Rotary in Worcester was the fourth club in the Western Cape and the 20th in South Africa.
Some of the more memorable moments in the previous millennium:
During the visit of the British Royal Family to Worcester in 1947, JJ Theron, who was a Rotarian, was mayor of the town.
The Worcester Cripple Care Association was established in 1952 after an impassioned plea by Dr Koos Wilsen.
In 1954, a stone laying ceremony was held for the Van Riebeeck Home for the Aged and work got under way. It was opened on 19 February 1954 by Rotarian Christie Roux, who was also mayor.
The Rotary Service Centre was registered as a welfare organisation, after the old disused Standard Vinegar Company property was donated in its entirety by Wolf Heller to Rotary. After that, a fundraising campaign was started among local business and industry, and the centre became the focus for Rotarians for the next two years.
After demolition of the old building, it was estimated that the cost of the new building would be R12 000, of which Rotary had R9 000 in hand. Building operations were finished in 1962, and the centre opened on 15 November.
The “happening of the year” occurred when the Grand Variety Concert ran from 5 to 8 June 1963 at the Little Theatre.
Another highlight was the “Aquatic Carnival’’ held at the Hospital Dam in November 1964, with over 3 000 people watching aquatic sports stars like Deirdre Barnard (daughter of future heart transplant pioneer Prof Christiaan Barnard) and Dolf van der Merwe perform. The Club also supported the Chris Barnard Heart Fund.
In 1969, the club raised R72 000 in less than a year to help the Cape region of the SA Red Cross buy a twin-engine ambulance aeroplane. The aircraft, called the Spirit of Rotary, was handed over in 1971. The aircraft served in every corner of South Africa.
As a district project, a 10-m deep-sea rescue launch was launched in 1975 by the NSRI. It was donated by the Rotary District, which included Worcester.
The Worcester Rotary Club organised the first Gala Ball in the Town Hall.
In 1976 the Motorsport Bar project was started by Jean le Roux. They managed the monthly Motor Club bar. This afforded Rotarians the chance to enjoy true Rotary fellowship and team work. Proceeds went to the Rotary Emergency Relief Fund. In 1977, they raised the splendid amount of R826,88.
The “osbraai” of 1977, a very ambitious undertaking, was held at Kleinplasie. In 1981, under the chairmanship of Tony Roy, Rotary met nightly at Jim Siddle’s to plan a float for the Centenary Festival of the Institute of the Deaf and Blind. Rotary’s float was named Kraaines and Verslag after popular TV programmes of that year.
In 1982, in association with the Cape Lighthouse Association, Huis Brevis and others, the club hosted a braai for around 120 blind or handicapped persons.
In 1983 a tournament for Blind Bowlers was held.
In 1982 the Spirit of Rotary II was handed over to the Red Cross by District 935.
Rotary SA played a big role in the building of the Laingsburg Airstrip after the flood of 1981, helping the town become more accessible to the outside world.
At the beginning of 1984, Rotary started a fundraiser to buy a bus for the senior citizens of Worcester. Tickets were sold with prizes to be won, with a Cheese and Wine Evening held to announce the winners. The first prize was a Ford Bantam bakkie.
Rotary established Bollieland, a crèche, in the early 1960s. It was handed over to the ACVV towards the end of 1968. It met a great need in Worcester.
A visiting Rotarian from Australia, Terry Edwards, made a symbolic handover for the Spectacles Project, in which spectacles were collected on Australia for local use.
At the Sportsman of the Year dinner held in 1987, well-known cricket player Eddie Barlow was the guest speaker. That year, for the first time, a sportsman and sportswoman of the year award was presented in Worcester. The winners were Boland tennis player Minette Bruyns and Springbok jukskei player Charl Marais.
The club held a “waterkaskenades” project as a service to the community. It later toured towns such as Betty’s Bay, Villiersdorp and Gansbaai with this project.
The club annually held a career guidance evening for matrics. Other projects included the Huis Brevis Cheese and Wine evening, the Fun Bowls Evening and support for the Blind Bowlers Tournament.
The Karoo Trail for the Blind was started, and Worcester Rotary gave a generous donation towards its establishment.
Beds made by local Rotary members, together with duvets, were handed over to the Moria Huis for street children in Roodewal.
Rotary took over the IC Watt Fund in 1990, where food hampers were donated to needy families.
The first ever triathlon in Worcester was held by Rotary. It comprised a 600 m swim, 20 km bicycle ride and 5 km run.
Rotary supported the Town Beautification Project, where shrubs and plants were planted at all the entrances into Worcester. Rotary served the eastern entrance.
In 1992, Rotary gave support for the establishment of an intensive care unit in town.
In 1993, Rotary assisted in supplying modern designed cupboards for the Chipros Educational Centre.
The successful Klerksdorp Wine Sale was held, in which R19 122,90 was raised. Of this, around R5 000 was donated to the Klerksdorp club.
In 1994, bunk beds were donated to the Street Children’s Centre at Moria House.
A historical milestone for the club, the district conference for 1994 was held in Worcester, a first in all its 48 years.
In 1995 a second wine auction was held, this time in Roodepoort.
In the same year, a mountain biking/biking competion was held.
In 1995 Worcester Rotary had several projects in the pipeline: A pre-school in Zwelethemba, a retirement village (which was encumbered by the development of a shopping centre). In 1996 plans for the retirement village were on track again.
Another annual undertaking was the head boy/girl supper. In 1996 scholars broke away from tradition and did not wear school uniforms to the supper.
In 2002, some of the annual projects included: Worcester Hospice, the Supercop Evening, the Cobra Motorbike Rally, the Zwelethemba Pre-school, hampers for the needy, Moria House and a Career Guidance evening.
