This year's District Conference was held in Loxton, DG Craig's hometown. It was great to be in the company of such positive, enthusiastic, busy, prosperous clubs and their members. The RC of Loxton did a fantastic job in putting the Conference together. Overseas friendship exchange visitors with DG Craig Dowling and visits organiser Tim Mees at the welcome cocktail party in Loxton historic village. Foundation Breakfast Foundation Speaker was Annika Theodoulou currently researching anti-smoking strategies at Oxford Uni with a sponsorship from The Rotary Foundation. https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/team/annika-theodoulou Conference was opened with welcome to country by Aunty Sheryl Giles a local lady with a positive focus and vision for the future. Her grandson played an excellent didgeridoo. We also heard from Mayor of Loxton Trevor Norton and RI President Representative PDG Jennie Herring (New Zealand). Keynote speaker -Michael Crossland “the power of Perspective”. Some club members bought his inspirational book. Ask them to lend a copy. Sales from this book at the conference alone was sufficient to provide 2000 meals for orphans in Haiti. Other excellent speakers included... Cameron Glover – Interplast: Maurice O’Connell – Ukraine Crisis including up to the minute reports from the battlefield near Odessa. Included the presentation of Peace Pole stickers for a Peace Pile in Ukraine. Sam Mitchell - local Riverland indigenous person. William Gillett and Sam Nitschke - Both graduates of Loxton HS and members of Rotary Youth Alumni. Inspiring young men! Ben Avery (from Loxton), Channel Nine journalist and European correspondent. Was the first to report on Covid in Rome whilst being evacuated. Rosie Lotawa, a ROMAC patient, speaking on her experience as a child before and after multiple facial operations. She spoke about the critical role that ROMAC plays in the Pacific Nations. John Robertson, a mixed race Vietnamese orphan. His struggle with identity, and eventual realisation of his need to educate children. He is now Principal of the Swan Reach Area School. Club Showcases The Club project showcases – 5 minutes for Clubs to outline their major undertakings. RC Edwardstown - Support and mentoring of two young men, in helping them to overcome their shyness and become confident in building their paper recycling business. RC Campbelltown - Community Cafe raising $34,000 for the Ukraine in a dinner fundraiser. Loxton High School - Showcase of Riverland Youth we heard from the HS rock band and a solo guitarist Showcase of D9510 projects ShelterBox Peace Poles Foundation, including End Polio Now Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Interest for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was steady with Rotarians keen to understand the meaning of DEI and how to address issues within their Clubs Calperum environmental project RYDA Barossa Valley Ring Pull project New Dawn – Ukraine, with our international visitors Australian Rotary Health Gawler Light projects Mount Serle station – retreat Interplast Saturday evening Conference Dinner |
