Inner Wheel is one of the largest women’s organisations in the world, promoting the Object of Trust, Friendship, Personal Service and International Understanding. Its unofficial Symbol of friendship is the red rose.
Inner Wheel was formed in Manchester in 1924 and the first Inner Wheel Club outside Great Britain and Ireland was founded in Ballarat, Victoria in 1931. It has spread around the world & is today represented in more than 100 countries. International Inner Wheel enjoys an ‘on roster’ status with the United Nations Economic & Social Council in areas such as children’s rights, status of women, ageing, the family & narcotic drugs.
unfortunately the Ballarat Club has meanwhile folded, however the Australian, in 1932 chartered North Sydndey and 1933 chartered Bendigo Clubs are still active.
Inner Wheel has currently 141 clubs in Australia of which 16 are here in WA. The latest club called Cowan at Sunset was chartered in June this year. The IW Club of Kalamunda was charted in August 1965 by the Rotary Club of Kalamunda. One of the founding members PP Jim O'Connel's (†) wife Laurel honoured us with a visit last night as well. IW Kalamunda was given a new collar for the 50th anniversary and our Club donated a Jewel to mark the occasion. The old collar with a replica of the jewel is now in a display case on show in the History Village of Kalamunda.
International IW was formed in 1968 and has now 103,000 Members, 3895 Clubs in 105 Countries. the largest membership is now in India, simply because all the wives of Rotarians are expected to join Inner Wheel.
Membership to Inner Wheel was originally reserved for Rotary Member's wives only, this has later been opened to relatives of Rotarians and other Inner Wheel members and finally has opened membership to all women above the age of 18.
The members of a club meet once a month at a time and place to suit all members. IW Kalamunda meets upstairs at teh Kalamunda Hotel, they have dinner and usually a guest speaker.
In 2012 Inner Wheel was inducted in WA Woman's Hall of Fame.
Since 2000 IW has the Margarette Golding Award, but it cannot be given for service to Inner Wheel, it can only be awarded for works and service in the community. So far only 28 have been awarded throughout Australian, 3 in WA. an award has been given to Catherine Hamlyn for her work at the Fistula Clinic in Ethiopia
Each club individually determines what organisation or project to support. Kalamunda's main fundraiser is at our December Artisan Markets, through a raffle. The proceeds go normally to the Midland's Women's Refuge, the Parkerville Youth Centre and Ester Foundation. In the past they supported Alzheimer's research, Silver Chain and the local Bushfire Brigade. All of Australian Clubs sen also money to help the drought stricken farmers in the East.
As a District all clubs jointly raise money for an oversease project, for three years it was 'Days for Girls', the last two years they supported 'Stitches of Hope', and this year they are providing birthing kits to women in Paupa New Guinea.
However the main claim to fame is the funding of the research into the use of Cord Blood.
In 2000 the then President of IW Australia suggested a project for all clubs in Australia. Research into Cord Blood was chosen, the initial support of $67K sponsored two research grants. This was so successful that it was decided to carry on with the support. Meanwhile over $2.7M were donated sponsoring 47 research grants. This has been achieved by members only with no contribution from Lottery or any other outside sources. Gail Lazaro, the head of the Blood Bank in WA is on the selection committee of the grant recipients.
Rotary in WA took up the suggestion from Inner Wheel to build a Cord Blood Bank as a gift to WA for Rotary's 100th birthday. both logos Rotary's and Inner Wheel's are displayed at the entrance of the building.
During the meeting a few of the Rotarians have asked, how the Rotary Club of Kalamunda could start working more closely together with the Inner Wheel Club of Kalamunda, it would be great to revive the relationship between the two like-minded clubs.