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 on Wednesday in the Boxer Pause room in the University Center at Pacific University. Join us we honor of 2025 high school scholarship recipients!

Upcoming Meetings: All of our meetings in June and July will take place in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University.

Youth Exchange Featured In News-Times: Just in time for our Steak Feed, our club, our exchange students and the Rotary Youth Exchange program was featured by the Forest Grove News-Times. The feature, published online on June 6, the News-Times talked to both our inbound exchange student, Laurin von Orelli, and our two outbound students, Irene Barbour-Weiss and Danny Cervantes. It also detailed our commitment to the program for 50-plus years. Click Here To Read The Article.

A special thank you to our incoming Youth Exchange Officer, Sarah Barbour, for coordinating the interviews with our exchange students.

Steak Feed – Thank You!: It was a little warm, but otherwise our 67th Annual Steak Feed was another great success. Thank you to all of our Rotarians and friends who made it a wonderful community event and a special thank you to our Steak Feed Committee chair, Geoff Faris, for his year-round work on this event. We hope to have fundraising totals to share soon.

If you have not already done so, please bring money for purchased Steak Feed tickets or any unsold tickets to next week’s meet so that the committee can tally total tickets sold and attendance.

McDougall Garden Work Party: Thank you to everyone who came out to take part in the McDougall Garden cleanup work party on Saturday,  May 31 to help get the garden ready for summer! Participants in the service event included Carl Heisler, Steven Barnard, Parri Van Dyke, Hector Mendez-Colberg, Melinda Fischer, Amy Tracewell, Carla Kinzey, Janet Peters, Rus Peters and Javin Frelin.

As Seen In Rotary Magazine: Have you seen the June 2025 edition of Rotary Magazine yet? If not, you probably haven’t seen our club’s Concours d’Elegance featured in the magazine’s events calendar on page 57. The mention puts our annual fundraising event in front of thousands of Rotarians across the country and around the globe! The Rotary Club of Lake Oswego also received a mention, giving District 5100 two mentions in the same magazine.

Hillsboro Rotary Fourth of July Parade: Mark your calendars for Friday, July 4 as our club will once again be marching in the Hillsboro Rotary Fourth of July Parade to promote the annual Concours d’Elegance. A sign-up sheet for parade volunteers is being circulated at weekly meetings. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. More details will be coming closer to the event.

Save The Date – End Of Year Celebration: Be sure to save the evening of Wednesday, July 2 for our annual End of the Year Celebration at the home of Sharon Olmstead. Details to come soon. Join us as we celebrate our accomplishments in Lucas Welliver’s year as president and welcome Andrea Stewart for her presidential year. There will be no noon meeting on Wednesday, July 2.

In Memoriam – Herb Drew: Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Herb Drew, who passed away on April 25. Herb was a member of our club from 1978 to 2016 and served as club president during the 1983-84 Rotary year. A 1960 graduate of Pacific University, Herb was a longtime insurance and owned Herb Drew & Associates Insurance in Forest Grove. In addition to Rotary, Herb was involved with Kiwanis and the Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce, and was a past member of the Forest Grove City Council and the Pacific University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Click Here To Read The Full Obituary.

A celebration of life service for Herb will be on Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m., at the Forest Grove United Methodist Church.

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
Volunteers Needed – Sign Up Now!: The 2025 Concours is just around the corner on July 20. As you know, we require “all hands on deck” to make this event a success. We need club members and community members for roles that include campus set-up and takedown, parking lot attendance, ticket-takers at gates, merchandise sales and so much more. It is an expectation that all club members sign up for at least one volunteer shift.

Please visit the Concours Volunteer Signup Page on Sign-Up Genius today to secure your volunteer spot. If you have questions, contact the area director that you worked with last year or email volunteer coordinator Steve Mann at stevemann503@gmail.com.

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.

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
Nominations Open For 2028-29 District Governor: Are you a passionate and committed Rotarian with a vision for service and leadership? Applications are now being accepted for the role of Rotary District 5100 governor for the 2028–2029 Rotary year. This is your opportunity to lead, inspire, and make a lasting impact across our district and beyond.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Must have been a Rotarian for at least seven (7) years before applying for office, and in good standing with their club in the district
• Must have served as a club president.
• Must demonstrate outstanding leadership, organizational, and communication skills and knowledge of the position of governor as prescribed in the RI Bylaws.
• Must demonstrate willingness, commitment, and ability to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a governor.
• Must be committed to the ideals and values of Rotary International.

As District Governor, you will:
• Serve as the official representative of Rotary International in your district.
• Support and strengthen Rotary clubs.
• Inspire innovation and service through district-wide initiatives.
• Promote membership growth and community engagement.
• Lead with integrity, compassion, and vision.

Nomination Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit Nominations To: The District 5100 office: office@district5100.org

If you have questions about what the role of district governor entails, speak with our own district governor, Jeannine Murrell.

Let your Rotary journey reach new heights. Step forward and lead our district into the future.

Last Week’s Program: Lara Dexheimer, North Plains Food Bank
At last week’s meeting, we were introduced to the North Plains Food Bank by Lara Dexheimer. The North Plains Food Bank began in November 2023, serving just 193 people. In less than a year, that number has grown to nearly 1,000. What sets this food bank apart is its dignified, choice-based model — clients shop for the food and household items they need, creating a grocery store-style experience.

Because the Oregon Food Bank is no longer accepting new partners, the North Plains Food Bank is entirely locally funded. Each week, they receive 4,000 pounds of food, but it still costs between $2,500 and $3,000 per month to meet demand.

The food bank now supports 342 households across 15 communities, including 92 households (462 people) in North Plains and 23 households (73 people) in Forest Grove. Nearly half of those served are seniors. For 10 seniors who are homebound, food is delivered directly to their doors.

Their vision extends beyond food. They aim to be a comprehensive community resource, ensuring no family or elder goes without the essentials.

To meet the growing need, they the Food Bank is seeking support from individuals, businesses, and organizations. One major upcoming effort is Kickstart2School, an event to provide 650 kindergarten through 12th grade students with new shoes, school supplies, and essential services before the new school year begins. The event takes place on Saturday, July 19, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Plains Elementary. They are currently collecting backpacks and school supplies, and donations can be made through their Amazon wish list.

In addition to their weekly work, they also offer Thanksgiving and Christmas meals where families can choose the ingredients that suit them best — maintaining dignity and honoring individual needs during the holidays.

To learn more, visit npfoodbank.com or contact the Food Bank at 503-442-8060 or info@npfoodbank.com.

Club Calendar
Wed., June 11: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Scholarship Presentations

Thurs., June 12: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., June 18: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Izzy Rodriguez, Youth Exchange Experience In Argentina

Thurs., June 19: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., June 25: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: John Schrag, UpliftLocal News

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