Rotarians contributed time and energy to assist West Tuality Habitat for Humanity’s home repair program at a service project on Saturday, June 6. Photo by Steve Mann.

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

This Week – President’s Dinner: It is the third Thursday of the month, but we will not have our typical Third Thursday social. Instead, please plan to join us on Thursday, 5:30 p.m., for our annual end-of-the-year President’s Dinner at the home of Sharon & Adrian Olmstead, 1319 Birch St., Forest Grove. Rotarians and their families are welcome as enjoy food and fellowship and celebrate another great year for our club.

The event is free, but RSVPs are required to plan for enough food. To RSVP, please contact President Andrea Stewart at 503-357-1427 (call or text) or astewart@pacificu.edu. RSVPs are due by Monday, June 15.

We will not have our regular Wednesday meeting on June 17. We will not have a social at Zesti Carts on June 18.

Board Meeting: Due to the President’s Dinner, our June Board of Directors meeting will take place on Zoom on Thursday, June 18, at 7 a.m. A Zoom link will be sent to all board members ahead of the meeting.

Upcoming Meetings: Our summer weekly Wednesday meetings are scheduled to be in the Boxer Pause in the University Center at Pacific University. The location is subject to change, so please watch the Rototeller newsletter for any changes to meeting location. We will not have a weekly meeting on Wednesday, July 1.

Catered Meals Over The Summer: With Pacific University on summer break, our weekly meetings will be catered through late August. Club members should watch their email for a call to RSVP for lunch and deadlines, which will typically be a week and a half ahead of each meeting. If you do not RSVP, you are always welcome to attend the meeting, but you will need to bring your own lunch.

Summer Closure Of College Way: Between now and July 31, College Way (the road on the western edge of the Pacific University campus) is closed while the City of Forest Grove installs a water main. During the closure, the following Pacific parking lots are closest to our meeting area in the University Center.

• Lot A, at the corner of Pacific Avenue and College Way (accessed from Pacific Avenue)
• Lot C, at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Cedar Street (Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center)
• Lot O, at the corner of Cedar Street and 21st Avenue
• Lot P, accessed from Main Street across from Parr Lumber

View Pacific’s Forest Grove Campus map to plan parking for our meetings at the university.

Plates For Passports: Thank you to everyone who made our Plates for Passports dinner a success! Thank you to all of our Rotarians for filling their work assignments. Thank you to youth and leaders from our Scouting America Troop 213, and from the Forest Grove Swim Club, for their assistance in serving beverages and desserts, and cleanup.

A big thank you to the members of the community who purchased and enjoyed meals to support our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. And a huge thank you to Geoff Faris and Jeff Duyck for their work to make Plates for Passports happen year after year.

Outstanding Tickets: If you have unsold tickets to turn in or money from tickets, please turn those in to Janet Peters by no later than Friday, June 19. The goal is have the books closed on the event and final numbers available by June 24.

Steak Sales: The club has 30 leftover packs of steaks available for purchase. Each pack of two steaks is $30 each. If you are interested in purchasing a pack or a few, please contact Janet Peters.

Promote Concours At The Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July Parade: As is our tradition every year, our club will march in the Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July Parade to promote the upcoming Concours d’Elegance. A sign-up sheet will be available at the President’s Dinner and at our June 24 meeting. If you will not be at a meeting, but would like to sign up, contact Janet Peters.

If you are not interested in marching in the parade, the Hillsboro Rotary Club is looking for volunteer marshals to line the parade. Please see the Service Opportunities section of this newsletter for more details.

Habitat Service Project: A small but mighty group of Rotarians and friends provided some solid hours of work at our joint service project with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, June 6. Thank you to Rotarians Steve Mann, Geoff Faris, Amanda Hartmann and Hector Mendez-Colberg, along with prospective Rotarians Lori Birtola and Derrick Sturgill, for their service!

Rotary Youth Exchange Host Families Needed: Our club is looking for host families for our incoming 2026-27 exchange student, who will arrive in mid-August. This year, we are expecting to welcome a girl from South Korea.

Students stay with three families over the course of the year: from mid-August to early December, from early December to mid-March, and from mid-March to late June. Hosts must be able to provide a bed, a place to study, and a seat at your table. Hosting is a volunteer commitment, and your exchange student is a member of your family. Many host families develop close relationships with their students, and often stay in contact for life.

Single parents, child-free households, couples with kids of any ages, and LGBTQ+ families are all eligible and welcome. The only requirements are a bed and bedroom (a shared room with a child of the same gender is fine) and a study space.

Please contact Sarah Barbour, Youth Exchange Committee chair, at 503-597-9355 or ForestGroveRYE@gmail.com for an application form or to inquire about hosting.

Club Wins Awards At Regional End Of Year Celebration: Our club was well represented at the West Region End of Year Celebration at Hillsboro’s Rood Bridge Park on Wednesday, June 3. The club, and two of our individual members, were honored with district awards.

The club received the “Ripple Effect Award” for our partnership with the Forest Grove School District Family Resource Center. The award recognized clubs that conducted projects that inspired or sparked action. President-elect Hector Mendez-Colberg accepted the award on the club’s behalf.

Janet Peters, our fundraising treasurer, received the “Local Legend” Award, honoring a club member whose work made them “the name” in their community this year. For all she does for the club, Janet certainly fits the bill.

Blake Timm, our club’s public image chair, received the “Picture Worth 1,000 Words Award” for his efforts to enhance the club’s public image, including the website, social media, and media outreach.

Congratulations Fareeha: Big congratulations are in order for our 2023-24 Rotary Youth Exchange student, Fareeha Nayebare, who graduated on Friday from Portland Community College! In addition to her studies in accounting, Fareeha served this academic year as the president of the Associated Students of Portland Community College and was the student representative on the college’s Board of Trustees. Fareeha demonstrates how the Rotary Youth Exchange program can change lives. Congratulations, Fareeha! We are proud of you!

Membership Committee: The club’s Membership Committee meets the second and fourth Tuesday, 4 p.m., in the conference room at the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce. Its next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

Have An Idea For A Speaker? Let Mallory Know: Our president-elect nominee and program chair, Mallory Hiefield, is interested in your ideas for great programs that will pique the interest of the club. If you have ideas, please contact Mallory.

Concours d’Elegance News
Concours Committee Meetings: Club members are invited to take part in the weekly online meeting of the Concours Committee, which takes place each Friday at 9 a.m. The Google Meets link to the online meeting is available for club members in our email newsletter, the Rototeller.

Concours Volunteer Sign-Ups Open: It is time to start lining up our volunteer teams for the 2026 Concours d’Elegance! This event takes many hands to make work light, and we count on the support of all Rotarians to make the Concours a success. And, of course, we welcome friends and community volunteers to help make this a great event and raise funds for our scholarship program.

If you volunteered last year, there is a good chance that you will already see your name listed for the same role this year. It is okay to remove yourself if you want to take on another role. If you remove yourself, SignUpGenius will notify the volunteer coordinator.

Club members were provided a link for Rotarian Concours duty signups in the club’s weekly newsletter, the Rototeller. Members of the community and Rotarians who wish to volunteer can sign up at the 2026 Concours d’Elegance Public Group.

For specialized volunteer positions selected by Mackenzie Carey or Tom Raabe, please email them directly to confirm. This includes car spotters and judges/assistant judges.

If you have questions, or do not see a volunteer role that you are interested in, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Magoulas, at smagoulas@pacificu.edu.

Concours Sponsorships: Sponsorship procurement for the Concours is well underway. If you have leads on potential sponsors, please direct those leads to Amy Tracewell, Janet Peters or Stephanie Magoulas. Learn more about sponsorships, including partnership levels and benefits, On The Concours Website.

Merchandise At Willow & Ash: Are you interested in some Concours merchandise, like a poster, a coffee tumbler or a hat? Willow & Ash is offering some Concours merchandise available year-round! Current selections include Concours posters, hats, coffee tumblers and keychains. Items can be purchased online on the Concours website or purchased at Willow & Ash at 2036A Main Street, Forest Grove. Sorry, no shipping is currently available. Items purchased online will need to be picked up at Willow & Ash.

For More Information: If you have Concours-related questions or are interested in opportunities, please contact Concours Chair Bruce Cummings.

Service Opportunities
Share Your Volunteer Opportunity With The Club: 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.

Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July – Marshals Needed: The Hillsboro Rotary Club is looking for marshals to work during the annual parade on Saturday, July 4.

Marshals assist with keeping both parade participants and viewers safe and serving as a friendly face for questions. Duties include watching children and keeping them safe (and helping them get their fair share of candy), directing parade-goers to restroom facilities, and being an ambassador of Rotary spirit and goodwill.

If you are interested in helping with this longtime community event, please contact Beth Hardy at 503-459-7411 or by email, CTR4me@gmail.com.

North Plains Food Bank Kickstart2School Event: The North Plains Food Bank is in need of volunteers on Saturday, July 18, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for their huge back-to-school event, Kickstart2School. The community-driven event provides 700 eligible students with new shoes, school supplies, and essential services to help start the school year confidently. Participants can also receive free vision and health screenings. To learn more about the event, visit the Kickstart2School website.

Volunteers are needed for morning and afternoon shifts to help with set-up and takedown, and to support students as they receive their supplies. To register to volunteer, sign up online or email volunteer@npfoodbank.org.

West Tuality Habitat For Humanity: West Tuality Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers to assist both with construction projects at its Countryman Estates build site on 23rd Avenue and at Habitat’s ReStore. The construction site is open most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The ReStore is looking for both single volunteers and pairs of volunteers Monday through Saturday.

If you are interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, please visit their online Volunteer Application. You can also visit Habitat’s Website for more details on the opportunities available. If you are already registered as a volunteer with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity, visit their Volunteer Calendar to see what shifts are currently available.

Questions? Please email volunteer@westualityhabitat.org or call 503-359-8459.

Centro Cultural Volunteer Opportunities: Centro Cultural, located in Cornelius, is in need of volunteers for some ongoing projects.

Centro Mercado Volunteer: Centro Cultural’s Mercado is a free food pantry set up like a grocery store, providing the community a welcoming and dignified space to get free, fresh and local food. Volunteers are needed during the Mercado’s open hours, Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m., and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to help staff and maintain the pantry. The Mercado is located at 1216 E. Baseline St., Cornelius. Visit SignUp Genius To Register & See Available Shifts.

Volunteers for Centro Cultural must sign-up for opportunities through SignUp Genius and must be pre-approved before the event. Walk-up volunteers are no longer allowed by the organization. Information on how to register can be found on those pages or by contacting Evelyn Orr, eorr@centrocultural.org.

Around District 5100
Rotary Friendship Exchange Next April: A Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) has been arranged between Rotary District 5100 and Rotary District 6840!  You ask: Where in the world is District 6480!!  It’s New Orleans and surrounding areas of Louisiana.

We are expecting a contingent from District 6840 to visit our district in September of this year and a group from our district to visit Louisiana in April of 2027. 

District 6840 includes New Orleans, but also adjacent areas!  New Orleans is known for the French Quarter, fabulous restaurants, museums, and a wonderful aquarium!  Parts of the district outside of New Orleans include plantations and bayou country. 

RFE is short for Rotary Friendship Exchange.  This is a program of Rotary International where Rotarians travel to another Rotary district where they are hosted by Rotarians of that district.  While in that district, they stay in the homes of Rotarians and explore the district as arranged by local Rotarians.  It is a true exchange because Rotarians that initially visited that district later arrange the adventure of Rotarians of that district when they come to visit.  These exchanges are not just for Rotarians as they also usually include partners of Rotarians and/or other family members.

The length of an RFE is anywhere from 10 to 14 days and are at no cost to Rotary.  With this RFE, participants will cover their own expenses while visiting the other district.  Expenses will include round-trip airfare to New Orleans, fees for attractions, restaurants, museums, and local transportation.  Also, those wishing to participate as a member of an RFE team should also be willing to host members of the inbound team of District 6840 and have the support of their club with hosting and arranging the visit of the inbound RFE members. 

If you are interested in participating in this adventure, an application was sent via email to district Rotarians. Applications to participate are due by May 31. With questions, please contact PDG Dennis Wickham via email, wickhamdj@comcast.net.

Last Week’s Program: Rotary Scholarship Winners
As our club does at this time every year, we took the opportunity to recognize the 2026 recipients of Rotary Club of Forest Grove scholarships. This year, the Scholarship Committee selected 12 graduating seniors to receive a record $32,000 in scholarships. Seven of those recipients joined us at Wednesday’s meeting.

Scholarship Committee Chair Sharon Olmstead provided an update on how the scholarship program works and how the proceeds from our annual Concours d’Elegance makes those scholarships possible. A total of 30% of the net proceeds from the Concours provide annual scholarships attending four-year colleges or vocational schools other than Pacific University.

A total of 20% of net proceeds from the Concours are designated for scholarships for students attending Pacific University. This year, the committee awarded three scholarships for students intending to attend Pacific. The remaining balance of $14,700 was contributed to the club’s endowed scholarship fund at Pacific. Created with an initial donation by the club in 2017, the endowed scholarship fund is now worth over $75,000.

The Scholarship Committee received 28 total applications (13 from Forest Grove High School, 12 from Banks High School and one from a student attending online school). The program is open to graduating seniors residing in the Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston school district areas.

To learn more about the scholarship program and this year’s winners, read the complete story on the club website.

Club Calendar
Thurs., June 18: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Online

Thurs., June 18: End of Year President’s Dinner
Home of Sharon & Adrian Olmstead, 1319 Birch St., Forest Grove
No Noon Meeting On Wednesday, June 17. No Zesti Carts Social On June 18.

Fri., June 19: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Tues., June 23: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., June 24: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Amy Ouellette & Renee Brouse, Sherwood Rotary Club Global Project

Fri., June 26: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Wed., July 1: No Meeting

Fri., July 3: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Sat., July 4: Concours Promotion At Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July Parade
See Rotary Rewind Section For Details

Sunday, July 19: Concours d’Elegance
Pacific University Forest Grove Campus
Website | Order Tickets