Today was our first meeting of the new Rotary year! Co-presidents Carrie and Judy greeted us all with a smile and excitement, ready to lead our Club for the next 51 weeks! Twenty Naples Rotarians were here. Welcome and congratulations to Judy and Carrie! 

 

Carrie led us in the Pledge. Alan B. began the song - God Bless America. Judy's inspiration was "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen and others make it happen." Michael Jordan. Great goals for the year ahead!

 

Sue introduced our guest speakers, Joan Luther and Curtis Phillips for Bristol Valley Theater.

 

Announcements: We now have a "program idea" box at the front table. Let us know who you'd like to hear from. * A Membership Meet and Greet will take place at Lynnie Lou's on Thursday, July 23rd from 6-8 pm. Bring your friends and enjoy some ice cream! * We received several Thank You notes: Robert Cowell, valedictorian of the NHS Class of 2026, plans to use the scholarship we provided for a laptop. Ezra and Franklin in the Elementary School thanked us for the dictionaries and the trees for Arbor Day. * Blanche is in the hospital at FFTH after surgery last week. * Naples Historical Society Cleveland House Museum will be opening for this summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 - 3pm. There will be an exhibit of our historic quilts. Come visit! * Erica is home from her RYE year in Germany. Emma will get home later in July after Bastille Day in France. Both will speak at a club meeting later this summer.  

 

Joan Luther, long-time board member and 2025 Naples Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, is currently interim managing director of Bristol Valley Theater. Her son, Curtis Phillips, Creative Consultant and set designer, is here from Minnesota, where he teaches college and designs for multiple theaters. He graduated from Naples and attended Fredonia State. He and Carrie shared rides home from college back in the day. Joan made two important announcements. There is a typo in the flyer - if you find it, you get a free drink during a show. And the doors of the theater are now back to purple! There are four shows this summer: family friendly A Year with Frog and Toad, Dial M for Murder, Moon Over Buffalo starring local actors Karin, Mark and Jim and lastly Pump Boys and Dinettes.

Curtis stressed the overriding goal of this season - Celebrating Stories Together! Having grown up here in Naples, his life in theater began here. He is firmly committed to bringing back the community focus and involvement with BVT. They will be partnering with local businesses: Lynnie Lou's, Naples Hotel, Arbor Hill, the Company Store in Cheshire and FLX Coffee Roasters. The theater itself needs some work which has been lacking since Covid nearly closed it. Foundation and window, etc. work will require corporate donors and sponsors. Curtis has brought in UM Duluth students and actors from NYC, Minnesota, Texas and Rochester this year. He envisions BVT as the center of the community and the artistic backbone for the area. BVT has a donor that will match up to $20K of donations this year! He also wants to bring back the apprentice program and youth theater in the near future. We are so fortunate to have great theater here in our community. Best wishes for a highly successful season!

 

July birthdays are Christy, Alan B., Kris, Destiny and Chloe. Anniversaries are Judy and John Manser, John and Sherry and Jack and Sharon. Congrats to all!

 

The Ace of Hearts was $218. Jo Anne had ticket #0487 and she chose the Ace of Hearts! Enjoy the win Jo!

Many Happy Bills were given for Bristol Valley Theater, its past and future success. Congrats to our new Club presidents! Our Club joined Canandaigua Rotary to sing You're a Grand Old Flag during the parade on July 4th. John thanked Jack for his leadership, Judy Manser for all her support at B&B, today's program, Open Cupboard fundraising and Sherry said hello as she rests from a busy weekend. Jack said the District Gavel at the Redwings game last Friday was fun and it's great to be a Rotarian!  We keep Blanche in our thoughts as she recovers. Carrie and Judy thanked us all for supporting them in this year ahead.

 

Rotary moments were the parade where Rotary won the Canandaigua Mayor's Award. Carrie found in her Mimi's belongings a small Wizard of Clay vase from a Rotary Conference, circa 1990. It had District 712 on it! She learned that Rotary districts originated in 1915. District 2 included all of NY and NJ. We became District 712 in the 1957-58 year. By 1991, District 7120 was created. Today it includes 64 clubs in 11 counties of central NYS.

John shared a quick moment he had when he ran into Matt Frahm, former NCS superintendent and Rotary President during Covid days, at Brew and Brats. Matt is doing well with wife, 3 year old Max and a 14 month old daughter.

 

Jo Anne asked if there are ever collaborations between neighboring clubs. Carrie mentioned that she would like to get together with Wayland, Prattsburgh and others this year for social events. There are opportunities for many Rotary Fellowships that give opportunities to network. New District Governor Lisa Norwood is planning to meet with several clubs together instead of visiting all 64 individually. We will hear more when Lisa gets back from vacation.

 

We recited the Four Way Test and Carrie adjourned us at 12:50pm with a gentle ring of the bell!