Following our Charter on 18th July 1923, we had 38 members. We met in the then Lounge of the Swan Hotel - fortnightly on a Tuesday Lunchtime, but that room was proving too small by the end of 1924 and the Club moved to the Dujon Restaurant in January 1925; in that year the Club unanimously adopted the Constitution of RIBI.
The Council of our Club and Committees met in the Boardroom of Wells Brewery. There was a meeting at least once a week, with refreshments!
During 1923/1924, the Club, through the good offices of Rotarian George Hayward Wells, raised £1000 to create the Longholme Boating Lake. In fact each Rotarian donated 1/0d and the rest was funded by George Wells, Secretary from 1924 to 1937 and President 1937/38.
During 1926 and 1927 quite a lot changed. The Attendance Rule had not been enforced in the early years and attendances rarely reached 60%, often well below 50%. The 60% attendance rule was applied and several resignations followed. Also at that time there was a serious and lengthy debate about the cost of the meal – at 2/6d - but a motion to reduce the cost was defeated. RIBI would not agree to any new Clubs meeting fortnightly and Bedford fell in line, with weekly lunches, still on a Tuesday. Many members opposed this change, which was eventually agreed and there were a number of further resignations, leading to a net fall from 47 in 1927 to 42 in mid 1928.
In 1926 the Club was asked to assist with the Bedford Regatta and held a Rotary Luncheon Meeting in a marquee by the river. The next year the Club assisted in running a River Pageant and Ball in aid of the British Cancer Campaign.
In 1927 our first daughter Club, Luton, was formed, largely through the efforts of Rotarians Harry Manning and George Hayward Wells.
Following these changes, however, new members quickly joined to the extent that by mid 1929 there were 51 members and the Dujon, as it then was, itself proved too small, so the Club moved to the Bridge Hotel.
In late Summer 1929, the Club members presented the then President, Harry Manning, with a new badge and ribbon – the badge we have today, although the ribbon was replaced in the 1960s by the linked names we now have. Harry became the first member of our Club to be District Chairman of District 7 for 1931/33 (the office is now that of District Governor and the number is 1070)
By mid 1930 there were 47 members and the attendances for the preceding year had been almost 70%
The Council of our Club and Committees met in the Boardroom of Wells Brewery. There was a meeting at least once a week, with refreshments!
During 1923/1924, the Club, through the good offices of Rotarian George Hayward Wells, raised £1000 to create the Longholme Boating Lake. In fact each Rotarian donated 1/0d and the rest was funded by George Wells, Secretary from 1924 to 1937 and President 1937/38.
During 1926 and 1927 quite a lot changed. The Attendance Rule had not been enforced in the early years and attendances rarely reached 60%, often well below 50%. The 60% attendance rule was applied and several resignations followed. Also at that time there was a serious and lengthy debate about the cost of the meal – at 2/6d - but a motion to reduce the cost was defeated. RIBI would not agree to any new Clubs meeting fortnightly and Bedford fell in line, with weekly lunches, still on a Tuesday. Many members opposed this change, which was eventually agreed and there were a number of further resignations, leading to a net fall from 47 in 1927 to 42 in mid 1928.
In 1926 the Club was asked to assist with the Bedford Regatta and held a Rotary Luncheon Meeting in a marquee by the river. The next year the Club assisted in running a River Pageant and Ball in aid of the British Cancer Campaign.
In 1927 our first daughter Club, Luton, was formed, largely through the efforts of Rotarians Harry Manning and George Hayward Wells.
Following these changes, however, new members quickly joined to the extent that by mid 1929 there were 51 members and the Dujon, as it then was, itself proved too small, so the Club moved to the Bridge Hotel.
In late Summer 1929, the Club members presented the then President, Harry Manning, with a new badge and ribbon – the badge we have today, although the ribbon was replaced in the 1960s by the linked names we now have. Harry became the first member of our Club to be District Chairman of District 7 for 1931/33 (the office is now that of District Governor and the number is 1070)
By mid 1930 there were 47 members and the attendances for the preceding year had been almost 70%
When George P. Allen was President in 1930/31 a bronze tablet, designed by the President, was placed on the parapet of Bedford Bridge, commemorating the imprisonment of John Bunyan and the writing of the “Pilgrim’s Progress”. This Rotary year witnessed the sad death of the Founder President, Rev. Charles Frederick Farrar on 5th June 1931
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