Greetings fellow AH Rotarians,
 
March has come in like a lamb, the snow crocus are already blooming in my front garden and some of the trees along the river look about ready to bud. It may not last, but it's enjoyable for the moment, yet it seems particularly strange, given the many meteorological disasters happening all around us, from snow storms in LA to the very early and very active tornado season in the south. 
 
This coming Wednesday, March 8, is Intenational Women's Day, a United Nations recognized event to commemorate the important contribution of women to society and to bring attention to issues around gender equality. The celebration had its origins in the early 20th century in the several national women's suffrage movements. This year's UN theme is called DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equity. Rotary Intenational will host a series of on-line events, including a presentation by RI president Jennifer Jones on March 8, and a panel discussion on Equity at Work on March 9. For these and other RI sponsored events please check here
 
The Tri-Con conference is coming ever closer, now only about seven weeks away. It will take place at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse on 27-29 April, and is intended for all Rotarians, not just the leadership. It boasts an impressive list of speakers for both the plenary and workshop sessions, and a number of Rotary Fellows and Grant Scholars are also scheduled to be in attendance. Early bird registrations are still available through March 12.
 
Please join us this coming Monday, March 6, at the Park Hotel or on zoom at the usual times, 5:15 for the social and 5:45 for the meeting. For the meeting this time in place of the usual speaker, we will be holding a member spotlight, which will provide an opportunity to get to know some of our members a bit more closely.