All information presented here is subject to change. Last updated 3/24/10

All Districts in the world are required to hold an Annual Conference for the clubs of the District.  The purpose of the District Conference is similar to that of the International Convention, enabling Rotarians to interact with other Rotarians in other clubs and to become more aware of the outstanding programs of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

Since 2003 when our District went to a “cruise conference” format with some meal events on land, many Rotarians who do not cruise have not had the opportunity to experience a traditional Rotary District Conference.

This year's event will break with that format. In an effort to allow more Rotarians to participate in our conference, the conference will have sessions on land and at sea.

One By Land - Thursday, April 29th
There will be a full day of conference activities at the Sonesta Hotel Orlando Downtown (formerly the Sheraton Orlando-Downtown). It is centrally located and easily accessible from all parts of the district.

There is no registration fee to attend the conference sessions or meetings. There will be a cost to attend the District Luncheon and Governor’s Banquet.  Everyone who will attend the conference this year will need to be registered in advance via the registration page on the District 6980 website/calendar.   You must log in to be able to access the registration page.  Rotarians may register individually or the club secretary/president may register on behalf of the attendees.   The club will be invoiced for all those registered for Luncheon and/or Banquet.

The day will begin with registration opening at 7:30 AM. Attendees will receive their name badges, ribbons, credentials (if applicable), Luncheon/Banquet tickets and programs. A complimentary continental breakfast will be available to everyone after they register until 8:45. 
 
The Opening Plenary Session will begin at 9:00 AM with our traditional roll call of the clubs, a welcome address from Governor Randy and our RI President’s Representative, Past RI Director Carl Rosenbaum, followed by a very, very special guest speaker.
 
Our next two morning plenary sessions will be unique, informative and Rotary motivational.  All new, no repeats of past presentations. 
 
The District Luncheon will begin at 11:45, hosted by the Rotary Club of Orlando, who on May 1 will celebrate their 90th anniversary.  At this luncheon, all Rotarians with 35 years or more of service will be recognized for their contributions to their clubs and to Rotary.  All Past District Governors of D-6980 and those who served as District Governor in other districts will also be recognized. This is a ticketed event and prior registration is required. Seating is limited, so register online today. You don't want to miss this!
 
The afternoon Plenary Session, 2:00pm - 3:30pm, will feature the club’s Service Projects in 2009-10 with club presentations.  Throughout the day you will be able to see club service projects on display and talk with the club members who are involved. It will be a great opportunity to share your ideas and gather new ones.

Also in the afternoon, 2:00pm - 3:30pm, we will hold a special seminar for our Interactors who are attending the conference, sponsored by the Orange County Bar Association Foundation, who will conduct a seminar on civics. 
 
Following the afternoon sessions, we will hold our District’s annual business meeting.
 
There will be a cash bar reception from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, followed by the Governor’s Banquet at 6:45 PM where we will celebrate Rotary in a very special way.  We will be awarding the Rotary International Service Above Self Award to one of our own for the first time in twelve years as well as The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award for the first time in five years.  These are the most prestigious awards any Rotarian in the world can receive. This is a ticketed event and prior registration is required. Seating is limited, so register online today. You don't want to miss this!
 
We will also present many other distinguished Rotary International and District Awards during the banquet to both clubs and individuals for outstanding achievement during this Rotary year. 
 
Finally and to some the most important, the Hospitality suite, hosted by the Rotary Club of Sanford, will be open after the banquet for those who wish to fellowship with other Rotarians late into the night……

Registration is now open.

Two By Sea - Friday April 30th
Just about everyone has heard about the upcoming Conference Cruise, April 30 to May 3 on Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas.

Since 2003, when we made the cruise a staple of our annual conference, many Rotarians, family and friends of Rotary have joined us for this very special opportunity for friendship, fellowship and an important opportunity for the exchange of ideas between the clubs in a casual setting..
For the first time, we are sailing on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, an upscale cruise at similar prices as previous cruises. Cruises are still the best value for money in these challenging times. 

We are now less than six weks away.  If you have been planning to join us and thought there was plenty of time to register, you need to act now!

Reservations for cabins are still being taken, so don’t delay any  longer.  Contact Larry Rice to register today!!

Cruise Program Features
Two ports of call:  Nassau on the first full day at sea and Coco Cay (a private island) on the second day. 
We will feature our ten foreign Rotary Youth Exchange students, our Group Study Exchange Team from Israel (and some from our outbound team), as well as our Rotary World Peace Scholar.

We are also bringing back the Rotary Info Bowl, which is a friendly club competition with very serious prizes. Its been a few years since we last had this friendly and popular competition, which helps Rotarians learn some of Rotary’s basics as well as some of its more interesting nuances. Over 100 Rotary questions and answers are now posted here for everyone to print and study, not only for the competition on the cruise, but for all Rotarians, for their own knowledge and to use during their club meetings. All of these questions and answers originated over time from the Rotarian magazine. Click on the icon for Rotary Info Bowl Questions and Answers