EXCITED: Rotary conference chairman Ashleigh Lorraine and Claudette Earl.Picture: PETER WEAVING
A GROUP of South Australian Rotarians are singing Bendigo’s praises.
About 400 Rotarians from District 9500 – which encompasses the city of Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, north to Alice Springs and the western half of South Australia – arrived in Bendigo earlier this week for their annual conference.
A civic welcome was held for the group on Thursday night and the conference was officially opened yesterday.
The event will continue over the weekend with a presentation from key note speaker Li Cunxin who won hearts around the world with his autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer.
The book tells of the integrity he learnt in poverty-stricken China, the force that drove him to become one of the best dancers in the world.
Major Matina Jewell, a retired UN Peacekeeper, will also speak at the conference.
District 9500 governor Marie Dorrington said it was very exciting to be in Bendigo.
“Many of the Rotarians and their partners are making a holiday out of it,” she said.
“It’s a city of great beauty, fabulous architecture and we’ve found it to be very welcoming.”
Yesterday’s official opening of the conference included a skit, speeches and the lighting of a candle to symbolise the importance of Rotary in the world today.