Stroud Rotary Club

Stroud Rotary Club is twinned with St Ingbert, Germany

Chartered 8th May 1979

History of Link

St Ingbert May 1980

President Dennis Martyn asked the International Committee to establish a link. Rotarian John Walker the Chairman of the International Committee with the help of Rotarian Taura Fauske who wrote to several Rotary Clubs in France and received no reply. Rotarian Don Lacey gave John a list of newly formed clubs. John wrote to two - St Ingbert replied favourably suggesting that it was a little early in their life to get involved. A little later they responded and invited us to a preliminary visit.

John Walker ( TSB bank ) , David Chapman ( Western Carpets ) and Tim Mugford ( (Notary Public ) offered to go as the advance party to introduce Stroud.

Kirstan Mugford's diary records that the men   left at 2.15am on 7th May 1980 and returned at midnight on 9th May 1980. ( It also records that Tim played Cricket at Chalford on 10th May and played bridge in the evening: so he was younger and more active then !!!! ) They took Tim's Austin Princess which undoubtedly was a type they had not seen in the Saar before !

Tim recalls the programme:

Dinner in Rainmar's house. Max Becker, Walter Port, Rainmar and Marie-Therese Gnaehrich  present.

A well lubricated chat back at the Alpha Hotel with Walter and Gudrun Port and one of the bottles of whiskey that they brought from England.

Attended St Ingberts Rotary Club meeting the next evening, the speaker was Walter Port and the subject was Environmental Pollution.

John Walker's German went down well and led to the twinning's success which has continued to take place each year.

Thanks should be extended to John Walker's wife Rita. She translated all the letters sent and received which made the link a successful. She also needs to be recognised for the many speeches which she re-hashed into meaningful German, not just for John, but for Presidents speeches at the various visits here and in St Ingbert. Also trying to school Gloucestershire accented Rotarians as to how their German should be pronounced ! Not to mention being asked by our St Ingbert friends to check their speeches, to be made in English. She became known as the link "Ambassador or  Ambassadress ", by St Inbert Rotarians

Picture shows John Walker on the left and David Chapman

and Mr Becker's Beer statute in St Inbert.

Thanks to Past President Tim Mugford for recalling his thoughts on the history of the link. If anyone has any further information please email webmaster@stroudrotary.org.uk

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