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

This Week: We look forward to seeing you at our weekly meeting on Wednesday at noon at the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week, Erika Diaz Tofaeono will provide an update on the Forest Grove School District’s Family Resource Center, housed at Cornelius Elementary School.

Upcoming Meetings: We will be in the Boxer Pause for our Wednesday meetings through May 27. We will meet at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ on Wednesday, June 3.

Hygiene Drive For FGSD Family Resource Center: As part of Wednesday’s meeting and presentation, we are conducting a drive to collect hygiene items for the Forest Grove School District’s Family Resource Center. These type of items are important for people and families, but are often not often available at local food banks. If you are able to donate, please bring items to Wednesday’s meeting.

We will be looking to collect donations of shampoo and conditioner, body wash, hand and bar soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, dishwashing liquid, hand lotion, shaving cream, razors, baby wipes, laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, new hairbrushes, pads and tampons, deodorants, diapers, and baby rash cream. For questions, please contact Janet Peters.

Vision To Action Workshop: Thank you to the 11 club members who made time on Saturday to participate in the Vision to Action Workshop, facilitated by Rotary District 5100. This was a great day of discussion about what we hope our club will look like three years from now, We brainstormed ideas, developed plans, and started the work to help make our club more vibrant and more relevant in the community. Expect to hear more about what was discussed and the plans being made over the next few weeks. 

Plates For Passports Coming Up On May 29: It’s the same event, but with a new name and more options. Our annual Steak Feed is now known as “Plates For Passports,” reflecting the event’s goal of raising funds for our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

The 68th annual Plates For Passports will take place on Friday, May 29, 5 to 8 p.m., at the University Center at Pacific University. It is a great way to inform the community of the great things that Rotary does in our community, as well as the impact that our Youth Exchange program has not only on the participants, but also our community.

In addition to the traditional New York steak and trimmings, we will also offer a veggie burger option for the first time.

Tickets for the 2026 Plates For Passports dinner are $30 each and are now available online. Click Here To Purchase Tickets. Physical tickets to sell to community members have been provided to club members either at meetings or by mail. Each member received eight steak tickets (white) and two veggie burger tickets (green). If members want more physical tickets to sell, please contact Janet Peters. If you have sold tickets, please bring money to our meetings.

And be sure to share our social media posts on the event on both Facebook and Instagram to advertise Plates for Passports to your friends.

Club members are invited to participate in the planning for the event. Please contact Geoff Faris or Jeff Duyck for details.

Click Here To View Committee Work Assignments. If you have questions about your shifts on the day of the event, please contact the committee chair.

Habitat Project Postponed: The scheduled service project with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, May 16, has been postponed. We hope to work with Habitat to reschedule this service opportunity for later in the summer.

Rotary Youth Exchange Applications Open: The Youth Exchange Committee is currently accepting applications for the long-term and short-term exchange programs. The application deadline has been extended until Friday, June 12, so please let anyone know that you think might be interested in this exciting study abroad opportunity. Application information is available on the club’s Youth Exchange webpage.

There is also a need for host families for the 2026-27 school year. Families host an international exchange student for about 3.5 months, during which they learn first-hand about another culture and often form life-long bonds. Host families do not need to be Rotarians, but do need to go through Rotary’s Youth Exchange application, background check, and training process.

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.

Board Member Elections: Congratulations to the five Rotarians who have been elected to the club and foundation board of directors: Sarah Barbour, Kevin Harmon, Amanda Hartmann, Mackenzie Johnston Carey and Carla Kimzey. These five will begin their terms of July 1. Thank you all for your commitment and dedication to our club and to Rotary.

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, May 12. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

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. (note the change in time and frequency of meetings). The Google Meets link to the online meeting is available for club members in our email newsletter, the Rototeller.

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.

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
Youth Exchange Country Fair – This Saturday: Join the District 5100 Youth Exchange Committee, and our inbound and outbound exchange students, for the District 5100 Rotary Youth Exchange International Country Fair & Talent Show on Saturday, 1-5 p.m., at Rise Church, 10445 SW Canterbury Lane, Tigard.

Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with high school exchange students from 20 countries and from local students who will be headed abroad for the 2026-27 academic year. From 1 to 3 p.m., exchange students will conduct an international country fair. From 3 to 5 p.m. will be the annual Youth Exchange Talent Show usually held at the district conference. It is a fun afternoon to support our exchange students and learn more about one of Rotary’s hallmark youth programs.

Admission is free with donations accepted to support student scholarships. The International Country Fair is being held in conjunction with the Cascade Pacific Council of Scouting America.

Hosts Needed For Upcoming Short Term Exchange: For the past several years, District 5100 has hosted exchange students from multiple districts who provide their students with a three-and-half week railway tour starting in Los Angeles and ending in Washington D.C.

The students will arrive in Portland on Amtrak on Friday, June 19, and leave Sunday, June 21.    The students must get on the train on Sunday in Portland or Vancouver.

The district is looking for families who can take at least two students for two nights. The makeup of the exchange group is 25 students, 17 females and eight males.

This is an opportunity to meet and spend time with young people that quite often becomes a lifetime relationship with the students returning on their own to visit or the hosting family traveling to visit them in their home countries.

For more information, please contact Terry Mohr with District 5100 Rotary Youth Exchange.

End Of Year Celebration — June 3: In lieu of a district conference, District Governor Suzanne Holmberg plans to visit each region in the district for an evening to celebrate our clubs over this Rotary year. The End of Year Celebration for the Western Region (clubs in Beaverton, Forest Grove and Hillsboro) will take place the evening of Wednesday, June 3, 5:30 p.m., at Rood Bridge Park in Hillsboro.

The event is a family-friendly picnic-style event. Food will be provided Bring yourselves, your family, and maybe a friend who is interested in Rotary. We will have food, games, a short presentation by District Governor Suzanne Holmberg and some awards. It’s a great opportunity to get to know fellow Rotarians from clubs across our region, which includes Rotarians from Beaverton, Columbia County, Forest Grove and Hillsboro.

A sign-up link was provided to all club members via email. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 28. For questions, please contact Area Governor Blake Timm at 503-320-3915 or blakertimm@gmail.com.

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.

Last Week’s Program: Jenny Coyle, Pacific University
Last week was our annual presentation from fellow Rotarian Jenny Coyle, president of Pacific University. Our club presented Coyle a check for $14,700 for our annual contribution to our club’s endowed scholarship at the university.

Coyle thanked the club for the contribution and its continued partnership with the university, which in 2025-26 included the installation of peace poles on both the Forest Grove and Hillsboro campuses. Over the years, Rotary’s scholarship proceeds have served 130 students. Scholarships are the No. 1 philanthropic goal at Pacific, and the support of Rotary is a critical part of that effort.

The day of our meeting was the start of celebrations at Pacific, Coyle said. Later that day was the university’s annual Faculty & Staff Awards & Honors Celebration and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council End of Year Banquet. The stretch will culminate with the dual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16.

Today, Pacific University serves a little more than 3,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs in Forest Grove and Hillsboro, along with a handful of students in classes online and in continuing education programs.

Coyle acknowledged that higher education is in a challenging place right now. Pacific is facing those challenges head-on and proactively doubling down on its commitment to providing opportunity in higher education. Pacific’s current strategic plan is built around a goal of making Pacific Oregon’s “Opportunity University,” pushing students towards better social and economic mobility.

At Pacific, 22% of students are the first generation in their family to attend college and 32% are eligible for Pell Grants, an indicator of low income. Pacific doesn’t seek exclusivity in its student body, but the potential for every student to become a difference-maker in their community. Pacific has to work to make sure that college is affordable to all. As such, one-third of the university’s budget is dedicated to offsetting tuition costs.

Coyle said that Pacific is in the process of restructuring to help right-size the university to fits today’s student body and remain solvent into tomorrow. Additionally, Pacific is looking to provide innovative educational opportunities, including three-year degrees, enhanced career support and professional certificate programs.

Pacific is getting closer to its proposed merger with Willamette University. Coyle says that both universities dream of building something bigger together, a University of the Northwest for the Northwest. The combination has the potential to expand career pathways and build greater community networks and greater partnerships. The merger is currently in the due diligence process, where representatives are looking into each university’s finances before their boards vote on whether to proceed.

Club Calendar
Tues., May 12: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., May 13: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Erika Diaz Tofaeono, Forest Grove School District Family Resource Center

Thurs., May 14: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Fri., May 15: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Sat., May 16: Rotary Epic Day of Service – Habitat Build Project, 8 a.m.
Site will be provided to participants via email

Thurs., May 21: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Thurs., May 21: Monthly Social, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Fri., May 22: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Tues., May 26: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., May 27: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Youth Citizens of the Month (Banks), Plates For Passports Prep

Friday, May 29: Plates For Passports (Steak Feed), 5 p.m.
University Center, Pacific University Forest Grove Campus
Website | Order Tickets

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