Tameside Rotary has celebrated its sixth Charter Night at Ashton Golf Club.

Seven other Rotary clubs attended with their friends and family from Dukinfield and Stalybridge, Glossop, Hyde, Knaresborough, Manchester Breakfast, Sale and Warrington.

Next year’s President Elect Steve Knowles read out the Charter. Tameside Rotarian and Deputy Civic Mayor Mike Glover gave a speech about Tameside, Vice President Mohammed Karim gave the International Toast and District 1285 Governor Eric Russell gave the response. Irene Russell, Assistant Governors Marian Basu and Paul Scullion attended.

President Angela Robbins then gave a special speech about the club uniting during the pandemic through Zoom and telephone, the events planned for the coming year including the Santa Tour which started last week.

She concluded with a big surprise for Andy Williams (founder president) and Cliff Hall (founder member and current secretary) who, having already received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award, and who received their second Paul Harris Fellowship awards for outstanding contribution to Rotary which makes them Multiple PHF award holders.

Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary in 1905 in Chicago.

He invited a few fellow business men (all men at that time) to join him for lunch and then they agreed to take it in turn to host, rotating venue  - hence Rotary.

Initially it is what we would now call a network club - but very soon they started to support local good causes.

So while network and friendship are still part of Rotary, ‘service above self’ would be the main driving force and a reason most people join.

The Paul Harris Fellowship can be awarded to anyone - even a non Rotarian - in recognition of the work they have done.

Jeff Mellor received an honorary membership from President Angela who was chosen for this honour because of his 20 years in Rotary.

The entertainment for the evening was from Xander.

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