by Dina Butcher, 2007-2008 Club President
2008 Rotary District Conference
by Dina Butcher, 2007-2008 Club President
The 2008 District 5580 District Conference was hosted by the community of Dickinson, April 30-May 4.
Dickinson Rotary members and community volunteers truly showed western hospitality to the almost 400 Rotary families in attendance from the most distant corners of the district. There were probably more visitors from Canada and Minnesota than from N.D. Our club was represented by Dina Butcher, Barb Murry, Burt Riskedahl, Al Wolf and stalwart past District Governors, Al Watrel and Bob Peterson.
Thursday's outing to Medora and golf at Bully Pulpit was challenged by high winds and rain. Those who participated had a great time anyway.
District Governor Jim Ozbun lined up an outstanding roster of speakers. Especially energizing was the involvement of the Rotary exchange students from being the flag carriers to the excellent talent show to hosting tables at the final banquet.
Youth were well represented in a presentation by 23 year old, Greg Tehven who launched Students Today Leaders Forever while a freshman in college. His Pay it Forward spring break service tours have grown from four students in 2002 to 2,000 in 2007. Greg is a motivated and enthusiastic Rotarian. Also exciting were the reports from Rotary World Peace & Conflict Resolution Fellow , Pamela Broussard who teaches and trains teachers in in Afganistan and Elise Spoffard, 2006-2007 Rotary International Scholar.
We also got to hear about the French GSE outbound team's experience and hear again from our own Swedish GSE team. As psychologists go, Dr. Dennis White, who addressed the Friday luncheon gathering, held everyone's attention with his presentation on advice he gives to youth exchange participants and others traveling in foreign lands. Far West and Bismarck Rotary are exploring the possibility of having him address our groups.
Clay Jenkinson a.k.a. Teddy Roosevelt enthralled the luncheon audience on Saturday. His portrayal of TR drew in Rotary messages and was very entertaining with comments like his advice to his successor to "not be photographed playing golf if he wished to be re-elected."
Dr. Alexandra Mihailovic has traveled and applied her medical skills in many of the most tragic hot spots in Africa. Her presentation at the final banquet left us with feelings of frustration and sadness at how huge the job to provide humanitarian service in countries so corrupt and unstable and in constant states of terror is.
The many pertinent seminars on membership, workings of the Foundationa and other traditional topics were well done and timely.
Minot hosts next year's conference and with only 120 miles between here and there, I strongly urge more Bismarck Rotarians to attend. The fellowship and messages on what Rotary is accomplishing locally and internationally is truly re-vitalizing. The results of the auction were not available immediately, but all procedes go to the Rotary Foundation. Thanks to Dan Schreck and Lorraine Dopson for contributing our auction items.
Our 4-Way Test winner received the district award.