The weekend of May 20-21, District 5130 held its annual convention in Fortuna, California, in Humbolt County, where there are a lot of trees. The theme was “Rockabilly – Rocking in the Redwoods.” This weekend there was not a lot of serious business conducted, except for the gathering of most if not all of the outgoing district Youth Exchange students. You can see them lined up holding the flags of the countries to which they will travel as they expand their life experience with Rotary.
District Governor Dustin Littlefield presented President Pam with a Club Achievement award for our work over the past year, and especially for our Passport to Success program which Renee Hyde spearheaded and is providing great guidance in building a powerful new membership program. Later, Pam’s wardrobe crew switched her out of rockabilly wear into Marie Antoinette, suitable for the Windsor Rotary “Paris Bistro” themed hospitality suite in a corner of the ballroom. French cafe music blared, Brian Ling served up “Les Drops de Limon” in martini glasses with blueberries in a fabulous mélange of mixed metaphors! Wally and Hack mimed in invisible glass walled boxes and Carol welcomed artistes to color in her paint by the number poster of le Gouverneur de District (behind the picture of Carol and JB).
Speakers at each meal discussed how Rotary changed their lives, and also the long fight to admit women to the Rotary Club of Duarte, CA, which apparently consumed most of the 20th century, finally ending up in the Supreme Court where RI lost, and women won!
Good time had by all? Apparently!