Each year past, current and future leaders of Rotary gather at Zone Institutes to learn and share ideas about Rotary. I am very excited about the program we are planning for our Rotary Institute in 2012 in Vancouver. A great team of Rotary leaders from Zones 24 and 32 are working together to make this an institute to remember. The planning team is reviewing the evaluations from the Boston Institute and the nearly 300 responses to the recent online survey coordinated by PDG Gayle Knepper. We will try to accommodate as many of your ideas as possible.  The Reunion dinners will be 'at sea' as we cruise Burrard Inlet and into English Bay from the dock at the back of the Institute hotel. Please plan to come to Vancouver to meet old friends, make new friends and share your thoughts about our great organization.

I know some of you have already booked rooms at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver. It truly is a great hotel in a spectacular location. The conference facilities are first class. I hope you will take 2 or 3 days before or after the institute to visit Vancouver and take a side trip to Whistler, Victoria or Seattle. We have added a 'Links" page to the institute website to help you plan your visit. You will find the 10 must visit spots in Vancouver and the best side trips before or after the institute.  I will keep you informed as we confirm our keynote speakers and our program.  See you in Vancouver in 2012!!

Join the more than 150 Rotarians and partners that have already registered for Institute 2012. Online registration is available in English, French and Russian. Just click on the "Register Now" button and visit the registration page. There is no paper registration form. All registration is online. This saves time and money. Please also register for each of the pre institute training seminars you will be attending such as GETS, DGN, DG, Foundation, Membership or COL. Want to know who has already registered for Institute 2012? click HERE

The Institute hotel has a sleek waterfront location. It is located in downtown Vancouver on Coal Harbour, steps away from shopping, dining, entertainment, arts and culture, the hotel is set against the natural beauty of the 1,000-acre Stanley Park and offers direct access to the city's world-famous seawall. The Westin Bayshore Vancouver offers indoor and outdoor pools, a new 5,000 square-foot spa, a restaurant where huge windows overlook Coal Harbour and the North Shore Mountains, and a bar and grill with two patios boasting great views - plus a 60,000 square-foot conference center. Please visit the institute 'HOTEL' page and follow the links to book a room. The basic rate is $184. If you want a suite or harbour view room please book early.

If you value time and convenience use YVR - Vancouver airport. If you value saving money use SEA - Seattle airport. Vancouver's airport is only 20-30 minutes from the institute hotel depending on traffic. Seattle is 120 miles (195 km) south of Vancouver. You can save $150 to $300 per person on a flight to Seattle from US cities. Quick Shuttle (www.QuickCoach.com) offers frequent bus service from Seattle airport to downtown Vancouver for $99 return. If you use Vancouver airport you clear US Customs and Border Service in Vancouver when you leave and arrive home like a domestic flight. You can also check out the airports in Bellingham WA and Abbotsford BC - they have limited flights but they may fit your schedule. Your choice - money or time!  Visit the 'Directions' page on the Institute website.

• Download a Q & A sheet on the most common questions about Institute 2012. DOWNLOAD
• Download a copy of the Institute 2012 Brochure - DOWNLOAD
• Download the draft program at a glance - DOWNLOAD

Join Rotarians from across Zone 24 and Zone 32 for the Beyond Borders dinner at the RI Convention in Bangkok. This year you are invited to a boat tour and dinner cruise on May 6 2012.  Departs at 2:00 PM for an enchanting afternoon and evening. Tickets are now on sale. Please buy your tickets early the boat has a capacity of 170. To buy tickets click HERE. Want to know who has already signed up for the cruise? click HERE