DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 2026

Date: Saturday 25th April 2026
Time: 9am for 9.30am to 1pm
Venue: Manor Academy, Millfield Lane, Nether Poppleton, York YO26 6PA

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served from 9am until 9.30am

The District Support Team are encouraging Clubs to think differently to ensure our future. If we do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. Paul Harris with his amazing foresight over 100 years ago said; 

"If Rotary is to realise its proper destiny, it must be evolutionary at all times, revolutionary on occasions"

We will have three inspirational speakers who will make you think differently.

We will have ten breakout sessions:

Secretaries; learn something new as well as sharing your experience.

Treasurers; are you new to the role or have expereience? we can all learn something.

Foundation and Grants; our own charity which is sometimes forgotten but recognised as but recognised by Charity Navigator as 4 star top rated for 17 consecutive years.

Community; a challenge to each Club is to introduce one more project this coming year

International; we must never forget we are an international organisation. Could your Club adopt an international project?

Youth; Youth are our future. From  Rotakids & Interact to Youth Exchange and beyond. Find about the opportunities how to include youth into your programme.

Membership; Growing Rotary in your Club. Our number one priority to ensure our survival.

Presidents; If you missed PEP''s or are continuing as President of your Club, there is something new to learn, especially if you are up for the challenge. 

New Members; Unfortunately new members are far too often left to find out what Rotary is. This session will Open the Opportunities that Rotary offers. 

Environment; Our seventh Area of Focus. Is your Club interested in the Environment? If not, why not? Come along, share your ideas as well as learn hwo to Make a Difference.

Public Information Every club needs to have someone promoting their club using social media, websites and local press. This session will be looking at how to get the best from social media and your club website

Something for everyone. 

Please encourage as many members of your Club to come along to experience a different approach to ensure the survival of Rotary in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire

PROGRAMME

District Assembly 2026 – “Dare to be Different”

09.00 Arrival and Registration 

·      H&S/Telephones/Toilets Instructions 

 0930 Opening Address    

• Reflections on where we are today.                                Anne Sutcliffe DG

• District Theme “Dare to be different”.                                David Hartley DGE

• Video: “Rotary Rap for change”

·       Framing of today’s activities 

0945 Membership Made Simple                                 Ken McLennan

1015 Breakout Seminars                                                      

• Secretaries                        Malcolm Tagg
• Treasurer                          David Robinson      
• Foundation & Grants         Robert Morphet & Stephen Ellis
• Community                        Juli Thompson / Stuart Hyde 
• Youth                                Pat Taylor / David Phillips / Elliot Lancaster
• Membership                       Anne Sutcliffe / Ken McLennan
• President Elects                Richard Orr
• Public Image                     Richard Pennell / David Fotheringham 
• Environment                      Nigel Arthurs / Geoff Mackay
• International                       Derek Housely / Steven Woodcock 

1145 Re-imagining Rotary For The Next Generation  Elliot Lancaster

1215 Short Break for Reflections

1225  Past Current and Future                                    Geoff Mackey

1245 “Dare to be Different”                                        David Hartley DGE

1300 Close

SPEAKER PROFILES

Ken McLennan

Ken couldn’t wait for the Rotary call, so in 2000 invited himself to join Rotary after being Area Chair for Round Table in Norh East Scotland.

Ken is actively involved in North Star, the GB&I initiative to get us to 60,000 members in a short space of time.  Part of this includes being on the Steering Group for Rotary in these islands.  During the formation of North Star, Ken led the team that defined the Specialist Adviser groups.

Ken has produced demographic analysis for most GB&I districts and co-wrote the GB&I guidance on satellite clubs.

Ken is from North of the border (well North) and lives in Forres (30 miles east of Inverness) now that he is retired.  Ken is married to Mary and they have two daughters who are allegedly off the payroll. 

Ken worked in the oil and gas industry with a service company looking after operations, engineering, construction and maintenance.  He ultimately worked overseas in Brazil, Trinidad, Angola, Algeria, South Africa and Texas being responsible for 6 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ken is a keen supporter of Foundation and End Polio now.

Elliot Lancaster

Elliott has been actively involved in RI since 2016 as the Founding President of Keele University Rotaract Club. He is now Club President of Mercia and Marches with a seat on the Humanitarian Service Specialist Advisory Team. 

Elliot brings wider expertise as a District Environment Chair and District Rotaract Chair and he will be joining the Rotary GBI Board in July.

Geoff Mackey

Words to describe Geoff's life include ‘full’ and ‘varied'. Brought up on a small family farm in the bandit country of South Armagh, N. Ireland, his doctorate concerned the strategic business value of social networks, he first read biology in Liverpool and followed it with a range of post graduate qualifications in Health & Safety and management including a sleepless MBA. 

Today Geoff advises and consults to a wide range of strategic and tactical groups covering private, public and third sectors in arenas including science, communications, sustainability, environment and further education. Geoff has a range of trustee and directorships and is a Fellow of the Royal Soc of Chemistry, the Inst of Directors and the Inst of Sustainability & Environmental Professionals. He once won an award for his writing, and raises substantial charitable donations standing on his hind legs in public and talking.

Well known at the Rotary podium, Geoff has served three Districts, RIBI and RI in a wide range of posts. He is a Foundation benefactor, a GSE scholar, VSE team leader and Past Rotaract Chairman GB&I; he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2004 and in 2005 was honoured to receive an RI Service Above Self Award. He wrote the back page in the Rotary magazine and joined the board of Rotary GB&I in 2025.He lives with his long -suffering wife Luisa and their two sons, Alexander (20) and Nicolas (17) in rural Staffordshire and enjoys a full life to the full.