R7 : Senior Rotary Clubs in the major European capitals

In January 21st, 2003, the Rotary Clubs of Brussels and Paris signed in Brussels a » Charte de Club Contact ».

The International Commission of these two Clubs took the initiative to create an informal body constituted by

senior Rotary Clubs in the major European capitals.

As a first step, the two founding clubs (Paris and Brussels) have decided to approach the following clubs with an

offer to participate in this body : Rotary Clubs of Berlin, The Hague (s’ Gravenhage), London, Madrid, Rome and

Stockholm. A Rotary R8 was born.

The aim of R8 group was firstly to develop mutual understanding among the Rotarian members of the participating

Clubs through building up a deeper reciprocal knowledge of each other’s history, culture and economic activities, by

arranging visits, conferences or any other events consistent with the objectives of the R8 group.

And secondly to carry out together humanitarian or cultural activities consistent with the Rotary ideal of « Service ».

– The « inaugural meeting » of R5 was held in Brussels on November 16th, 2004 at the Hotel Metropole.

Although the original plan foresaw the setting up of a body of 8 clubs (R8), it was decided for various reasons to limit

in the first stage the number of Clubs to 5 (R5) : Brussels, Paris, London, s’ Gravenhage (The Hague) and Luxemburg.

– In 2005, a first humanitarian project was initiated by the Brussels RC (Luc De Wolf) for the « Creation of a Center for

treatment of pulmonary diseases for children » in the « Hristo Botev Hospital » in the city of Vratsa in Bulgaria, with

a financial support of R5 of 13.400 Euros.

– During the R5 meeting in the RC s’ Gravenhage on June 16th, 2006, the RC of Luxemburg decided to leave the R5,

and was replaced by the RC Milano.

– In 2008, the RC of Paris (Claude Gattegno) decided to launch a new important humanitarian project in Bucarest (Romania)

called « Advanced medical care for children » in Gregory Alexandru Hospital. The financing of this project was realised

trough a « matching grant » of the Rotary Foundation with an amount of  US$ 100485. This project ended successfully in 2010.

– A change of Presidency took place at the R5 meeting in Paris on April 25th, 2012, when Luc De Wolf (RC Brussels), after

8 years as President of R5, transferred his Presidency to Nicolas Koutros of the RC Paris.

– And on Wednesday 26th, 2014, also during a R5 meeting at the RC Paris, R5 became R6, with the admission of RC Berlin BT.

– In Brussels, during the the R6 meeting of November 22th, 2016, the RC of Copenhagen was officially admitted as the 7th member

of RC. Thus R6 became R7.