Todays' brilliant sunshine sure was welcome, as it gradually began to melt that Springtime snow, that we weren't too pleased with! It was a pleasure to see so many Members and Guests this evening, as well!

Rose was our Greeter tonight, and her warm smile always makes one feel glad. Skip, in turn, had "Gifts" for everyone, as packets of Great Grape Derby Tickets awaited each of us upon entering The Redwood. I guess that surely is a sign that Spring is in the air, along with the upcoming Trout Derby!

We joined President Liz, as we rose to Pledge to the Flag, followed by John's Words of Inspiration. John prayed that our service to others would continue to make a difference, bringing hope to all those we reach. Jack led us in singing The Star-Spangled Banner, while Brenda's beautiful soprano voice in the background helped us reach those "high notes". Tonight's Program would feature Our Very Own Sherry, and Pres. Liz would have the perfect Rotary Moment to share with the Members. As I mentioned earlier, there were many Members who gathered together this evening...31 of us!! Honorary Member, Katie, was with us, and Kristin and Craig became New Members tonight! Our Guests included Our Exchange Student, "Gi", John Crane, DGN, Nancy Laughlin, who is involved with youth, Sean, Head of the Cub Scouts, and Sharon, of course, our Faithful attendee! 

Announcements were next, and here is a "rundown" of what's in store for Naples NY Rotary! * The Naples Creek Trout Derby is fast approaching! Next Monday, April 1st, will be a "Working Meeting" for us. If you are able to help Sue set up Friday evening, please let her know! * The District Training Assembly is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th in Canandaigua. Liz can help you with Registration if you need it. * The District Conference is slated for April 26th-28th in Saratoga Springs. * Albie has generously created a beautiful painting (of fishing in the Naples Creek) to be raffled off at the Trout Derby. What a treasure this will be for the lucky recipient! * Carrie noted that we have one Exchange Student that is Inbound, and we are hoping for another! We also have three Outbound Students! * Skip reminded us of the Great Grape Derby, which will be Saturday, May 4th. Also, we are looking for a caterer for our Spring Dinner. * Liz noted that last Thursday, a group of Naples Rotarians had delivered dictionaries and thesauruses to the 3rd and 6th Graders at Naples Elementary.

The Induction of Our Newest Members took place this evening! If you'll remember, Parker, our Outbound Student (to Sweden) for the Rotary Year 2024-2025, is the son of Craig and Kristin Smith. Both Craig and Kristin wanted to "give back to the community", and they felt that being a part of Naples NY Rotary was just the "right fit" for them. Thus, we have added two excellent New Members to our Service Organization! Our Induction Ceremony has been streamlined by Jack; thus, it is a bit more concise, relevant, and meaningful. As Liz introduced Craig and Kristin, Jack began by telling Craig and Kristin that we would lead them into a new adventure. Rose followed next, by providing a bit of background information as it relates to Rotary. John was next in telling how the Object of Rotary International was "Service Above Self", including The Four-Way Test. Carrie, as their Sponsor, and representing the Members, rounded out the Ceremony by welcoming them with their Packets. We applauded Our Newest Members, and we are pleased to have them as part of our Rotary Club!

John strode to the podium tonight, as he "introduced" tonight's very special presenter, Our Very Own Sherry, who is a Paul Harris and Robert Allen Recipient! Sherry began her talk by telling us how, recently, Pres. Liz had added a new dimension to the Weekly Meetings, by having a little jar where folks could tell "something nobody knew about them" and include that information on a little strip of paper. Each week, Liz would pull a few strips of paper from the jar, and she would read the clue(s) that talked about a Member. We would be allowed three guesses before the answer was revealed. We found this new idea to be a fun addition to our Meetings, and we learned more about each other! Recently, at one of the Meetings, Liz drew a strip of paper that read "I suffer from depression". Of course, concern arose from the Members, and we wondered who among us that would be...

"It was me." Sherry continued, and from that point, she went on to talk about how depression affected her life, and how Mental Health Awareness is becoming increasingly more prevalent. Last Spring, Julie Carney talked about Mental Health Awareness, and RI President, Gordon McInally addressed this concern at the RI Convention in Melbourne. He wants us to include acts of kindness in our everyday lives, and to show care, respect, and dignity to all whom we come in contact with. If we look inward, we can rely on The Four-Way Test to govern our lives, and to build integrity, trust, and support with others. We must "continue to connect!" 

There are, of course, obstacles that may impede our progress such as anxiety, fear, privacy, response, and self-esteem, but we need to work to preserve and promote, kindness, empathy, sincerity, and courtesy to all! Sherry shared the video of Gordon McInally's speech at the RI Convention last Spring. It was the story of Ian, who happened to be his brother, who, though he seemed to have had a great life, was hit by "the black dog of depression". Though things, on the outside, seemed to be going well, in actuality, they weren't, and Ian took his life in February of 2014. RI President McInally said that we must take care of each other, and when you ask someone how they are doing, you must ask, "How are you doing, really?" 

Having heard Sherry's testimonial, and viewing Gordon McInally's speech, this is a step in our club to move forward! Liz and Sherry are part of a Committee on Mental Health Awareness, and every third Monday, they meet on Zoom. Rotary has a big part to play in this endeavor, and we can begin at home by truly reaching out to help and take care of each other! (Sherry also passed out pamphlets covering Ontario County Mental Health Services.)

 The Ace of Hearts was up to $157 tonight! Katie was asked to draw the winning ticket. and it was that of Nancy, #2154! Nancy drew the Queen of Clubs from the pack.

So many Happy Bills flowed in this evening! We were so appreciative of Sherry, having had the courage that she displayed to share with us her uphill climb with depression. She brought an issue to the surface that we all need to be cognizant of, and that we all need to act upon in our everyday lives! We are so pleased to have Craig and Kristin join us as New Members! We are certain that they will be a wonderful addition to our club! Individually, Frank was pleased with Liz and Sherry for being a part of the Mental Health Awareness Committee. Billy was glad that Carrie could go to Costa Rica with her students, and he could go fishing! Carrie said that there would be 18 kids and 5 adults on the trip. David said that he did the right thing to help Mark.  We were glad to see Our Laurie back with us and feeling better!

Liz provided the Rotary Moment this evening. She looked back on last Thursday, when some of us delivered dictionaries and thesauruses to the kids at school. Carrie, being Our Educator and Leader that day, had asked the kids what they thought "Rotary" meant. Answers varied from "a chicken", to "people who boss people around", to "people who build roads"!! Carrie also had brought Thank You Letters from the Sixth Graders to pass around. One that is worth sharing is: "Thank you lots for the thesaurus. ELA is gonna be a breeze now! My favorite word from it is "serve"! Again, thank you so much!"

Have a very Happy Easter, Everyone! See you next Monday at the Trout Derby!