As the "endless" Summer days wane, the  early evening shadows lengthen, and the thought of September approaches, the goals and activities of the Naples NY Rotary Club heighten, as we draw near to the Fall Season. The next few weeks are going to be busy and exciting, as we prepare for the Naples Grape Festival 2022! The theme for this year is "bringing families and friends together", and it seems that Naples Rotary is very adept at doing just that! Our fellow member, Tom, is working hard, along with his constituents, to promote that enthusiasm among Naples Community and Rotary Members alike!

Those of us joining one another for the Evening Gathering were warmly greeted by Judy, as we stepped inside The Redwood. We spent a pleasant half hour of fellowship prior to the meeting, and many of us had the opportunity to get acquainted (briefly) with our Exchange Student, Raul, who hails from Barcelona, Spain. 

"Good Evening, Rotarians!" boomed President John, as he welcomed Members and Guests to tonight's Gathering. We then rose from our seats to join John in saying The Pledge. Past President Jack gave The Invocation, and he wove The Four-Way Test into his fervent words. Jack also led us in song, as he chose "God Bless America" as a patriotic choice for this evening. 

Our guests were announced, beginning with Billy introducing Raul, who will be spending the first part of his year-long stay with the Grove Family, Bill, Carrie, Charlie, and Grady. Along with Raul, Charlie, and Grady, we also welcomed Lisa, Sharon, and Wayne (Chanler), who plans to return to Rotary now that he is retired! Along with these guests, there were 23 members in attendance.

Pres. John shared a few announcements with the Members this evening. First of all, there was much positive feedback from the Camp O. Carnival, held over the weekend. They were very appreciative of our help! Carrie and Family had a great time! They felt that there were age-appropriate counselors, and lunch with Bruce and Betty was very enjoyable! Suzanne Farley has sent word that Bill Cooper would appreciate having visitors. We are encouraged to provide meals for Kit and Coop occasionally, as well. We'll arrange a "Bench Staining Party" soon to spruce up Al Mann's Bench at the Community Park. Leftover Chicken Barbecue and Pulled Pork were available for purchase after the Meeting. Tammie Hicks has notified us that a flagpole needs replacing. Grape Fest Posters and T-Shirts would be available for purchase after the Meeting.

Pres. John distributed a Roster of the Various Committees (and Participants) to each of the Members for our perusal. In conjunction with our time and individual talents, others are encouraged to add their names! "Get involved!" prompted Pres. John.

As we look at September, here are some upcoming  events for the calendar. September highlights will include Strategic Planning with Bill Gormont - 9/12, Grape Fest Fireworks - 9/16, Parade - 9/17, Gala Dinner - 9/22, Naples Grape Fest -9/23-9/24, and Annual Steak Dinner, (at the Yee's) -9/26. September seems sensational!! Also, there will be a 1/2K in Canandaigua on 9/10, and a Brisket Dinner by Wayland Rotary on 9/17. Looking ahead, October 24th is World Polio Day, and that will be observed at Brew and Brats.

Tonight's Program was brought to us by Charlie Grove. Charlie, son of Carrie and Bill, and grandson of Judy and Skip, is an outstanding example of Naples youth. He had the opportunity to participate in the RYLA 2022 Program over the Summer, and he joined us this evening so that he could describe his experiences. Charlie began by thanking us for sponsoring him before he began to elaborate upon his five days at FLCC. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Award, and Naples Rotary couldn't have had a better representative (of our community) than Charlie! He described many of the components of the five-day experience which included guest speakers, motivational speakers, collaboration, committees, and the compilation of a yearbook; all of which served to prepare the 24 participants for future leadership. "You had to picture yourself as a leader!" Charlie told us, and with that being said, he proposed a "hands-on activity" which called for some collective collaboration! The volunteers that agreed to participate in the "Paper Plate Parade" (per Charlie's request) were John, Bruce, Tom, Bo, Grady, Skip, Jill, and Albie. Each Team of Four had to switch sides, with Charlie's help of course! This goal was much more challenging than you would think! The group discovered that it was always good to ask clarifying questions to achieve the "secret to success"! The idea, of course, was to identify various leadership styles. "Jeepers!" exclaimed Grady. (A likely Rotarian there, maybe?) Charlie lived there in the suites at FLCC, and he admitted that he had had a great time. "Big thanks to Rotary!" Charlie concluded.

"One more thing" is a relatively "new addition" to our Gatherings, and it will appear in the Bulletin from time to time. Tonight, the focus was on "Traveling With Rotary". When those of us who are out traveling, are fortunate to find a nearby club to attend, it is certainly a special experience. We might reflect upon how this encounter might have enhanced our trip. Attending conferences and conventions is enlightening, and it shows us how much we are connected the world over! We are prompted to share our Rotary Travel Experiences!

Our newly-installed Sergeant-At-Arms, Jo Cornish, glided around the room tonight, as, she collected Fines and Happy Bills from the Membership. Needless to say, there were plenty of Happy Bills issued for the wonderful Program delivered by Charlie! Jack is pleased about the Golf Tourney in the Mohawk Valley. Bo was happy that we had all our family together this past weekend. Carrie and Bill are pleased to welcome their "son", Raul. Albie, Skip, and Tom enjoyed the "Paper Plates"!

Ace of Hearts! The "Kitty" was up to $222 tonight! The Ticket, #4765474, was that of Jack! Jack drew an appropriate card from the pack...the Jack of Clubs!

This was the "Miller-Grove Family Night", as Skip delivered the Rotary Moment this evening. Skip's and Judy's Family is very much involved with Rotary, as Skip's testimonial conveyed in his very poignant tribute to his family, and its connection to Rotary. Skip gave a brief "history" of his family's involvement with Rotary. In 1985, he joined Rotary. Daughter, Aimee, is a member of the Prattsburgh Rotary Club. Carrie and Bill, (members of Naples Rotary) are involved with the Youth Exchange. Grandson Charlie, is involved with Interact, and has just returned from the RYLA experience. Aunt Aimee did the RYLA experience back in 1981! Maybe Grandsons, Grady and Blake will eventually have a connection? Grandpa Bruce must surely be smiling down from above!

Pres. John concluded tonight's Meeting with a review of the Four-Way Test. It has been so nice that John has concluded each Gathering with a memorable quote for us to ponder! Tonight's message was, once again, a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Shallow people believe in luck and in circumstances; Strong people believe in cause and effect." Thank you, President John, for your ongoing positivity! Next week, we'll have an overview of the Walk of Life with (invited) input. Have a great week, everyone! See you soon!