May is springing into our valley with lots of beautiful flowering trees and on-and-off showers today. We hope Patrice and Bo are enjoying their journey to the Rotary International Conference in Australia as we convene here in Naples!

 

John welcomed us this noon, leading us in the Pledge and America the Beautiful. Cindy was the greeter, welcoming 22 members and introducing our guests - Sharon, new member-to-be Judy Manser and speaker Chad Hunt, NCS Business Administrator.  Micah provided our Invocation today. 

 

Today we celebrate the 84th birthday of our Club, founded on May 1st, 1939! Congratulations were sung to Sherry, Cindy, David Galas (new member soon), Kevin and Shanna for their May birthdays and for Meg and Mike Joseph's anniversary.

 

Updates:

   Jill asks everyone to finish selling Great Grape Derby tickets and get the money and stubs in as soon as possible. We have only 30 tickets left in hand which will be available at the Flea Market on Saturday. 

   May 20th is Rotary's Day of Service so a second clean up at Rose Ridge is planned.

   Hospeace's Monte Carlo is the evening of May 20th at the Maxfield Hose Co. Memorial Hall. Skip has tickets at the reduced price of $40.

   Watershed clean up is on Saturday May 27.

   Rotary will have a float in the Memorial Day Parade on May 29. There will not be a formal meeting that day so come out for the parade!

   This coming Saturday, 5/6, is the District Conference in Bloomfield plus the Flea Market at the Community Park. Sue asks folks wishing to sell items to let her know. We will also have Derby tickets and Club info there.

 

Jill Hotelling and Judy Manser were inducted into Rotary Membership today! Jill is sponsored by Karen Schenk, Judy is sponsored by John French. John welcomed them with a reminder of Rotary service avenues (club, vocational, community, international and youth), the 4 Way Test and the Object of Rotary. Sponsors handed out the pins, badges and folders as we greeted our new members with applause. Blanche recorded the event. Welcome Jill and Judy!

 

Our speakers today were Rotarian Kevin Swartz, Naples Central School Superintendent, and Chad Hunt, Business Administrator. Kevin began with a thanks to Rotary and the community for ongoing support of NCS. He described how the budget process began in the fall, with the goal of being "Beneficial to all concerned". Enrollment is down all across the state and expenses on everything are up. Teachers and other staff are harder to hire. A change is being recognized in how we help students succeed in their chosen pursuits, lowering focus on 4 year college and providing opportunities in skilled trades.

 

Chad has been Business Admin for 2 years after previous positions in facilities and Athletic Director. He spoke to the need to tighten our belts, post Covid, as additional state support is expiring. State support is overall up from last year, although some reductions occurred in some categories. Expenditures include increases in staff healthcare and salary costs as well as inflation. One plus is the approval of a $750,000 grant that would support the purchase of 2 electric buses. NYS is aiming toward moving to all electric vehicles. A proposition will be voted on for additional expenses associated with charging stations and software which would come from the reserve funds on hand. The coming budget proposal has a 3.2% increase with a 2.5% tax increase from property owners. The school budget vote is on May 16th and will include voting on the Library Budget and Board. Chad encourages everyone to attend the live budget session or contact him with any questions: 585-374-7902, Chunt@naplescsd.org.

 

There was $224 in the Ace of Hearts, #6322 belonged to Sue. She was close, pulling the Ace of Diamonds instead!

 

Happy Bills included the donation of a beautiful painting by Albie to the Monte Carlo Night for Hospeace House.

There were many compliments for the informative NCS program. Kevin thanked the community support for a number of school staff with serious health issues. John gave a great welcome to our new Rotarians! He also reminded us that May is Youth Service Month.

 

John's Rotary Moment was an example of the 4 Way Test resolving a quandary related to a sponsor of the Grape Festival who wished to bend the rules. The request was NOT fair to all concerned so it was rejected. Good communication was so valuable in this situation.

 

John closed the gathering with the 4 Way Test and Ralph Waldo Emerson: "It's not the length of life, but the depth".