"Be kind to one another!" were the words that met us on the screen this noon, as we gathered at The Redwood for our Noon Meeting. Just as refreshing as that sunshine today, was Blanche, and the warm greeting that she had for each of us, as we arrived!

We joined Pres. Liz, as we rose to say The Pledge, and Jack led us in singing "America, The Beautiful"...quite an appropriate patriotic song for such a lovely day! For The Invocation, Patrice read a little poem about peaks and valleys in our lifetime, giving us strength. Along with 30 Members this noon, the wonderful turnout included three Guests, who were introduced by Blanche. They were Jennifer Lewke, (Our Speaker), Gia, our Exchange Student, and Sharon, one of our Regular Visitors. We warmly welcomed each one!

John, standing in for Pres. Liz, gave a short summary of this morning's Board Meeting. * We'll bring on a second Exchange Student. We are one of 10 Clubs who will be hosting 16 Inbound Students. Jill, Carrie, and Bill found three more Host Families. We should be able to receive help from the District, financially. * The Board has approved an incoming application. * The District Conference will be well-represented. Liz will bring some of our Trifolds to have for the Display. * We will bring in a Speaker to talk about Solar Farms. * Our Annual Rotary Dues go towards District 7120, Rotary International, and Camp Onseyawa. * We are donating $10K to Hospeace House. This will be doubled with the Wildflower Challenge.

Sue noted that Monte Carlo Night will be Saturday, May 4th, at the Maxfield Bingo Hall. It is the biggest fundraiser! Tickets cost $40 in advance, or $45 at the door. See Judy, Rose, Sue, or Jo to purchase MC Tickets.

Sue also referred to the Local Businesses that supported the 2024 Trout Derby. We will send them each a Thank You Note for their support. Five Members, Pat, Judy, Frank, Jo, and Sue, in that order, will write a note to 10 Businesses each. We'll meet soon to prepare these notes to be sent out simultaneously.

Skip reminded us of the Spring Dinner, which is coming up soon. It will be held at Engine 14 on April 22nd. The cost is $30 each. The meal, prepared by Lock Stock's Catering sounds delicious! Let Skip know if you plan to attend. Skip also mentioned that Tickets are being sold for the Great Grape Derby, which is coming up on Saturday, May 4th also.

John noted that the Grape Fest Committee would be meeting at 4:30.

Gia, representing NCS Marching Band, told us about the Chicken Barbecue that they're having on April 20th. Advance Tickets are available!

Frank urged those of us who are able and willing, to help at the First Workday (for Camp O.) on Saturday, April 20th, at Camp Whitman. Micah had given us a memo earlier with all the details. Please let Frank or Micah know if you can help!

Our Speaker today was Jennifer Lewke, from News 10 NBC. Her subject, "Scams", was very timely, as perhaps some of us have found ourselves in this situation. Jennifer, who has been an Investigative Reporter for NBC for 20 years, does stories about customer concerns. An example of her investigative work includes Electric Billing, in which billing errors had occurred, and customers had been overpaying. Jennifer did follow-up stories on this issue, and she worked to help customers get their money back!

Another topic that Jennifer addressed was that of "Scam Calls". Many times, these calls are sent out to people, just so that the perpetrator can record one's voice. Sometimes, under the guise of representing Medicare, or Medicaid, these callers will use the aforementioned areas to glean information about a person. Oftentimes, "The Grandparent Scam" will target older people, as the caller poses as "a Grandchild" who is in need of monetary help. This includes the "Gift Card" Scam, as well.

As Jennifer neared the conclusion of her talk, some of the Members shared their own experiences with "questionable callers". Her advice to us was to be sure that we had legitimate apps. The best bet is to be sure not to donate money over the phone! A good "layer of defense" is to be aware that no one is going to call you and ask for money the first time! If it happens to be a charity, choose to contact them directly! Always be alert! In closing, Jennifer promised to talk to Mark and Kelly, (regarding the grape pies), and put in a good word for us!

For the Rotary Moment, Jack came through once again, as he and Sharon told us about their former Exchange Students Nicole, Katie, and Amy. They said that it was great to keep in touch with them.

Jo was ready for the Ace of Hearts! The Kitty was up to $195! Kevin's Ticket, #2327, was picked, and Kevin drew the Nine of Diamonds from the pack.

Happy Bills and Rotary Reflections were geared towards Jennifer's excellent Presentation. Her topic today was so timely, and her advice to us was sound. We really appreciated hearing from her! John was pleased with Saturday's District Training Assembly. There was a nice representation from Naples, and his Seminars on Membership had gone well. Jo Anne thanked us for our prayers for daughter, Stacey, who came through her surgery well last week.

PE Karen, who had stepped in for Liz this noon, brought the Meeting to a close, as she had us recite The Four-Way Test. Enjoy that sunshine, everyone! Spring is here at last!