Each year Rotarians gather within their District to review the year that was and view the coming year. This year District 9630 being this club’s District convened their conference at Chinchilla under the Leadership of fellow Gabba Roatarian Ros Kelly presently our District Governor. Rotarian members from 43 clubs across District9630, members from one Rotaract club, members from Brisbane High Rise Club in District 9600 and two members from a Ugandan Rotary Club made up the 300 attending this convention.
The Convention opened with a casual dinner on Friday night 13th March for the Official Opening and welcome at Bulldog Park Chinchilla. The conference theme was ‘Connecting City and Country’ hence all us city folk had to travel to the country a 3 and abit hour drive from Brisbane. Four of us from Woolloongabba attended to represent our Club.
Dr Francis “Tusu” Tusubira and his wife Dorcas from Uganda representing the Rotary International Presidents Personal Representative at our Convention. A fantastic list of guest speakers included:
- Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan currently the Queensland States Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in Queensland
- Vidal Campos from Timor Leste, is a Peace Jam alumni, Rotary Peace Fellow Alumni, speakers for Conflict Resolution and Mediation with RYLA. He is a musician and composer
- Al Mabin a renowned rural photographer and well-known for her motivational speaking, her speech harnessed the power to inspire change, and challenge mindsets.
- Dr Andrew Rozefelds with his team members Dr Gilbert Price and Dr Julien Louys spoke on his study involving the origins, evolution and history of the modern Australian Flora, understanding megafaunal extinctions and ‘The Fossil Finger”
- Dr Malcolm Burt spoke on virtual reality and how it will change and influence society in the future.
That night we attended the Gala Dinner for a night of dancing, great food and fun. The following morning session concluded the conference and I returned via Toowoomba.
Whilst in Chinchilla I took time to look around the town
