Wilton Rotary Club celebrates 45th anniversary with members

The evening commenced with a message from the club's honorary member Lord Pembroke who gave a glowing tribute to the work the Rotarians do for Wilton and the community.

This was followed by a grace given by founder President Arthur Bowden’s widow Joyce who also founded the Wilton Inner Wheel 45 years ago.

After each course the three founding members Rod Shipsey, Chris lush and David Richards gave their own account of how the club began, why they joined and what they have got out of being a member of Rotary.

New members of the club responded to each presentation with a toast. Rotarian Jeff Coy who joined  last summer summed up his experience of Wilton Rotary Club, by saying his only regret was that he didn’t join the club sooner!

There was then a loyal toast to the King by honorary secretary Carol Slater who was the club's first lady president.

The evening's proceedings were concluded by current club President Andy Rhind-Tutt with a presentation of the achievements the club has made over 45 years.

During this Andy highlighted one of the first projects funded by the founders was an incubation unit for the maternity unit at Salisbury Hospital in 1983.

Andy added that club doesn’t just fundraise and give back it also helps the community in many ways, such as arranging for Father Christmas and his helpers to deliver gifts of food parcels to those stuck at home on their own over the Christmas period and since 1985 members of the club have taken senior citizens to the pantomime.

Andy concluded by thanking everybody who came and in particular the four founding members Keith, Rod, Chris and David who 45 years on still give as much today as they did at the club's beginning.

As a finishing touch to a great evening £300 raised in the raffle was made the first prize and winner Angie Dooling gifted it to the Salisbury Hospice.

The final toast was given by the father of the club Honorary Rotarian Keith Woodhouse.