Every year District 1090 (which consists of 60 clubs in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and part of Middlesex of which Oxford Spires is one) holds a conference for Rotarians to all gather in one place to find out what other clubs are up to. There are speakers from many clubs as well as guest speakers from various charities including in 2008 Richard Stilgo with his choir from the Orpheous Centre www.orpheus.org.ukand Lynn Faulds-Wood on her Bowel Cancer Campaign amongst many others. 2009 was no disappointment either with talks of the problems of Malaria in Tanzania (an issue particularly close to us having been out there this year), use of canines for those with disability including loading and unloading a washing machine and much more.

It is a great opportunity to meet other Rotarians. We at Spires particularly like to show our faces to try and get ourselves known and show what we have been up to. It is quite easy to get noticed as we do tend to stand out quite a bit being much younger than the average Rotarian.

But it is not all speakers and meetings; there is a social side to entertainment both evenings including a dinner dance on the Saturday night. Always a good laugh seeing the older Rotarians have a few drinks, remarkably we seem to end up being the quiet ones (not that I am saying we are necessarily quiet). All in all it is a great weekend away, a mixture of inspiration and simple fun.

For more information on these events and next years conference in Eastbourne visit:

http://www.rotary-ribi.org/districts/committee.asp?DistCtteeID=352&DistrictNo=1090