South Yorkshire Times March 10, 1951

Past The “Fledgling” Stage

Mexborough Round Table Receives Its Charter

Mexborough Round Table passed the “fledgling” stage on Wednesday when they received the Charter which signifies their entry as full members into the National Association of Round Tables of Great Britain and Ireland.

It was a memorable evening, with eight other Round Tables and Rotherham Continuity Club, attending to witness the presentation of the Charter by Dr. H. F. L. Gallaher. of Nottingham. chairman of Area 7

Message From Paris

Round Tables represented were Rotherham, Doncaster, Retford, Worksop, Sheffield Chesterfield Barnsley and Bradford, and apologies were received from Round Tables at Lincoln, Scunthorpe,Skegness and Grimsby.

There were also congratulatory messages from the president of Round Table International and from the president of Paris Round Table No. 1.

Presenting the Charter, and proposing Mexborough Round Table, Dr. Gallaher, chairman of Area, Council No. 7, said a charter presentation provided the area chairman with one of his happiest duties.

His visit “over the border” from Nottingham provided an opportunity for brief comments on Yorkshire-men. “A Yorkshireman is rather slow to adopt new ideas, but once he has got hold of them he goes at them with a will and doesn’t move until he has considered all the ‘pros and cons and his opinion is the more valuable, he said.

Dr. Gallaher commented favourably on the preponderance of younger members in the Mexborough Round Table, but commended them on their “mature insight” and judgment in the choice of chairman, Mr. Arthur Robinson, who, at his frequent attendance at Area Council meetings hadshown that he had the aims and objects of Round Table very close at heart.

Restoring Faith

Responding, Mr. Robinson said the Round Table with its ideals and dynamic aims and objects was helping to put back into this and other countries the faith of young men themselves, despite the age of frustration.

George Bernard Shaw had said “Youth is a wonderful thing, but what a pity it is wasted on the young,” Mr Robinson suggested that had Mr Shaw had the opportunity of attending that evening he might have modified that statement.

Thanks were due to Rotherham Round Table for “discovering Mexborough Table, but he expressed the hope that Mexborough would not now be neglected.

A toast to the National Association of Round Tables was proposed by Mr. E. C. Brooker, chairman of Rotherham Continuity Club, who congratulated Mexborough on the excellent arrangements for the Charter night It was not always appreciated that the Round Table movement had been established since 1928, he said, and there was widespread ignorance of its aims. Politics were barred, and this he considered a “wonderful idea,” particularly in these days when so many people pinned their faith in various “isms.” “If people would give things under discussion a really unbiassed weigh-up, we might possibly get somewhere,’ he concluded.

Twenty-Eight a Penny

Responding, Mr. G. Fernie, vice-chairman of Area No. 7. said there were 307 Tables in the Association with 10,000 Tablers. This meant a lot of friends for 30s. year, working out at 28 friends a penny.

Mr A.W. Hillerby, Mexborough and District Chamber of Trade president, proposing the Town of Mexborough, gave a comprehensive review of the progress of Mexborough to prove that it was not just “another blackspot among many black spots.”

Responding Councillor J.C. Willets, J.P., Mexborough Urban Council chairman, emphasise the cultural side of the town’s activities. This, he contended was just one more answer to those who dismiss Mexborough as “a typical mining town.”