Oh, November, your days are murky and gray, and longer is the night, and shorter the day. Yet Hope, as we know it, is ever close by, when glimpses of sun's rays peek through the sky! This was the scene this noon, as patches of blue emerged during our First Meeting of November.

We joined Pres. Liz in saying The Pledge, followed by Jack, who led us in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner". In her Words of Wisdom, Liz implored that we, as Rotarians, strive to make the world a better place. Sue, who had been Our Greeter this noon, introduced our Guest, Trish Lambiase. Twenty-five Members were in attendance today. The Program today was given by John French, who gave us a Final Report of the 2023 Grape Festival. Frank did the Rotary Moment at the close of the Meeting.

Here are some announcements that were made before the start of the Program.

* Micah noted that the Annual Camp O. Dinner is this Friday, November 10th, at Club 86 in Geneva. Ticket Sales are completed, but one can still buy Raffle Tickets. Eight Members are going to this event. 

* Member Spotlight: Liz noted that in addition to Newer Members, "Senior Members" are welcome to participate too! An "Interview Style" could be conducted if that format would make folks feel more comfortable.

*Rotary Lite: The November Rotary Lite Meeting was to have been this Wednesday, November 8th, but the Hospeace House Meeting at the Elementary School is scheduled for the same evening at 7PM. John proposed that we cancel the RL Meeting for November and have the next RL Meeting in December, as planned. Everyone was in agreement, as many of us are planning to attend the HH Meeting.

Today's Program featured John, (LLC President), who "stood in" for Jo Anne, who couldn't be with us today. Sharing the words of Jo Anne, John gave us a final report of the Grape Fest 2023. Jo Anne had described the Grape Fest outcome as a "brightness of closure, as all goals were met!" The final outcome resulted in the equal amounts of $25,178 to the Naples NY Rotary Club and the Naples Historical Society. John shared the words of Jo Anne, as she recollected the 17 years that she has worked with the Naples Grape Fest, and this year, 2023, having been the best year yet! She thanked John for taking over as LLC President and added that he had been very supportive. She thanked the volunteers, the returning vendors, and the new vendors who came on board this year. She looks forward to 2024!

John gave a brief summation of the accomplishments of each component of the Grape Fest.

* The Beverage Garden: Many thanks to all who helped. Monogrammed glasses and snack crackers were a nice addition. 

*Hazlitt Parking: Vendor Booth Fees and Sponsors showed an increase over last year. 

* Nancy: She has been involved for 34 years! The porch has been repaired this year, so no worries!

*T-Shirts: Thanks to Kim Torpey for the unique design. Thanks to Trish for the advertising.

*Pie Contest: There was great participation. There was a new format, and a Pie Plate Award. Revenue increased.

*Great Music: There were great choices. Additional advertising helped. 

There was growth in overall revenue since the year, 2021. Trish was overwhelmed! She expressed her thanks to all! "Let's see what 2024 brings!" she exclaimed.

Pres. Liz gave the second half of today's Program, as she talked about the Board Positions. There are currently some open slots on The Board. We hope to have those positions filled by the beginning of December. Liz advised that if we wish to nominate a person for a specific position, to be sure to check with that person first. Typically, there are 13 positions on the Board. That Slate of Officers consists of the President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Sergeant at Arms. Added to this list are five Directors and the Auditor, which brings the total to 13. A one-year position goes from July 1st to June 30th. Many positions are for one year, while a Director's Position lasts 3 years. All positions on the Board have a vote.

Liz highlighted the duties of each of the Officers. The President leads and acts as the facilitator. The Immediate Past President serves as a mentor. The President-Elect takes over when the President is absent. The Vice President should serve or designate a member to serve on the Camp O. Committee. The Secretary maintains all the Records. The Treasurer has the custody and responsibility of all the funds. The Sergeant at Arms serves as the mediator, making sure that all meetings are orderly. The Auditor works with the Treasurer. The role of Director is to serve as Chairperson(s) on committees, and to contribute to Club Goals. Of course, there are additional roles and obligations of the Officers, but these duties listed are some of the main responsibilities of each. Hopefully, we'll have the Slate of Officers filled by December.

Once again, led by Jack, we sang a hearty round of "Congratulations" to our November Birthday Folks. We gave heartfelt wishes to Nancy, Susan, and Mike.

The Ace of Hearts was up to $410 today! Bruce Wayne selected Ticket #1612, that of Cindy. Well, Cindy drew an Ace, but it was the wrong one! There aren't many cards remaining in the "pack" now!!

Frank came up with a great Rotary Moment this noon. Back in 1973, he was asked if could host an overnight guest. It was his first encounter with a Rotarian, who happened to be from Denmark. He eventually became prompted to join Rotary, thanks to Skip, and now he's here!

We had many Happy Bills donated in praise of the Program, (the great Grape Fest 2023 results)!

"Just for Fun" was the brain teaser for today, as Liz asked us what two countries have dragons on their flags. It is Wales and Bhutan! (Laurie explained that the "Red Cup" money goes to help the NCS students).

"A busy Rotarian is a happy Rotarian!" Liz had mentioned earlier. If this is true, we must all be in pretty good spirits!! Safe travels are wished for Liz and Clyde as they head to Hawaii tomorrow to visit Clyde's family for most of November! Also, we'll keep Steve R. in our thoughts and prayers, as he is recovering from a recent accident.

Today's Noon Meeting was brought to a close, as we recited the Four-Way Test. As Veteran's Day approaches, let us honor and pay tribute to all those who have served Our Country!