What Is Inner Wheel?

The Inner Wheel is one of the largest women’s organization. It is a recognized voluntary Non-Government Organization to help and serve the needy and underprivileged sections of the Society. In recognition of its social service, it has got representation in the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The Inner Wheel concentrates upon Friendship and Personal Service. It is not what is termed as “a money raising organization”, though each Club selects its own charities and channels of service. One of the greatest features of Inner Wheel is the opportunity given to its Members the world over to get to know one another, thus contributing to International Friendship and Understanding.

It is active in over 103 countries and geographic locations with over a hundred thousand members. International Inner Wheel began in July, 1967. International Inner Wheel is a women’s voluntary organization linking all Inner Wheel Clubs in most countries of Europe, Africa, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Phillipines, India, Pakistan, and in Bangladesh ; to name a few among others.

How Was Movement Of Inner Wheel Started?
Margaret Oliver Golding Founder of Inner Wheel“The Candle that lit the flame of Inner Wheel”

Margarette Owen, later Mrs. Oliver Golding the wife of a Manchester Rotarian, was born of Welsh parentage at Hey-Brecon. She was trained as a nurse and had served during the First World War. This triggered off a deep desire to help all ailing, deprived humanity. She was an extremely capable business woman and a great philanthropist; her chief social interest being the Manchester Girls’ Orphanage & Ancoats Hospital, for which the Inner Wheel of Manchester provided and furnished a mortuary chapel. She also did a great deal for the Girl Guide Movement, in which she held the Office of Commissioner.

She formed, directly and personally, numerous Clubs and several Districts and her inspiration is remembered to this day; she successfully achieved even harder task in persuading Members to look beyond their local concerns and become part of a greater whole and serve the Society.

Here was a vital personality combined with a clear brain and the ability to convey ideals to others. She was an excellent speaker and had a lively sense of humour which enriched her words. Nature had bestowed her with gift of inspiring friendship and devotion. Her greatest attribute was courage and courage was what Inner Wheel needed in the beginning. Inner Wheel was firmly established during her lifetime upon the path which it was to follow thereafter. Mr. Paul Harris started the first Rotary Club in 1905. In 1920, the wives of Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland joined hands to help their husbands with social work undertaken by Rotary. The friendship resulted in forming the Inner Wheel. In 1924, the Manchester Club of England was formed and was provided the name Inner Wheel. As time passed, many Inner Wheel Clubs came into being and in 1934 the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland was formed with Mrs. Oliver Golding as the founder President and Mrs. Nixon as the Secretary.
The roots from which International Inner Wheel has grown, was established in 1934, when the association of Inner Wheel Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland was formed with Mrs. Oliver Golding as the founder President And Mrs. Nixon as Secretary. Both of them were members of the Manchester Inner Wheel Club of England. They realized the need for unity and strength and had the wisdom and foresight, first to group Clubs into Districts and subsequently bring the district together to form an Association.

They realized that unity is strength and had the wisdom to group Clubs into Districts and then later to bring the Districts together to form an Association. Since then the movement has grown rapidly and spread all over the globe.

Who Can Become A Member ?
A Member may belong to 1 Club only.
Classes of Membership
1.    Active
2.    Honoured Active
3.    Honorary

Active Membership can be taken up by

The wife of a Rotarian or a former Rotarian.
The wife/mother/sister/daughter/ daughter in law over 18 years of any Rotarian or former Rotarian.
The mother/sister/daughter over 18 years of an Inner Wheel Member.
A female Rotarian or a female former Rotarian.
Former female Member of Rotoract or the wife/mother of a Member of Rotoract.
A female who has participated in a programme of Rotary International, such as Students Exchange Ambassadorial Scholarships and Group Study Exchange (GSE)- and who has been personally invited to join.
With an established Club, if they wish to invite women with no connection to IW or Rotary, a simple majority of existing Club members should agree to this.
Honoured Active Membership:
A Club may confer Honoured Active Membership on an Active Member who has given outstanding service to Inner Wheel. The Club will pay the Member’s due for the year in which Honoured Active Membership is awarded. In the following years, she retains Honoured Active Status but pays all her own dues. Such a Member retains all the rights of Active Membership for life or until she leaves Inner Wheel.

Honorary Membership:

Clubs may invite up to 4 female Members whom they wish to honour to become Honorary Members. If the Club wishes to honor someone, for example, a local dignitary or a person who has helped the Club in some way, or someone from a Charity, Club can invite them to join as an Honorary member for a limited time.

Honorary Members have no vote and cannot hold office in a Club and they must be elected annually.(If a majority of members present agree).

Honorary Members having served for at least two years within a club may be offered membership as Active members of that club, provided a majority of the club agrees. This category of membership must not exceed 4 at any given time.

What Does Inner Wheel Logo Mean ?
The official emblem consists of 2 gear wheels one inside the other, with 6 spokes radiating outward from the centre hub. There are 24 teeth on cogs on both inner and outer wheels. The word “Inner” appears at the top and the word “Wheel” at the bottom of the rim.
The logo is obviously a gear wheel.

The 6 spokes in the centre circle represent IIW reaching out to members worldwide.

The 6 spokes in the inner circle are the National Governing Bodies, linking their Districts, represented by the gear teeth in the inner circle, to the Clubs represented by the gear teeth in the outer circle. If one of these gear teeth in the outer circle, should break off the wheel might slip a little but it would still work and the movement would continue.

The dot right in the centre however is most important; that is the HUB and represents the individual member. Without that HUB the whole wheel will not operate properly, the movement will fail and nothing will work.

What Is The Margarette Golding Award ?

An award created in the name of Margarette Golding for highly commendable personal service through Inner Wheel or in the community. The very first Margarette Golding Award was presented to Margaret Palmer, Administrator / Secretary of International Inner Wheel by the then IIW President Carole Buchanan in Chester, England.

Why January 10th ?

Inner Wheel Day is celebrated all over the world on January 10th as the anniversary of the day when Inner Wheel was first founded in 1924. Margarette Golding became the founder President and the name Inner Wheel was adopted on this day. It is now celebrated in many diverse ways, each of them reflecting the aims of Inner Wheel; friendship, service and international understanding.