Chartered on 23rd August 1937, we are the oldest Rotary club in Kerala and one of the longest-established in South India, preceded only by the Rotary Club of Madras and the Rotary Club of Bangalore. We have had an illustrious line of Presidents: our Charter President was the late Sir R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, the former Diwan of Cochin and the first Finance Minister of independent India; other Past Presidents who live in our memory include the late Sir Robert Bristow (who was responsible for building Cochin Port), Mr. G. Balachandra Pai (founder of M/s Menon & Pai), Mr. Kerala Varma (founder of M/s Varma & Varma) and Mr. R. Madhavan Nayar (founder of Kerala Museum and prominent philanthropist). Our current membership of over 100 includes eminent professionals, businessmen and leaders in various fields who have headed prominent organizations in India and abroad. We are proud to have sponsored 8 other Rotary Clubs and contributed 6 Governors to our Rotary District since inception.
Our Club remains committed to serving the community around us and has implemented several projects over the last 8 decades, such as making our adopted island of Perumbalam ‘Open Defecation Free’ by constructing over 200 toilets, providing a gas-based crematorium to Cochin Corporation, supporting the Ernakulam Government Girls High School for over 30 years by meeting various requirements that arise each year (e.g. school bus, mid-day meal scheme, uniforms, smart class rooms, library & sports facilities), assisting government hospitals and health centres with equipment and medicines, providing notebooks to schools, helping communities in distress with food and clothing, etc.
Our base of operations is the Rotary Club of Cochin Balbhavan located at Panampilly Nagar, Ernakulam. Here we conduct youth service, community service and vocational service activities such as regular free eye camps, medical camps, training classes, seminars, etc.
We pride ourselves in following the Rotary 4-way test in everything we think, say or do:
Our commitment to meet the needs of the community and to help the deserving remains strong
We meet every Wednesday at 6.30 PM at the Rotary Club of Cochin Balbhavan for companionship and exchange of views as well as to engage with thought-leaders on topics relevant to the day. Prominent speakers who have addressed our Club in the past include President of India Mr. V. V. Giri, Mother Theresa as well as several Ambassadors and High Commissioners. Two Rotary International Presidents visited us during our Golden Jubilee and Platinum Jubilee years – then RI President MAT Caparas in 1987 and then RI President Kalyan Banerjee in 2012.
To read more about Rotary International of which we are part, visit www.rotary.org
