Having fun at District Conference

Christine again….

The team looked sharp as we headed out the door on Friday morning with matching white Rotary shirts and khaki pants. We attended the Opening Ceremony of the district conference and we wanted good seats…Judy, our team leader, was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying in the American flag and we wanted to make sure she heard us as we cheered her on (Jen whistled, cuz she’s the only one who can do that loud whistle with your fingers in your mouth thingy).

Judy returned for the afternoon session, however, the rest of us opted to work on a few important things at the motel. Aaron took the opportunity to show his support for the Huskers by getting a bright red sunburn on his chest and stomach (you can hear sizzling when you stand close to him). Jen and I wanted him to flip over so we could write “Go Huskers” with sunscreen on his back, but Aaron, always uncooperative, declined our offer for further sunburn (that Aaron can be so selfish sometimes). Matt, ever the responsible team member, actually did something responsible… he washed his laundry (and a few of Aaron’s shirts too). Aaron promptly spilled red wine on one of the freshly laundered shirts. Since we’re rippin’ Aaron right now, might as well report that Jen beat his arse at air hockey during dinner at the Overlander Motel with the Glenferrie group.

Checking into “The Shep”

Christine here -

Thursday, March 13th was “back to reality day” when we checked out of the RACV and headed to Shepparton for the District Conference. A limo picked us up from the RACV and the poor limo driver’s eyes almost popped out to his head when he saw the amount of luggage we had (we like to blame Aaron because his duffel bag can fit a human body…but all of us contribute to the problem).

We met up with the folks from RC Glenferrie, had some lunch and were reminded of what a small world this really is. Judy ran into a former colleague, Bob Scott, who she knew from her ACI Worldwide days. It took Judy a minute to figure out where she knew him from…after all, what are the odds of running into someone you know in Melbourne?! A few delicious sandwiches later, we headed out for a road trip to “The Shep.”

It’s something like 110 degrees here and we’re a long way from the ocean. What is an American to do? Why, cool off with lots of international food and wine at the Welcome Reception in the park with 850 of our closest Rotarian friends. Seriously, it was like a massive family reunion with lots of hugging, kissing and screaming as we reunited with friends and host families from the past three weeks. We didn’t stay out too late and were again given the opportunity to bond ever closer as a team at the motel.