was made of a Bowls Afternoon to raise funds to purchase a duplicator
for the Club. At that time, bulletins and notices were run off on
a spirit duplicator lent to the Club by Arthur Cann of the
'Gabba Club.
This was a far cry from today's computers and Internet, it was invaluable
in establishing the tone of the Club and promoting the Rotary message
with the fundamental values of Rotary International. In August,
for example, members read: 'Some families can trace their ancestry back
300 years, but can't tell you where the children were last night!'
On the 17th of May, 1960, the new Club received word that its Charter
had been approved by Rotary International. For
the formal presentation of the Charter by the District Governor
Art Brandon, a more upmarket location right in the heart of Brisbane was
sought. There, on the 18th of June, 1960, in the Convention Hall
at Lennons Hotel, The Rotary Club of Stone's Corner was officially born.
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