Today's dreary weather was certainly overshadowed by the nice turnout of Members and Guests at the Midday Meeting of Naples NY Rotary this noon! We were cordially welcomed by New Member, David Dial, as we made our way into the back dining room of The Redwood. Things were already in "full swing" as there had been a Board Meeting earlier this morning, and the tables were partially filled.

We joined Pres. Liz in saying The Pledge, as she called the Meeting to order. David chose to give some Words of Wisdom, as he shared a quote from Mahatma Gandi. The quote focused on believing in yourself, being true to yourself, and being your best self. (What more could we give in our relationship with others than being honest, sincere, and genuine, right?) Jack chose "God Bless America" for our patriotic song. David introduced our Guests, Mike and Sharon Kubiniec, and Alan Stone. Along with 27 Members in attendance, (Sue joined us on Zoom), we had a fairly "full house" today!

There were a few announcements to share with the Membership, starting with Pres. Liz. Naples NY Rotary has been asked to help supply some turkeys for the Harvest Dinner at St. Januarius this coming Saturday, October 21st. The turkeys have been purchased and they have been distributed to those who volunteered to prepare them for this community event.

Liz and David will be attending the RLI Training Session(s) this Saturday in Victor. 

Micah talked about the Camp O. Annual Fall Dinner, which will be held on November 10th. The deadline for reservations is October 31st. Raffle Tickets are available, and one can pay by cash, check, or Venmo.

"A New Twist"!! Pres. Liz, in an effort to "change things up a little", brought our attention to the little strips of paper at our place settings. Each of us was asked to write up to three things about ourselves that (perhaps) no one else would know about. At each Meeting, a few of these "tidbits" would be shared with the Membership. Our challenge would be to guess which Member we were talking about! Leave it to Liz to put a little "pizzazz" into our Weekly Meetings!!

Here are some items from this morning's Board Meeting. *Laurie and Judy Manser will work as a team on the Budget and the Treasury. * Our Membership continues to grow. * We have 2, (possibly 3) Outbound Exchange Students for next year. *We have two potential New Members. *Donations: Eight Members have responded to the Sewing Machine Request. We voted on making a donation. *Board Member (Vacancy) Election: In November, we'll be looking at the President-Elect, Vice President, and up to four Director Positions for nominations. Selections will be made in December.

Rose noted that things are progressing well with the LUN Planning Stages. There will be an LUN Meeting on Tuesday, October 17th, at 4PM at Rose's House.

Pres. Liz noted that there will be a "Coat Drive" in conjunction with the Interact Club. Various sites will be determined throughout the community for coat drop-off. Gently used coats, hats, mittens, and scarves will be gladly accepted to help those in need within our Naples Community.

IPP John noted that we will be celebrating World Polio Day on October 24th. We will gather at Brew and Brats at 5:30 PM. There will be a Livestream from Gordon McInally and Jennifer Jones. Janet Tenreiro and Dave Hannan will also be on hand to share in our celebration. It will be a "Meet and Greet" type of format, and we are asked to bring a dish to pass.

Fellow Member, Blanche noted that there will be an event called "Rethinking Thanksgiving" on October 22nd at the Middlesex Firehall at 2:00 PM.

John gave kudos to Judy and Jean for the transfers and all the stellar efforts they have made in re-organizing the Open Cupboard.

Pres. Liz noted that the Club Calendar is up to date. On October 23rd, we will be hearing from Wayne Buchar, as he will give us an update on The Red Mill.

Today's Program truly aligned with David's Words of Wisdom, in that it focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, but moreover, it touched upon being honest, sincere, and kind to others in every aspect of our lives. John and Rose were today's presenters, and having each attended a recent Zoom Meeting on the topic of DEI, both were ready to share their insights on this timely subject. Rose explained each of the themes of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and she prompted each of us to think about how we can support these avenues of acceptance within our club. John added to the discussion as he noted that, at Brew and Brats, they have welcomed youthful employees, and have appreciated their contributions. Rose talked about "Micro Aggression", (doing subtle aggressive things), and how that trend can be harmful to a club, and to others. Using "humor" in a hurtful way, spreading rumors, and having side bar conversations can be debilitating as well. The important thing is to always be able to have the courage to step up and defend others! Rose, after having shared some personal experiences, noted that this "ties in" with our Four-Way Test. All that we do, say, or profess to be "should be beneficial to others! Jack ended with some closing thoughts in saying that it simply amounts to following "The Golden Rule"! Indeed!! 

The Ace of Hearts was up to $321 today! Fellow Member, Jean, pulled out Ticket # 4289, which happened to be that of Jack. Jack selected the Queen of Diamonds from the dwindling pack!

The Rotary Moment was given by David, who was really "on duty" today! He typically does not enjoy a trip to Wal-Mart, but his experience was enhanced by an encounter with none other than Our Sweet Sherry!!

"The New Twist"..."Who am I?" Pres. Liz pulled out three strips of paper from the "Mixed Nuts" jar, and the results yielded some chuckles for sure! 1. A Money Changer was Nancy! 2. One who loves chocolate is Nancy! 3. Our petite little Jo once changed tires while in college!! Thanks for the fun, Pres. Liz!

Happy Bills poured forth this noon, as we appreciated the Program given us by John and Rose. We are acclimating to the subtle changes being made within the Club. Change is healthy and necessary to growth. Rosie enjoyed a lovely weekend birthday. Steve enjoyed a trip to the Adirondacks. Cindy had enjoyed a visit to North Carolina to visit her grandkids. John appreciated the help of the Interact Club. Alan thanked Steve for his support. Bo and Pat had been to New Bern, NC, on an RVF Rally. Jack was glad that the Trinity Bells have begun to practice again. He and Sharon had attended Doug Preston's Celebration of Life. Judy and Skip were proud of Grandson Grady's NCS Swim Team accomplishments. Bruce and Betty had had a great time in Lake Placid.

We ended this Noon's Meeting by reciting The Four-Way Test. Let this be Our Guidepost in our daily living! See you next week!

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