What a wonderful turn-out we had tonight for the first Evening Meeting of March! The advantage of meeting on-line, of course, is that there is no limit on attendance, so that meant that many of us could be together! “Indeed, it was great to see everyone!” as Matt would say! After extending warm greetings to the Membership, President Matt invited us to join him in saying The Pledge. Thanks to Bruce for providing an image of Old Glory! P.P. Jack gave The Blessing, as he prayed that we continue to be committed to humankind, and that our motto could be “Life in Service”. Great thoughts, Jack! There were 30 members in attendance, along with some “family members” such as Sharon, Sue D., Graycen (Micah’s little boy), Grady, Charlie, and Karl, tonight’s presenter. His Program would be about a local place where one can spend some memorable moments… That would be Hollerhorn!
“A little sunshine makes all the difference!” exclaimed Matt in his opening remarks. That being said, we have some members who are enjoying the sunshine in a “southerly way!” Liz told us that Clyde is currently in Florida, enjoying lots of golf on a daily basis! Fellow members Marty and Jill tuned in this evening, from a sunny spot in Florida under the awning of their motorhome. From what we could see on-line, it still looked like daylight was with them! A sweet note was received from Leah Friends, who is hoping that we are all well. She hopes to see us soon, later in the Spring!
Matt urged us to subscribe to Bruce’s Podcast, which is very enjoyable. “Keep up the good work!” prompted Matt. Tonight, we welcomed our guests, Sharon, Sue, Graycen, Charlie, Grady, and Karl, as previously mentioned. We extended Happy Birthday Wishes to fellow member Carrie as well! It was so nice to have her whole family with us, and your song, Billy, was awesome!
Micah and Sherry gave us some updates on the Trout Derby. Everything is going well, and donations are coming in. A “Shop Locally Raffle” will be held. This endeavor is to stimulate local shopping. Tickets will be one for $5.00, and three for $10.00, and they will be available at Caruso’s Café. Trout Derby Stickers are also available at Caruso’s Café and Sutton Spoons. Micah will E-mail updates to the Committee. This year, the Derby will last four days. Help may be needed on the last day. “Rotarian Power” will be required for pictures and cleaning up. Sherry noted that the “Winter Wanderland” (in Naples) will be this coming weekend. Some events that have been planned include yoga, a Scavenger Hunt, Disc Golf and Hiking Trails, for which there will be a brochure at Caruso’s. Things continue to happen in our little community!
Matt read the proposed list of the Slate of Board Officers for the Rotary Year 2021-2022, and it was voted upon. Eligibility Guidelines were considered, of course. Skip made the motion to accept this proposed list of officers, and Jack seconded the motion. All were in favor. Matt expressed his thanks to all those who were willing to serve during this coming Rotary Year.
Now it was time for the Program Presentation by Karl Neubauer, who, along with his wife Melissa, are the owners and operators of Hollerhorn Distilling here in Naples. Before I report on Karl’s presentation, I am compelled to share a little thought about Hollerhorn:
The view is spectacular,
The staff, such a delight,
Naples Rotary was pleased
To hear about Hollerhorn tonight!
Karl started out by saying that Winter wasn’t as dismal as they thought it would be! He appreciated our invitation to speak with us this evening, and he had some updates to share with us. They are thinking about Spring at Hollerhorn, and they have hired two new people in the kitchen, who will assist Melissa in the food preparation. With their fantastic crew, their tasty menu, and exquisite surroundings, Hollerhorn has built a special “culture” within our Naples Community!
Their food pairing and spirits over the Winter have been successful! The Japanese Whisky and Kentucky Bourbon (Food) Pairings were two very special events this Winter. Karl’s five-year dream was to build an outdoor area, and this was accomplished by the donations of local community members. Their “Indiegogo” Project garnered enough funds to create this outdoor stage two years early! With the proposed music outside, and the beautiful surroundings, Karl noted that the Bristol Valley Theater has been a great partner. Of course, the outdoor stage will provide greater capacity, and this will be beneficial to the Naples Community, who wishes to take part in this cultural experience!
Karl noted that Naples is a great community, and there are friends who are always available to help. Outdoor booking will be available from June through October/November noted Karl. He has some great releases in the making, such as collaborating with Black Button and McGregor Vineyards. He is planning on creating a toasted white oak barrel, to be released soon! All ingredients will be grown in New York State!! A single malt whisky is coming out soon! In addition to having two new members in the kitchen (Phil and Andrew), Melissa and her crew are working towards a new “Spring Menu” as well!
Karl also noted that Hollerhorn would donate sanitizer for the Trout Derby, which would be very thoughtful and helpful on their part! He also added that Hollerhorn would be happy to sell Trout Derby Stickers! Many thanks to Karl, Melissa, and all the Crew at Hollerhorn for your wonderful contribution to the Naples Spirit!
Of course, President Matt had to expound on Karl’s presentation, as he asked how he makes that experience happen. Karl responded by saying that it is the employees that add to that vision. A business model is about the people! Matt also kiddingly asked, in terms of a business model, what would be the one drink you would serve to customers? Karl promptly responded that it would be the Naples Valley Grape Brandy Mule! He said that the food will be “exciting,” and that they are working on booking music for the Summer! Also, there will be “local favorites” and a “diverse line-up!” Thank you, Karl! We are looking forward to this season’s Line-Up! Your Motto is “Raising Spirits In The Finger Lakes”, but it could also be “Lifting Spirits In The Finger Lakes”!!
There was a modicum of time available at this juncture of the meeting, so Pres. Matt provided a thought-provoking question for the group. “If you bumped into someone who didn’t know about Naples, what would you say about our community?” Of course, a plethora of responses flowed from the membership, but here are some of the most memorable answers! Naples is friendly! Naples has a great school system! Naples is welcoming! The Softball Team had a diverse group! Naples is small, quaint and historic! Naples is friendly and welcoming! We have Naples Rotary, the Naples Historical Society and the Bristol Valley Theater! The Naples Library is such a viable part of our community. We enjoy that our location in District 7120 is right in the middle!! It is truly significant that Naples is in a great location!! Our little valley town is truly blessed with inhabitants that care about one another! Thank you, Nancy, Jack, Rose, Frank, and Blanche for your responses!
It was time for the Happy Bills and Fines portion of the meeting, and without a doubt, the many Happy Bills that had come from many members,were in appreciation of tonight’s program! We are so glad to have Hollerhorn be a part of our community cultural outreach! The folks at Hollerhorn have truly helped to make the Naples Experience a positive and most memorable one! We thank you, Karl and Melissa, for sharing your vision and creativity with us this evening!
We joined Billy and his family, as we sang to Carrie, and wished her a very Happy Birthday tonight! It was especially nice to have their whole family with us to celebrate!
John French, who is never without words 😊, gave the Rotary Moment this evening. John recalled that in 2013, he joined Naples Rotary. In 2014-15, he remembers Mike J. encouraging new members to get engaged. John plunged right into that calling, and he became our President in 2017-2018, having guided us with stellar leadership!
John also shared an excerpt about “Essence of Rotary” with us. The following was from a Rotarian from Kenya. The first goal was to take individual action, for which we can follow published guidelines. Secondly, support of government initiatives was important. Finally, sharing messages of hope was vital. Pres. Matt concluded in saying that we can continue to share our care, compassion, and support as Rotarians. “Thank you for being our ambassadors!” he said. Each of us, in our own way, can be the instrument of change, therefore improving and enhancing the lives of others. We are called to serve others, and what greater calling could there be? Have a wonderful week! See you all on the 15th for our Noon Zoom Meeting!
