Round Table (club)

Round Table is a social networking and charitable organisation for men in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, founded in Norwich, in 1927. It is open to all men aged between 18 and 45 (originally 40, which is still retained as the age limit in most countries outside the United Kingdom and Ireland). Membership of Table provides a selection of social and community service related opportunities for its members, who come from all parts of the community.

The name "Round Table" is not directly drawn from Arthurian Legend; rather both its title and its maxim comes from a speech made to the British Industries Fair in 1927 by the then HRH Prince Edward, Prince of Wales '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 wherever possible, improve them'. The phrase "adopt, adapt, improve" is a key facet of the organisation, and is often seen on Round Table literature and regalia.

The first Round Table was formed in Norwich, England in 1927. The founder, Louis Marchesi, was a young member of Norwich Rotary Club who felt there was a need for a club aimed more at the younger businessmen of the town. His vision was for them to exchange ideas, learn from the experiences of their colleagues, and together contribute to the civic life of the town.

In the following 12 months, interest was so high that the club attracted 85 members, and people around the country were starting to show an interest in establishing other clubs.

From the beginning, the Round Table was a non-religious, non-political, and non-sectarian club, an ethos that still underpins the movement today.

The second Round Table club opened soon after in Portsmouth and then the idea really took off—by the time the Second World War broke out in 1939 there were 125 clubs and 4,600 members.

The first overseas group was formed in Copenhagen in 1936, and while the movement continued to grow in Denmark, the war years halted British expansion for a while. The existing clubs held strong, however, and when the war was over the momentum grew once again as clubs were chartered all over Britain. Today, in the United Kingdom, there are 600 local Round Tables, with a combined membership of close to 8,000.

The Round Table is now a truly international movement, with active members in most European countries, as well as Africa, the Middle East, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the USA. In fact, there are Round Table clubs on every continent

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Wikipedia