Active on every continent
From South Africa to Singapore, Amsterdam to Buenos Aires, Round Table operates in more than 50 countries. The shared motto creates instant common ground wherever you travel.
Round Table International
A brotherhood built to last
Nearly a century old. Active on every continent. More than 25,000 members in 54 national associations. And right here in Benoni, Golden East 181 has been part of this story since 1974.
1927
Founded
54
National associations
25,000+
Members
50+
Years of GE181
Where it all started
Norwich, England. 14 March 1927.
A young caterer named Louis Marchesi, known to his fellow Tablers simply as "Mark", had an idea. A member of the Norwich Rotary Club, he believed young professional men deserved their own space: somewhere to meet regularly, exchange ideas and make a genuine difference in their communities.
On 14 March 1927, thirty men gathered at Suckling House in Norwich and launched Round Table No. 1. Within a year membership had grown to 85. Within two years new tables had opened across England. Within a decade the first overseas table had been founded in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The name came from a speech by the Prince of Wales, who challenged young businessmen to come together round a table and adopt, adapt and improve the world around them. Nearly a century later, that challenge still shapes every GE181 meeting.
A century in the making
The story of Round Table.
From a single meeting room in Norwich to a global brotherhood spanning every continent: the moments that built the movement.
1927
The first table · Norwich, England
Louis Marchesi founds Round Table No. 1 at Suckling House. The motto "Adopt, Adapt, Improve" is engraved on the meeting bell, a gift from a fellow Rotarian. Thirty men at the first meeting; 85 members within twelve months.
1928 – 1939
Rapid national growth
New tables open across Britain. A national council is formed. By the outbreak of World War II, over 4,600 members are active across 125 tables in Britain alone.
1936
First overseas table · Copenhagen
Round Table crosses the Channel for the first time. Denmark becomes the first country outside Britain to host a table, proof the fellowship has universal appeal regardless of nationality or language.
1948
Round Table International founded
RTI is formally established at a general meeting in Hastings, England, with British, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish tables among the founding members. The same year, Dr David Smith brings Round Table to South Africa.
1951
Southern Africa chartered
Round Table Great Britain & Ireland officially charters Round Table Southern Africa (ARTSA). The movement takes root across South Africa and Namibia, growing into one of RTI’s most active regional associations.
1974
Golden East 181 is founded · Benoni, Gauteng
GE181 receives its charter and joins a movement already spanning dozens of countries and tens of thousands of members. For over 50 years, GE181 has held its place as one of the East Rand’s most active service clubs.
2018 / 2019
GE181 International Club of the Year
Golden East 181 is recognised as International Club of the Year, placing a club from Benoni among the very best in the global Round Table network of more than 25,000 members in 54 national associations.
Today
A truly global brotherhood
More than 25,000 Tablers in 54 national associations. Non-political, non-religious, and open to men between 18 and 40 who want to do more than talk about making a difference.
The global network
What makes Round Table different.
Round Table isn’t a local club with international connections. It’s a global movement, and every member of GE181 is part of something much bigger than Benoni.
Non-political. Non-religious.
Always has been, always will be. The only membership criteria are professional standing, a commitment to service, and age between 18 and 40. Nothing else divides the table.
Built for young professionals
Round Table was created for men at the start of their careers. The retirement age, the last day of March after your 40th birthday, keeps every table energetic and forward-looking.
Governed by members
RTI is elected annually from within its own membership. No lifetime positions, no paid officials. The organisation is run entirely by Tablers, for Tablers.
Service over ceremony
Round Table has never been a ceremonial organisation. It exists to do things: community projects, fundraising, hands-on service. Talk at meetings, act outside them.
ARTSA, our regional home
In South Africa, tables belong to ARTSA: over 100 tables and 700+ members across South Africa and Namibia. GE181 takes part in regional events and conventions through ARTSA.
A passport benefit you didn’t expect
Membership opens doors around the world.
One of the most underrated parts of Round Table membership is what happens when you travel. Every table in every country is part of the same network. A GE181 member in Amsterdam, Bangkok or Buenos Aires isn’t a stranger. He’s a fellow Tabler.
Round Table International encourages what Tablers call "raids": organised visits by one table to another across regions or borders. They’re among the most memorable experiences in a Tabler’s time, with genuine hospitality from men who share your values even if they don’t share your language.
Whether you’re at an international AGM, visiting a sister table abroad or simply contacting the local club when you travel for work, GE181 connects you to a global network few professional organisations can match.
International raids
Organised visits from one table to another across borders, a tradition as old as the movement. Guest hospitality, shared meetings and friendships that outlast the age-40 cut-off.
RTI Annual General Meeting
Each year RTI holds a global AGM. Tablers from more than 50 countries gather in one of the largest young professional assemblies in the world, open to all active members.
A contact in every country
Travelling for work or leisure? There’s likely a table near you, with a fellow Tabler who knows the city and is ready to welcome you.
Sister table relationships
Many tables form friendships with tables in other countries, exchanging visits, sharing projects and building cross-border bonds that last well beyond 40.
Round Table in Southern Africa
From Bath to Benoni.
Round Table came to South Africa in 1948, carried here by a former Tabler from England. Within three years, Southern Africa had its own chartered association. GE181 has been part of that story since 1974.
Dr David Smith, a former Round Tabler from Bath, England, settled in East London, South Africa in 1948. He brought the values, the motto and the structure of Round Table with him, and within three years Round Table Great Britain & Ireland had formally chartered Round Table Southern Africa.
Today ARTSA has over 100 tables and 700+ members across South Africa and Namibia, organised into 14 regional areas. It is one of the most active associations in Round Table International, known for strong community service, well-run events and genuine fellowship across borders.
Golden East 181, chartered in Benoni in 1974, has been an active part of ARTSA for over 50 years. Our 2018/19 International Club of the Year title placed a club from the East Rand among the very best in the global Round Table network, a distinction we carry into everything we do.
RT arrives in South Africa
1948 · Dr David Smith, East London
ARTSA chartered
1951 · by Round Table Great Britain & Ireland
ARTSA today
100+ tables · 700+ members · SA & Namibia
GE181 chartered
1974 · Benoni, Gauteng
International recognition
Club of the Year · 2018 / 2019
Continuous service
50+ years active on the East Rand