Special Edition

2026 Rotary District Conference

There was a poker run on the way to Lake Tahoe with four stops on Highway 50 and the fifth card given out at Caesars. When you got to Caesars, you could buy a card to better your hand. Dr. Niki Young won second place with 3 Aces and 2 Sixes.

Frank was Registrar with a great deal of help from Carolyn. Scott, Lynne, John, and Elaine were at the Woods house last Tuesday filling the registration envelopes with name badges, meal tickets, etc. There were 146 registration envelopes and 126 were picked up on Friday. John and Elaine helped distribute registration envelopes. The photo below is Carolyn and Frank at the registration desk on Saturday morning.

Friday evening was an optional event with heavy appetizers and one free drink with Rotary fellowships followed by comedian Kay Frances.

Saturday, May 2

Saturday opened with a Polar Plunge for Polio Plus into Lake Tahoe. Ryan Jantzen and Samatha Davidson took the challenge along with District Governor Megan Ellinghouse and several other brave Rotarians and guests.

Ready to get wet.

In the water.

Thank goodness we're done!

All day Saturday the House of Friendship was open. In the House of Friendship were tables set up for Rotary Youth Exchange, Shelter Box, a Photo Booth, Raffle Prizes and a Rotary Club of Folsom table selling Rotary Club of Folsom Reserve Whiskey handcrafted by Frey Ranch Distillery. There was a lot of interest in our whiskey.

The finals of the Speech Contest were the first session on Saturday morning. There were four contestants and Eliza Philip, sponsored by Folsom Lake Rotary won first place, a check for $2,000. This is the second year Eliza placed first and she is only a sophomore.

We had a very inspiring speaker at the lunch session, Jennifer Strong, Rotary Club of Lakeport. Her topic was that Rotarians become true Rotarians when Rotary goes from the brain to your heart. She invited four Rotarians to join her on stage and through a series of questions got to the moment that they felt Rotary went from their brains to their hearts. 

The first district awards to clubs were presented. There was one winner in each category for Small, Medium, and Large Club sizes. Awards were based on Rotary International's Action Plan: Impact, Reach, Engagement, and Adapt. There was also Club of the Year: Exemplary Clubs Small, Medium, and Large. The District Recognition and Awards Program is available at District 5180 Awards Program.

Afternoon sessions were a business meeting and Rotary Youth Exchange Panel: Adventures Around the World by our six inbound students.

Saturday Evening Dinner and Celebration included a keynote speaker, more awards, and Dueling Pianos: The Kelly Twins.

The club awards were handed out for Engagement and Adapt. The Rotary Club of Folsom received the Engagement Award for Large Clubs. As defined in the Awards Program, Engagement means "Let’s use every encounter as an opportunity to show people what Rotary can do for them as individuals and as members of our communities. "

The Saturday evening speaker was Dr. Donya Ball. Dr. Ball is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author, and transformative leadership expert known for helping organizations navigate complex leadership challenges with practical solution focused strategies. As a Rotarian, she focused her talk on leadership at the club level.

The evening concluded with music from Dueling Pianos, the Kelly Twins. Although there were two pianos on the stage, one of the twins played a guitar often. What was unique is that they immediately asked what we all wanted them to play and there was a flurry of Rotarians and guests submitting requests. They played and sang an amazing array of music. They also got several members and guests dancing the night away.

Sunday, May 3

Sunday Inspiration Session and Buffet Breakfast included a Parade of Presidents, a Memorial to Rotarians who passed away this past Rotary year, a keynote speaker, and final awards.

DG Megan invited the 2025/2026 Presidents on stage for the Parade of Presidents. Our President Scott was front and center.

Our keynote speaker was Nathan Guitierrez. Born with Spina Bifida, Nathan has spent his life navigating medical, social, and systemic barriers while building a career dedicated to expanding opportunities for others. He is a certified corporate speaker and life coach focused on helping individuals with disabilities build independence, leadership, capacity, and a vision for their future.

District Awards Chair Rob Saxe announced the Club of the Year Awards. The Rotary Club of Folsom is the Rotary District 5180 Large Club of the Year. GREAT!

The Pinning Ceremony started with DGE Dave Veden pinning DG Megan with her Past District Governor pin. Then DG Megan pinned DGE Dave with the District Governor pin. Then DGE Dave pinned DGN Bill Gladden with the District Governor Elect pin. Lastly, PDG Megan pinned DGE Ryan Jantzen with the DGN pin. Even though they exchanged pins, Megan is still District Governor until July 1.

 

 

PDG Megan, DGN Ryan, DGE Brian, and DG Dave

The Rotary Club of Folsom Rotarians at the conference (except Jerry Avila).

The next District Conference will be October 30 to November 1, 2026 at Margaritaville, South Lake Tahoe. Look for information about a Spooktacular Conference coming soon.