Several Hundred Rotarians Gather for Inspiration and Fellowship
Three neighboring Rotary International Districts came together this past weekend in Hershey, PA for information, inspiration, and fellowship after two years of relative isolation caused by the pandemic. The conference was located at the Hershey Lodge, in the town dubbed as “The Sweetest Place on Earth.”
The theme, Charting Your Course, had the aim of creating a roadmap for accomplishments within each club, and inspiring and engaging in teamwork for success. Leaders and members gathered from District 7430 and 7450 covering nearly 100 Rotary clubs in Southeastern Pennsylvania and 7475 with 81 clubs in nine New Jersey counties. The three Districts represent more than 5,000 members.
Philadelphia Rotarians played a notable role by presenting the origin story of how the Rotary District 7450 Gundaker Foundation Ukrainian Relief began by showing a video during Saturday’s international program. The video documents Ken Myers and Joan Batory’s initial conversation that sparked a District-wide fundraising effort to help in war-torn Ukraine.
“It started out as one person having an idea and that idea grew and formed,” said District Governor Roger Taylor. “What it is truly about is it reminds us of what it is to be a Rotarian.”
In addition, Ms. Batory helped organize and staff a table highlighting the Ukraine project to attendees. Lisa Leonard, District Public Image Chair and Jay Pennie, Lt. Governor, collaborated with District 7430 by presenting two breakout sessions on the topic, Enhancing Rotary’s Public Image. Krysta Halye and her husband, David Houtz, District Governor-Elect, helped with conference planning and hosted a Hospitality Suite for members on Friday and Saturday nights.
“One of the highlights for me was Plenary Session presenter, Darren LaCroix, who was extremely well-spoken and funny,” said Halye. “He talked about dedicating 17 minutes a day to your dream and making it a daily habit for a short amount of time – so that it is not too daunting; the dream or goal becomes more attainable.”
“The best part of the conference was getting to interact with members from other clubs,” said Joe Batory. “I was able to share Philadelphia Rotary projects and find out what others are doing.”
“As a brand new Rotarian, I jumped at the chance to attend the recent Tri-District Conference with the intention of learning more about Rotary International and the work in which our various clubs engage,” said Carrie Sharpshair. “I was not disappointed! The keynote speakers were inspirational, the breakout sessions informational, and the opportunities to connect with fellow, like-minded individuals numerous.”
Here are a few highlights from the conference:
Best inspirational moments
➢ Listening to Darren LaCroix, motivational speaker’s 17 Minutes to Your Dream. LaCroix went from a failed business owner of a Subway shop to a World Champion Speaker and coach.
➢ Hearing high school student, Jack Geld, one of the two winners of the Rotary Speech Contest: The 4-Way Test, skillfully argue for bringing back the study of the humanities and philosophy in schools in order to build critical thinking skills and goodwill toward others.
➢ Listening to plenary session speaker, Chad Priest, CEO, the American Red Cross, speak about Social and Economic Equity and Well Being of communities. Backed by research, he spoke about the importance of community in disasters and how populations with more resources fare much better. He also argued that it’s not always about money or physical issues. One of the more odd facts, people with detached garages fare better in disasters than those with attached garages on their home. Why? They get to know their neighbors better because they have to get out of their car to enter their house.
Top emotional moments
➢ District Governor Roger Taylor’s introduction to the Ukrainian relief video, “Imagine yourself in your home, your children going to school…and the next thing you know, there are bombs falling. You have to leave your home. You have to send your children away.” You could hear a pin drop in the room.
➢ Watching the video and hearing DGE of Poland, Piotr Jankowski, describe seeing a young boy crying for help. He had lost his parents at the border and was alone among thousands of other refugees.
➢ Hearing high school student, Rena Robinson, one of the Speech Contest winners, speak about the crisis of gun violence in schools and how it affected her ability to learn and grow.
Most fun moments
➢ Attending the Chocolate Dessert Party on Friday evening and posing with the Hershey Chocolate characters.
➢ Dancing to the Uptown Band at Saturday night’s Party At the Harbor event and listening to District Governor Roger Taylor sing on stage with the band!
➢ Socializing in the Hospitality Suite on the 5th floor and hearing neighboring Districts belt out tunes like “Don’t Stop Believing” for hours.
“The best part was just being together with friends from other Rotary clubs, live and in-person,” said Batory. “It provided that special camaraderie and friendship that only Rotary can.”
According to Sharpshair, “I came away full of ideas and grateful for being part of this amazing service organization! Who will be joining us next year?”
Hopefully, every member will next year.