Carole Greene, President
Business tackled at our October Board of Governors meeting focused on a wrap-up of our Celebrity Author Luncheon and plans for future meetings. We actually made over $600 for our scholarship fund. We will add even more to that figure once we sell the remainder of the Jeff Klinkenberg books we purchased for the occasion.
The board directed me to place in every issue of SCOOP the process for making donations to our scholarship fund. I’ll also mention it at meetings. Until we can get a 501(c)3 designation for it, our NPC Scholarship Fund is held at and implemented by the 501(c)3 charitable “Champions for Learning/Education Foundation of Collier County.” Send your donation check, payable to Champions for Learning/NPC Scholarship Fund, to Mr. Drew Attanasio, Business Operations Director, Champions for Learning (Education Foundation), 3606 Enterprise Avenue #150, Naples, FL 3104. You will receive a “thank you” letter for IRS records.
We’re still looking for an “angel” attorney who will help us get our own charitable designation for little or no cost. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone know anyone we could approach?
The Nominating Committee reported some yesses and some “not this year” responses to the opportunity to be slated for an officer or governor position for 2014. We’ll have a full slate to report in next month’s SCOOP and will hold the election at our December 5 Holiday Party and Annual Meeting. This will be open only to members and their significant others. More on that in a minute.
Regrettably, one new name on the slate will be there because we had to bid farewell to our dear colleague and long-time governor, Arthur Hecht. Look elsewhere in SCOOP for a tribute to Arthur, who lost his courageous battle with multiple health issues on October 22, mere hours before his 80th birthday.
We will also say good-bye to our board secretary, Sandy Reed, who leaves almost immediately (as you read this) for a new life adventure in the Boston area. Her always superb minutes of board meetings help me keep this club on an even keel. I will miss her dearly.
An ad hoc committee headed by Gina Edwards has started to plan for a tribute to Phil Lewis, a long-time NPC member and recently retired Naples Daily News editor. More on this as the event develops.
Our contract with the Hilton for monthly luncheons experienced a small bump in prices, which we have to pass along. We decided to tier our luncheon prices. Starting with November 21, members will pay $25, and their spouses or life partners $28, by cash, check or credit card at the door or online. Guests and general public must purchase a ticket via Eventbrite and pay $30 plus a processing fee.
Back to our December 5 meeting. Your board spent a considerable amount of time discussing when to hold this special party. Should it be a dinner? Appetizer and beverage cocktail party? Luncheon? What time of the month? We decided to hold it early, before the month gets totally crazy, as it always does. We’ve tried dinners and cocktail parties that weren’t particularly well attended. This year, we’ll enjoy a luncheon with enhanced menu selections and a festive program. Keith Raygor will entertain us with his amazing (and I don’t use that word loosely) sleight of hand and other magic. Cost to everyone attending will be $25 (cash, check or credit card at the door), and the NPC treasury will pick up the rest, including a mimosa as you arrive. The Hilton will set up a cash bar if you want more than a mimosa—and don’t have to work after lunch. I’m telling you all this now, a month in advance, so you’ll schedule it. I certainly look forward to it.
As usual, I invite you to let me know if you’d like to see this club do something specific that we don’t now do. I hope everyone is satisfied—perhaps even thrilled—with our programs. As I see it, the more people we can bring to our club meetings, the more chances we have to fulfill our mission to support quality journalism. Sure, we like to schmooze with our friends and club colleagues as we enjoy a good program and tasty meal. But our larger purpose is to support our scholarship students. Currently, we have six, and that’s about all we can adequately mentor. If you feel you would like to join the scholarship committee and become a good mentor, let Phil Beuth know.