Mother Nature has certainly been benevolent to us in these early days of November! The unusually warm days and radiant sunshine have belied the fact that it should be dreary weather, but "au contraire"!! Adding to that radiance this noon was Cindy's friendly greeting and Pres. John's warm welcome, as we gathered on this first Monday of November.

After being welcomed by John, we joined him in reciting The Pledge. Jack chose "America, the Beautiful" to lead us in song on this glorious late fall day. Included on the big screen was a little bit of history regarding the origin of this lovely patriotic song, which aligns so perfectly with our little corner of the U.S.A.! Micah continued in that vein, with appreciation of this beautiful weather in his Invocation. He also thanked The Lord for all His Blessings, and he prayed that we continue to meet the needs of others as we "serve above self". Along with the 16 Members at today's Gathering, we welcomed Rich Comins from the Webster Rotary Club, and of course, Sharon! Today's Program was called "Adopt-A-Platoon", and Rich was the presenter. The Rotary Moment was provided by Sue.

As the new month has rolled around, we had some November Birthdays to celebrate. Led by Jack, we sang a heartfelt round of "Congratulations" to Sue and Nancy, with best wishes for Mike and Nardine as well.

The Strategic Planning Team had met earlier this morning to continue with its goals.

"Rotary 101": Pres. John noted that a few Naples Rotarians attended the funeral Mass for Honorary Rotarian, David Scheible last week at St. Januarius.

Eleven Naples Rotarians gathered at the Naples Library on November 3rd for the first Rotary Lite Meeting of the season. We hope to have another "RL" Meeting in December. This has been, and will prove to be, a nice vehicle for sharing thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Many thanks to PE Liz for bringing this concept back!

On November 4th, a few Naples Rotarians gathered at Brew and Brats for the "First Friday" Celebration by the Canandaigua Rotary Club. Pres. John was happy to see the two clubs mingling and enjoying fellowship in an informal setting.

John also noted that the upcoming various area Rotary Events can be found on the District Calendar.

John shared a newsletter from Budding Readers. Naples NY Rotary has donated monetarily to this outstanding program, for which they are very appreciative! Laurie explained a little bit about Budding Readers, and how the Program promotes reading to babies and young children right from the start!

Rich Comins, as mentioned earlier, was today's speaker. Some may recall Rich's connection with the Shelter Box Program that Rotary supports. "Adopt-A-Platoon was the focus of Rich's presentation today. Rich has been a member of the Webster Rotary Club for 46 years. He has been involved with the Adopt-A-Platoon Program since it began in Webster in 2007. 

Adopt-A-Platoon is a link between Troops and home we were told. Boxes of necessities, treats, coffee, and DVDs are sent to our Troops overseas in an effort to brighten their days, (while there), and show them that we, back here at home, care for them. "They know that someone here has their backs!" exclaimed Rich. "To date, 976 boxes have been sent!" "Sadness has been turned into joy!"

Over the last 16 years, 19 Troops have been served, and many units are from Fort Drum. Upon their return, a big celebration happens, donors are invited, and a big "Welcome Home Parade" is included! The "Thank Yous" from the Troops signify that Rotary has made a difference! "You can start your own AAP," noted Rich, "If one happens to be near a Base, he/she can contact the Civil Affairs Coordinator to receive further details." It's also important to check with the USPS for further guidance as well. 

Rich also brought along attractive Display Boards which depicted Webster Rotary's mission(s). These included "Project Build-A-Chair", "Wanted: Used Medical Equipment", and "Webster Rotary: Helping Our Troops in Africa and Afghanistan". Truly, these outreach initiatives affect so many lives in so many positive ways! Many thanks to Rich for the amazing work that you do to serve others!

The Ace of Hearts was still being elusive today, as Jo came around with the pack. Rich drew the Ticket, #3805, which was Sherry's. Sherry drew the Queen of Hearts and reminded John that she was "The Queen of His Heart'"!

Skip noted that the Dictionary and Thesaurus Deliveries went well! The Third Graders and Sixth Graders were delighted with their new books, and some kids even discovered a dollar in theirs! Carrie delivered a great message for the kids as well, explaining to them what Rotary is, and what it does.

Today's Rotary Moment was given by Sue. She had attended the "First Friday" last week, and she had met a young woman who was from the Canandaigua Club, who was also a New Member. She was part of a Relief Disaster Organization that reaches out to those in need. Her outreach ties in with Rich's "Crutches for Africa", and this goes to show how inter-connected we are! Rotarians are connected in many extraordinary ways, as we Serve Above Self! Great Rotary Moment, Sue!

"One More Thing": The picture of Rotarians Skip, Judy, Carrie, Blanche, and Kevin along with Interact Members Charlie and Drew at school, giving out dictionaries and thesauruses said it all! Rotarians of all ages make a difference!

Here is the quote that John left us with today: "The person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be!"

PS Mark your calendars! Our Christmas Gathering is set for December 12th at Engine 14!