President-Elect Hector Mendez-Colberg accepts “The Ripple Effect Award” for our club from District Governor Susanne Holmberg at the West Region End of Year Celebration on June 3, 2026. Photo by Pamelajean Myers.

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

This Week: Be sure to join us for our weekly meeting on Wednesday at noon in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. Join us for a special meeting as we honor our 2026 Rotary Club of Forest Grove Scholarship recipients. We look forward to seeing you!

This meeting has a catered lunch. If you would like lunch provided, please email Parri Van Dyke by this Sunday. If you do not RSVP, you are welcome to attend the meeting, but you will need to provide your own lunch.

Upcoming Meetings: Our summer weekly Wednesday meetings are scheduled to be in the Boxer Pause in the University Center at Pacific University. Please watch the Rototeller newsletter for any changes to meeting location.

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.

Club Wins Awards At Regional End Of Year Celebration: Our club was well represented at Wednesday’s West Region End of Year Celebration at Hillsboro’s Rood Bridge Park. 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.

Save The Date – President’s End Of Year Dinner: All Rotarians are invited to join President Andrea Stewart on Thursday, June 18, for our annual year-end dinner and celebration at the home of Sharon & Adrian Olmstead. Enjoy dinner, fellowship with your fellow Rotarians, and a look back at what has made this year a success. Please RSVP at our weekly meetings or by contacting Andrea. As per our usual schedule, we will not have a Wednesday meeting on June 17.

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.

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.

If you have not turned in your ticket money, or have unsold tickets, please return those to Janet Peters as soon as possible. Both are very important to figure the final proceeds from the event and begin planning for next year.

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 9. 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.

Members of the community and Rotarians who wish to volunteer can sign up at 2026 Concours d’Elegance Public Group. 

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.

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
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 at 503-319-0369, or tmohryeo@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, wickhamdj@comcast.net.

Club Calendar
Tues., June 9: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., June 10: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Rotary Scholarship Recipients

Thurs., June 11: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Online

Fri., June 12: Concours Steering Committee Meeting, 9 a.m.
Online

Thurs., June 18: Board Meeting
Time & Location TBD

Thurs., June 18: End of Year President’s Dinner
Home of Sharon & Adrian Olmstead
No Noon Meeting On Wednesday, June 17

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

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