Tanner Hoskins (left) and Kelly Stolp (center) of the Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project visit with club Program Chair Javin Frelin at our Feb. 11 club meeting. Photo by John Schrag.

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

This Week – Social Meeting: It is the third week of the month, so we invite all club members and friends to join us on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., for our monthly social. Come on out to enjoy dinner, drinks, conversation and fellowship with your fellow Rotarians. We hope to see you there! We will not have a Wednesday meeting this week.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our Wednesday meetings in February, as well as on March 4, will be in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. Our meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 11, will take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way.

Announcements At Meetings: If you have an announcement that you would like to give at a meeting, please let President Andrea know in advance. This will assist her in planning out our full meetings better. Thank you!

February Youth Citizen Of The Month: Gaston school counselor Karissa Fordyce Worst pulled double-duty during Wednesday’s Rotary meeting, playing the role of school counselor and proud parent.

Her daughter, Evalyn Fordyce, the club’s February Youth Citizen of the Month, is an eighth grader at Gaston Junior/Senior High who is active in sports and excels in the classroom. But Fordyce Worst said was most gratified at seeing her daughter’s concern for others. “She looks out for the little guy,” she said. “The student who needs a friend, who needs to be welcomed into a new school. It’s an honor to watch her grow as a leader, in so many ways.” Read More On The Club Website.

Gaston’s other Youth Citizen of the Month honoree was unable to attend Wednesday’s meeting and will be recognized at a later date.

Crab Feed Is On April 2: Be sure to join us on Thursday, Apr. 2, for our annual Crab Feed at the Forest Grove Senior & Community Center. Join us for an evening of fellowship with Rotarians and friends of our club. We will honor members who have earned Paul Harris Fellows or their PHF level, and raise some money for The Rotary Foundation too. Spouses and significant others are invited for this social evening.

Tickets will be $45 per person for the full crab dinner, $30 for a chicken parmesan and ravioli dinner, and $25 for a vegetarian ravioli dinner.

Available to purchase and take home are two packs of steaks for $20 and one-pound packages of crab meat for $45. Bottles of red and white wine will be available for purchase after the event for $20 per bottle (limited supply). Links for ordering dinner and take-home items will be available soon.

The Crab Feed Committee continues to invite members who want to help in the planning and execution of the evening. If you want to take part, contact our Crab Feed chair, Julia Kollar.

Save The Date – Club Social With Daybreak & Hillsboro Clubs: Mark your calendars for an evening of fellowship with Rotarians from the Forest Grove Daybreak and Hillsboro clubs on Thursday, Apr. 30, from 5-7 p.m. The location of this social is still to be determined. If you are interested in being part of this social gathering, please let President Andrea know.

Vision To Action Workshop – May 9: Help us shape the future of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. Club members are invited to a Vision To Action Workshop, facilitated by District 5100, on Saturday, May 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Boxer Learning Center in Pacific University’s Stoller Center (athletic complex). The workshop is designed to help us think about how we want out club to progress and grow into the future, and help shape our club’s three-year action plan (something that Rotary International is now requiring for all clubs). All club members are invited to participate. More details coming soon.

Steak Feed Is On May 29: Our annual Steak Feed is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 5 to 8 p.m., at the University Center at Pacific University. The Steak Feed is a fundraiser for our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program and a great opportunity to show the local community what we do.

There are changes coming to this year’s event in an effort to draw more interest, including a new branding, an expanded menu and possible local entertainment. Club members are invited to participate in the planning for the event. A committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, following our weekly Rotary meeting.

More information on tickets and work assignments will be available closer to the event. In the meantime, please contact Geoff Faris or Jeff Duyck with any questions.

Pickleball Evenings: Our club is sponsoring the weekly indoor pickleball gatherings for the second straight year. The evening weeknight games (5:30-8 p.m., Monday-Thursday) are in full swing. Follow The Forest Grove Pickleball Facebook group to get all of the details. The armory is located at 2950 Taylor Way, Forest Grove.

Our master of everything pickleball, Steven Barnard, is looking for a regular host for the Thursday night session. If you are a regular host, you are able to play other evenings free of charge for the entire season. To learn more, contact Steven.

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, Feb. 24. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

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, at 503-597-9355. NOTE: To assist with the transport of Youth Exchange students, you must complete the District 5100 Youth Protection Training and undergo a background check with the district.

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 Tuesday at 9 a.m. (note the change in time and frequency of meetings). If you wish to take part in this week’s meeting, please contact Concours Chair Bruce Cummings for the meeting link.

Concours Committee Updates: Here are the latest updates in the planning for our 52nd Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance, Sunday, July 19 on the Forest Grove Campus of Pacific University.

• The committee plans to finalize the design of the 2026 show poster soon.

• The committee is reviewing two different scoring programs to use for this year’s show. This will replace the system that we have used for many years. 

• An email newsletter was sent out to the Concours mailing list of car owners, past attendees and car enthusiasts on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Social media posts also advertise the date on both Facebook and Instagram.

• The planning for this year’s car tour is underway. Sharon Olmstead is chairing the planning committee. The goal for the tour is 2026 is to develop partnerships with local businesses that will help finance the tour so that there is no cost to the club.

• Mallory Hiefield and Carla Kinzey will be assisting Tom Raabe with judging this year and learning the process to ensure continuity into future editions of the show.

• Sponsorship procurement for the show has begun. If you have leads on potential sponsors, please direct those leads to Amy Tracewell, Janet Peters or Stephanie Magoulas.

• The Concours has been invited to participate in the Oregon International Car Show, Feb. 19-22 at the Oregon Convention Center.

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 two 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.

Family Resource Center: The Forest Grove School District’s Family Resource Center, located at Cornelius Elementary School, is in need of volunteers to assist with sorting donations and preparing food boxes to go out to families in need in our community. The center is generally open and available for volunteers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you want to volunteer or have questions about volunteering, please contact Melissa Timm.

Volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application through the Forest Grove School District. Visit the District’s Website (Linked Here) To Complete The Application.

If you do volunteer (or have already volunteered) at the Family Resource Center, please report your hours to club secretary Claire Agner. We are working on tracking hours for reporting to Rotary International.

Around District 5100
Spring Training In On April 11: This year’s District 5100 Spring Training event will take place on Saturday, Apr. 11, at Forest Grove High School. Spring Training consists of a number of classes to help Rotarians learn more about how Rotary and the district works, as well as specialized training for presidents-elect, secretaries, treasurers and Rotary Foundation chairs. The event will also have required trainings for clubs that plan to participate in District Matching Grants, Global Grants, Youth Exchange and for any club involved with any initiatives involving youth. Look for registration and class offerings soon.

End Of Year Celebration Is On 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 at Rood Bridge Park in Hillsboro.

Area Governor Blake Timm is looking for a small committee of Rotarians to help with the planning and execution of the event. If you are interested in assisting, or would like more information, please contact Blake.

Rotary Day At The Portland Timbers To “Stock The Box” For ShelterBox: Join fellow Rotarians from District 5100 as Rotary and the Portland Timbers are coming together to Stock The Box to raise funds for ShelterBox.

The special Rotary day will feature the Timbers hosting the LA Galaxy on Sunday, March 22, 1:30 p.m., at Providence Park. Enjoy Rotary fellowship, meet some of our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Students, and raise funds for disaster relief.

If you have ever wanted to see a Timbers’ match in person, now is the time — at the lowest price in the stadium, a discounted rate offered by our Timbers’ partners and beside your Rotary friends. This year, we will have assigned seating alongside the Timbers Army, where their “wall of sound” energy is non-stop. If you dare, you can go say hello to club members Jeannine Murrell and Pamelajean Myers inside the Timers Army session.

A total of $5 from each ticket we purchase will go directly to ShelterBox. Order tickets at this special link.

Last Week’s Program – Tanner Hoskins, Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project
Did you ever consider what happens when search and rescue operations fail to find the people they’re looking for?

Club members on Wednesday learned about a local nonprofit that looks to bring closure to families whose loved ones are deemed “cold-case missing persons.” Tanner Hoskins explained the origin of the Pacific Northwest Missing Persons Project, which “extends the search when traditional operations have failed.”

Hoskins, who lives in Gales Creek, said his group of volunteers are all outdoor enthusiasts who have been trained how to conduct methodical “deployments,” working (to various degrees) with local law enforcement officials in areas where no trace has yet been found of a missing person. He said group members have been out on behalf of the family of 78-year-old Thomas Weightman, who left his Gales Creek home on Oct. 14 and has not yet been found.

To learn more about the group and how you can support its efforts, visit the project’s website (pnwmpp.org) or contact Hoskins at 971-216-1040.

Club Calendar
Tues., Feb. 17: Concours Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

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

Thurs., Feb. 18: Monthly Social Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Tues., Feb. 24: Concours Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Tues., Feb. 24: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove

Wed., Feb. 25: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Sarah Barbour, Youth Exchange Program & Youth Citizens of the Month

Wed., Mar. 4: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Rotary Foundation Presentation

Thurs., Apr. 2: Crab Feed
Forest Grove Senior & Community Center

Sat., May 9: Club Vision To Action Planning, 9 a.m.
Boxer Learning Center, Stoller Center, Pacific University Forest Grove Campus

Friday, May 29: Steak Feed, 5 p.m.
University Center, Pacific University Forest Grove Campus

Sunday, July 19: Concours d’Elegance
Pacific University Forest Grove Campus