Other Histories
Topics: WOCO, films, several associations,
Period: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
The tools we have in today’s digital era, make it difficult to imagine a reality where instant messages were not the norm. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s (possibly longer but we don’t have clarification), the World Council of Service Clubs (WOCO) hosted a World Council Film Library, which containted promotional materials and documentaries about projects carried out my members of WOCO, including Round Table clubs. These films were recorded on 8mm or 16mm film, in black and white or in colour. Associations could formally request to loan these films, which were then delivered all over the world. Once the loan period lapsed, the films were to be sent forward, or returned to the library.
The library seems to have been operated from the WOCO Secretariat, located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. While the films themselves seem to have been lost to time, the correspondance that has been unearthed thanks to the RT Digital Archiving Initiative allows us to get a glimpse of the activities carried out in that era, as well as an insight into how correspondance was carried out back then.
Letters were found, where parties dicuss the availbilities of the movies, as well as the logistics involved in postage for such heavy materials. It seems that the library held and loaned out a single original copy of these films, resulting in quite a bit of correspondance where requests are made for films that have not yet been returned.
Associations were required to fill in a form called “Application for Loan of a Film”, which included conditions of use, and was to be personally signed by the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer or International Relations Officer. Some of these videos were accompanied with a script outlining the duration of scenes, their content and any words spoken.
A faxed letter included a list of available films from the library:
THE FILMS AVAILABLE: 1. A Village is Born – The Hong Kong RT film on their village scheme. 16mm/colour/magnetic sound/20 minutes approximately. 2. Heritage – The film from ARTEA describing the East African states and the wildlife and illustrating some of the inter-Club Service Programme Schemes being run by Tables in ARTEA. 16mm/colour/optical sound/25 minutes approximately. 3. The Founder – An interview with the Founder of the Kinsmen Clubs of Canada. 16mm/black and white/optical sound/30 minutes approximately. 4. Dental Health Week – The winning entry of the 1969 Film Competition. This film, by Apex Australia, is on the 1968 National Project of the Association of Apex Clubs. 16 mm/black and white/optical sound/10 minutes. 5. A Long Way to Go – On the subject of autism and the steps being taken towards a cure. This was a project of the Apex Clubs and is widely known because it involved a sponsored walk around Australia in which Apex Clubs participated. 16mm/black and white/optical sound/26 minutes approximately. 6. Mission Medic Air – The film of the Luanshya Round Table 24 of ARTCA project. 16mm/colour/optical sound/25 minutes. 7. Polioemitis in Uganda – The film of the renowned Kampala Polio Clinic. 16mm/colour/optical sound/12 minutes approximately. 8. Adopt, Adjust and Improve – The World Council 1970 Film Competition winner from Madras RTI of India. Gives an insight into Round Tabling in India and some of the challenges faced. 16mm/black and white/15 minutes approx. 9. A Matter of Relationship – Produced in 1973 by Kin to show what Kin stands for. It attempts to educate the new member into the spirit of Kinsmen. 16mm/colour/optical sound/12 minutes. 10. A Service Club in Action in Papua New Guinea – By the Apex Club of Lae, this 1972 Film Competition winner shows service club action in a developing country. 8mm/colour/optical sound/12 minutes. 11. Bruges Conference, 1973 – Official film of the Conference made by RT Belgium. 16 mm/colour/optical sound/15 minutes. 12. Hong Kong Conference, 1975 – This film appears to have found its way into the library by accident and there are no details available. If any Association borrows it, the Secretariat would appreciate comments and technical details. 13. Quo Vadis Hatman – The winning entry in the 1973 Film Competition made by Briantree Round Table (RTBI). Super 8mm/colour/12 1/2 minutes. 14. El Syd – The winning entry in the 1977 Film Competition made by a member of the Kinsmen Club of Calgary as part of Syd Minuk’s election campaign in his successful bid to become the Club President in 1974/75. See how the Kinsmen do it!! 16mm/black and white/silent/10 minutes approx. 15. The Burtt Special – The best amateur film in the 1977 Film Competition made by Poynton RT No. 1064 (RTBI). 8mm/colour/magnetic sound/160 ft. 16. They’re off – The 1978 Film Competition winner (again from Poynton RT). 8mm/colour/magnetic sound/170 ft. 17. Camels to Cadillacs – An entry by Dubai RT in the 1978 Competition. 8mm/colour technical difficulties with sound track/400 ft. 18. Mystery Films! – The General Secretariat has had films returned from all over the world.
Written by Christopher Mintoff
Sources: RT Digital Archiving Initiative