Rotary district governor Irene Jones, of Bathurst, will welcome to the men and women who work tirelessly for their communities, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for good causes.

Mrs Jones said this year’s conference would focus attention on Rotary at work on a global scale.

International Rotary president John Kenny will be represented by Sandra McKersey, from New Zealand. The conference delegates will be representative of 1200 members in 42 clubs in the 9700 district, extending from Oberon to Hay and Parkes to Henty.

“It will be a conference where ordinary club members who are working in our communities to raise money see where they are helping everywhere there is a global crisis including natural disasters like floods and earthquakes,” Mrs Jones said.

“All of the speakers in Bathurst will have a story to tell about Rotary International and Rotary Foundation working to make a difference in millions of lives, none more inspiring than the PolioPlus campaign to rid the world of polio.” Marion Bunch from the Rotary Club of Dunwoody, Atlanta will be speaking on one of the major initiatives of District 9700, “Rotarians for Fighting AIDS.”

Peter Pearce from the Rotary Club of Gosford will bring Rotarians up to date on the ShelterBox campaign.

“ShelterBox is a kit Rotary developed that puts a roof over the heads of people left homeless every time there is a natural disaster somewhere in the world,” Mrs Jones said.

The kits contain tools and equipment to meet immediate needs, including emergency food rations and water purification necessities.

“There was a stockpile of ShelterBoxes in Australia with a team on standby to go to the next trouble spot when the Black Saturday Bushfire hit Victoria Mrs Jones said. “Suddenly Australian kits were needed on the home front and Rotary responded to shelter victims of tragic, shocking bushfires.”