Winter graced us, once again, with her gentle beauty, as we awakened this morning to the snow-laden trees, and the aura of a "Winter Wonderland" blanketing Our Fair Valley. It was a "Double Delight", this noon, also, as we enjoyed two excellent Programs: the first given by Jodi, and the second given by Jack.

Not only was Jack in the "Spotlight", today, but in addition to being our Song Leader, he was our Greeter too, as we came in from the cold to the inviting warmth of The Redwood. After joining President Liz in The Pledge, we sang "God Bless America" with Jack. Jodi volunteered to give The Invocation, reminding us to cherish each moment in our lives. There were 24 Members at the Noon Meeting today, including John, Sherry, and Karen, who joined us on Zoom. We welcomed Guests, Brendan Miller, Lauren Hirsh, and Sharon, of course! Jack did the honors by indicating that Brendan and Lauren were two "Budding Entrepreneurs"! Lauren is a prominent Naples businesswoman, and Brendan is an aspiring writer.

Pres. Liz had a few important announcements to share with the Members. * Between February 10th-11th, "Rotex Members" are coming to Naples. (These are the Rotary Exchange Students). The Naples Rotary Club will be serving breakfast to these folks on Sunday, (Feb. 11th) at Trinity Federated Church. * The Grant Management Seminar is being offered at two locations. It will be on Feb. 3rd in Brighton, and on Mar. 2nd at Clifton Springs. Two Members are encouraged to attend this Seminar, which would increase our eligibility to receive a Grant. Go to the District 7120 Website to register if you are interested. * The District Conference will be in Saratoga Springs this year, and it is slated for April 26th-28th. There will be a Golf Tournament on Friday, the 26th. * Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) Classes are being offered. There is a class being offered at Victor High School in October (Oct. 19th). This training can be done online, and the Club pays for it. There will be training at PETS (March 15th) to become a Facilitator for those who have completed Part 3, if they interested. * DG Julie Carney is the Website Coordinator for the District. * The Club Calendar is up to date!

Did you know that March is Women's History Month? Today, for Part 1 of the Program, our very own Jodi, along with Lauren Hirsh, came and spoke to us about the Naples Women's Weekend, which is scheduled for March 1st-3rd. Recently, Jodi and Lauren met with local businesswoman, Leeann Barton, to plan a "Special Weekend" to begin the month of March, and to celebrate Naples Women who own and run local businesses. There are plenty...Jodi said that they came up with 100! The Committee is planning many special events that will be happening over that "Inaugural Weekend", and Jodi noted that it will be an opportune time for the Naples residents to take advantage of all the services that the Naples Community has to offer!

Surrounded by books about many famous, successful women, Jodi selected one title, in particular, that would be well worth reading. It was entitled The Woman They Could Not Silence. Jodi noted that for many women throughout our U.S. History, becoming independent and successful was not without its challenges!

Local Naples Businesses are planning to participate in this Naples Women's Weekend. Among some of them are Engine 14, The Social, and Lauren plans to do a "Pop-Up" Sale, as well! Our Rose will be offering her beautiful music at Caruso's Cafe also! Hopefully, the Naples Library will do a showcase on this theme, too.

Jodi knew how to get her audience involved, as she led us through a Questionnaire which she had passed out to everyone. The questions contained both local and historic knowledge, (about women), which we collectively shared, having learned a great deal from this exercise. On a very local note, we were reminded of our Nancy, also a "Woman of History", as she became the first woman to be in our Rotary Club in 1987! Nancy has celebrated 38 years as a Member of Naples Rotary! Liz also shared that when she first worked for the National Park Service, there were some restrictions for women, and Blanche added that when she played basketball in High School, girls were only allowed three dribbles!! BTW, Blanche could be considered Naples' own Woman Who Dabbles in Local History!

"We celebrate all the Naples women!" exclaimed Jodi, and she urged us to share their Face Book Page in spreading the word.

Part 2 of our Program this noon featured a "Member Spotlight". Member Spotlights afford us an opportunity to really get to know someone, and in delving into that person's past, one gets to know him/her just a little bit better! Today we had a chance to walk down Memory Lane with Jack, as he began to tell us about his remarkable life.

Jack had a book with him that contained many of his life memories. He told us that he and Sharon had each created a book using a Program called "Story Worth", that had been a gift from their children. He noted that it had been a great experience compiling this keepsake!

A picture from the past can often bring back (hopefully) wonderful memories, and this is where Jack began today, as he showed us a picture of the Jack and Jill Motel, that his parents had owned for many years. The motel sat on Route 5 before the Thruway came along, and Jack recalled his parents' wonderful hospitality to their guests. The motel must have been fondly named after their children, Jack and Jill, who helped their parents also. 

We enjoyed seeing pictures of Jack growing up in the Mohawk Valley, wearing his cowboy boots, and riding his horses. College days saw Jack participating on the Golf Team. Some special highlights in his life were, of course, his marriage to Sharon nearly 50 years ago, and the births of his children Jonathan, and Olivia. Added to that joy have been the additions of Katie and Jeff (DIL and SIL) and Grandkids Jacob, Madolyn, Jase, Vivienne, and Julian!

Jack went on to talk about his career choices, working both in Human Resources and teaching. Though he worked in neighboring areas, these work experiences eventually led him back to the Naples Area, which he loves best. Jack admitted that his having been a Sociology Major in college must have given him the impetus to serve and help others. He feels that being in Rotary helps to accomplish this goal. As evidenced by all that they do for the Naples Community, he and Sharon both help to make the world better!

Pres. Liz shared a great "Rotary Moment" today, as she told us about the "History of the Rotary Bell", which was meant to bring about order, discipline, and the flow of the Meeting.

The Ace of Hearts was at $27 today, and Jack's Ticket, #0778, was drawn. He picked the King of Clubs from the pack.

The Happy Bills and Rotary Reflections sprung forth from our appreciation of the Programs. We were glad to have Jodi back with us! She was very proud of her two girls, Willow and Sequoia, who have done very well in college! David was back with us, after a trip to Scandinavia. Blanche kidded Jack, thinking that when he said he had ridden his horse at "a Fonda Fair", she thought he meant "a fond affair"!! Smile!

There were two "Who Am I?" persons to guess about today. We found out that Grand Teton National Park is a favorite of Cindy, while a nap every afternoon is enjoyed by Skip! We recited The Four-Way Test before calling it a day. See you in February!