Christchurch woman is Inner Wheel president

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 50

Christchurch woman is Inner Wheel president

A Christchurch woman, Mrs Alison Dowson, has been elected the first New Zealand world president of the International Inner Wheel.

The organisation of Rotary wives and partners is one of the largest women’s charitable groups in the world, with up to 100,000 members at 3500 clubs in 78 countries.

Mrs Dowson took office in July, and has already visited clubs in Tangier and Lisbon.

This year’s theme for the clubs, “Protect the children, they are the future,” was also chosen by Mrs Dowson. “I thought it was appropriate, particularly when there is so much

concern about child abuse, drugs and unemployment,” she said. The theme was also of concern to clubs throughout the world. Several clubs she visited had already taken up the theme, including a club in Tanzania which provided creches for abandoned children, and a drop in-centre in Lisbon for young children, aged from seven to 14, involved in crime, she said.

Mrs Dowson’s one-year term as president will involve attending executive and board meetings in London as well as visits to club conferences in San Francisco and Brisbane. She resumes her travels in a week,

visiting clubs in Mexico.

Travel expenses are paid by the International Inner Wheel, and accommodation is provided by the clubs in each of the countries. Mrs Dowson said she hoped that the 1994 International Inner Wheel conference could be held in Christchurch for the first time. Mrs Dowson has been a member of the International Inner Wheel since 1969 — two years after the international body was formed. The first Inner Wheel club was formed in England in 1924, and the first in New Zealand was formed in 1936. New Zealand has 81 clubs with 3000 members.