History of Inner Wheel

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

“From quiet homes and first beginnings, Out to the undiscovered ends There’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 an organization which today is considered as one of the Largest organization of women in the world.

Margarette was born in the town of Hay on Wye of Welsh origin. She was trained as nurse and served 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 deep Desire to help all ailing deprived humanity.”

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

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 of charge) at Herriot's Turkish Baths,St Mary's Street, Deansgate, Manchester; they discussed the possibility 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 of service.

Jay French writes – “it was a curious first meeting place, held in the Cooling room of baths, On being 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. This thriftiness has always been the guiding factor of Inner Wheel. Even today the Inner Wheel members are faced with similar problems.

From the carefully preserved minutes – the First inaugural Meeting of the First I. W. Club for the 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 became their regular meeting place, was on 10 January 1924, and marked the actual commencement of Inner Wheel with the formation of the Manchester Club. Since 1970, January 10th has become universally recognised as WORLD INNER WHEEL DAY, when we celebrate the anniversary of that first meeting. Margarette Golding, the founder, was elected as the first President and Mrs. W. A. Nixon, the first Secretary. Thirty members were present, and six basic rules were agreed. The first rule was 'The name of the Club shall be 'The Inner Wheel'. Thus ingeniously, 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 – the Rotary Wheel. This link is still nurtured today and we proudly share the same ethical values and objectives. The basic rules laid down that day, with slight variations, continued to be used until the 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 a Certificate of membership (now called a Charter).