banner

Happy New Year to everyone! It was great to be back together this evening after a brief hiatus since the Christmas Break. President Bruce made the wise decision to have us gather via Zoom tonight from the comfort, warmth and safety of our homes. A smart decision that was, since many more members felt compelled to join in on the Meeting in this safe and secure way.  

Pres. Bruce called the Meeting to order, beckoning us to join him in saying The Pledge to the Flag. Tonight’s “song” was to be a “Congratulatory” one, which would come later. Jack gave the Invocation, quoting words from “My Daily Prayer”, which focused on kindness to others. There were 34 of us online, and that included our guests, Sharon, and our special guest and speaker, our own Matt Frahm! I mustn't forget to mention that the French pups, Dee-Dee and Lady were “with” us too! 😊 The Program was given by Matt, and the Rotary Moment was courtesy of Blanche. 

Since this was the beginning of a new month, we recognized the Birthdays and Anniversaries of January. Led by Jack, we sang a hearty round of “Congratulations” to Nancy, Laurie, Steve, Bill S., Kristin, Skip, Clyde, and President Bruce. Best Wishes to all, hoping that each of you will have a wonderful year! 

It was gratifying to see so many members at the Zoom Meeting tonight, and because we are going to be meeting this way for a while, Pres. Bruce felt that it was important to share a few Zoom Protocols with us. One of the ways in which we are to express our delight will be to raise and wave our hands, known as the “silent applause”.  This seems like an appropriate time to thank John F. for being our “Zoom Tech”. This is a great way to be all together for the time being, until things improve, and your technical expertise is surely appreciated! (Group wave of hands !!) 

Here are some updates to share with the members. PP Tom reported that he is getting better every day! We are glad to hear that, Tom, and we’ll continue to pray for your return to good health!  On behalf of all of us, I believe it was Jack who expressed his thanks to Bruce and John for going virtual. Jo C. sent a word of thanks to the Club for the kind remembrance of flowers that were sent in memory of her grandson. Laurie announced that Patty Janto, wife of fellow member Steve, had passed. A donation of $100 will be made to the Alzheimer’s Association per Steve’s request, in memory of Patty. Jack gave an update on Alex. She had recently been released from Wellsville Manor and was currently living with Bob and Marie Schmitt. After having fallen, she was taken to Thompson Hospital. Alex is waiting for a rehabilitation setting when she recovers. Our prayers continue for Alex! Rose is open to ideas for future Programs, but she has urged us to go through her when coming up with suggestions. We thank Rose for the excellent Programs that she has initiated thus far! 

What better way would there be than to start out 2022 by hearing from one “who needed no introduction”? That would, of course, be none other than our Dear Friend, Matt Frahm, who is missed greatly by the Naples Rotary Club! Tonight’s Program was appropriately entitled “Life With Matt”, as he did a little catching up by telling us how things are going in Clarence. Recalling the memorable moments from having been a part of the Naples club, Matt said that he missed us greatly, especially during the Holidays. Matt is currently residing with his Step-Grandfather, who is 89, and he (Matt) says that Clarence “feels like home”, since his Mom had graduated from Clarence. The community, which is close to Buffalo, is home to a much larger school district than Naples, noted Matt. The town has a population of 32,000, with 4200 kids in the school system! There are 700 plus employees in four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. “Many good things have been happening for many good years!” exclaimed Matt in his usual positive way. Wouldn’t you know that Naples (Rotary) has a connection to Clarence, as Marty’s and Jill’s daughter, Abby, teaches there!! 

Life seems to be flowing along, as usual in Clarence, as they have been meeting “in-person” since Fall. Full classes, busses, and concerts have been in place, as well. In fact, Matt was planning to attend a Fifth Grade Concert this very evening! It’s a busy and bigger community, but like Naples, as Matt noted, it is supportive! 

Matt’s presentation continued, as he was prompted to talk about some of the challenges that Clarence has faced over recent months. Along with the prevalent health challenges, and frustrations over wearing masks, patience has been dwindling over the past two years, according to Matt. In this suburban affluent community, there is another challenge among the kids, and that is the pressure to succeed, he noted. This presents a unique level of stress among the students in this school population. The school is committed to finding ways to support the kids. Matt continued to expound on the various ways that the school is attempting to do this. While there is not a lot of diversity in the Clarence School System, there is an ongoing attempt at understanding family backgrounds. Matt expressed this goal as “helping kids to acclimate to a richer sense of understanding”. Another concern has been “caregiver fatigue” and isolation throughout the pandemic. Pres. Bruce interjected that our “offices” are at home these days! The ultimate goal, of course, is to maintain a sense of wellness! 

Matt reflected a bit on his personal life. He became engaged to Jackie in November! One of his dates with Jackie was at a Rotary Fundraiser at Brew and Brats! Their wedding is set for September 24th, and it is understood that Tom will sing at the wedding!! 😊 Matt had given a presentation at the Clarence Rotary back in September, and he is thinking of joining! (That will certainly be a plus for that Rotary Club!) Jill added that Clarence is very impressed with Matt! (Having come to know Matt as well as we did, would we expect anything less?) 

Matt generated further interaction as he asked what was “new” in Naples. Well, there was much to add to this question, as we have kept busy in various ways!  Here is a little recap of all the things mentioned. Although there was no Rotary Calendar this year, there were many other positives to reflect upon. This year, the Walk of Life and the Light Up Naples Events were very successful! We (finally) have an Interact Program with the NCS students, and Annalisa Chapman, Naples High School Spanish Teacher, is the School Moderator! John French is our President-Elect, and Liz Yee is the Vice President. Many from the Club are planning on going to Houston this coming Spring! There has been a “re-invention” of the Grape Fest, thanks to the valiant efforts of Tom and Jo Anne. Jack added that we will be establishing a Venmo Account. Matt said that when the weather is nice, he and Jackie will typically go to her parents’ place, which is located near Tom. He is thankful for groups like Rotary, who focus on “building a sense of belonging”. Tom added that we deeply miss Matt. That is for sure! Matt reassured us that upon his return to Naples, (for a visit), we’ll have the “smallest wine tent bouncer”!! Thanks ever so much, Matt, for an evening filled with many happy moments!! 

It would come as no surprise that the Happy Bills poured forth, as we were all so delighted to have Matt back “with us” for a virtual visit! His warmth, eloquence, and sense of humor surely pleased us, and those many Happy Bills were “proof of the pudding”! Other reasons for Happy Bills included many thanks to Holly and Tony for their years of devotion to Reservoir Creek, Healthcare Workers, Nancy’s Anniversary, Tom’s return to good health, Jack presiding at Trinity, and Rose’s Open Jam at Brew and Brats. 

Tonight’s Rotary Moment was given by Blanche. Along with Bruce, who enabled the Zoom Connection, Blanche spoke with Shirley Gardener on Saturday. Shirley grew up in Naples, and she shared memories of the 1940’s. Her Dad had been in Rotary, and it was his hope that we (Naples Rotary) would do great things in the community. Bruce said that he felt like he was witnessing history! Indeed, this hope is certainly proving to be true!  

“Have a wonderful evening! Good Night and God Bless!” exclaimed President Bruce. Hoping that the New Year will bring much health and happiness to everyone! Have a great week! See you on the 17th!  

Report from our Evening Zoom Meeting on Jan 10, 2022, reported by

Patrice Lysell, secretary
Club Information
Welcome to Naples
Naples
Service Above Self
Mondays
The Redwood Restaurant
6 Cohocton Street .
Naples , NY 14512
United States of America
Monday's at Noon except 2nd and 4th Mondays at 6 PM
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
VenueMap
Venue Map
President Elect John with Dee-Dee (on the left!)
El Presidente Bruce
Past President Tom is getting better after a bout with COVID
 
Immediate Past President Matt visited us, zooming in from his office in Clarence, NY. (It looks a lot bigger than his office was in Naples.)
Jill commented on daughter Abby
Marty commented on Naples Interact Club.
Nancy would have had a 63 year anniversary with Bob.
If you have good ideas for upcoming programs, please contact Rose to coordinate.
Blanche had the Rotary Moment.
Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
ClubRunner Mobile