Inner Wheel Club

Inner Wheel is an international women's organization to provide service with friendship and international understanding. It has Clubs in over 100 countries with more than 4,000 Clubs and over 120,000 members. It was founded in Manchester in the beginning of 1924 and is now one of the largest women's organizations with consultative status at the United Nations.

Inner Wheel Logo

History

The organization war initiated by Margarette Golding (1881-1939), a nurse, business woman and the wife of a Manchester Rotarian. On the 15th November 1923, 27 Rotary wives met in a Cooling Room (because it was free of charge) at Herriot’s Turkish Baths, St. Mary’s Streets, Deansgate, Manchester; they discussed the possibility of an independent ladies’ group run on Rotary lines – because Rotary was a “men-only”-organisation and remained as such until 1989. Since 2012 a Rotary connection is no longer required. The objects of the Club they explained, would be twofold, to foster friendship and to offer much more in the way of service.

The next meeting, held in 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 it is celebrated as the anniversary of the first meeting.

Thirty members were present. They elected Margarette Golding as the first President, agreed on six basic rules, especially the first: “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 organization was symbolized by reference to their badge, the Rotary Wheel. This link is still nurtured today and Inner Wheel shares 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. On the other hand, although the organization was originally established for the wives and daughters of Rotarians a Rotary connection is no longer required for membership (since the IIW Convention of 2012).

Already in 1924, the evolution of the organization began, first in Great Britain, then worldwide. Rotary wives who had been meeting together, contacted Margarette Golding and by 1927 another five new Clubs started their journey in the region: Liverpool, Macclesfield, Nelson, St Helens, and Warrington. In 1928 the first Inner Wheel District was formed, the “No. 5 Inner Wheel District Committee”, according to the Rotarian District No. 5, who assisted the foundation. The administration of the Districts, which followed, was the same as Rotary Districts procedure. As more Districts were formed, they took the area number corresponding to their Rotary Districts. In 1931 there were 56 Clubs and by the end of 1932, four new Districts had been formed, three more in 1933 and the need of a central organization was being suggested.

On 6th May 1934, at the RIBI Conference, held in Douglas, Isle of Man, the delegates of the 79 Clubs from the existing eight Districts, aware that it was necessary to have a Governing Body capable of guiding the growing number of Clubs and Districts, approved and ratified the Constitution, and adopted the name Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland. In 1948 the Association of Great Britain had five hundred Clubs and thirty-five overseas Clubs.

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).

Inner Wheel came to India with the formation of Inner Wheel Club of Ahmedabad in 1955 – eight years after independence of the Republic of India and therefore independent of the times of colonialism. The first District in India (No.75 – now called District 305) was formed in 1965, and additional three Districts in the following years. In 1968 the forming of a “National Council of Inner Wheel Clubs in India and Sri Lanka” by combining 4 Districts was suggested and started in 1969. Inner Wheel movement spread by leaps and bounds in India resulting in the formation of ten Districts, making it imperative to form an Association. On 1st July 1976, Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India and Sri Lanka came into existence replacing National Council of India and Sri Lanka. Today it is known as Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India. Today it is the largest Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in the world.

Cover IIW Centenary Webmagazine

The number of clubs around the world grew and in 1967 the International Inner Wheel (IIW) came into being. In 1968, 10 January was introduced as an annual International Inner Wheel Day to commemorate the founding worldwide. Since 1970, IIW conferences ("Conventions") have been held every three years, which every member can attend.

The first German club was founded in Lübeck in 1968, and today the German group is the third largest within International Inner Wheel.

In 2000 an award was created, Margarette Golding Award, in the name of the founder of Inner Wheel, for highly commendable personal service to the community. The award may be given to Inner Wheel members or to members of the general public, for outstanding personal service, which must be completely unconnected with work on behalf of Inner Wheel or for Inner Wheel fundraising.

Following the decision taken at an International Convention in 2012, membership was opened up to any woman above the age of 18, who shares the aims of Inner Wheel.

In 2023, Inner Wheel had over 120,000 members in 102 countries with more than 4,000 clubs.  The post-war story is currently being prepared for the eBook

Inner Wheel at the United Nations

The original suggestion that IIW should apply to the United Nations for consultative status came in 1970, two years later, the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council of the United Nations) confirmed the admission of Inner Wheel on the Roster of Organisations. In 1993, at the 9th IIW Convention in Sydney, Australia, a General Motion was passed whereby International Inner Wheel must confine its involvement with the United Nations (e.g. ECOSOC and UNICEF) to being an Observer on the Roster with a consultative status.

The UN Representatives of Inner Wheel are coordinated every year by the current IIW Vice-President. They follow and assist the work sessions of the Commissions regarding important themes such as human rights, rights of children, conditions of women, the family, the elderly, and drugs. They report to the IIW Vice-President on the activities of the Committees and Conferences. They are our link with UN organisation, and in turn must report to UN on what we do in Inner Wheel. Copies of the annual reports from National Representatives are sent to our UN Representatives to keep them informed about the work of our members. For many years, Inner Wheel has emphasised the importance of several major UN themes and has promoted their awareness and implementation.

IIW currently has seven IW members accredited at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Vienna and New York.

Structure

International Inner Wheel (IIW) is the administrative body of Inner Wheel organizations worldwide. It is governed by an Executive Committee of five elected officers: President, Vice-President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, and Constitution Chairman. The Executive Committee together with 16 elected Board Directors, make up the International Governing Body. An Editor/Media Manager who is responsible for the IIW website, media output and promotional documents is also nominated and elected. The elections are held once every year from nominations received all over the world – “one club one vote”. The Executive Committee is assisted by a full-time administrator.

Clubs, Districts and National Governing Bodies adhere to the IIW Constitution. An IIW Convention held triennially and hosted in one of the Inner Wheel countries, gathers members all over the world to discuss changes and vote accordingly. Every Club has a right to a vote.

Large meetings are also held regionally, such as in Europe, USA, South Asia, Philippines, Australia, and India. This has helped to promote friendship, and provide the opportunity for growth, leadership and empowerment.

The International Constitution is for all members worldwide and covers the emblem, objects, qualifications for membership, election of International Officers and Board Directors. National Bye Laws enable members to enjoy their membership according to the customs and traditions of their own country. They must be approved by the International Executive Committee.

• The official language for IIW is English.
• The Inner Wheel Year starts on 1st July and finishes on 30th June.
• The minimum number of members required to form an Inner Wheel Club is 10.
• A District can be founded with at least four Inner Wheel Clubs.
• Countries with one District may elect a National Representative
• To form a National Board, a country must have at least two Districts.
• At club, district and national level there is a Governing Body; the structure of these Governing Bodies is similar in composition to the International Executive Committee.
• Clubs without a District are named Non-Districted Clubs (NDCs). For the NDCs, the Board Directors are the link to IIW.

International Social Projects

Logo Social Project 2015-2018

Logo Social Project 2018-2021

Logo Social Project 2021-2024

Presidential Theme 2023/2024

• International Social Project 2012 – 2015: Happier Futures

Focus on the particular needs of children

• International Social Project 2015 – 2018: Happier Futures – Better Lives

Help for children but also enabling help to projects assisting all to achieve a better life outcome.

• International Social Project 2018 – 2021: Caring for Women and girls.

Empowerment and full gender equality for women and girls. Helping to remove all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment.

• International Social Project 2021 – 2024: Strong Women – Stronger World

Strengthen women for example in the areas of health, education, opportunities and empowerment to achieve a stronger world.

Each year, the International President presents a theme to unite members towards a common achievement. The actual IIW theme for 2023-2024 is “Shine A Light”; this theme marks two flagship initiatives which are critical to make that happen.

Brighten Lives for the Future

The world is experiencing unprecedented natural catastrophes of apocalyptic proportions. The issues are huge and the impacts widespread. If unchecked and unreversed, the next generation will have to fight for survival. Today, many communities suffer from the lack of clean air and clean drinking water; flimsy protection against the cold and the heat; and the loss of home and refuge. The future of the world looks dire.

As a proponent of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Inner Wheel projects are aligned with UN Women’s initiatives to contribute towards the achievement of multiple SDGs. Sustainability is the catchword. A suggested strategy is to create a pathway that empowers women of the community with knowledge, practical know-how, and stimulating economic opportunities that develops towards self-sustainability – not in one go, but cycled to improve progressively.

Some topics adapted from UN Women’s initiatives which can be refined into manageable parts are:

• Climate-smart agriculture in aid of women in farming and improving income in “green value”.
• Entrepreneurs of climate-change. To empower women, to be the agents of change rather than just the consumer of change such as engaging in promotion, education, clean-up campaigns, tree-planting.
• Women as agents of change in the home, the neighbourhood, the village, and their workplace by spearheading activities to adopt renewable energy possibilities, good recycling practices, community gardening and greening their environment.
• Alleviating energy poverty of women; statistics record that many women in remote areas run households without electricity and efficient fuel for cooking.

Mental Wellness Brightens Lives

There are increasing reports of mental illnesses, stress, trauma, victimisation, and displacement which have resulted in suicides, shootings and stabbings, violence such as domestic abuse and homelessness. It is a darkness in lives, filled with negativity and destruction. Many Inner Wheel Clubs worldwide have been actively supporting to uplift and brightening the lives of those who are hurt and in pain.

• “The contribution of women and girls to peacebuilding continues to go undervalued and under-resourced, leaving untapped an incredible tool for transformative change and sustainable peace.” Inner Wheel Clubs can be represented in formal and informal decisions and operational processes of a community or institutional board, focusing on women and girls’ human rights, safety, physical and mental health, and security.
• Empower women by a pathway of awareness, training, workshops and support avenues for women of a community so that they have the capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond in aid to and recover in an emergency, crisis, or disaster. This will promote community resilience.

Number of members per country

The countries (or groups of countries) with the most members are (2022/23):

Country	Members	First Club	Charter
India	46,600	Ahmedabad	1955
Great Britain & Ireland	11,900	Manchester	1924
Germany	9,200	Lübeck	1969
Italy	6,200	Naples	1974
Sweden	3,500	Filipstad	1949
France (FAMAT)	3,100	Valenciennes	1950
Australia	2,800	Ballarat	1931
Denmark	2,600	Haderslev	1948
The Netherlands	2,300	Apeldoorn	1946
Belgium/Luxemburg	2,000	Namur	1948
Switzerland	1,800	Morges	1982
Philippines	1,800	Manila	1949

Others : 26200; Total : 120000

And: Bergen (1935) in Norway, Napier (1936) in New Zealand, Port Elizabeth (1938) in South Africa, Winnipeg (1943) in Canada and Singapore (1946)

Aims and Projects of Inner Wheel

• The International Inner Wheel objectives are (a) promoting true friendship, (b) encouraging the ideals of personal service, and (c) fostering international understanding.
• Inner Wheel members promote friendship and foster international understanding. They are women volunteers in service, doing their part for a better and stronger world.
• In the last years IIW has provided aid via the Bush Fire Appeal for Australia, COVID-19 Vaccination Fund, IIW Relief Fund for Ukrainian refugees, and many other funds raised for earthquakes, fires, tsunamis and floods.
• The declared aims of Inner Wheel Clubs are friendship, service to others and international understanding.
• Friendship describes the interaction between the members, who are called friends. At monthly meetings, presentations are given by members or guests and the club's own social projects and activities are organised.
• Social commitment serves voluntary projects for women, children and families, which are financed by donations, bazaars and other creative activities.
• International understanding is understood as open-mindedness towards everyone and worldwide humanitarian aid. Meetings with foreign partner clubs and the World Convention every three years support this within the association.

International Presidents since 1967

• 1967/69 Lavender Weightman / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1969/70 Helena Foster / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1970/71 Elspeth Bager / Sweden
• 1971/72 Nancy Sharp / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1972/73 Birte Fangel / Denmark
• 1973/74 Cis Bulpitt / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1974/75 Hylda Armstrong / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1975/76 Gwen Davies / Australia
• 1976/77 Marie-Claire Cronstedt / Sweden
• 1977/78 Kay Martin / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1978/79 Elizabeth Bier / Netherlands
• 1979/80 Joan Pyke / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1980/81 Ann Lebeau / Belgium
• 1981/82 Jenette Petit / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1982/83 Brit Fjellander / Sweden
• 1983/84 Esther Vibal / Philippines
• 1984/85 Ragnhild Øglænd / Norway
• 1985/86 Doris Browne / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1986/87 Minna Kapur / India
• 1987/88 Dora Bailey / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1988/89 Alison Dowson / New Zealand
• 1989/90 Brenda Taylor / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1990/91 Margaret Spenning / Norway
• 1991/92 Isabel McKnight / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1992/93 Gwen Bowman / Australia
• 1993/94 Anita Aggarwal / India
• 1994/95 Barbara Bennett / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1995/96 Ida Dubbeldam de Klerk / Netherlands
• 1996/97 Beth McNeil / New Zealand
• 1997/98 Elizabeth Jones / Great Britain & Ireland
• 1998/99 Louise Richardson / Australia
• 1999/00 Lillian Pettigrew / Canada
• 2000/01 Vivienne Bolton-Sleigh / Great Britain & Ireland
• 2001/02 Carole Buchanan / Australia
• 2002/03 Solveig Svensson / Sweden
• 2003/04 Eileen Harsant / Great Britain & Ireland
• 2004/05 Metje Hanekamp van de Kamp / Netherlands
• 2005/06 Erna Fandal / Norway
• 2006/07 Janet Day / Great Britain & Ireland
• 2007/08 Kamala Ramakrishnan / India
• 2008/09 Suzanne Nielsen / Denmark
• 2009/10 Anne Fryer / Great Britain & Ireland
• 2010/11 Pallavi Shah / India
• 2011/12 Catherine Refabert / FAMAT (France, Andorra Maroc, Tunisia, Algeria)
• 2012/13 Carole Young / New Zealand
• 2013/14 Gabriellea Adami / Italy
• 2014/15 Abha Gupta / India
• 2015/16 Charlotte De Vos / Belgium
• 2016/17 Oluyemisi Alatise / Nigeria
• 2017/18 Kapila Gupta / India
• 2018/19 Christine Kirby / Australia
• 2019/20 Phyllis Charter / Great Britain & Ireland
• 2020/21 Bina Vyas / India
• 2021/22 Ebe Panitteri Martines / Italy
• 2022/23 Zenaida Yngco Fracon / Philippines
• 2023/24 Trish Douglas / Great Britain & Ireland

IIW World Conventions

1967 Foundation of International Inner Wheel

1. 1970 The Hague / The Netherlands
2. 1973 Copenhagen / Denmark
3. 1976 Sydney / Australia
4. 1979 Brighton / England
5. 1982 Paris / France
6. 1985 Orlando / Florida
7. 1988 Stavanger / Norway
8. 1991 The Hague / The Netherlands
9. 1993 Sydney / Australia
10. 1997 Berlin / Germany
11. 2000 Stockholm / Sweden
12. 2003 Florence / Italy
13. 2006 Christchurch / New Zealand
14. 2009 Kota Kinabalu / Malaysia
15. 2012 Istanbul / Turkey
16. 2015 Copenhagen / Denmark
17. 2018 Melbourne / Australia
18. 2021 Jaipur / India (online)
19. 2024 Manchester / England, Centenary Convention, May 7-10

Literature

• Helena Foster. The First 25 Years. 1993
• Jay French: Inner Wheel -A History. 1977, ASIN:‎ B000U58066
• Millicent Gaskell: Home and Horizon – an account of the history and organization of the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs. 1953, ASIN : B0000CIUAF
• Sebastian Gradinger: Service Clubs – zur Institutionalisierung von Solidarität und Sozialkapital. Dissertation, Universität Trier 2006, (PDF-Datei).
• Luzia Hagenmüller: Jung, mitten im Leben und Mitglied bei Inner Wheel. 2011, ISBN 978-3-8423-6364-9.
• Kathleen Hovey: Friendship through Service. Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland, 2004
• Luisa Vinciguerra: The Inner Wheel Spirit. Inner Wheel Italy, 2015, ISBN 978-88-6651-191-5
• Christine Winkler: Mein Inner Wheel. Inner Wheel Schweiz, 2018, ISBN 978-3-9524928-4-0.

External links

• Website of International Inner Wheel