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

This Week’s Meeting: Be sure to join us this Wednesday at noon in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week, we welcome Past District Governor Renee Campbell who will make a presentation about The Rotary Foundation.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our Wednesday meetings through the end of September will take place in the Boxer Pause room in the University Center at Pacific University. Please remember that we will not have a noon meeting on the third Wednesday of the month (Sept. 17).

Change To Lunch Procedures For Meetings At Pacific: As we return to Pacific, we will be taking lunch through the dining commons in the University Center. The university’s food service provider, Bon Appetit, had updated the way lunches are purchased for our meetings. Beginning on August 27, all members and guests will need to check in with the treasurer before going through the commons to purchase a lunch voucher.

• 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.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we transition to this new process. If you have questions, please contact President Andrea Stewart or Treasurer Sharon Olmstead.

Club Excellence Award: Once again, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove is a recipient of the Club Excellence Award for the 2024-25 Rotary year. The award recognizes a club’s ability to grow and be vibrant. To qualify, clubs must set at least half of the 28 annual goals set by each Rotary International president and meet the goals that they chose to pursue.

At our Sept. 3 meeting, Area Governor Blake Timm presented the Club Excellence Award certificate to Past President Lucas Welliver. Congratulations to our entire club for helping to meet our goals and continue to rank our club among the top in Rotary District 5100!

Community Service Coordinator: Our thanks to one of our newest Rotarians, Amanda Hartmann, who has stepped forward to assume the role of our community service coordinator. If you have ideas for ways that our club can provide service to our local communities, please talk with Amanda.

It was decided that our club will not do a booth for this year’s Corn Roast, but club members are strongly encouraged to volunteer for the event through the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce (see below under Service Opportunities).

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 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.

Third Week Social Meetings: Rotary is all about service and fellowship and we’re bringing both to life in a new way. Our club has replaced its noon meetings on the third Wednesday of each month a social evening on the third Thursday of each month in conjunction with our Satellite Club. These socials will take place at Zesti Carts, 2131 Yew St., at 6:30 p.m.

The hope is that these new social meetings will provide a chance for club members to bond better with one another, to better connect those who attend our Satellite Club meetings, and to align better with the fifth point of The Four-Way Test: Is it fun?

Bring your significant other, invite a friend and come ready to meet someone new. Let’s make these evenings a place for fun, connection and the shared purpose that makes Rotary meaningful. We can’t wait to see you there!

Youth Exchange Driver 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. This would begin on Wednesday, Sept. 3. 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 has 25 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.

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.

Corn Roast Volunteers Needed: The Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce will host the 61st annual Corn Roast on Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., along College Way and the west lawns of Pacific University. This annual community includes vendors, a welcome to new educators in the community, and the Corn Roast meal for all to enjoy.

Volunteers are needed for both set-up and takedown, corn shucking, helping serve meals, and traffic control. Volunteers are needed for multiple shifts. If you are able to help, wear your Rotary shirt so you can let people know that our club is out helping in the community!

To sign up, please visit the Sign Up Genius site for the Corn Coast. For more information, contact the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce.

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
Vibrant Club Workshop: All Rotarians are invited to take part in District 5100’s Vibrant Club Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 27, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The pod for the Western Region clubs (Forest Grove, Hillsboro & Beaverton) will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 372 NE Lincoln St., Hillsboro.

This year’s Rotary Vibrant Workshop will provide hands-on club integration of funding, public image and membership. Membership grows and retains Rotarians when clubs have meaningful service projects that are well promoted and provide meaningful community contributions. The workshop will share successful strategies that clubs in our district have used to grow their membership.

Club executive leaders and board members are highly encouraged to attend, but all Rotarians are welcome. There is a $15 per Rotarian fee to cover facility rental and light refreshments. Sign-up for the workshop on DacDB.

For questions or more details, please contact Area Governor Blake Timm.

District 5100 Receives Peacebuilder District Recognition: Rotary District 5100 has been honored as a Rotary International Global Peacebuilder District for its leadership in promoting peace through education, partnerships, and community engagement.

The designation recognizes the district’s commitment to empowering youth, fostering global understanding, and inspiring peace locally and abroad.

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict — it’s the presence of opportunity, respect, and compassion,” said Susanne Holmberg, district governor of Rotary District 5100. “This award reflects the dedication of our members who work every day to create a culture of peace.”

One of Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus, peacebuilding is an active, intentional process that involves creating environments where peace can thrive. It goes beyond simply preventing conflict and focuses on addressing the root causes of conflict, fostering understanding, and promoting sustainable peace. Rotary achieves this through various initiatives, including supporting peace education, facilitating conflict resolution and promoting community development.

District 5100’s peacebuilding initiatives encompass youth peace education programs within schools, as well as the development of conflict resolution and leadership skills for future generations. Through international partnerships, the district collaborates with Rotary clubs worldwide on projects addressing the root causes of conflict, from education to clean water.

Locally, the Newberg Rotary Club has championed local peacebuilding through initiatives like the Oregon Peace Trail, Peace Village programs, Peace literacy, and a Peace Garden.

Internationally, the Rotary Club of Three Creeks in Vancouver partnered with 17 other clubs and supported by district and Rotary Foundation grants, raised over $63,000 to fund mobile medical units to deploy in Ukraine. These mobile units provide critical healthcare such as maternal services, emergency stabilization, water purification and more

Al Jubitz, co-founder of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, has spoken warmly and passionately about the impact of peace poles as symbols of Rotary’s peacebuilding mission. “This Global Peacebuilder District recognition affirms District 5100’s role in Rotary’s vision of a more peaceful world — uniting people to take action, create lasting change and build a culture of peace.”

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

Last Week’s Program: Anne Haynes, Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals
At last week’s meeting, we were joined by Anne Haynes, development director for Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals, who introduced us to their organization and how they help dogs and cats in our area. Anne is a lifelong animal lover with three “granddogs” and one of her own. She has been with OFOSA since 2017.

OFOSA has been rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming pets since 2002. Their mission is to save animals from overcrowded shelters and help those animals find loving homes. They are powered by fosters, adopters, donors and volunteers who care for the animals. Since their founding, OFOSA have rescued over 2,900 dogs and cats. In 2024, OFOSA rescued 323 dogs and cats with 306 adopted. This year, has taken in 276 animals, putting the organization on pace to take in over 400 animals.

Last year, 100% of cats and 35% of dogs OFOSA took in were local surrenders from families who could no longer keep the pets. They provide counseling and alternatives to families when possible. OFOSA provides medical services when needed and spay and neuter all animals that they take in. In 2024, OFOSA also spayed or neutered over 100 cats in in partnership with other trappers, targeting feral and homeless colonies.

While animals being taken in are going up, donations are down by 25% year to date in 2025. You can help by donating, fostering animals and adopting animals; following them online, and supporting their Medical Care or Pets for Life funds.

To learn more, visit the OFOSA website and watch this video produced by Pacific University students on OFOSA’s mission.

Club Calendar
Wed., Sept. 10: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: PDG Renee Campbell, Rotary Foundation

Thurs., Sept. 11: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Thurs., Sept. 18: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St.

Thurs., Sept. 18: Monthly Social Meeting/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St.
No noon meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Wed., Sept. 24: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Larry Strober, Oregon Peace Trail (Take 2)

Wed., Oct. 1: Weekly Meeting, Noon
United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Laura Rost, Bee City USA