I have always believed that life is a series of obstacles and opportunities that we must navigate. To me this is the essence of Rotary. We devote ourselves to removing or reducing obstacles and to providing opportunity to people the world over. This is our simple joy.
In the context of obstacles and opportunities I want to share a new development with you. I learned late this week that the Rotary International Convention (originally slated to be held in person in Hawaii the first full week of June) is being re-formatted into a virtual Convention which will be held June 20-27. You will note that this overlaps with our virtual Conference dates of June 22-26.
While I first viewed this as an obstacle and struggled with how we might deal with it, I now appreciate that the virtual International Convention is actually an opportunity. As most of you know from having attended, the International Convention is a spectacle that is hard to put into words. But for most Rotarians the Convention has meant a significant financial and time commitment…..except for this year!
I don’t have a lot of details yet, but I have been told by President Mark Maloney that there will be major productions for viewers over the weekend of June 20 & 21 with breakout sessions held during the week on a broad array of subjects led by senior Rotary leaders, authors, activists, advocates, scientists, non-profit collaborators and more.
Given this new information I have held conversations over the last three days with Committee Chair Denice, senior Rotary leaders, our President’s Representative and the District's Governor line and they are all in agreement, that promotion of the International Convention, rather than production of a District Conference, should be our focus. Bottom line: If Rotarians are to devote time in June toward Rotary inspiration and programming, it would ideally be to immerse themselves in the vast and diverse universe of Rotary International via the virtual International Convention.
So, I have made the difficult decision to cancel our District Conference and ask that we direct our efforts toward promoting attendance in the virtual Rotary International Convention.
Certainly we want to complement the promotional efforts of the Convention from RI and not get ahead of them, but I think that we will be able to find a path to encourage the widest possible audience from our District. And the cool thing is that I am sure the Convention will be well planned, beautifully orchestrated and will showcase our incredible organization.
A virtual International Convention won’t be the same as “being there” shoulder-to-shoulder in plenary sessions or the exhibition hall, greeting brothers and sisters in Rotary from around the world, laughing as we struggle to decipher accents and trade business cards, bumping into Rotarians everywhere we go in a city with which we are all unfamiliar and musing about how wonderful the world would be if everyone was a Rotarian. But if there was any message that I wished to bring to Rotarians as District Governor it has been that Rotary is so vast and has so much potential to address the world’s greatest challenges. Many of you have heard me speak on the vision of Rotary….”where people unite and take action….” The 2020 Rotary International Convention (I am certain) will deliver that message in a powerful and moving way. Imagine this….discussions at the Convention of Rotary’s potential role — once we have a vaccine for the coronavirus — of activating our clubs and 1.2M Rotarians in helping to deliver the life changing and saving treatment all over the world. I don’t have any inside information here, but who knows what might be explored during an International Convention.
Certainly there are elements of our 2020 District Conference that are to be preserved and delivered at an appropriate time…..like perhaps having our own District’s virtual hospitality night one evening during the International Convention. We will also need to discuss a recognition event for the work of clubs and Rotarians during 2019-20. District Governor Elect Elizabeth has been totally supportive of the potential of this event this fall. And Past District Governor Nancy and I have already discussed including the peace elements of our Conference (like John Viscount’s film Admissions and the discussion of an initiative to expand the International Cities of Peace in Arizona) in the District’s Peacebuilders programming.