I am an engineer by profession, and in 1989, when I was Luton North Chairman of Vocational Service, there was national concern about the lack of interest of young people in engineering and science.  My idea was that Rotary Clubs working together could mount a fun event for
mixed senior school-age teams of four, to be set a technical task to evaluate, design, construct and demonstrate their solutions in one school-length day.  The challenge would be at three levels of skill according to the Key Stage reached by the teams of four; basic, intermediate and advanced. The advanced task is now also tackled by ad hoc teams of accompanying teachers, amid great expectation by their assembled pupils at the testing stage!  Clubs would provide premises, materials, worktops and demonstration areas, judges, materials and supervision.

The tasks would be set in conjunction with Schools’ Technology Advisers to meet National Curriculum requirements; those taking part would gain academic merits for their schools and for themselves.

The Rotary Club of Luton North agreed to be pivotal in organising the first RTT at the Queensway Hall in Dunstable in 1990, but all the Luton (3), Leighton Buzzard (2), Barton and Dunstable (2) Rotary Clubs were drawn in willingly, eight clubs in all, so that pupils from all the senior schools in Luton and the South Beds District could take part.  Key to gaining the interest of schools was a resolute programme of visits, first by me to explore the level of support, then by Rotarians nominated by their clubs to follow up.  There was also enthusiastic support from LEAs, and local companies were keen to offer help and advice, judges and materials.

The initial core team consisted of Ian Mann, Ron Northam, Ron Wright and me from Luton North Club, and Howard Mann from the Barton Club, together with representatives of the other six clubs.  Later, a number of other people became involved, including the stalwart, late Leonard Summer (Rickmansworth), AG Judy Green (then Herts TEC, and St Albans Priory), Brian Billinghurst (Aylesbury Hundreds), and John Sharp (Mimram Valley).  Together with representatives and advisers from Local Education Authorities, Set Point Herts, Neighbourhood Engineers, and Rotarians, we met at the Post House, Hemel Hempstead on  Friday afternoons for tea and cream cakes.  There was always a full attendance – is there a message there somewhere?

The Queensway Hall was a vast building, now no more, and more used to seeing tables set for banquets, rather than as drawing boards, while cutlery and china gave way to lengths of balsa wood, drawing pins and small nails, string and glue pots. A number of Rotarians and helpers ran the ‘sales tables’, selling those extra but limited vital bits to finish off the contraption being constructed, while the judges toured the hall to assess each stage. The use of electric drills was a hazard, but no holes were found in those same tables, thankfully.  The remark was recorded that never had there been so many youngsters in a space together so absorbed in what they were doing, and SO QUIET and well behaved! It should also be noted that even at that first event, girls were present in considerable numbers, and over the years have proved their technical skills.

The first few RTTs were attended by the Small Firms’ Minister of the day.

The initial reaction to the first event was very positive, and very exciting. The day was a success from early bitterly cold start, through the polite battles with accompanying schools’ staff to keep them from trying to direct their teams, to the lunch on the job for the teams, and a Rotary lunch upstairs, attended by the District Governor, national and local dignitaries.  The after-lunch demonstration of solutions attracted large audiences, much laughter, groans of despair, and appreciative applause, and the awards of merits for succeeding were cheered to the echo, with teams and teachers happy on the homeward coach journey.  The separation of staff later became a welcome event in itself, as teachers from various disciplines worked and talked together in an entirely unique and new way, which was much appreciated by them.  Imagine the effect of the French assistante on the Geography master, when they had to work together!

It was therefore a reward in itself when this success eventually became its own advertising. Word of mouth is always the best and the event not only grew and prospered in Dunstable, but word spread round the country, and many other clubs asked if they could visit and see for themselves. Now there are many Districts, individual clubs and clusters of clubs taking part annually, at this time of year, usually in the February half-term.  The first event attracted 43 teams from 17 schools and two Universities, and 200 people took part.  As Brian says, there are now more than 10,000 students taking part somewhere in the UK each Spring.  Each year I receive as many as 14 new enquiries asking how to set up a RTT, and offer as much help and support as possible to would-be organisers.

Stages of development

In each of the first 6 years, RTT Luton set a different challenge.

Then, from 1995-2001, I became chairman of District 1260 Vocational Committee and its successors and with its total support opened out the opportunity for all clubs in the District to join in. Task manuals were made available, and refined. These, with General Guidance notes, were compiled and published with funding from the Worshipful Company of Engineers.  Judy Green and Leonard Summer were invaluable partners in this work.

In 1998, RTT began to spread in District 1260. Whole District coverage was achieved when Leonard Summer grouped all Clubs into 10 sub-District clusters – almost all clubs became involved.

I joined RIBI Community and Vocational Service Committee and was invited to involve other Districts through SACCS, strongly supported by Gordon MacInally and Ken Charles (chairmen respectively of RIBI C&VS and Youth Activities committees). 
Then I took on the task of RIBI National Co-ordinator, with the RIBI Secretariat more recently distributing the annual Task and General Guidance Notes to Districts.

District Assemblies were addressed, but few districts picked up on RTT immediately.  Meanwhile the word was spread by me and by successive 1260 DYO chairmen at subsequent SACCS, when we were strongly supported by those who had run their own RTTs such as Robert Dunn of District 1190.

From 2000 onwards, RTT grew quickly by reputation, cascading being the watch word and many invitations were sent out to visit existing tournaments.  District Governor Paul Denton (Luton North) 1999/00 gave a strong lead in this. The Bucks Education/Business Partnership began to take an active role in recruiting schools, and then in giving practical support on the day.

GCSE teams and overseas visits by Rotarians spread the event to Commonwealth countries.

Paul Gardiner (Harpenden Village) now masterminds the Task Bank and Guidance Notes annually to make sure that we continue to keep in step with the developing educational curriculum, which we review together and I then issue the task selected in August/September.

My own RTT mailing list shows contact with 25 of the 29 Districts in RIBI, and 80 individual Rotarians, in spite of an annual culling. 

The future rests on Paul Gardiner and me to continue updating and set tasks relevant to the changing curriculum requirements, on me to keep this information flowing, and on all the RTT project champions in all clubs and districts whose dedication and enthusiasm have made this such a successful Rotary initiative.  This is particularly valuable in the current financial climate, and the inevitable changes and challenges that lie ahead.

By The Rev Derek Upcott

The Rotary Club of Chesham