Royal Over-Seas League facts for kids
Garden of Over-Seas House, the home of The Royal Over-Seas League since 1910
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| Formation | 1910 |
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| Type | Non-profit members' organisation |
| Legal status | Incorporated by Royal Charter |
| Purpose | The support of international understanding and friendship through social, musical, artistic and welfare activities. |
| Headquarters | Overseas House, Park Place London, SW1 |
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Secretary General
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Dr Annette Prandzioch |
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Patron
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Queen Elizabeth II |
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Vice-Patron
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Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy |
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President
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Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt |
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Chairman
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Helen Prince |
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Key people
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Evelyn Wrench (1882–1966), founder |
| Website | http://www.rosl.org.uk |
The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is a special club that started in 1910. It's a not-for-profit group, meaning it doesn't aim to make money. Its main goal is to help people from different countries become friends. It does this by bringing people together from all over the world.
ROSL has a beautiful building in London called a clubhouse. This building is very old and important. It hosts many fun activities. These include talks about world events, music concerts, and art shows. Members can also enjoy great food and drinks there.
The clubhouse has a dining room and over 80 bedrooms. It also has spaces for events and a lovely garden. In the summer, members can eat outside in the garden. It overlooks a park called Green Park.
ROSL also helps young musicians and artists. It has a big arts program. This includes the ROSL Annual Music Competition. This competition has been running for over 70 years.
The ROSL Foundation is a charity linked to ROSL. It helps support music, arts, and old buildings.
Contents
Who Leads ROSL?
The Patron of ROSL was Elizabeth II. A Patron is like a special supporter. The Vice-Patron is HRH Princess Alexandra. The President is The Rt Hon The Lord Geidt.
Since 2020, Dr Annette Prandzioch has been the Director General. The Chairman of ROSL is Helen Prince.
What Can You Do at ROSL?
The ROSL clubhouse has 83 bedrooms. Many of these rooms have views of the Royal Park. Others look out over the city of Westminster.
Members and their guests can choose from different dining options. There's a relaxed bar and garden area. You can also enjoy afternoon tea in the Drawing Room. For a fancy meal, the 1910 Dining Room serves fine food and wines.
The dining room was updated in 2022. It has a team of chefs. They also work with famous chefs like Irini Tzortzoglou and Cyrus Todiwala.
ROSL has nine event spaces. Members and event planners can use these for parties or business meetings. Six Park Place is the name of ROSL's commercial event space.
The league also publishes a magazine. It's called Overseas and comes out four times a year. It has articles by famous journalists. It also shares news about upcoming events and art programs.
Being a member lets you join many events. One is the Public Affairs Series. Here, important people talk about world issues. Past speakers include former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Other speakers have been Robert Hardman and Sir John Sawers.
ROSL also connects with talented classical musicians. One example is Joseph Cajella.
Becoming a Member
The ROSL has 11,000 members around the world. The cost to join depends on where you live. It also depends on your age. People under 30 pay less to become members. To join, you usually need another member to suggest you.
Annual Music Competition
ROSL holds a yearly music competition for young people. Musicians must be under 30 years old to enter. There are awards for groups and for solo performers. Solo winners then compete for a gold medal and the top prize.
This competition has helped many talented musicians for over 70 years. Famous past winners include Jacqueline du Pré and Piers Lane.
After the competition, ROSL helps prize-winners perform. They get chances to play at big venues like Wigmore Hall. ROSL also works with many music festivals in the UK. These include festivals in Brighton and Edinburgh.
ROSL's concerts in Edinburgh are very popular. They are part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
These programs give young musicians a "home" for their talent. They get advice, meet other artists, and find concert chances worldwide.
ROSL Foundation
The ROSL Foundation is a charity (Charity no. 306095). It started in 1960. It was created to celebrate ROSL's 50th birthday. Its goal is to build good relationships and understanding. It helps people from different countries, especially those in the Commonwealth.
Over time, the Foundation focused on supporting the ROSL Annual Music Competition. This was because many donations were given specifically for music awards. Today, the Foundation still supports ROSL's arts program. It also helps take care of the historic clubhouse building.
Alexander Downer is the Chairman of the Trustees for the Foundation.
See also
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
