On April 2, we presented our annual scholarship check to Pacific University raised from proceeds from the annual Concours d’Elegance. From left: Club President Lucas Welliver, Pacific University President Jenny Coyle and Scholarship Committee Chair Sharon Olmstead.

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

This Week’s Meeting: We hope you will join us this week for our meeting at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way (across from Pacific University). Join us as we celebrate our Youth Citizens of the Month from the Forest Grove School District.

As this meeting requires catering, an RSVP for lunch was due to Claire Agner on Sunday, Apr. 6. If you did not RSVP, you are still welcome to attend the meeting but please provide your own lunch.

Upcoming Meetings: Please note the meeting locations for the following dates in April:

• Wed., April 9: Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
• Wed., Apr. 23: Forest Grove School District Offices, 1728 Main St.

Board Nominations: Our club is starting the process of nominating four new members of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove’s Board of Directors. There are three-year positions to replace outgoing board members Melinda Fischer, Hector Mendez-Colberg, Andrew Van Dyke and Parri Van Dyke. Board involvement usually involves meetings of one to two hours per month. Currently, the Board of Directors meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 a.m. According to the club bylaws, membership of at least one year is required to be considered.

If you have questions on the duties and requirements of board members, please contact President Lucas Welliver. If you would like to nominate a member of would like to self-nominate, please contact Secretary Claire Agner via email.

Steak Feed: Tickets are now available for our 67th Annual Steak Feed, which takes place on Friday, June 6, 5-8 p.m., at the University Center on Pacific University’s Forest Grove Campus. Tickets were handed out to members who were in attendance at last week’s meeting. If you were not there, expect to receive yours in the mail soon.

Each club member is being asked to support the cause by selling 10 tickets to the event. Each ticket is $25 and includes a barbequed New York Steak, salad, baked potato, roll, beans, beverage and dessert. To-go options will be available. Please sell tickets to your family, friends, enemies, acquaintances, anyone who would enjoy a good meal.

This fundraiser specifically benefits our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. This upcoming Rotary Year, we will be sending two students outbound to Mexico and Denmark. We will also have an inbound student this year from Turkey.

This is an all-hands-on-deck event for the club, with every member’s participation important to its success. Committee assignments were provided to club members in the Rototeller newsletter. If you will not be able to attend, or have questions about your assignment, please contact the designated committee chair you are assigned to. For more information, contact Steak Feed chair Geoff Faris.

Change In Leadership For Youth Exchange: The club would like to thank Melinda Fischer for her years of service as our club’s Rotary Youth Exchange officer. She has decided to step aside from the role at the end of this Rotary year. This is an important role for our involvement in the Youth Exchange program and we are incredibly grateful for Melinda’s leadership.

We are excited to announce that Sarah Barbour has agreed to become the club’s new Youth Exchange Committee chair effective July 1 and will work with Melinda to ensure a smooth transition. Sarah and her husband, Al Weiss, have been involved with the Youth Exchange program through their daughters. Thank you, Sarah, for stepping into this role!

Youth Exchange Baked Goods For Shelterbox: This Wednesday, our Rotary Youth Exchange students will have baked goods that will go towards District 5100 Youth Exchange’s fundraising for Shelterbox. There is no set price for the baked goods but donations of any amount are appreciated.

March Madness Updates: The madness is officially over. Congratulations to the Florida men and the UConn women on winning the Division I basketball championships. And congratulations to our winners in the club’s annual bracket challenge, who will receive points towards their first or next Paul Harris Fellow. And, of course, the biggest winner is The Rotary Foundation.

Men’s Tournament: 1, Fisher’s Brady’s Madness Bracket (the only one to pick Florida to win it); 2, Michael (not sure which one, but he picked Auburn as his national champ); 3, Pete Van Dyke.

Women’s Tournament: 1, Paul Waterstreet (who correctly picked UConn to win); 2, Blake Timm; 3, Pete Van Dyke.

Garden Cleanup & The Satellite Club: Beginning this spring, members of our Satellite Club are planning on taking a larger role in the maintenance of our McDougall Garden, located between Pacific and 19th avenues near the big flagpole. A planning and work session took place on Saturday, Mar. 22. Thanks to Satellite Club director Hector Mendez-Colberg and Garden Committee chair Geoff Faris for bringing the group together. We also thank the following Rotarians and friends for their work and service: Michael Yakos, Janet Peters and Rus Peters, and future Rotarians Carla and TJ Kimzey.

Rotary Foundation Giving Update: Our club continues to be ardent supporters of The Rotary Foundation! As of April 7, we have exceeded our goal for TRF annual fund contributions, raising so far $10,827 out of our goal of $7,500. We have also surpassed our annual goal for PolioPlus of $3,000 with $3,801 raised!

It is never too late to think about making a contribution to The Rotary Foundation and the good TRF dollars make within our community and around the world. To make a one-time donation, or to set up a recurring donation through Rotary Direct, visit the Rotary International website or contact club Foundation Chair Michael Yakos.

What Is A Paul Harris Fellow?: A Paul Harris Fellow recognizes individuals who have given a lifetime total of $1,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation. This includes contributions to the foundation’s Annual Fund, PolioPlus or an approved grant. Only contributions to The Rotary Foundation count towards Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Donations to our club’s foundation do not count towards that recognition. Donors are also recognized as multiple Paul Harris Fellows for each additional $1,000 of lifetime giving to the foundation.

Rotarians can also recognize a family member, friend or community member with a Paul Harris Fellow with a donation in that person’s name or through the use of recognition points earned through your giving (Rotarians receive one point for each dollar donated).

Individuals who donate $1,000 per year to The Rotary Foundation are recognized as members of the Paul Harris Society.

To date, our club has 39 current Rotarians who are Paul Harris Fellows and 23 who are multiple Paul Harris Fellows. All-time, our club has recognized 200 Paul Harris Fellows and 47 multiple Paul Harris Fellows.

Pickleball Evenings – Presented By Rotary: The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is helping to sponsor indoor pickleball Monday through Thursday evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way. Coordinated by Rotarian Steven Barnard, the evenings run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There is a $5 fee to help cover facility rental. Players of all ages and ability levels are welcome with reserved courts for beginners and intermediate-level players.

Proceeds from the pickleball evenings go to cover facility rental for the armory, but also to help fund the Forest Grove School District Community Alternative Learning Center’s (CALC) Career & Technical Education (CTE) Fridays. At our Jan. 29 meeting, our club presented a $5,000 check to Tim Graham, principal of CALC, to benefit the program.

For more information on the pickleball evenings, please contact Steven at 443-454-5177 or sbarnard@fgsd.k12.or.us.

Have A Program Idea? Let Hector Know!: Do you have an idea for a program presentation that you would like to see at our meetings? Let our incoming program director, Hector Mendez-Colberg know as he is setting up the schedule for 2025.

Greeters Are Back: President Lucas is bringing back the role of having greeters at our weekly meetings. This role will not be pre-assigned. Instead, the ninth and 10th Rotarians showing up a meeting each week will serve as greeters. Please be prepared to take on that responsibility and let President Lucas know if you have any questions.

Concours d’Elegance News
Concours Sponsorships: The Concours Committee is actively procuring sponsors for the 2025 show, which takes place on Sunday, July 20. If you know of a business or individual that might be interested in sponsoring our signature event, please contact Janet Peters at 503-679-6479 or rjlc4peters@msn.com, or Amy Tracewell at 541-844-9467 or amy.tracewell@pacificu.edu.

Concours Entries Now Open: If you or someone you know is interested in entering their classic car into the Concours d’Elegance, entries are now open. Visit The Concours Website for entry details and a list of this year’s judged and exhibition classes. There is a suggested donation of $100 per entry with proceeds benefitting the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove.

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.

CALC Volunteer Opportunities: Forest Grove School District’s Community Alternative Learning Center (CALC) has two volunteer opportunities for Rotarians and friends. The school is looking for volunteers to assist with interviewing students for mock job interviews. There will be another opportunity forthcoming on a victory garden that is being planted at school. Both opportunities will take place at a date to be determined.

If you are interested in either opportunity or if you have questions, please contact principal Tim Graham at 503-730-4490 or tgraham@fgsd.k12.or.us, or Steven Barnard at 443-454-5177 or sbarnard@fgsd.k12.or.us.

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
District 5100 Spring Training – April 12: It is not too late to register for the 2025 Rotary District 5100 Spring Training, which takes place via Zoom this Saturday. Registration is now open on DacDB.

Whether you are a rookie or a seasoned player, this virtual event has required position-specific training and elective courses to help you knock your Rotary skills out of the park.

Classes are open to any Rotarian and include sessions on international service, The Rotary Foundation and grants, membership & culture, public image & communication, and operations & club leadership. There will also be a keynote session at 12:15 p.m. by executive coach Val Markos. Click Here To View Complete Schedule.

Swing by from anywhere and get ready to hit the ground running for a winning Rotary season. Don’t let this pitch pass you by — let’s make 2025 the championship year for your club!

Rotary Expo – Saturday, May 3: Our club is among the many in District 5100 that will participate in the Rotary Expo. This exhibition of everything great about Rotary takes place on Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Wingspan Event & Conference Center in Hillsboro.

The Rotary Expo will feature 43 booths, showcasing projects from District 5100 Rotary clubs and partner organizations. The event will also have the Jubitz Family Foundation’s indoor Global Peace Village, which will be showcased at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary in June. A peace pole will also be planted during the day.

The expo will also include entertainment from a number of local groups as well as the annual District 5100 Rotary Youth Exchange Talent Show.

Our club will be signing up volunteers to man our booth soon. We also plan to have a classic car on site to promote our annual Concours d’Elegance. Please download the event flyer to share with friends and on your social media platforms.

In addition to our booth, the district is in need of volunteers to help make the entire event flow well. If you can commit time, please visit the Volunteer Online Signup to see how you can help make the Rotary Expo a success. Event volunteers are needed for both Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3.

Last Week’s Program: Jenny Coyle, Pacific University
At last week’s meeting, we were honored to receive an update from Rotarian Jenny Coyle, president of Pacific University.

Prior to her presentation, the club presented a check for $15,200 towards the Rotary Club of Forest Grove’s annual and endowed scholarship funds at the university. The check represents a portion of the proceeds from our annual Concours d’Elegance car show, held on the Pacific campus. Jenny thanks the club for its continued support of Pacific students through Concours. She is proud to be a member of our club and a member of an organization and community that continues to value higher education.

This year, Pacific University is 175th anniversary with a number of special events throughout the spring. The university was founded in 1849 by Tabitha Brown, who emigrated over the Oregon Trail. Upon arriving in what is now Forest Grove, she became aware of many orphaned children left by settlers that left to seek their fortune in the gold rush. Pacific continues to be a community of care, of belonging and purpose.

Pacific is the first college or university in Oregon to offer degrees in teaching, optometry, physical therapy and occupational therapy. It is the No. 1 private research in the Pacific Northwest and the second largest preparer of healthcare workers in Oregon. Pacific is one of 11 private colleges in the state that contribute $3.5 billion to the economy each year.

Jenny took time to detail some of the challenges facing higher education, not just at Pacific but across the country. Higher education is anticipating a serious drop in enrollment with the number of college-age young adults dropping steadily over the next few years. There is also a national narrative that higher education does not matter, despite the fact that data shows that students that earn a bachelor’s degree earn $1 million more over a lifetime than just with a high school diploma.

Pacific is continuing to find ways to meet the challenges, modernizing and upgrading institution to help connect students better to career pathways. One way is through the Pacific Priority program, which provides a four-year undergraduate graduation guarantee and a two-year graduation guarantee to students transferring in with an associate’s degree.

The school’s guaranteed grad school admission program provides the opportunity for incoming students to apply for and receive a guaranteed seat in one of Pacific’s 11 graduate programs provided they meet specific academic milestones set by those graduate programs.

Club Calendar
Wed., Apr. 9: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Youth Citizen of the Month/Club Assembly, Board Elections

Thurs., Apr. 10: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Apr. 16: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Andie Shepard, Alzheimer’s Association

Thurs., Apr. 17: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Apr. 23: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Grove Room, Forest Grove School District Offices, 1728 Main St.
Program: Laurin von Orelli, Rotary Youth Exchange

Fri., June 6: Steak Feed, 5 p.m.
University Center, Pacific University

Fri., Jan. 18-Sun., July 20
Concours d’Elegance Weekend