History

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Honorary Life Membership
A new membership category, Honorary Life Membership was introduced in 1954. The new rule was amended in 1957 to comprise two parts, the first stated that Honorary Life Membership could be conferred at a general meeting on any member who, in the opinion of the meeting, had performed outstanding meritorious service to the Club. The second empowered the Committee to elect, by unanimous vote, any member who had been a full member for 45 years. There was a subtle difference; the first meant that outstanding service could be recognized and acclaimed by a gathering of members and that the person concerned could publicly receive their plaudits. The second was more of a formality. An Honorary Life Member paid no subscriptions but enjoyed all the privileges of a Full Member. The rule has been changed over the years and the current rule 27 provides that honorary life membership may be conferred by unanimous vote of the Committee, but it shall also be conferred automatically on senior members, their wives and on the Widows of Honorary Life Members.
The February 1980 list of Honorary Life Members contains an interesting entry: Lt Col C.G.W. Anderson, VC, MC. So far as we know, he is the only Nairobi Club member to have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the British Commonwealth’s highest award for bravery in action; the Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and backdated to 1854.

Distinguished Members
Mr. Cliff Viney Braimbridge MVO died in 1964. An eminent surgeon, he had given continuous and dedicated service to the Club on several Committees, notably Gymkhana over many years, where he was the honorary cricket secretary for more than 20 years and he was a great loss. The Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club asked that the Committee room in the gymkhana pavilion be named after him. This was promptly approved and a plaque was placed on the door. The Braimbridge room is reserved for use by the Committees of the Club and of Kongonis cricket Club and, by special permission, any purpose approved by the Main Committee.

Distinguished Visitors and Honorary Members
In 1909, ex-president of the United States of America Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit mounted an elaborate hunting safari on a scale seen neither before nor since. In 1924, members of a visiting parliamentary commission were received as guests and in 1926 six East African Governors (known as wise men of the East) were entertained to dinner, as were members of the British association in 1929, the annual dinner for Provincial commissioners was a regular occasion, held with unexpected joviality and good humor when formality and red tape were forgotten and, in the discreet Club surroundings, the distinguished guests could let what remained of their hair down and indulge in hilarious party games.
The Governor of the Bank of England dined at the Club on 14th April 1987 and he and his party signed the menu. His Excellency president Daniel arap Moi visited the Club on 6th August 1987 during the All African games. He came to watch and encourage Paul Wekesa of Kenya in the Tennis competition who played Imontie of Nigeria; Wekesa went on to win the bronze medal.
In December 1963, the Committee invited ‘the Prime Minister of Kenya, the Hon. Jomo Kenyatta MP, to Honorary Membership’. This was followed in 1964 by invitations to all Cabinet Ministers, whilst holding their offices, to Honorary membership, nine of whom had accepted and been elected by November. Many more have followed suit since then. The Hon. Daniel arap Moi accepted honorary membership in June 1969.
At the same time, it was decided that heads of foreign missions be invited on the same basis and within a few weeks of the invitations, 12 had accepted.

The Club Committee
The management of the Club had always been through the Committee. From the beginning, the rules have stated that ‘the Club shall be managed by a Committee....’ of varying numbers. Originally it was seven today it is nine. Different sub Committees deal with different topics and, by and large, the system has remained remarkably similar for over a hundred years. Until the 1920s the Committee met weekly. For years, right from the start, it was customary.

The Club President
From its foundation, the Club and its management has been headed by a Chairman.
In 1952, it was suggested that the title of president be accorded to a distinguished senior member, who would, for a year, be the Club’s titular head. He would propose his successor, subject to Committee approval.
In 1973 the title of ‘president’ was changed to ‘senior member’ with Mr. C. Tomkinson the first to assume the title, being nominated by the last Club President, Dr. C.F.D McCaldin.

Ladies
In the early days, Nairobi was very much a man’s world. Women counted for little, except as diligent wives and providers of adequate home comforts.
Although rule 27 of the 1903 rules stated that ‘ Ladies introduced by members may make use of the Clubs premises, exclusive of the billiard room and card rooms, up to 7.30 p.m’, it seems that ladies were rather more restricted in later years.
Their eventual admission to the Club was a gradual but persistent process, ultimately successful. At one time, ladies were not permitted to enter the Club premises, apart from the library, even after the 1915 move. They were required to stay outside on the verandah while drinks and refreshments were brought to them by their husbands or male escorts. In 1911, ladies were allowed to use the library, but no other part of the Club.
In 1912 the Committee resolved that ‘in future, with the exception of guest night, Friday, ladies will not be allowed to use parts of the present Nairobi Club except the Library, Ladies will not be allowed in to the Club on Sundays until after 5 p.m.’.
Nurses were treated rather more kindly and were permitted to enter the Club and use its facilities much more freely than the wives of members.
There were some concessions during the First World War (1914-18).
Things looked up for the ladies when the Club opened. In 1917, it was agreed that ladies ‘may use the library, tennis courts and such portion of the Club premises as shall be set apart for their use’. An improvement perhaps, but still pretty cavalier treatment compared with today’s equal opportunities and still with no access to a bar or the dining room.
By mid 1926, a Ladies Lounge and Card Room were in use and allowed to be open to midnight. From 1927 well into the following year, there was much discussion of the question of lady members of improving the amenities available to them. There were some concessions from time to time. Indeed, in 1932, the House and Wines Committee appointed a sub-Committee of ladies who inspected the Club and ‘pointed out many defects and dilapidations which required attention’-but we have no record of action taken.
When there was a move, in 1938, to extend facilities available to ladies, members were urged to keep up with the times ‘like similar Clubs in other parts of the world’. The Committee was required ‘to devise a scheme for extending the privileges of the ladies to downstairs…’Although in November 1988, it was proposed that Ladies be admitted to full membership not until August 2000 that a special General Meeting was called to discuss the matter of ladies becoming Full Members, being able to enjoy the attendant privileges.

Administration
A full-time secretary or manager has always been employed, several being retired military officers, though since independence, there has been a shift to more professionally qualified men with a hotel or catering background. Machine accounting introduced in 1967,a major advance but accompanied by difficulties until the staff mastered the new techniques but it was a step in the right direction and of course computers rule the roost today and a new telephone switchboard was installed in 1987.The Club lease was effected originally for 99 years from 1st January 1903, and expired in January 2002,but a 23-year was granted in 1980 takes the tenure to 2025.The application for extension was made to satisfy lenders’ requirements as the Club regularly needed to borrow money for capital improvements and for a never-ending programme of repairs and renewals.