If you did not make it to our last Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, here is what you missed…

This Week’s Meeting: A reminder that this is the third Wednesday of the month. That means that we will not have a Wednesday noon meeting this week. We encourage all of our members and friends to join us on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., for our monthly social meeting at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove. See you there!

Upcoming Meetings: Our next Wednesday meeting, on Wednesday, Oct. 22 will take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ. We will return to the Boxer Pause in the University Center at Pacific University for our meetings on Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

Lunch Procedures Our For Meetings At Pacific: Pacific University’s food service provider, Bon Appetit, had updated the way lunches are purchased for our meetings this Rotary year. All members and guests will need to present a voucher, purchased from our treasurer, to enter the dining commons.

• If you are billed for lunch, you will still need to check in to receive your voucher.
• All guests will also need a voucher to enter the commons.
• The cost for lunch remains at $10.

Additionally, we are encouraging members to purchase a month’s worth of lunch vouchers at a time for our weekly meetings. This small change will make check-in smoother and help lighten the load on our treasurer. If you would like to prepay for your lunches, please contact treasurer Sharon Olmstead.

Pints For Polio Event: Join us as we celebrate World Polio Day and raise funds for PolioPlus while we raise some pints. We will be hosting a Pints For Polio event on Thursday, Oct. 23, 5-9 p.m., at The Growler Garage, 1837 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove. Owners Jill & Jarod Verboort (Jill is a satellite member of our club) have agreed to donate 15% of proceeds from purchases during that time to PolioPlus. So come join us, bring a friend, and raise a pint or two to help eradicate polio!

Football Photos: We are continuing our service of producing and displaying portraits of Forest Grove High School football senior players. A sponsorship of $25 pays for the photo, which will be displayed in the window or storefront of local businesses until the end of the season. The portraits will then be presented to the senior and their family at the team’s year-end banquet.

As of Oct. 13, we still need one more photo to be sponsored. If you are interested in sponsoring and/or displaying a photo, please contact Geoff Faris.

Road Cleanup Coordinator Needed: Paul Waterstreet is stepping away from coordinating our club’s longtime participation in the Washington County Adopt-A-Road Program. Our thanks to Paul for all of his efforts to keep this service project active in our club after the program’s longtime champion within the club, Jerry Hoerber, passed away.

We are in need of another club member to step up to take on the project. It involves coordinating with the county on at least two cleanup days per year on the two sections of road that the club has adopted: Gales Creek Road between Thatcher Road and Forest Gale Drive, and Thatcher Road between Gales Creek Road and David Hill Road.

Please contact President Andrea Stewart with any questions or if you are interested in taking this project on.

Youth Exchange Drivers For Weekly Meetings Needed: One of the requirements of the Youth Exchange program is that both inbound and outbound students attend our Rotary meetings. The Youth Exchange Committee is still in need of someone who can pick up Lara and our outbound student, Sophie, from Forest Grove High School weekly at 11:30 a.m., and return them to the school after. While a consistent driver for the semester would be ideal, the committee is open to having people sign up for one-month shifts at a time.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact our Youth Exchange Officer, Sarah Barbour. NOTE: To assist with the transport of Youth Exchange students, you must complete the District 5100 Youth Protection Training and undergone a background check with the district.

Steaks Available For Purchase: Our club still has packages of steak left over from the Steak Feed available for purchase. Packs of two choice New York steaks are available for $20 each. If you are interested, please contact Janet Peters.

Membership Committee: The club’s Membership Committee is looking for additional club members who want to make the experience in our club the best for current members and to find new members. The committee will be talking about what we can do to retain members, the recently completed club member survey, and what we can our members can provide to make this club that we can continue to be proud of.

For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

Memorial Service For Rick Kaufmann: We are sad to report that Rick Kaufman, a former member of our club and a longtime volunteer with the Concours d’Elegance, passed away earlier this year. A memorial service is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m., at the Log Chapel on the campus of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Our condolences go out to Rick’s family and friends, and we are grateful for his longtime contributions to Concours and to Rotary.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Do You Know Of Service Opportunities?: Are you aware of service opportunities in our area that our members might be interested in? We can advertise those here! This space is not limited to club-sponsored activities but to any service opportunity in the community. To promote the service activity, please send a detailed description of the project, the date and time, contact information and a link to register to Rototeller editor Blake Timm, blakertimm@gmail.com.

FGHS Community Food Pantry: Our club’s support for the Forest Grove High School Food Pantry continues.  Thanks to its partnership with the Oregon Food Bank, food donations are still welcome but are of less need at this time. Of need, however, are toiletries and hygiene products as well as household cleaning materials.

The Food Pantry is open Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m. The pantry is located along Nichols Lane between the football field and the Basinski Center. Click Here for more information on the FGHS Food Pantry and on other resources for those experiencing food insecurity.

For information on the Food Pantry, please contact Brian Burke, bburke@fgsd.k12.or.us. If you wish to make a cash donation to the pantry, Click Here.

Around District 5100
The Unsung Rotary Heroes (From October District 5100 Newsletter): Every Rotary success story has its heroes — the members whose creativity, innovation, and quiet dedication keep our clubs thriving. They are the ones who find new ways to serve, who show up when it counts, and who support others without seeking the spotlight. Among them are our past district governors, whose leadership continues long after their official year ends. Their guidance, encouragement, and behind-the-scenes efforts help us all succeed.

This month, let’s take a moment to thank these unsung heroes across District 5100. Their commitment helps us dream bigger, serve better, and unite for good.

Susanne’s Storybook: Click Here to read the latest edition of Susanne’s Storybook, the Rotary District 5100 newsletter.

Last Week’s Program: Membership Survey & Concours Discussion
Website Version: At last week’s meeting, we set time aside to do the business of the club. President Andrea Stewart and Bruce Cummings presented on the results of the membership survey that was conducted over the summer. We also took time to continue discussion about the Concours d’Elegance, some of the results from last year’s fundraising and what the show will look like in 2026.

Club Calendar
Thurs., Oct. 16: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Thurs., Oct. 16: Social Event/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove
There will be no Wednesday meeting on Oct. 15.

Wed., Oct. 22: Weekly Meeting, Noon
United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Beth Huggins & Meghan Roy, Regeneration Field Institute

Thurs., Oct. 23, Pints For Polio Event, 5-9 p.m.
The Growler Garage, 1837 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove

Wed., Oct 29: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Youth Citizen of the Month Presentation

Wed., Nov. 5: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: David Noyes, Shelterbox