Club History

print this page

In the beginning.........one man and his tent!!! 

Frank Lindsell, a member of Ely's original Rotary Club, put forward the idea that a second Rotary Club meeting in the evenings would be a popular alternative to the existing club that meets at lunchtime. The project got underway in the year after Frank's term as President of the existing club.A meeting was arranged at the Ely Sailing Club in December 2001, when members of the existing Rotary Club welcomed prospective new members. From that meeting, a nucleus of  dedicated people formed the new Club early in 2002. Early meetings  consisted of a few founder members who met in a local restaurant.

The Stage Coach -where it all began - with sandwiches and rock cakes

 At first recruiting new members was very hard because of the busy schedules many people have in their daily lives.It was clear from the beginning that the club would adopt a less formal style than some other existing Rotary Clubs in the hope that this would attract potential new members.

The Cutter Inn Our Second Home - the saloon bar - which got just a little bit too crowded

The Castle Lodge - our home where our meetings finally took shape

Successful recruitment drives have ensured a solid membership, and meetings have been well attended.Frank together with Mike Copping, a Rotarian from the original club, have, since it's early beginnings in 2002, have supported and guided the new club to Chartership in January 2004

The Lamb Hotel - where we finally settled

Since adopting the Lamb Hotel as our permanent home - the Club has gone from strength to strength.The weekly meetings are well attended - and a varied social programme combined with excellent fellowship has now set the scene for our Club, to grow in membership and serve local, national and international causes.