It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood as we gathered at the Redwood! A mid-summer cool down was very welcome. There were 25 Naples Rotarians, our summer Rotarian (Chip) and our speaker, PDG Julie Carney and her husband Jim. Sherry stepped in as our greeter today.

 

President Jack welcomed all as we rose for the Pledge and sang God Bless America. Cindy gave an inspiration about the benefits to mental health and happiness that volunteering brings. Jack shared this: "Be silly. Be fun. Be different. Be crazy. Be you, because life is too short to be anything but HAPPY." Great advice!

 

Reminder: Dues are due.

 

The morning's Board Meeting highlights:

We will send a donation of $500 to the Rotary of Kerrville TX to help those affected by the tragic flooding there. * We are working to upgrade the lighting to make the cross at Rose Ridge cemetery visible. The cross was a Rotary project in memory of long time Rotarian Bruce Clawson. * The Rotary sign in front of the Redwood is being replaced and Rotary signs on roads leading into Naples will be added soon. * We are moving forward to place a Peace Pole in downtown Naples this fall. * The District Golf Tournament plans are coming together - it is on September 12 at Reservoir Creek. * Memorial benches honoring late Rotarians will be coming in the fall. * Camp O happens for two weeks in August. The email from Micah details how you can help. * We have a membership "Meet and Greet" this Thursday at Lynnie Lou's  from 6-8 pm. Please come and bring a friend!

 

Past District Governor (PDG) Julie Carney was our speaker today. She first congratulated the Naples Club for our dedication and success in Youth Services. She highlighted our "outstanding" participation in RYLA and Youth Exchange programs and particularly Carrie stepping up as District Youth Services Chair.

Julie spoke to us about the New Generations Service Exchange (NGSE). She is one of only 5 chairpersons in the US. The program is aimed at college students and young professionals, ages 18-30. It provides short term, customizable opportunities to provide service to others while representing Rotary goals in other countries or the US. The experiences gained give participants an advantage in future career pursuits. Julie started the program in our District two years ago after learning about it at a conference. She coordinated bringing Isabelle from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Avon. Isabelle, who was trained in counseling,  did an unpaid internship in the school district. She learned how different our educational system is from Brazil and set up "office hours" in a small room, allowing students to come in to talk about their mental health needs. She then brought those skills back in her home country. Julie also provided exchange experiences for Hugo from Brazil in sustainable farming at Cornell Labs in Geneva and valuable teaching experience to Erica from Italy at Victor Primary School. Participants in the program usually spend 2-4 months in the US on a travel Visa. They can speak English. Outbound participants need to speak the language in the country they go to. Julie has recently been appointed the Regional Director for NGSE for North America! She is passionate and encourages us to give thought to how we can participate in this great program that shows the "Power Of Rotary." 

 

The Ace of Hearts was $28 today. Ticket #8892 was Kevin's, he chose the King of Clubs.

Happy Bills were given for Julie's exciting and enlightening program that creates hope for the future generations of Rotarians. Jack and Sharon celebrated their 51st anniversary. Judy has just 3 more treatments. Cindy's granddaughters are visiting this week. Kudos for the Naples club participation in RYLA and Youth Exchange. We had a good Board meeting. Julie applauded our donation to Texas as she knows Rotarians there. The Steak Dinner will be September 8th at the VFW!

A Rotary Moment was pictures of Carrie, Charlie and Grady visiting their former exchange student Raul in Spain! They are there for 10 days and joined a group of 22 celebrating Raul's mom's birthday. 

Marty's Moment was recently joining a Rotary International Travel Fellowship. They will be hosting a fellow member this week on his way to Boston.

 

After repeating the Four Way Test, Jack rang the bell to adjourn at 1:01pm. See you Thursday at Lynnie Lou's!