Outstanding Accommodations for District Conference

The new Courtyard by Marriott in sunny St. George includes a luxurious bedding package, complimentary high-speed Internet, stylish decor and a friendly & professional staff. Consistently ranked among the best of 2800 Courtyard by Marriott hotels nationwide for Overall Customer Satisfaction, the Courtyard by Marriott in St. George at the gateway to Zion National Park and only about 120 miles north of the Las Vegas strip. Boasting two pools & two hot tubs, and with room service provided by Iggy's Sports Bar and Grill, the Courtyard St. George is only about a mile from the Gardner Center at Dixie State College and the popular Zion Factory Stores for conference shoppers. To schedule a room for the Utah Rotary District Conference, e-mail June McAfee at june.mcafee@marriott.com or call 435-986-0555 and ask for the "Rotary block." And, its no April Fools joke . . . you need to register by April 1 to get these great rates!

Another option for accommodations while attending the Utah Rotary District Conference is the beautiful new Holiday Inn Express located at 2450 N. Town Center Drive adjacent to the Coral Canyon Golf Course Community, off the I-15 freeway, slightly north of Washington City. Complete with comfortable beds, plasma TV, high speed internet connection, free hot breakfast, outdoor heated pool, a 24-hour fitness center and all within a short drive from spectacular Zion National Park. And pets are welcome (with a small cleaning deposit, of course). To schedule a room (no later than April 12 to get these good rates) for the Utah Rotary District Conference, call 435-986-1313 and ask for the "Rotary block" or e-mail Rotarian trevor.jenson@copperhospitality.com for more information . . . or go to our Holiday Inn Express group website at http://www.ihg.com/h/d/EX/1/en/rates?hotelCode=WSSUT&rateCode=RDC&_IATAno=99502056

Both of these two beautiful facilities are outstanding options for your Utah Rotary District Conference stay!

Music On the Agenda for Rotary Conference

If you have been a Rotarian for awhile, you probably already know singing in Rotary is a long standing tradition. Harry Ruggles, a Chicago printer and Rotary member #5, detested off-color language, malicious innuendo and classless humor and argued in club meetings for clean language. When the speaker at an evening meeting in 1906 began telling a story Harry had heard and knew the off-color ending was not appropriate for the club he had helped form, he jumped up in the middle of the joke and yelled, "C’mon boys, let’s sing!" then led the club in a boisterous rendition of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart!"

Not only was this the first time Rotarians had ever sung together, it was apparently, the first time a group of businessmen had ever sung together in a meeting of any kind! Harry Ruggles apologized to the embarrassed speaker but from that point on, it was decided all subsequent Rotary meetings should be conducted so any woman could attend without being embarrassed. This has been the unwritten rule ever since, just as the tradition of singing has endured.

You can be certain there will be lots of music at the Utah Rotary District Conference, May 13-15, 2010 in St. George, including a performance by the soon-to-be world-renowned Dixie Rotary Choir made up of members of the five southern Utah Rotary clubs (Cedar City, St. George, Dixie Sunrise, Red Rock and Hurricane). You won’t want to miss a single note!!!

Displays Wanted for District Conference

Has your club done a special club, community, international or vocational service project this year? Have you had exceptional media coverage? Have one - or several - of your members, your Youth Exchange student or Rotaract / Interact club been recognized in the community, the state or the world? The Utah Rotary District Conference will be the perfect time to show off your club and its accomplishments by bringing a display or a scrapbook. Organizers of the upcoming Rotary District Conference in St. George encourage each of Utah’s 44 clubs to show off all the "service above self" your club and its members have given. Tables will be available . . . all you need to do is bring your display to the Utah Rotary District Conference, May 13-15, 2010 in St. George!