The burnish of the Naples Hills had gradually grown dimmer and dimmer, until this morning we awakened to the first light blanket of snow in our valley! Now some may bemoan this true sign of impending Winter days, but somehow, this reminder of the cooler, yet cozier days ahead is refreshing in its own special way!
Today’s Noon Meeting was led by Past President Tom, who was filling in for President Bruce, who is away this week, spending time with family. Tom invited us to join him in saying The Pledge, and in so doing, we stood proudly, gazing upon Old Glory on the monitor. “God Bless America” was the patriotic tune Jack chose to lead us in song. Rose gave The Invocation this noon. Her prayer reminded us to focus on our common threads, rather than our differences, and in this way, we can achieve our goals in being of service to others. Sweet Sherry was the Greeter for everyone, as each of us entered The Redwood. There were 18 Members on hand for today’s Meeting, and we welcomed five guests. Sharon, of course, is one of “our regulars”, and with her were Jo Anne and Albie, who are soon to become Members. Also, Caitlin, our Program Presenter, joined us, and we were pleased to have a distinguished guest, Ralph Brandt be with us! Ralph is the District Governor Elect for 2022-2023. Today’s Program was about Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes. Tom chose to follow a tradition that we have done in the past. A spokesperson at each table introduced our guests. Jack introduced his lovely wife, Sharon. Nancy introduced Jo Anne, Albie, and Ralph, and Rose introduced Caitlin. A hearty round of applause followed each introduction.
What’s Happening? As evidenced by last week’s many updates, Naples Rotary is a busy club! Here’s what’s new this week: Skip gave us an update on our Dear Friend and Fellow Member, Frank. He is doing okay! Jack recently talked with another one of our Dearly Loved Members, Bill Cooper. Bill is doing fine also, and he is looking forward to being with us sometime. Jodi reported that Alex is at NOYES Hospital, and that she would appreciate hearing from us. Our sending her cards would really lift her spirits! Rose noted that the Light Up Naples Plans are progressing nicely. The selling of the Snow Globes has begun!
Sherry has published information on the Snow Globe Contest, and the LUN Schedule of Events on the Naples Community Face Book Page, and the Naples NY Rotary Page. Jodi spoke of the Interact Group helping with the Thanksgiving Dinner at Caruso’s Cafe. You know that Special Season of the Year is upon us when Skip hands out the flyers announcing our Annual Christmas Party! Mark your calendars! Our Party will be Monday, December 13th at the Naples Hotel. All the pertinent details are in the flyer. The dinner provided by Lock, Stock, Bar and Grill sounds delicious! Phil Bariteau’s Band Students will serenade us with some holiday tunes! We will have a Gift Exchange among us, and we won’t forget to bring our goods for the Naples Open Cupboard. (Please let Skip know by December 6th if you plan to attend.) Remember last year when we did this “Gift Trade” all virtually? 😊
Tom spoke with enthusiasm as he announced that the first Grape Fest Executive Team Meeting had taken place earlier this morning. The Naples Grape Fest LLC is comprised of the following individuals: Tom is the President, Jodi is the Vice President, Arden Neubauer is the Secretary, Mitchell Bay is the Treasurer, and Jo Anne is the Director of Operations. “We are making good things happen in different angles!” exclaimed Tom.
Patrice read a letter of appreciation from Jennifer at Hospeace House. They are most thankful for our recent donation of over $6000. She added that because of our support, Hospeace House can enhance its mission, and serve its residents and families with the utmost care and dignity.
Today’s Program Presenter, Caitlin, was introduced to us by Rose, (who, herself, had been a Sexual Assault Investigator for 5 years at Thompson). Caitlin is a Criminal Justice Advocate, who is involved with the Program known as Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes. When reflecting upon how Safe Harbors has as its mission to advocate, educate, and support those in need, one can’t help but think of PDG Don Alhart’s words to fellow Rotarians, whenever we’d leave from a District Event. He would always say, “Safe Home!” Unfortunately, this is not always the case for some, as “home” is not a safe place at all. We are talking about victims of domestic abuse and violence.
Focusing on advocacy, prevention, and outreach, SH has as its guiding principle the belief that everyone can make necessary life decisions for him/herself, and that ultimately leads to one’s overall safety. SH, whose main funding is mainly grant-based, guides each of its clients in a personal and unique manner that helps them move forward in a positive way in their lives. Its mission is to empower others to seek safety. Ways in which their goals are being reached are through safety planning, emotional support, and crisis counseling. Prevention (of domestic abuse etc.) is achieved through education and participation of the community. A variety of educational programs at various levels seeks to accomplish this goal. Trainings and presentations, as part of its outreach, are helping people to become more aware of the services available, (when needed), and providing people with guidelines when confronted with a situation both personally and professionally.
In addition to offering support to those who have been victims of domestic violence/abuse, SH also seeks to help those who have been involved with human trafficking. Having become known as Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes, this outreach program serves the counties of Ontario, Seneca, and Yates. It’s a 24/7 Hotline, and one can call for help at any time. Many, many individuals had been served, as Caitlin shared the statistics from 2020 with us. Jack, who is involved with the Naples Angels, noted that someone whom they had helped had reached out to Safe Harbors. Many thanks to Caitlin for spending time with us today, telling us about Safe Harbors. It is reassuring to know that there exists this wonderful support service for those in crisis and in great need!
Before the Happy Bills and Fines Portion came around, someone, (perhaps it was John), asked if we knew the background behind the moniker, “Happy Bills.” Of course, it stems from our remembrance of a Dear Rotarian, Bill Vierhile. The top reasons for today’s Happy Bills were as follows. We appreciated Caitlin’s Program. We enjoyed having DGE Ralph with us! We are looking forward to having Jo Anne and Albie become members soon. We were glad to have Our Laurie back. Jack and Sharon had been to the Mohawk Valley to see Sharon’s Mom. Karen had forgotten her shoes, but she looked cozy in her fuzzy boots! Albie has a new garage, built by the Mennonites! Tom would love if the whole District 7120 could know about the Grape Fest!
A sweet picture of our Blanche, dressed in a colorful shirt, and flanked by the Autumnal Hills of the area, appeared on the screen. It was Fifty-Fifty Time, and wouldn’t you know, Blanche’s Ticket, #8229, was the one drawn! Blanche came close, with the right color! She drew the Ace of Diamonds from the pack!
Today’s Win-Win was from Skip. Originally, the money collected went to the High School Kids, when they were making out their college applications. Also, what team did the Bills play over the weekend, and what was the score? The answer was the Jets, and the score was 45-17!
Skip had the Rotary Moment. After the Meeting today, a group of Naples Rotarians would be going to the Elementary School to deliver dictionaries and thesauruses to the Third and Sixth Graders. This is an annual Naples Rotary Service Project. The children were delighted to receive the books! Click on this link to view the video. https://vimeo.com/646486799
The Meeting ended today with a sweet picture on the screen of John walking along, carrying DeeDee. The words, “Love the one you’re with!” said it all…
Next week’s Program will feature Karin Bowersock, and she will be giving us a BVT update. See you then!
