April 20-22, 2011
Renaissance Asheville Hotel

Renaissance Asheville Hotel
31 Woodfin Street * Asheville, North Carolina 28801

Friday April 20, 2012
Saturday April 21, 2012
Sunday April 22, 2012

This District Conference will answer the question "What's in it for ME?!?"

Please note that Conference registration AND Hotel registration are BOTH required.

Conference Registration

Hotel Registration

For the latest information visit our District Conference website.

Current brochure and registration form is HERE.

We are asking you to begin your planning now by doing two things: 

1. Set aside these dates today and plan to attend the conference.  The theme is "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity.  Discover What’s in it for Me.” 
2. Take advantage of big savings by registering for the conference early.

A very special opportunity is being offered. Conference registration will be available on October 2, 2011 at the District Membership Social beginning at 2:00 pm. You may also login to the district database and register right now. Click on the calendar tab, scroll down to April 20, 2012, and click on 'register now.'  This special registration will only be available through the week ending October 2nd.  Prices will be $150 for Rotarian and guest ($85 for a single Rotarian).  Bring your check book and look for the conference registration table at the Tail Race Marina, the site of the social and duck race for polio.

Beginning October 3, 2011, the cost of registration increases to $99 for a Rotarian and $71 for a guest for the next 75 who register.  At that time registration will only be available online by use of the district data base.  Future prices will be published later online.

Thursday, November 10, 2011
Registration Deadline: Nov. 2, 2011

Location:
Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel
2800 Coliseum Center Drive
Charlotte, NC 28277
Get Directions

Details:
Cost – $40/per person
Reception – 6:00 p.m. – Cash-bar Reception
Dinner – 6:45 p.m. – Seated for Dinner (Business Attire)

Keynote Address
TBD

As is our custom, we will recognize and thank supporters who have generously donated to The Rotary Foundation. Anyone who has become a Paul Harris Fellow, Major Donor, Bequest Society or Paul Harris Society member since November, 2010 will be highlighted in a PowerPoint presentation. To ensure every new contributor (as mentioned above) is recognized, club presidents will need to report this information to Sandy Osborne by October 27, 2011, for inclusion in the PowerPoint presentation.

Rotarians and their guests are invited to socialize at the cash-bar reception that will begin at 6:00 p.m.; doors to the dining room will open at 6:45 p.m. Major Donors and Bequest Society members will receive a separate invitation to a private reception that will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Banquet Registration:

Registration – Via the www.dacdb.com district database; Rotarians may register individually, or a designated club member may register all Rotarians in their club who will attend. Check with your club president to see if your club takes care of registering attendees to this event.

Payment – Individuals may pay through the www.DaCdb.com SecurePay window, or may pay by check, payable to Rotary District 7680. Clubs that pay for their members’ registration fee need to send one check, payable to Rotary District 7680.

Mail checks to:
Sandy Osborne,
c/o Charlotte Rotary Club
841 Baxter Street, Suite 118
Charlotte, NC 28202

Nametags – will be generated through the www.DaCdb.com database. Attendees will pick up their nametag at the on-site registration desk upon arrival to the event. Nametags are required for entry to the dining room.

Registration Deadline – Wednesday, November 2, 2011.

Questions may be referred to Sandy Osborne, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 704-375-6816.

Please make plans early to join your fellow Rotarians in this annual celebration of The Rotary Foundation and its outreach!

Top Five reasons to support The Rotary Foundation

Top five reasons to support The Rotary Foundation – your contributions help advance world peace and alleviate human suffering.

We had incredible weather, good entertainment, great food and lots of fellowship for those who attended the District Social at Tail Race Marina in Mount Holly on Sunday. Final totals aren’t in, but it appears that we raised over $55,000 to help eradicate Polio. Hopefully, our many participating clubs made a few bucks too.

An event like this doesn’t happen by accident and many people need a special "thanks” for exhibiting "Service Above Self.”

First, a special thanks is due to our Sponsors who underwrote our prize money and nearly all of our expenses.  They were:

1. Randy Marion Cadillac - Mooresville
2. H & H Pest Control - Allen Langley, Shelby
3. B+E Manufacturing Company – Lindenbecks, Matthews,
4. GSM Heating, Air & Commercial Roofing – Steve Long, Gastonia
5. Cleveland County Health Care System - Dottie Leatherwood, Shelby
6. Champion Yacht Charters - Cliff Champion, Cornelius

And, a big Rotary thank you goes to:

• Joni Stanley for the thousands of ducks

• George Gallegher from Duke Energy for making the river run

• Jim Brown, Cotton Ketchie and David Dilda for taking pictures and video of the event

• PDG Jim Morton, District Polio Chair, for his support

• Our assistant governors for promoting the event

• Our 17 clubs who provided food and fun for family and friends

• The interact and rotaract students and friends for gathering ducks

• Forest Hills High School’s "New" Interact for renting $2,000 worth of ducks

• Governor Allen Langley for supporting and promoting the event and for being such a great     sport in the dunking booth. And finally,

• PDG Bob Wilson and his staff at Tailrace Marina for making their facility available for us for the second year.

This year we raised over $55,000 towards the eradication for Polio. Together with last year’s proceeds our Rotary ducks have raced and raised nearly $80,000. It’s true that kids in our district have big smiles on their faces when they see our ducks race.  Just think about the "other” smiles from those kids who will receive a world free from Polio.  What a difference we make in the lives of so many children.

Thanks, couldn't have done it without you,

Ineke Van der Meulen

Assistant Governor 2011-2012
www.worldcc.org

Here are the winners of the 2011 Duck Race for Polio:

$2,500 Fastest Duck

# 1947 - Lake Norman - Huntersville Rotary Club 

$100 Lucky Ducks

# 0082 - GSM Heating, Air & Commercial Roofing
# 0969 - Mount Holly Rotary Club
# 1409 - Colleen Hattingh from the Mooresville Top-of-the-Lake Rotary Club
# 1755 - Lake Norman - Huntersville Rotary Club 
# 2348 - Randy Marion - Main sponsor
# 2433 - Randy Marion - Main sponsor
# 2725 - Charlotte South Rotary Club
# 3749 - Liam Wilson – PDG Bob Wilson's grandson
# 3951 - Steve Walker - President of the Charlotte Top-of-the-Week Rotary Club
# 4108 - Jennifer Williams from the Ballantyne Rotary Club

The $100,000 cash prize or the Cadillac had to be one of the 10 lucky ducks numbers, according to the insurance company.

The winning numbers were:
# 4315 for the $100.000 - Charlotte East Rotary Club
# 1720 for the $45,000 Cadillac - Ballantyne Rotary Club

(Article by Lamar Gunter from “The Dilworthian”)

The Charlotte Dilworth South End Rotary Club’s “Beach Party in February” raised about $12,500 for the club’s philanthropic projects.

Co-Chair Kate Richards said the success of the party means the club can sponsor four veterans on the May 21 Flight of Honor. One of the veterans who will go on that flight is Nick Nicholson, a Dilworth club member.

Other causes that will benefit from the success of the party include: Men for Change, which deals with domestic violence, receives $1,000; Samaritan House, which helps homeless people recuperate after hospitalization, receives $2,000; The Purple Promise Foundation, which fights melanoma, receives $1,000; Crisis Assistance Ministry, which provides assistance to needy families, receives $2,000; World Community Service, which supports Rotary projects overseas, receives $2,500; and Rotary’s Polio Plus receives $2,000.

The party featured a beach theme, so dress was casual. Ocean backdrops, beach music and casino games put everyone in a vacation mood. Each person received one raffle ticket and the opportunity to win other tickets in the casino games. The casino had professional dealers who played black jack, roulette, craps, and slot machines. Winnings could be turned in for more raffle tickets.

A raffle was held at the end of the evening for the grand prize of a 32" flat screen LCD television. A club member’s wife was the big winner.

The event also included a 50/50 raffle this year. Tickets were $10, and the club and a former club member split the $730 take.

There were more than 110 items in the auction, including vacations to Amelia Island, Dorset, England, and the Greystone Inn. Bidders also sought to buy professional photography sessions, restaurant gift certificates, personalized stationery, fishing trips, evenings on Lake Wylie, canoe trips, health club memberships, gift baskets, dancing lessons, public relations consulting, and original paintings.

The event was organized by club members Kate Richards and Ret Turner. Committee heads included Justin Bice, Romelle Scharnberg, Howard Castleman, Richard Pockat, David Byron, Kay May, and Lamar Gunter.