A sizzling, sultry Summer day turned into a sweet delight this past Monday evening, as Lynne Musclow from Lynnie Lou’s paid us a visit complete with peach sundaes and ice cream coupons!! 😊 Upon entering The Redwood, Holly’s cheerful smile welcomed us, and we knew this was going to be a “refreshing” evening in many ways!
President Bruce welcomed us to the meeting, and we joined him in reciting The Pledge. Bruce serenaded us, strumming gently on his guitar as we sang “America, The Beautiful.” Adding to that warm feeling was Micah, Thanking The Lord for our friendship and fellowship in his Invocation. Along with 22 Members, we welcomed guests, Lynne, Kristin, Baby Caleb, and Sharon. Joining us online were Diane, Nancy, and Leandra. Today’s Rotary Moment would be brought to us by Liz and Clyde, and Holly was our Greeter.
There were many updates to share with the Membership.
Pres. Bruce began by thanking all those who helped with the Walk of Life. It was very successful! Rose gave a breakdown of the profits that were made in the various categories. The amount exceeds $13000, and more donations continue to come in!!
Frank said that the Set-Up for Camp O. will be this Sunday, 8/15. Five to six Rotarians are needed to help. The Camp Experience for the kids will take place during the next two weeks to follow.
Pres. Bruce announced that we need more sign-ups to bring meals to our Nancy, who is recovering at home from a fall. Apparently, Nancy enjoys everything, and she has no food restrictions!
The Annual Grape Fest is returning this Fall after last year’s hiatus! The date is slated for 9/25-9/26, and all CDC Guidelines and precautions will be followed.
Our Treasurer, Laurie, is resourceful and efficient! Recently, she was able to order and purchase 35 backpacks from JCPenney online, using their coupons, and saving quite a bundle! Also, she has ordered sturdy locker shelves for the students, which should last through the Jr.-Sr. High School Years! This year, we have specific requests from NCS, in terms of (additional) school supplies. Laurie and Pat will complete the shopping soon for these items.
Pres. Bruce announced that he had been on a “Sugar Detox Plan” for 90 days, but tonight, he was about to break that fast, as he introduced our speaker, Lynne Musclow, from Lynnie Lou’s. “It has been quite a journey!” she began, and with that, she added that it was an honor to be with us. She thanked all the new businesses in town that have arisen during these challenging last few months. The village is looking so vibrant because of them.
Lynne, who has been in Naples for 35 years, began by telling us the history of “Huntone’s Cones”, as the business was originally called. Ray Huntone, owner of this establishment, would drive by her place on Eelpot Road and try to persuade her to buy his business. Finally, in 2009, Lynne “bit the bait!”
As the granddaughter of Bill Gray, she was ready to take on the challenge! Since that moment, the stand, which was built by brothers Don and Darryl Braun, has taken on a whole new “aura!” Flanked by bulging window boxes of colorful flowers, several tables with umbrellas, and even a picnic pavilion, Lynnie Lou’s beckons one to stop for some mouth-watering refreshment throughout the warmer months. In addition to the delicious Seneca Farms Ice Cream, which she serves, Lynne has added healthy smoothies for those who prefer a little less sugar. “Cruise Night”, on Wednesday nights, features scrumptious short order items which can be enjoyed under the pavilion. The Drive-Through is working well, as are the order windows, where each girl has her own station.
Future plans include an equipment update, and possibly a hot dog stand. Lynne appreciates having employees with good work ethics, and she noted that 14-15 year-olds seem to learn quickly, are refreshing, and easy to train. She added that she would like to work with the school, and she would like to create an “Entrepreneurship.” Tom invited her to attend a School Board Meeting, and perhaps she could share her “vision” at that time.
“Lynnie Lou” was the nickname given her by Monica, owner of Monica’s Pies, and it seems to fit her pleasant, outgoing nature! “Come and enjoy!” she told us, and as an added bonus, she served up peach sundaes for each of us, complemented by “Free Ice Cream” Coupons! We truly enjoyed having Lynne join us this evening, and our wishes came true with this luscious dessert! “Inspiring!” concluded Pres. Bruce.
As you can imagine, it was a complete “thumbs up” from the audience after this tasteful experience! The Happy Bills started pouring in! We were also pleased that the Walk of Life turned out to be successful. Billy, Carrie, Marty, and Jill had missed some meetings, and it was good to have them back. Jack recalled how his parents ran a business in the town of Fort Plain, many years ago. Bo had to pay another Fine for having landed his 3rd Hole-In-One on Hole #2 at RC! Skip was glad that Judy is doing well after her recent cataract surgery. The Chicken BBQ was a sell-out at the WOL too! Bruce thought Tom seemed to look quite “passionate”!
There were a couple of little raffles this evening. The Kitty was up to $329, and Holly’s Ticket, #661250 was drawn. Holly picked the Nine of Clubs from the deck. Karen had brought a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers from the Amish to raffle. Alex’s ticket, #768, garnered her a lovely centerpiece!
Not really wanting to “stir things up”, Marty posed a question to Bruce. He wondered if the gavel in his (Bruce’s) hand was the “authentic” one! H-m-m! Apparently, Marty grabbed the original one at the Gavel Dinner! 😊
Liz and Clyde had tonight’s Rotary Moment. Clyde recalled how Doug was “bent over the cooker” at the Chicken Barbecue last weekend, helping to create that delicious result that we so enjoy! Liz went back a few months to Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May. Our float, “Patriotic Picnic”, was the result of some ingenious members who worked to put it together with not a great deal of time to spare! Steve had graciously offered the original float to use in the Parade, but it was a bit more than just a “fixer-upper” at the time! The group comment when we saw it was, “Wow!” Liz and Clyde offered their trailer, and the group busily went to work decorating it. Fixing up the original float will be our “Winter Project!”
Liz has come up with an eminent idea for raising additional funds for the Naples Rotary Club! She has proposed a Barn Quilt Raffle/Sale to be located at Joseph’s Wayside Market throughout the remaining season until they close in early November. She, herself, will be donating some quilts! This idea may be a pleasing way to tempt those many visitors that come to our beautiful area during this time of year.
Let’s keep Nancy and Judy in our thoughts, as each one continues to convalesce. We hope to have them back with us soon!
P.S. It looks like we may have two teams representing Naples Rotary at the District Golf Tournament in September! Yeah!
Next week, at the Noon Meeting, we’ll look forward to hearing from Jean Schwingle about the Open Cupboard. In closing, I’d just like to add that it’s wonderful to see the positivity that flows throughout our club. Two such examples are Pres. Bruce, whose daily One Kind Word Podcast offers a ray of sunshine. Another is Past Pres. Tom, whose frequent upbeat messages on social media offer a ray of hope. Have a great week and see you all on Monday!
