Remember the song, "Anticipation, that accompanied a catsup commercial many years ago on television? The excitement mounted, as the catsup slowly made its way to the hamburger, and then, "Voila", it happened! The catsup finally appeared! We could compare that scenario of anticipation to the build-up of events that are happening this week, as the Grape Fest of 2022 approaches! 

President John welcomed us to this evening's Gathering, after we had socialized a bit, and had been warmly welcomed by Cindy, who greeted us as we came in to The Redwood. We joined John in saying The Pledge, and then afterwards Judy gave the Invocation. She asked The Lord, "The Keeper of the Vine", to bless us and guide us as we go about our mission to serve others. She asked The Lord to especially watch over us during these next two weeks, as we busily prepare for the Grape Fest. Jack chose "God Bless America" to lead us in song. Along with our 24 Members, we welcomed guests, Lisa, Sharon, and Wayne, who is soon to return as a full-time Member of Naples NY Rotary. Today's Program was comprised of many updates and announcements. Especially notable were all the reminders and descriptions of the Upcoming Events before and during the "New Grape Fest of 2022"! Laurie and Patrice cave the Rotary Moment, and we were reminded of the Four-Way Test, as we prepare to kick-off our biggest event of the year!

"After Labor Day, it seems like September ushers in a New Year for Naples NY Rotary!" exclaimed John, as he welcomed back Liz and Sue, who had been away for a while. With that being said, we sang a hearty round of "Congratulations" to the "September Folks"! Tony, Woody, Micah, and Blanche have birthdays this month, and Skip and Judy, John and Janice, and Clyde and Liz all celebrate their anniversaries this month as well. Best Wishes to each of you, as you observe these special days!

Skip had the first announcement for us. Our Annual Steak Roast will be Tuesday, September 27th, at the VFW. We'll be obliged to each bring a dish to pass, either an appetizer, or a dessert. We'll enjoy mouth-watering steaks grilled by Billy and Marty! Yum!

John reported that Jack Best said that there were around 17 Inbound Students here this Rotary Year 2022-2023. This group includes, of course, our very own Raul, who is currently enjoying time with the Grove family. Raul has quickly adapted to Naples High School life, as he scored some goals in soccer recently! Jill said that these students will gather at Trinity Church for some fellowship during the Grape Fest. 

In the interest of keeping things "tidy", for the next several announcements, I'll list the name, and the information imparted.

Tom: There will be an E-Mail forthcoming listing all the upcoming Events of the Grape Fest 2022. He will also send us the Link to Events for the calendar. The Parade starts at 9:30, and it will originate near the Dollar Store and Wilcox Lumber. The Parade People will meet in that general vicinity.

John: Here are some upcoming calendar dates. 10/3- Sandy Bierbrauer will be giving the Program. 10/14- The Camp O. Dinner will take place. 10/24- World Polio Day will be observed at Brew and Brats. Next May, we will be holding the Second Annual Harris Cup at Reservoir Creek.

Rose: This Saturday and Sunday, 9/17 and 9/18, the Fall Festival at Flint Farm takes place. There will be tickets (for sale) to get monetary winnings at BVT. They are $20 each. There'll be fun for the whole family, come on by!

Bruce: Holly and Tony have let us know that more traffic control is needed for the Street Dance, which is this coming Friday night.

Jodi: She shared the phone number for the Naples Hotel with us. There will be a Soft Opening, with "Rotary Day" on Wednesday. There is limited seating at this time, so gatherings are being planned in small groups. The Street Dance will be in that vicinity as well. It will be from 6-9 PM on Saturday, the 17th. On Thursday, 9/15, there will be a Puppet Theater at Hickory Bottom Road. There is a $25 donation.

John: He talked about the Strategic Planning (for Naples NY Rotary) which is coming up. He will be sending an E-Mail out to the Membership which includes a Survey Questionnaire that will check on the "health of the club". The Survey only takes a few minutes to answer, and we need 80% of the Membership to respond to make the Survey effective. The Survey closes on 9/20.

John: There is plenty of room for more Members to sign up to become part of various committees.

John: The District Golf Tournament was lots of fun! The two teams that hailed from Naples Rotary didn't win any accolades, but we had lots of fun!!

John: Recently, there was a "Then and Now" Event at Locust Hills, and Finger Lakes Vineyards were featured. Sherry and Rose came, and they talked about the Grape Fest, and they prompted people to "come our way"!

Jack: He and John encouraged the Members to go and visit another club sometime. There is a Club Finder App which renders contact information. "You can use this as a Make-Up!" Jack noted, and John added, "We're always trying to evolve!"

Tom: "There is frozen chicken for Clyde!" he kidded, as Clyde was in Virginia golfing today. "It's a big week!" Tom exclaimed. He reviewed the events that will be unfurling this week, as the New Grape Fest Celebrations begin. He recognized Lisa, Jodi, JoAnne, Holly, and Hollis for all they have done, and will be doing, as the GF Events draw near. Engine 14 will have a Food Truck and a Band the night of the Fireworks! At 9PM, the Fireworks Display will begin! Hazlitt Winery will be selling wine by the glass! There will be a Raffle, and it's Homecoming Weekend to boot!! The Face Book Website, Brochures, and Press Releases will ensure that there is lots of ample publicity to keep folks informed!

Jodi: The Naples Hotel Number is 585-851-9254. There are "Openings" on Tues and Wednesday of this week, as part of their Soft Opening. The Parade King and Queen are Sherie and Mike Heins! They will be crowned this week by John and Sherry. 170 people voted, and all those that were nominated will be put into next year's mix.

Jodi: Rose will ride on the Rotary Float with Bruce at the Parade. There will be ponies, carts, horses, dignitaries, acts, and music! Everything will be announced from the Hotel, and Jack will be Our Announcer! Be sure to wear purple! We applauded Fellow Member, Kristin, who is going to have Three Floats!! There will be a specific Line-Up. That same night, there will be a Street Dance from 6-9. The Hotel will have food and musical entertainment. "Bring your chairs!" Jodi advised. The weather has promised to cooperate! "We're reaching out in various ways!"

Lisa: The Home Winemaker's Competition is at 1:00 at Engine 14. There will be a Chili Cook-Off at 3PM, hosted by Hollis Lawler. There will be a People's Choice, and a Professional and Amateur Category. The Gala Dinner slated for 9/22 is sold out! Annalisa Chapman will be selling pop to raise funds for Interact. "We are looking forward to seeing you there!!"

Tom: Individuals have given loads of support to meet our expenses. The Silent Auction created "seed money". Darryl Abraham has also donated a painting!

The majority of the Happy Bills focused on the excitement and enthusiasm that has mounted in anticipation of the Grape Fest. Skip and Judy have celebrated 54 Years together! We enjoyed the District Golf Tourney. Jack enjoyed golfing with Grandson, Jacob. Jodi thanked everyone for all the encouragement. We were glad to have Liz and Sue back with us!

Ace of Hearts: A photo of King Charles wearing his Rotary Pin preceded this portion! The Kitty was at $257. Blanche's Ticket was drawn, and the Queen of Spades came up!

Skip and Judy: The Steak Roast will be on TUESDAY, 2/27 at the VFW. Billy and Marty will be manning the grills! Please bring an appetizer, or dessert to share! Fellowship starts at 5:30PM.

Rotary Moment: Laurie and Patrice shared a poignant story of when they went to purchase the backpacks for the Elementary Kids. When another customer at Wal-Mart saw our cartload of backpacks, we shared our Rotary Story. She was so moved by Naples Rotary's generosity (to our youth) that she gave us a monetary donation, out of the goodness of her heart! That was a "Moment" that we treasured, for sure!

It's going to be a busy and exciting couple of weeks! Pres. John wrapped things up with this quote from a Fortune Cookie. "Explore your own world by working together with your friends!"