We hope you will join us at our 2010 District Conference and Family Weekend at the fun-filled Kingsmill Spa and Resort in Williamsburg, VA on April 29-May 2! This will be the highlight of the year with great speakers, Golf Tournament and Club Competition, Tennis, Great Hall of Friendship, Rum Tasting, Ice Cream Social, Dancing, Live Music, Talent Showcase at the Governor’s Gala, Caribbean Extravaganza, and much more. Also located nearby are the wonderful sites of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Busch Gardens. Plan now to attend with your family & friends and enjoy the successes of Rotary District 7610.

To spread the word to your club see this wonderful resource.

District Conference and Family Weekend Brochure

Register NOW through the District Database (DaCdb).

Step-by-Step Instructions to Register

REGISTER BEFORE FEBRUARY 28TH AND YOUR NAME GOES INTO A DRAWING FOR A SPECIAL PRIZE!

Registration Form (hard copy)

Three million affected by Haiti quake

Ways to donate

Clubs and individuals can make donations on line at Shelter Box USA.
Donations can be mailed to" ShelterBox USA, 8374 Market Street #203, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
Clubs and individuals can make their "Haiti Relief" donations to the District 7610 Foundation, a 501c(3) Charitable Organization. Checks should be appropriately marked and be mailed to District 7610 Foundation, ATTN: Treasurer, Don Wellen, 6512 River Tweed Lane, Alexandria, VA 22312.
Clubs and individuals can also make donations at www.rotary.org/haiti. Here's a document that can answer questions about the Haiti Donor Advised Fund.

US Rotarians can now easily contribute $5 to the Haiti DAF via text message (just text ROTARY to 90999)

Please read the Haiti Earthquake Relief - Message from RI President, Trustee Chair and General Secretary or read Rotary's Haiti Relief Efforts PR Tips to promote the work that your club and Rotary is doing.

RI President-Elect Ray Klinginsmith to Speak at Chesapeake PETS

Rotary District 7610 and Chesapeake PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar) are honored to host Rotary International President-Elect Ray Klinginsmith at a reception and as the keynote speaker for the PETS opening banquet on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at 6:30PM at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, VA. Tickets are now available for $65 by accessing the District and Club Data Base. No on-line registrations will be accepted after February 14, so register today if you plan to attend. All Rotarians and guests are invited, but tickets are limited. Please see here for the flyer.

For further info. on President-Elect training, please see Chesapeake PETS.

District Caribbean Trip to Jamaica, May 5-11

All Rotarians and family are invited to be guests of District Governor Errol Alberga of District 7020 in Kingston, Jamaica May 4-8. At the lovely Pegasus Hotel you will enjoy exciting speakers, wonderful meals, dancing at night, and much more. Other tours and resorts are also on the agenda. Please register at District 7020’s website no later than Friday, January 15th. Those interested in attending this great experience should contact District Executive Secretary Marie Lewis at (540) 370-0300. More details are available here.

Short Term Youth Exchange

The District Youth Exchange Committee is taking applications from now through 15 April for students wishing to participate in the Short Term program of Youth Exchange through Rotary International. Students selected will go overseas for a 3-6 week period this summer hosted by a family screened by the local Rotary Club and will host a student from the same country for approximately the same time in exchange. Clubs with Interact Clubs or other Youth Programs are encouraged to inform deserving young people of this opportunity; it is open to young people of High School age (15 to 18½) and children of Rotarians or non-Rotarians alike are eligible. Expenses of the exchange are modest and borne by the family of the students who participate (application fees of less than $100, air fare, medical and liability insurance, fees for passports, etc).

Clubs wishing to sponsor students are required to screen the applicants and their families and are encouraged to invite the student and their counterpart to a Club meeting when both the student from overseas and the District are in the area (typically during the summer). This is a great way to expose deserving students in your community to life overseas while providing a ‘taste of life’ in the States to an international student during their school break. This program is EASY to administer so all Clubs are encouraged to look into the opportunity and contact Matt Leavitt, Youth Exchange Chair with any questions. Further information including a list of countries we currently exchange with and a detailed explanation of the program can be found at the web site of our “Multi-District” organization, the Eastern States Student Exchange: www.exchangestudent.org – look under ‘Short Term Program’.

Youth Exchange Opportunities for Clubs in D7610

Inbound Exchange Students: Itir (Turkey), Sergio (Spain), Pauline (Belgium) and Jan (Germany)

Our District participates in Rotary International's Youth Exchange Program, sending high school students from our communities overseas for a school year and receiving students sponsored by corresponding Rotary Clubs overseas. Next year (school year 2010 – 2011) the district hopes to send and receive five students district-wide.

As your club leadership considers budgets and priorities for the next Rotary year we urge you to consider hosting or co-hosting an Inbound Student. These students are screened and selected by Rotary Clubs overseas and sent to us via ESSEX in August to begin school in the Fall. Please see here for the complete article.

Upcoming 2009-2010 District Youth Contests

Herbert Taylor with the 4-Way Test

Attention all Clubs! Please visit the following links for information regarding upcoming contest deadlines.

Four-Way Test Essay Contest: February 15

Point of Contact: Jeanne Wesley

District Speech Contest: March 1

Point of Contact: Julie Franklin

G. Graham Green III Memorial Music Competition: April 3

Point of Contact: Carole Green

2010 Rotary International Convention in Montréal, Canada June 20-23

Sophisticated yet friendly, Montréal offers an ideal setting for Rotarians to gather at the 2010 RI Convention. More than 80 nationalities and ethnic groups reside in Montréal. In addition, it is also the largest francophone city outside of Paris, making it the most bilingual metropolis in North America. Register early now for “An International Experience” and to receive the best rates and accommodations.

More details are available here.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines at a Glance

February 13 District Governor Nominating Committee Meeting

February 15 Deadline to Elect 4-Way Test Essay Contestants

February 19-20 AG and District Team Training Seminar, Best Western, Culpeper

February 27 Presidents' Retreat, Cannon Ridge Golf Club, Fredericksburg, VA

Rescheduling District Finance Committee Meeting, Nationwide Insurance Co., Herndon, VA

March 1 District Rotarian of the Year Nominations Due

March 1 Best Club Bulletin Award Nominations Due

March 1 Deadline to Elect Club Speech Contest Contestants

March 1 Deadline to submit Rotary Foundation Grant Applications to District

March 4 RIPE Ray Klingingsmith Reception and Banquet, Westfields Marriot-Chantilly, VA

March 4-6 Chesapeake PETS, Westfields Marriot-Chantilly, VA

April 3 Inbound GSE Team arrives from Jamaica (D7020)

April 3 Deadline to Elect G. Graham Green Music Competition Contestants

April 4 AG 3rd Quarterly Assessment Reports Due to DG

April 15 Deadline to Submit applications to the Youth Exchange Program (Short-term)

April 24 District Advisory Council, Goodwill Industrial Facility, Fredericksburg

April 30 Council of Governors Meetings, Kingsmill, Williamsburg

April 29-May 2 District Conference & Family Weekend, Kingsmill, Williamsburg

Photo Gallery

District Conference at Kingsmill Resort & Spa, April 29-May 2