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Jenette Storrier was a founding member of Inner Wheel Club of Ashburton in 1976.
She took on the secretary role and was one of 13 members keen to meet others who had husbands in Rotary.
She enjoyed the friendship and fellowship it offered her.
This year, the club is celebrating its 50 years.
They have a lunch planned, and have put together a book detailing its beginnings and activities over the past five decades.
President Judy Kingsbury, helped by Hospice biographer Christine Wilson, has created the book detailing its past 50 years of the club.
It includes founding members’ names, and those since, as well as activities and events with photographs.
Five copies have been printed.
Judy has bought her own copy, as has Jenette. She is the last founding member still active with the club.
Other copies were for club members reading and one for their museum storage.
“It’s good to have it, and I’m quite thrilled with it,” Judy said.
Jenette was equally impressed.
“It’s a very very good book and it's very explicit,” she said.
The information put together had been stored on a USB stick and now under the care of the club historian.
When Inner Wheel began, there were 13 founding members led by president Jenny Thompson.
Her husband Norman had been approached to start up the club.
Jenette said at that time members all had to have husbands who were members of Rotary.
That had since changed and was now was open to everybody.
The club has 41 current members.
“My husband (the late Graeme) was in Rotary and we were in South Rotary,” Jenette said.
“(Inner Wheel) was a way of meeting the other ladies of the other club, so when we got together we knew one another.”
She said it was set up as a friendship club, rather than a service club as most members were already involved in school activities.
Judy, married to Michael a member of the other Ashburton Rotary Club, said one of her most vivid memories was making Devonshire teas and serving them as part of the Ashburton Centennial celebrations.
Other projects carried out had included making dresses for girls in India and Vietnam, helping out with Bookarama activities, festive decorations at Tuarangi Home, calendars with Presbyterian Support and baking for the Cancer Society.
Judy said in the early days, members met in houses and were shoulder-to-shoulder.
‘‘And we just became friends,’’ she said.
Inner Wheel is one of the world’s largest women’s organisation.
It was founded January 10, 1924 in Manchester, England by Margaret Golding, a nurse married to a Rotarian, as a way to foster friendship and personal service, particularly among Rotary wives.
It officially became an international movement in 1967.
And now spans more than 100 countries with over one million members focused on community, international understanding and service.
It was created to provide continuity of service and friendship, as these women were often called upon to help with Rotary projects but lacked a formal organisation.
In the Ashburton book, to commemorate the anniversary, are personal accounts from members, past and present.
Since it was complied, some have passed away.
One record, written by Jenny Thompson, who was charter president of Inner Wheel Ashburton, says it was when her husband Norm was president of South Rotary that a meeting was called to form an Inner Wheel club which included the combination of the two Ashburton Clubs.
‘‘There was mild resistance from some members of the Rotary Clubs at first but great support later when it was shown that we were there to support and help the Rotary Clubs when asked to do so,’’ she wrote.
‘‘At that time, as some of the future members already belonged to a service club, they were not able to join a second one so Ashburton Inner Wheel was classed as a social club.
‘‘It also made for a very pleasant evening for ladies night at Rotary as the wives (from both clubs) had a chance to know one another outside of Rotary.’’
She said taking on the charter president role had been a big learning curve.
But she grew in confidence as time went on and ‘‘made some wonderful friendships within the club’’.
She went on to be president three times, area representative, extension officer and district chairwoman.
Other presidents have included Almond Royds, Jennifer Audeau, Anne Stroud, Judy Skevington, Barbara Lischner, Alison Scammell, Margaret Rickard, Rosemary Moore and Carolyn Nelson.
Judy said for the upcoming celebrations, invitations were being sent for a lunch at the Ashburton RSA on November 19.
It was to include past and present members and invited guests from other clubs in the 297 District.
However, past members who had not received an invite was encouraged to make contact via email to steele.lynda@yahoo.com