Frank Clifton's reflections on recent 2016 District 5060 Conference, click READ MORE....
 
 
 
I have attended district conferences before, in my old district (7720) and was impressed and moved, but this one in Yakima may be now my favorite.  The hospitality was warm and friendly; the facilities, superior;  the speakers, knowledgeable, informative, and passionate; and the special presentations were excellent and powerful.  The House of Friendship was impressive, displaying many amazing service projects performed by some the district Rotary clubs.
 
The conference officially opened Thursday afternoon, but Jim Russell and I arrived late Friday afternoon, just in time to check in at the Red Lion (adjacent to the elaborate Yakima Convention Center) and attend the excellent hosted-bar reception (one of two), before being assigned to our Rotarian host family for dinner (called Home Hosting).  This was new to me, but I found it fun and rewarding.   The wife of our host had prepared a wonderful and unforgettable meal, along with a nice assortment of adult beverages.  The food was great, but the fellowship was equally good with the 5 other Rotarians (including two fascinating Canadian ladies with refreshing British accents).  The conversation was interesting, lively and friendly.
Saturday morning after an excellent buffet breakfast, the 500+ Rotarians and guests first sang the two national anthems (words on the screen) all together.  I found myself unexpectedly emotional, especially when that was followed immediately by the flag parade of the 25 or so international exchange students (as a portion of each one’s national anthem was played). Wow!  Our own Richard DeRock was powerfully recognized for his years of work with this program.
The next event was the morning featured speaker, Ms. Rose Adams, Canadian attorney, entrepreneur, Rotarian and popular motivational speaker.  Her personal testimony of achieving her childhood dream against overwhelming odds was powerful and moving.   This was followed by informative breakout sessions; choosing 3 out of the 12 available was perplexing.  In the afternoon and evening, we were treated twice to the fast-moving and creative comedy of Ms. Jan McInnis, author and humorist who has entertained thousands of organizations.  The featured afternoon and evening speakers were truly awe-inspiring: 
  1. Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk used a personal PowerPoint to describe fascinating details of some of his space travels, and explain how the disciplines of space travel can be applied many areas of life;
  2. Elementary school teacher Rafe Esquith related how he has for two decades taught minority 5th graders in inner-city Los Angeles to love reading Shakespeare, math, science and US history.  As the only teacher to receive the President’s National Medal of the Arts award, his story is mind-boggling and inspiring.
The awards banquet included excellent food, awards and entertainment; Richard DeRock was surprised again by receiving the coveted and well-deserved Cadman Award.   A definite exciting highlight for me was an unexpected flash mob performance which occurred during the banquet.  Several (8 – 10) attendees began standing in their chairs and singing “One Day More” from Les Miserables, one of my personal favorites.
To see this song performed in the recent professional anniversary concert, click the YouTube link below..... 
 
The voices were truly excellent;  the song  was followed by a thunderous standing ovation.   
 I enjoyed every minute of this event and hope to attend the next one in Kelowna!