Over 55 Rotarians and friends attended the annual District 7930 Conference at the Salem Waterfront Hotel. The day started with fellowship as Rotarians shared coffee and breakfast with each other.
The day officially started with the District Conference Business Meeting. District Governor Pooja Singla extended a warm welcome to all the conferees and celebrated our work in our communities, “You’ve strengthened your communities, supported one another, and advanced projects that reflect the very best of Rotary’s values.” Past District Governor Dave Gardner reviewed the proposed revisions to the bylaws. There was an excellent discussion with the Rotarians present and it was decided that the Bylaws Committee would incorporate the suggestions. District Secretary Laura Meisenhelter recorded the votes on three District level positions. There was no vote at that time. Liz Cullen (Newburyport) was elected as District Governor Nominee. Adam Rodgers (Stoneham) was approved as District Treasurer. Don Gottfried (Andover) was approved as Trustee to the Permanent Fund.
After the business meeting, Rotarians participated in a service project to benefit Home Base. They filled 100 backpacks for veterans as part of Home Base’s mental health programs. Then there were two very informative workshops: a panel discussion on successful fundraising events put on by different sized Rotary Clubs; and a workshop on how to create and apply for a District Managed Grant or a Global Grant. During lunch, our Keynote Speaker, William Golden, talked about the impact of climate change on our coastal communities, how communities can and should respond to the repercussions of climate change, and the cost of climate change. It was interesting, educational, and compelling. District Governor Pooja recognized the hard work of key people in the District who have helped her throughout the year. We ended the formal part of the day with a beautiful service to remember those Rotarians who died this year.
We then took a trolley tour of Salem, learned fun and historic facts. The trolley dropped us off at The Real Pirate Museum, which share true history about Pirate Sam Bellamy and ended with a rum tasting by Rumson's Rum. Fun fact: the museum and Rumson's are both founded and run by Rotarians!