Bergen Rotary Klubb

Overview

Bergen Rotary Club is the third oldest in Norway. It was founded on June 12, 1924 with Oslo Rotary Club as sponsor. The club received its charter on December 27 of the same year. Bergen Rotary Club is in district 2250, which covers the counties of Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland and Rogaland. The club has registration number 12636. Bergen Rotary Club has sponsored eight clubs: the first was Ålesund Rotary Club in 1929 and the most recent was Torgalmenningen Rotary Club, Bergen in 1991.

On April 30, 2021, the club merged with Bergen-Syd Rotary Club. The merged club was named Bergen Rotary Klubb.

Membership and meetings

In August 2021, there were 89 registered members, of which 32 were women and approximately 50% were working.

Meetings are held on Tuesdays, between 19:00 and 20:00 ( 19:00 - 20:00), in BERGENS MASKINISTFORENING Engen 20. This is located in central Bergen, near the theater. During the Covid-19 pandemic, all meetings are held either as digital meetings on Zoom, or as hybrid meetings both via Zoom and as physical meetings, depending on government restrictions.

Special note: The club occasionally has external meetings. These are marked in the calendar, which is part of this website.

On the last Tuesday of each month, the meetings are usually followed by an optional dinner. The program provides more information.

There are no meetings in the month of July.

Link to a map showing meeting locations HERE.

Meeting procedure

Meetings begin promptly at 19:00 and end at 20:00. Some external meetings have an extended time frame.

A typical meeting consists of information about the club’s business from the club president, a 3-minute presentation from a club member, and the evening’s main program, which lasts approximately 45 minutes including time for questions and/or discussion. The main program may be a presentation by one of the club’s own members on a current topic, or from an invited guest. Each year, the president presents a theme for his or her presidency, and this guides and informs the work of the program committee when setting the program.

Bergen Rotary Club follows the guiding principles of the Rotary movement and takes a neutral position in relation to religion and politics. This does not mean that religious and political issues are not discussed, but rather that they are discussed in a way that reflects and respects the diverse views of the diverse membership.

Members’ spouses and guests are invited to some meetings.

Minutes are taken of all meetings, posted on the website, and distributed in paper format to all members who do not have access to the internet.

Social evenings

The committee meetings have a social element, as they usually take place in the homes of the members. In addition to these meetings, various social events are arranged three or four times a year. In the winter, a traditional "cod dinner" is arranged. In the spring, a cultural evening is usually arranged in connection with the Bergen International Arts Festival. In December, a seasonal social event is usually arranged. The members' guests are invited to the latter two events.

Historical records

In 1974, the club published "Bergen Rotary Club 50 years", and in 1999, as part of the club's 75th anniversary celebration, the club published "The Service Ideal - Our Challenge". In connection with the 90th anniversary in 2014, the club published "Bergen Rotary Club 90 years". These books present the history of the Bergen Rotary Club. In addition, the club's archives are kept and can be searched at the Bergen City Archives. You can also read the history of the former Bergen-Syd Rotary Club's Anniversary Book BSRK 40 years and Anniversary Book BSRK 50 years.