I've finally recovered from PETS

I spent last weekend at PETS - the President Elect Training Seminar. It's held in Los Angeles each year, and is a four-day session to train incoming club presidents in what they need to know to run their club.

Since every Rotary club gets a new president every July 1, it stands to reason they will need to be taught how to fundraise, manage a meeting, and the like. My job this year was to teach these new presidents how to generate publicity and build a web site for their club.

I got to the LAX Hilton around 5 pm last Thursday, driving up with past president Carl Kruse and President Elect Kendra Jeffcoat. We stopped at the hospital en route to visit our friend Marc, who still lies in bed with his brain tumor and doesn't seem to be improving. I fear the worst for him.

After a brief stop there, we were off to LA. Checked in, and by 5:30 I was at a reception for instructors, speakers, and bigwigs. Then it was dinner and I spent the rest of the evening loading my PowerPoint presentation onto the seven laptop computers I'd be using on Friday. I was asleep before 11.

Friday was when all the fun started, of course. First off to breakfast, where I got into a rather lengthy (and energetic) discussion with a gentleman named Lynn. It seems he wants to include references to Jesus Christ in public discussions at RI, while I maintained the group is non-denominational. I fully respect his right to believe anything he will, but object to the idea that he's going to force his beliefs on anyone else in the organization who believes otherwise. Let him keep his prayers in church, but not at my Rotary meeting.

There were the usual opening sessions, then a quick lunch, then the actual training. Now I got to sing for my supper. What followed were four back-to-back sessions, each one 50 minutes long, of me blathering on about my hat, the value of branding, and how it all ties in to public image, public relations, and web sites.

I was well-received (another way of saying nobody beat me up for what I spouted off about), and tried to incorporate the criticisms I received from last year's presentations (didn't use the microphone in one session, didn't move from behind the podium, didn't leave enough time for Q&A).

Friday night was much more interesting - dinner, then parties galore. The nice thing about being just one of seven trainers in a group this size (550 participants plus about 150 support staff) is that they treat you like you're a celebrity. People want to meet you, to shake your hand, and to ask your advice. Even if I don't know what I'm talking about (hey, it COULD happen!), people there THINK I know. And as my old friend Chris once advised me; "If they want to think you walk on water, who are you to disagree?"

Saturday was more of the same - breakfast, two sessions, a break, and a final session. Then came dinner and five more parties - two of which were shut down by security for being too raucous.

I learned from last year's event by not drinking NEARLY as much as I did then. Last year I drank so much on Saturday night that I thought I was going to die (and was afraid that I wouldn't). This year I kept it light, kept my head (and my breakfast), and didn't wake up with any headaches.

By Sunday at noon, I left with hundreds of people having heard my message. I know what I say works, because I'm opening the newspaper more often and seeing press from many more area clubs. Of course, their success makes it harder for me to get my stuff in the papers, but I can work with that.

Now I'm home and trying to find my desk. A few more days and I hope to be more or less caught up. WHEW! I had fun, met some great people, made a few new friends, and even got to meet D. K. Lee, the incoming president of Rotary International. I think it went well - should be interesting to see the responses from those actually in attendance who listened to my drivel.