It was a beautiful, balmy Midsummer Evening, tonight, as our Rotary Family gathered at The Redwood for our next-to-last Meeting of July. Wow! How the Summer does fly! Our Rotary Family continues to grow, as we will soon be adding Betty to the flock! She has already proven her worth as she, alongside Bruce, has helped (Naples Rotary) in many ways! We look forward to having her with us as a full-fledged member!
President Tom began the Meeting, as he asked us to join him in saying The Pledge. John French led us as we sang God Bless America, and Steve Richards gave The Invocation. He thanked The Lord for all the blessings He has given us, and he asked for Divine Guidance, as we strive to serve others. There were 39 members, and nine guests who attended tonight’s Meeting! Our welcomed guests included Kathleen, Sharon, Patty, Betty, Chris, Barb and Chris, Katie and Robin, our speaker. Many thanks to Becky and Annette for graciously taking care of us all in their usual, friendly, efficient manner!
Formerly known as “The Mailbag”, Pres. Tom has chosen to refer to this portion of the Meeting as Communication and Connection, and rightfully so, as this aligns with the Rotary Theme for this year.
- There was an invite from the Village of Naples to join them in the Groundbreaking of the new sewer system on 7/29.
- There was a note of thanks from Deb Boggs, for our donation to the Blood Drive.
- A note of thanks came from the Margery Coughlin Pawluk Golf Tournament for our donation.
- The Naples Library thanked us for the $300 gift.
- In a heartfelt note, Jodi expressed her thanks to the volunteers who have been helping at some of the preliminary Walk of Life events. A sign-up sheet to work/help at the Walk of Life was being circulated among the membership as well. There are shirts still available too! There will many events for all to enjoy at the actual WOL on August 10th, and the brochure highlights and explains them. The Silent Auction is scheduled for July 23rd, at Hollerhorn, from 5-8 pm. Tom showed us a preview of some of the splendid auction items, all prepared expertly by Sherry! It was fun to get a “sneak peek” at the treasures!
A special moment came before tonight’s program. As you know, Perfect Attendance Recognition can be achieved in one of two ways. One can achieve this honor by actually achieving Perfect Meeting Attendance, or by submitting a record of hours spent working on Rotary projects and events. Having documented her hours of Rotary (project and event) participation, we were pleased to bestow this honor upon Laurie O’Brien! Congratulations, Laurie!
Frank introduced Robin Mark, this evening’s speaker. Robin, who has joined us on earlier occasions, came to speak to us about Camp Onseyawa, or “Camp O.”, as we lovingly call it. As Rotarians, we are committed to serving others, and “our children” rate at the top of the list!
Camp O. is a Summer Camp which provides a worthwhile experience for children with special needs. Our devotion to Camp O. manifests itself in the donation of time, talents, and treasure on the part of the members. Bruce has been very involved, along with Frank, Adam, and many other members.
Using various pictures, Robin described the many aspects of the Camp Experience, which lasts two weeks. She went on to explain that there are many ways that we can help, such as camp set-up, participating in the Annual Golf Tournament, being a hole sponsor, and volunteering at The Camp.
Everything comes from donations, we were told, and Robin encouraged us to continue to volunteer as much as possible. There is a proposed “Shower House” that is in the planning stages, and more information can be gleaned through Frank.
Robin reiterated how important our help is to The Camp. This Summer’s experience will take place from August 10th-24th. Many thanks to Robin for taking the time to join us this evening!
The Fine and Happy Time followed the Program. John M., Steve, and Robin had missed Meetings. The major reasons for much of the Membership donating Happy Bills were Camp O., the many guests with us, having Phoebe join us, the great weather we’ve been having, and the Walk of Life!
The 50-50…Phoebe was asked to choose the ticket, and it was Steve J,’s. It was Ticket 3360. Steve picked the King of Diamonds.
The Win-Win… How deep is the deepest part of Canandaigua Lake? The answer is 276 feet! Thank you, John French!
Rotary Moment… Jack shared a picture from last week that was taken at BVT. It showed a “mini group” of Naples Rotarians, along with Tony Deusenbery, who had been to see the play, Murder For Two.
The “frosting on the cupcake” came at the end of the Meeting, when our returning Exchange Student, Phoebe Neubauer, gave a little thumbnail sketch of her year in Austria…all spoken in perfect German! Welcome home, Phoebe! We are proud of you!
