This year’s district conference will be hosted on Brač, Croatia’s third biggest island, the closest neighbour to Split. The Greeks called this island elaphos, and the local Illyrian tribes called it brentos, both words meaning deer. The continuity of life presents on Brač from the prehistoric times isn’t accidental – the fertile land gives life to grape and olive trees, and the inhabitants of this island always knew how to treasure this gift, pouring their sweat and love into them. The hidden coves and bays provide shelter for the boats and ships seeking safe harbour, while the fishermen find in them a place to rest their soul and their body. High hills highlight the inner parts of the island, and from their peaks one can gaze upon the beautiful sea and islands on one side, or on the stunning Dalmatian coastline on the other.
The white marble Brač is famous for reflects the sun almost as much as the sea that hugs the island does. We didn’t pick Brač for our conference randomly. The islands and its dwellers have a soul of their own. This soul is used to hard work just as much as it is to a simple, carefree lifestyle. The locals have always known how to wake up early and go fishing or olive picking as soon as the sun comes up, just as much as they have known how to take it slow and enjoy the fruits of their labour. We want our Rotarians, Rotaracters, their family members, friends and business partners to enjoy the results of the work our Rotary and Rotaracts communities do as well, and we hope that the positive and friendly ambiance of the District conference 2020 on Bol will enable them to do so.
Bol on Brač isn’t a place that needs to be introduced to anyone who knows anything about Croatia. However, we would be ashamed if we didn’t talk about it just a little. Bol is located below Vidova gora, the highest mountain peak on all the Croatian isles. This mountainous summit cuts through the clear blue sky that gets reflected in the crystal clean sea, making the usually sharp contrast between the two seem non-existent. The sea here shaped the sandy beaches, carrying in its movement tiny particles of golden sand and depositing them on the coastline and on the reefs. This process formed the world-famous beach Zlatni Rat, whose tip dances elegantly left to right every year depending on the tune the waves and the currents play. This everlasting song is contrasted by the inner harmony one can find while exploring the streets of this little Dalmatian town – streets whose air is thick with the smell of rosemary and olives. The promenades along the coast are always full of life, with both local people and tourists enjoying the easy-going Mediterranean lifestyle Dalmatia is famous for. Bol will give you everything you need – the sun, the beach and a lot of fun or a nice glass of wine, the taste of the take-it-slow philosophy Dalmatia is famous for, and some warm and pleasant evenings made even more enjoyable by the presence of Rotarians, Rotaracters and their friends, family members and business partners.
But remember, take it slow!
Since we are fully aware that Rotarians, Rotaracters, their family members, friends and business partners deserve the best, we’ve picked the Bluesun hotels in Bol as the base for our 2020. conference. This includes both the Elaphusa and Borak hotels, both of which are set in a pine grove a few minutes away from the Zlatni Rat beach. Elaphusa and Borak will be the hosts of many activities, and we have prepared a very busy programme for you, packed with all sorts of content. There will be something for everyone here, and the hotels themselves are brimming with recreational spaces and fun things to do. We will make sure every minute of your time is filled with new experiences and new things to learn. We plan to make the Bluesun hotels into the perfect place for rest, relaxation and enjoyment – the perfect place to make new friends, partners and projects, or to strengthen already existing ones. But most of all, we want to stress that for the first time, our District conference will be open to “the friends of our friends” – those people that are not members of Rotaract or Rotary but are in touch with those who are. We believe that there is no better opportunity than this to show the community what the role of Rotary is in the world, and we intend to do this through a formidable number of activities and events. We want to be part of the community; we want to be its friend and its partner. Elitism only interests us if it is the elitism of knowledge, goodwill and hard work. We don’t care about anything else.
Everyone is welcome! We are looking forward to having you with us.