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75th Anniversary Celebrations for Round Table
One of the best known service and fellowship organisations in the world, Round Table, is celebrating 75 years of fun and work in the community, having raised a staggering £300 million over the years for charity. The club for men aged 18 to 45 has over 12,000 members in Tables throughout the UK, including Exmouth & District Round Table.Through its work in the community it is well known and its most notable achievements in Exmouth include Santa’s Christmas sleigh, the annual Exmouth firework display, special projects, tug of war, Top to Top, the Red Barrows and the Gordon Mather house etc. Immediate Past Chairman James Robshaw said: "We are extremely proud of the role that Round Table plays in Exmouth. It gives us a real sense of achievement, whether we are raising funds for local charities or helping out in the community. And at the same time we have great fun all working together." National President Nick Lawton added: "Throughout the country, thousands of young men are giving something back to their communities, while making friends and having fun at the same time. We are delighted to celebrate 75 years of helping make life a little easier for people who are less fortunate than ourselves." Round Table currently raises around £6 million a year, mainly for local causes but also for National charities such as Children’s Wish, which has given over 500 seriously ill youngsters a trip of a lifetime, while the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust has also benefited, not just from fund-raising but also from Tablers offering the gift of life by registering as bone marrow donors. Round Table was founded in Norwich in 1927 by Louis Marchesi, the son of a Swiss Confectioner. The 29-year-old had been a member of Norwich Rotary Club but wanted to mix with younger men closer to his own age. He gathered a few men "round the table" - hence the name Round Table - and inspired them by quoting from a speech that the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) had just made: "The young business and professional men of this country must get together round the table, adopt methods that have proved so sound in the past, adapt them to the changing needs of the times and, whenever possible, improve them." ‘Adopt, adapt and improve’ remains Round Table’s motto 75 years on, and reflects the creative, innovative and sometimes madcap approach to raising money for good causes! The movement also retains the same principles it held then - it is an independent, non-political, non-sectarian organisation, founded on good citizenship. The original emblem of Round Table was in fact a round three legged table - but it was later changed and based on the design of the ancient Arthurian round table in Winchester Castle, with each of the 24 coloured segments signifying equality round the table. The first Round Table overseas was in Denmark in the 1930s, closely followed by Sweden after World War II then throughout Europe and now in over 60 countries world-wide. UK Tablers are given warm hospitality wherever they travel throughout the world - with the newest club recently formed in Russia. The 75th Anniversary was celebrated in Birmingham, where Round Table has its headquarters, with a Service of Thanks giving at Birmingham Cathedral on Saturday March 23rd 2002. This was followed by a Celebratory lunch for over 600 Tablers at the International Conference Centre. The contingent from Exmouth who attended over the weekend had a real exposé of the workings of Round Table on a both national and international level. Exmouth and District Round Table meets every second and fourth Thursday at The Manor Hotel (7.30pm) and are keen to invite other young men to get involved in serving the community and have a good time whilst doing it. If you are interested in joining, or for further further information, please contact James Robshaw on tel 01395 267277. |
| Last Updated Sunday, 10 October, 2004 13:47 BST | |
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