ROTARY CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND

A golf tournament and evening barbecue will highlight first-day activities at the annual Rotary District 6090 Conference being held in Cape Girardeau today through Sunday.

The conference doesn't actually begin until Saturday, but registration opens today at 1 p.m. at the Drury Lodge.

Early arrivals may participate in a golf tournament at Bent Creek Golf Club at Jackson, with a noon start.

The theme of the 1996 conference is "Port of the Cape," and a barbecue will be held at the K.C. Hall at 318 S. Spanish St. at 7:30 p.m. today.

District 6090 includes 1,263 members of 37 Rotary Clubs in a geographical area bounded by Arnold to the north, the Arkansas state line south and from West Plains to east to the Mississippi River. Between 250 and 300 Rotarians are expected to attend.

Business sessions start at the Drury Lodge at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

During the conference, Rotarians will explore ways to further Rotary's goal of world understanding and peace through service, fellowship and informational and inspirational addresses. A number of discussions relating to Rotary's local and international humanitarian projects will be held.

Each of the clubs at the conference will present reports.

The Governor's Banquet will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday. William E. Port serves at the 1995-96 District 6090 governor.

Preston J. Johnston, a Rotarian from Dudley, Ga., will represent the world president of Rotary International at the district, and will be keynote speaker at the Saturday banquet.

Johnson will be speaking on behalf of Rotary International president Herbert G. Brown of Clearwater, Fla., and discuss the group's theme for this year, "Act With Integrity, Service With Love, Work for Peace." He will also discuss local clubs' participation in Rotary's global programs, such as the Rotary Foundation and the worldwide PolioPlus program, an effort by Rotarians to eradicate polio.

Johnson, a native of Mississippi, and his wife, Beverly, are both Paul Harris Fellows in Rotary. He is president and chief executive officer of Oconee Electric, an electric utility company headquartered at Dudley.

He is a member of Dublin Rotary Club, where he served as president and later as District Governor. Johnson and his wife have filled in as representative for R.I. presidents three times in the past, in 1992 at Boston, Mass.; 1993, at Jay Peak, Vermont; and 1995 at Bethesda, Md.

Rotary International is an association for more than 27,000 Rotary Club in 150 countries and 34 geographical regions, with 1.2 million members.