**CANCELLED** District Nine Conference

3/16/2020 - notice from Mary Black Pearson Governor, District Nine, Altrusa International, Inc.

Re: 2020 District Nine Conference Cancelled

As a nation, we face an unprecedented crisis in current times.  We will all be tested to address the needs of our families and loved ones in new creative ways.  District Nine is responsive to the safety and welfare of our Altrusa Family and with that in mind, the 64^th Annual Conference scheduled in April of 2020 is .

Your board members and conference chairs are working through the details of refunds for registrations fees, paying the expenses that must be paid, and negotiating with the hotel regarding the cancellation of the contract as a result of this public health disaster.  The details of these arrangements will be shared in the coming days.  Bylaws require that the business of Altrusa is conducted in March, April or May.  This includes election of the nominating committee and approval of a budget after certification of delegates.  Procedures to conduct this business online will be proposed after consultation between the board and many of you to coordinate these new processes as timely as possible.

What we need for you to do:

• Cancel your hotel reservation asap
• Take care of your personal wellness
• Be patient as our conference chairs work through the finances to do refunds to Altrusans, Vendors, and clubs who placed advertising
• Make sure Altrusans in your club know the latest on ALTRUSA CONF. 2020 ONLINE which will be in the subject line of emails relating to this cancellation---these emails will contain information regarding online presentations about programs and progress for training, voting, and budget approval
• Consider the suggested guidelines for club meetings and projects as the situation evolves in coming weeks

Be prayerful for all of our Altrusa Family members and their loved ones.  We pray that our communities flourish in addressing the fears and challenges in the wake of the spread of this pandemic.  Our highest calling as Altrusans is to serve and we must each decide how we can do that safely at this time.