Greetings all! We must certainly be glad that we live in the Naples Valley upon hearing about all the snow that had fallen in the Buffalo Area this week! The chilly days lately, are a reminder, though, that Winter is slowly gaining its way upon us.

Today's Gathering was held at noon, and we were greeted warmly by Sue, as we entered The Redwood. President John welcomed us all to the Meeting, and then we stood to join him in saying The Pledge. Rose shared a Thanksgiving Prayer with us, as she gave The Invocation. We viewed some old sheet music on the big screen, as we sang with Jack, The Star-Spangled Banner. There were no guests with us today, and there were 18 Members present. Today's Program was about The Foundation, given by Bo. Nancy provided The Rotary Moment.

A few Club Announcements followed next. Skip said that the Christmas Party will be on December 5th at Engine 14. There are slots available, Skip told us, so get your payment to him at your earliest convenience. Engine 14 will surely provide a nice venue for our Annual Celebration!

Rose gave an update on the progress of Light Up Naples. Things are coming along well, as we draw nearer to December 10th! Almost 200 Snow Globe Kits have been assembled, and they will be available for sale at various places around town, such as The Apothecary, Caruso's Cafe, Rennoldson's , and Finger Lakes Music. I believe Rose said that they would also be for sale at Brew and Brats. The Team will meet at 11:30 on December 5th to decorate. Neapolitan has costumes for us to use if we can muster up some Nativity Scene participants. We will check with them to see about the use of a Manger. If not, Trinity has a "Lean-To" that we may borrow. Rose thanked all the Members of the LUN Team for their help.

Jack announced that the Operation Santa Team will meet at 9:00 on December 17th. Rotarians will gather to help distribute packages. If you are interested in helping with this wonderful outreach, please let Jack know. There are about 40 families who will be recipients this year. Also, the Senior Citizens will be receiving Gift Cards to the Apothecary, (in February), in lieu of the customary poinsettias and fruit baskets that are given at this time. Jack expressed thanks to the Interact Club for helping Kelly with the shopping for OS. More details will be coming.

John gave a short synopsis of the Board Meeting held this morning. Hospeace House and the Margery Pawluk Cancer Fund will benefit from the funds garnered from the Walk of Life. Over $9000 was raised. we will donate 60% to Hospeace House, and 40% to the Margery Pawluk Fund. Next week, at the 11/28 Meeting, we will invite Theresa and Bob, (from HH), and Tom, (from MP) to receive their checks. There is one open slot on the Ballot of Officers for 2023-2034. It is the Slot for Vice President, and that is a four-year term. The Final Report from the Naples Grape Fest 2022 LLC was given out to the Board Members.  The Board of Directors accepted the resignations of Tom Hawks II, Lisa Messineo, Arden Neubauer, and Mitchell Bay, who were the Executive Team of the Naples Grape Fest 2022 LLC. 

Today's Program, given by Bo, was about the Naples Rotary Foundation, and through his presentation, he attempted to clarify any confusions we may have had about Our Foundation. He began by using the question "Why have a Foundation?" as a link to its importance. A Foundation needs to be a solid endeavor to help, and this is successfully done through labor and money. The RF is separate from Rotary itself, and this has to do with its being a separate entity, and its having a separate tax code. That is, it's a 501 (C) 3. Donors may deduct, and the rules are very restrictive. Back in 1998, Rotarian, Llewelyn Bassett bequeathed $146000. Camp O. was to receive $73,000, and Rotary would receive $73,000. A portion of this allotted money has already gone to Camp O. There are two Checking Accounts, which are a General Account and a Project Account. 

The Current Board consists of seven Members. John is the President, Frank is the Secretary, Bo is the Treasurer, and the Directors are Mike J., Skip, Micah, and Liz. The Foundation is owned by the club, and it is obliged to donate (to causes) based on the recommendation(s) from The Board. Naturally, if there are more lucrative years, there can be more giving. It is important to note that the Naples Rotary Foundation is entirely different from the Rotary (International) Foundation. Our next Rotary Lite will focus upon "Where does the money go?" Many thanks to Bo for your concise report, and for your clarification on the Naples Rotary Foundation.

The Ace of Hearts was "back at the beginning" today. as Blanche drew Ticket #807, which was that of Kevin. He pulled the King of Clubs from the deck.

Nancy's Rotary Moment took us back to 1987, when she became the "First Female Rotarian in Ontario County"! Nancy knew what was expected of her, and as a new Rotarian, she realized that she could learn a great deal through listening. Her personal goal was to achieve Perfect Attendance as well! She knew that her skillset could be augmented through taking rigorous classes at a Seminar at West Point. She studied every night, and she knew she could "handle it"! Mr. Kramp from NCS and she went to a Junior Achievement Seminar, and a Business Aware Program was started. Students were trained to be professionals, and in so doing, they would shadow Business Professionals in the Naples Community. On "Business Aware Day" 28 students from NCS shadowed various Naples Businesses. The kids would then report on their experiences. Thanks to the spearheading efforts of Nancy, these young people learned what being professional meant. Great Rotary Moment, Nancy!

"Rotary Reflections" came next. I asked to share a letter from Tom with the Membership. It was with a great deal of sorrow that I had to share the contents of his letter. Tom has tendered his resignation as President of the Naples Grape and Arts Festival LLC, and he has indicated that he will be taking a Leave of Absence from Naples NY Rotary, effective immediately. I am sure that I stand with many Members in reflecting upon all that Tom has done for Naples Rotary and the Naples Community. We wish Tom well, and we truly hope he will be back with us soon!

Additional items for Rotary Reflections include our thanks to Kelly, The School, and the Rotary Team for all they do for Operation Santa. We're looking forward to the Christmas Party. Speaking of youth, Jack also shared a picture from one of their former Exchange Students, Amy, who is doing well with a family of her own!

Pres. John showed us a "Snowy Scene" from East Aurora, which was sent to him and Sherry from friends. We recited the Four-Way Test, and the Meeting ended with this quote from RWE. "You can never do a kindness too soon, for too soon, it may be too late!" Happy Thanksgiving to all!