The club was formed in 1965 with Colonel Hugh Duncan as President and around 30 members. Three of whom are still active in the club today, Peter Belcher, Ray Long and David Watts.
On 19th November 1968 the first meeting was held of a cultural activities steering committee led by Ridd Ryder and Howard Green. From the efforts of this committee a new town theatre for Reading, The Hexagon, became a reality.
February 10th 1969 the club set up the first meeting of the XX (Probus) Club in Caversham.
April 21st 1970 the first Oration was held with Lord Boothby as speaker. Others followed with speakers including Sir C D Hamilton, Editor in Chief Times Newspapers, Sir William Gladstone, Chief Scout, John Alderson CBE, the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall.
July 21st 1973. The Caversham Spectacular led by Claude Fenton. The plan was to raise £40,000 to build a Therapeutic Pool at Battle Hospital. Within three years the club had raised a total of £44,500 and the pool was open and fully equipped at no cost to the Hospital Authority.
July 1974 The first meeting of the Rotaract Club of Caversham and in September the same year the club ran the Thames Water Carnival with the help of Reading Round Table.
April 29th, 1981 Polish Evening with the Deputy Polish Ambassador and others.
April 1982 following a an idea that came up at a Rotary lunch a small party made their way to Meru Chambly the club's twin club in France to support Stan Eldon, a club member, on a charity run from there to Caversham. As a result of the run a cheque for £8000 was presented to Stoke Mandeville sports centre for the disabled to provide additional facilites.
January 1984 First meeting of the Inner Wheel Club of Caversham which was chartered in April 1985.
May 19th 1984 The Oration was re-born. It was held at the Hexagon in Reading with 300 attending and the speaker was the Director General of the BBC Alistair Milne.
On 19th November 1968 the first meeting was held of a cultural activities steering committee led by Ridd Ryder and Howard Green. From the efforts of this committee a new town theatre for Reading, The Hexagon, became a reality.
February 10th 1969 the club set up the first meeting of the XX (Probus) Club in Caversham.
April 21st 1970 the first Oration was held with Lord Boothby as speaker. Others followed with speakers including Sir C D Hamilton, Editor in Chief Times Newspapers, Sir William Gladstone, Chief Scout, John Alderson CBE, the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall.
July 21st 1973. The Caversham Spectacular led by Claude Fenton. The plan was to raise £40,000 to build a Therapeutic Pool at Battle Hospital. Within three years the club had raised a total of £44,500 and the pool was open and fully equipped at no cost to the Hospital Authority.
July 1974 The first meeting of the Rotaract Club of Caversham and in September the same year the club ran the Thames Water Carnival with the help of Reading Round Table.
April 29th, 1981 Polish Evening with the Deputy Polish Ambassador and others.
April 1982 following a an idea that came up at a Rotary lunch a small party made their way to Meru Chambly the club's twin club in France to support Stan Eldon, a club member, on a charity run from there to Caversham. As a result of the run a cheque for £8000 was presented to Stoke Mandeville sports centre for the disabled to provide additional facilites.
January 1984 First meeting of the Inner Wheel Club of Caversham which was chartered in April 1985.
May 19th 1984 The Oration was re-born. It was held at the Hexagon in Reading with 300 attending and the speaker was the Director General of the BBC Alistair Milne.
2000 The club's Millenium Project was the building of a Garden of Reflection at the local cemetery where parents who have lost babies can have a quiet time in pleasant surroundings.
1998 The club helped to furnish the Westfield Recreation Ground in Caversham.
2005 To celebrate the club's 40th and Rotary's 100th birthday the club has provided a seat on the Thameside at Caversham.
More Recent Projects
2003 The club took a major role, directed by the then President Cyril McCombe, in the organising of the Caversham Festival.
1992 A repeat of the Meru/Chambly run by Stan Eldon, this time running from Reading to Meru. Great support from the club and the Meru/Chambly Club and a total of £30,000 raised by the two clubs for a Heart Charity in France and Sport for Disabled in the South of England.
1993 The club had its first District Governor, Stan Eldon, and it required a great deal of work by the members especially the organising of a very successful District Conference at Torquay.
Events supported and run by the club each year include -
A Childrens Christmas Party
An Old Peoples Outing
Providing Candidates for the Rotary Youth Leaders Award Course
The Local St Peter's Church Fete
Supporting the Rotary Club of Henley Bridge with a major fundraising event, annual fireworks, for the local Sue Ryder Foundation Hospice
Organising with the Rotary Club of Pangbourne an annual Youth Speaks competition
A Childrens Christmas Party
An Old Peoples Outing
Providing Candidates for the Rotary Youth Leaders Award Course
The Local St Peter's Church Fete
Supporting the Rotary Club of Henley Bridge with a major fundraising event, annual fireworks, for the local Sue Ryder Foundation Hospice
Organising with the Rotary Club of Pangbourne an annual Youth Speaks competition
The last event of the Rotary year 2003/2004 was the President's Dinner at the Founder's Hall in the City where Cyril (Mac) McCombe handed over to the Reverend Derek Spears the President for 2004/2005
1971 The Club presented the Borough of Reading with a Silver Gavel to add to the town's silver collection
The club worked with other Reading Clubs to collect money for the 2004 Tsunami Disaster Fund. The club raised £2565 from a collection on Reading station. The total raised by the Reading Clubs was £43,525.
In May 2006 the club entertained as their speaker Sir Nigel Essenhigh, the former First Sea Lord who gave an interesting talk on the Defence of the Nation and various Government Reviews.
January 2007 the club Junior Vice President Jitesh Patel organised and Indian Evening with authentic Indian food and as a result a cheque for £1000 was presented to the charity MUKTI.
January 2007 the club Junior Vice President Jitesh Patel organised and Indian Evening with authentic Indian food and as a result a cheque for £1000 was presented to the charity MUKTI.