Have you ever attended a Rotary District Conference? When considering past conferences, many have said the cost was too high, the location was too far away, and attendance required a significant time commitment - and for some conferences that may well have been true. District 7430 Governor Rick Gromis decided to do something about these objections with the 2018 District Conference which he is hosting on Friday April 27 through Sunday April 29.
Location: The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Wyomissing which is just 30 miles southwest of our Brookside Country Club meeting location – practically in our own backyard. This is the first time the conference has been held inside the District in many years.
Cost & Time Commitment: DG Rick is providing an a la carte approach to pricing and attendance. If you wish to attend the entire conference, the fee is $199. But, if you prefer to attend on Saturday only, the cost is just $99. For those who can’t do either, you can attend the “Best of the Wurst” session on Friday night for just $60 which will feature a local craft beer tasting, lots of brats & a German-themed dinner, entertainment and the opportunity to experience the fellowship and networking with District Rotarians from 45 clubs covering five counties. Of course, if you choose to stay over in Wyomissing, your financial commitment will be higher due to lodging costs. But, attending on Friday or Saturday not only eliminates that cost, but also reduces the time away from home.
I haven’t even mentioned the fine program that DG Rick’s committee has planned. The theme of the conference is Leadership, Youth Programs & Fun. There will be two headline speakers: Mitty Chang is the founder of Candeavor, a marketing and web design agency in the Silicon Valley. More importantly, Mitty began his Rotary life as an Interactor in 2005, started two Rotaract clubs during his university years and eventually served as a Rotaract District Governor. Mitty will be speaking about attracting Millennials into organizations like Rotary. Go to www.mittychang.com to learn more. The second headliner is Michael Angelo Caruso, past president of the Troy, Michigan Rotary Club and the Immediate Past District Governor in District 6380. Michael is an internationally acclaimed speaker who focuses on teaching others to communicate more effectively. Learn more at www.michaelangelocaruso.com.
As if this is not enough, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet Rotarians from throughout the District and several plenary sessions with inspiring local speakers.
I know many Emmaus Rotarians are planning to attend some or all of this year’s conference. Won’t you join us? To learn more, go to www.rotarymakingtracks2018.eventbrite.com.
Yours in Rotary,
Burt