I ATTENDED A MEMBERSHIP RECRUITING AND RETENTION BREAKOUT SESSION LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND HEARD FROM A PANEL OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM POLAND, CANADA AND THE US.  AFTER THEIR ADVICE ON THE TOPIC, THE SESSION WAS OPENED TO  QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES WHICH WAS REALLY MY FAVORITE PART OF THE CONVENTION SO FAR.  I TOOK AGGRESSIVE NOTES ON THE TOPIC AND AM PREPARED TO SHARE SOME IDEAS UPON MY RETURN. 

LAST NIGHT (TUESDAY) ROTARIANS INVADED THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM IN A BIG WAY.   THE CITY ARRANGED "HOSPITALITY NIGHT" WHICH INCLUDED A SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE, BALLET, MALE VOICE CHOIR, STREET PERFORMANCES, FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND OTHER HOSTS OF ENTERTAINMENT.  I TOOK A CANAL TOUR AND LEARNED THAT BIRMINGHAM'S CANAL SYSTEM IS LARGER THAN THAT OF VENICE.  THE CANALS ARE OVER 200 YEARS OLD AND SUPPORTED THE FIRST WAVE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION TRANSPORTING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.  THE RAILWAYS TOOK OVER, BUT MANY CANAL SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT ENGLAND ARE BEING RENOVATED FOR CURRENT USE TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND AIRWAY INFRASTRUCTURES.

THE EVENING VENUE PROVIDED ME WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PAL AROUND WITH FELLOW ROTARIANS FROM IOWA AND NORTH CAROLINA.  WE ATE DINNER WITH A GROUP FROM AUSTRALIA AFTER TAKING THE CANAL TOUR WITH A GROUP OF CANADIANS.  WE COMPARED OUR LOCAL CLUBS AND PRACTICES AND, AS IT TURNS OUT, THE HARRISBURG ROTARY IS THE LARGEST GROUP I'VE ENCOUNTERED.  THE CLOSEST IS ONE CANADIAN CLUB THAT HAS 170 MEMBERS. 

TODAY, WEDNESDAY, IS THE CLOSE OF THE CONVENTION.  I BELIEVE THAT JOHN JUDSON, HECTOR ORTIZ (FROM THE KEYSTONE CLUB), TOM JOHNSTON AND BOB HALL HAVE ALL GONE.  I AM THE ALTERNATE VOTING DELEGATE FOR OUR CLUB AND WILL BE CASTING MY VOTE ANY TIME NOW.

THIS MORNING I HEARD FROM JANE GOODALL WHO COMPARED HER WORK WITH THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE (JGI) AND THE ROOTS AND SHOOTS FOUNDATION TO THE WORK OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL.  HER GOAL IS TO CONTINUALLY SEARCH FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE AND COOPERATE WITH ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ON OUR  SHARED VISIONS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID AROUND THE WORLD.  SHE WAS A HUMBLY INSPIRING SPEAKER AND A VOICE OF WISDOM AND INTELLECT.  

IN CLOSING - I HOPE TO USE THIS EXPERIENCE TO CONVEY TO OUR HARRISBURG ROTARIANS THAT WE ARE PART OF A LIVING, BREATHING, ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  ALL WE HAVE TO DO, AS INDIVIDUAL ROTARIANS, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, IS REACH OUT BEYOND OUR COMMUNITY TO TOUCH THE PULSE OF THE WORLD AS PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION THAT TRANSCENDS CULTURES, RELIGIONS, LANGUAGES, AND RACE, AND TRULY UNITES PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SIMPLE VALUE OF SERVICE ABOVE SELF.