There’s nothing more fun than some “Minute to Win It” style games to raise money for Rotary International’s PolioPlus Fund, like Rotarian Carla Kimzey did at our World Polio Day potluck. Photo by Blake Timm.

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

This Week: We hope you will join us for our weekly meeting on Wednesday at noon in the Boxer Pause Room of the University Center at Pacific University. For the second week in a row, our program comes from one of our own Rotarians as Jeannine Murrell presents on The Rotary Foundation. We hope that you will join us!

When the club meets at Pacific University, club members will pay directly for their lunches as they enter the dining commons. The cost for the all-you-care-to-eat meal is $9.75 per person. Corporate members and guests should receive lunch vouchers from treasurer Sharon Olmstead.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our weekly meetings this fall will take place at Pacific University with the exception of the following dates, when we will meet at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ: Nov. 11, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. Remember that on the third week of the month, we do not meet on Wednesdays in lieu of our monthly socials.

World Polio Day Potluck Social At Waltz Brewing: We had a great turnout of Rotarians, friends and family for our World Polio Day potluck at Waltz Brewing! If you didn’t make it, you missed out on a great evening of food, beverage, conversation and some fun games that raised funds for Rotary International’s PolioPlus Fund. By the end of the night, we had raised $1,000! Thank you to everyone for their generosity!

A special thank you to Sharon Olmstead and Parri Van Dyke for being the social together and to Lucas Welliver for the fun games.

Wreath Sales Are Back!: There is still a couple of weeks to get your orders in for our annual wreath sale! Proceeds this year will benefit Mrs. Claus Cares, the nonprofit that presented at our Sept. 2 meeting (read the Sept. 7 Rotary Rewind on the club website to learn more).

Prices remain the same as last year: $35 for a small wreath, $45 for a large wreath. Orders are due to Janet Peters by Friday, Nov. 13. Place orders by phone or email. Wreaths will be delivered on Saturday, Nov. 28. Payments by cash or check (payable to the Rotary Club of Forest Grove) are appreciated. Contact Janet if you need different options.

Indoor Pickleball Is Back: The weather is turning cool, but the pickeball is getting hot! Rotary Club of Forest Grove is sponsoring pickleball evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way, beginning on Monday. Courts will be open Monday through Thursday evenings, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Cost is $5 per person per evening to help cover rental costs.

Each evening will offer three courts for beginner, intermediate and advanced players. Players of all ages and abilities are welcome, and paddles will be provided for people who are new to the sport.

For more information on all things pickleball, including volunteer opportunities, contact Steven Barnard or visit the Forest Grove Pickle Ball Group Facebook page.

Youth Citizens of the Month: Last Wednesday, we were honored to recognize our first Rotary Youth Citizens of the Month for the 2026-27 academic year. Our congratulations to Claudia Ramos Garcia of Forest Grove High School, Evelyn Torres Ayala or Tuality Plains High School and Juliet Clark of Neil Armstrong Middle School. Read More About These Amazing Students On Our Website.

The Rotary Youth Citizen of the Month honors eighth graders and high school seniors every month during the school year. The honors are rotated between the Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston school districts. Honorees receive a certificate and a $50 gift card to Frye’s Action Athletics.

Service Day With West Tuality Habitat for Humanity: Come help West Tuality Habitat for Humanity on their next development! We have put together Rotary Club of Forest Grove Volunteer Day on Saturday, Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m., at Habitat’s new development at 2510 Mills Lane, Forest Grove. The task will be planting thousands of plants for the new development’s water collection ponds. If the task can be completed, it will save regular volunteer crews weeks of time, enabling them to keep building homes.

All supplies will be provided. Plan on wearing clothes appropriate for working outside and prepare to get muddy depending on the weather.

All Rotarians and friends of Rotary are welcome. To sign up, please visit the sign-up page on the West Tuality Habitat for Humanity website.

West Region Hygiene Drive Project: The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is teaming up with other District 5100 West Region clubs (Beaverton, Columbia County, Forest Grove Daybreak and Hillsboro) for a collaborative hygiene drive project to benefit regional food pantries and resource centers.

The goal of the project is to work together as our five clubs to identify needs in the community, to collect hygiene products for distribution, and to raise the visibility of Rotary in the area. This project had its genesis at the Vibrant Club Workshop in September.

For the Forest Grove clubs, the project will benefit the Forest Grove School District’s Family Resource Center and the North Plains Food Bank.

This project is being led by a steering committee comprised of members from four of the five clubs in our area, including Stephanie Magoulas and Blake Timm from Forest Grove, Greg Oakes and Matthew Moeller from Beaverton, Sherrie Ford of Columbia County, and Judy Willey of Hillsboro.

More information will be forthcoming. If you are interested in helping with the steering committee, or in forming a sub-committee for our club, please contact Stephanie or Blake.

Membership Committee Update: At Wednesday’s meeting, Bruce Cummings and John Schrag provided a small update on the work being done by the Membership Committee, which meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

The primary focus of the Membership Committee is building the membership of the club. As part of that, the committee is trying to build better processes for onboarding new members, as well as streamlining the experience of being a new member.

The committee is asking a lot of questions, such as:

• What are the roles in the membership process?
• What are the roles of sponsors?
• What can we do to help make new members feel welcome and involved immediately?

John noted that while he has been in the club for nearly 20 years, he has only bought in one new member to the club (with a second coming soon). He asked club members what keeps them from asking new people to join us, and then asked Rotarians to think of someone who you could invite to join us in Service Above Self.

There will be a larger presentation next week. If you have thoughts before then, send those to Evelyn Orr via email.

Pints For Polio: Thanks to our members and friends, including our fellow Rotarians from the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club, who came out to support our Pints for Polio night at The Growler Garage on Thursday, Oct. 21. It was a packed house with Rotarians, the run club and many people coming out to enjoy Thursday Night Football and the start of the NBA season. We are grateful to The Growler Garage for donating 15% of their proceeds between 6 and 8 p.m. that evening to Rotary International’s PolioPlus Fund!

Looking For Our Next Treasurer: After years of service as treasurer for our club, Sharon Olmstead is looking to find her replacement so that she can move forward in her Rotary journey. The treasurer manages the finances of the club and ensures that the club is in compliance with state, federal and Rotary International financial responsibilities. The finances of the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove are handled by our fundraising treasurer.

The treasurer is a club officer and must be a member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. If you have interest, please contact Sharon.

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, Nov. 10. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or 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.

Dilley Elementary School Carnival: Dilley Elementary’s Parent-Teacher Organization needs volunteers to help put on the school’s annual carnival on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Volunteers will be assigned a carnival game booth and help run the game, cheer on participating students and distribute prizes to the winners. Each booth will be operated by two people. The carnival helps fund important projects for Dilley, including their STEM room.

Volunteers age 18 and over must submit a background check through the Forest Grove School District.

To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit the Dilley PTO Volunteer Signup Page. If you have questions, please contact Deb Kolb, vicepresident@dilleypto.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 needs you! Despite recent staffing reductions, Centro Cultural remains committed to providing essential services to our community. With your help, we can continue making a difference!

We’re looking for friendly, caring volunteers to lend a hand at:

• Centro Mercado: Monday–Thursday morning or afternoon shifts (2–3 hours). Friday morning shift only.
• Senior Lunch Program: Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Whether you have a few hours a week or just occasionally, we’d love to have you join us!

Volunteer Manager Evelyn Orr will provide details and help you find the right fit: eorr@centrocultural.org.

A little of your time can make a big difference in someone’s day! 

Rotary Basics
What Is A Paul Harris Fellow?
One of the major recognitions in Rotary International is the Paul Harris Fellow. Simply put, a Paul Harris Fellow is presented to individuals who contribute, or have contributed in their name, at least $1,000 in their lifetime to The Rotary Foundation.

Rotary established the Paul Harris Fellow program in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Rotary’s Ambassadorial Scholarships. The program is named for Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary.

In 1957, a gift of $1,000 was a substantial amount of money, worth approximately $11,921 in 2026 dollars. In that first year, just five people were recognized for contributions made in 1957.

In the first 12 years of the program, Paul Harris Fellows were presented with a certificate. In 1969, the Foundation unveiled the first Paul Harris Fellow medallion. Today, Paul Harris Fellows receive a certificate and a pin, and have the option to purchase a medallion.

Rotarians can bestow Paul Harris Fellows on family members or others in recognition of outstanding service. This can be accomplished in two ways. A Rotarian can contribute $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation in that person’s name, or they can use Paul Harris Recognition Points to “purchase” the honor.

Donors to The Rotary Foundation receive one Paul Harris Recognition Point for each dollar donated to the Foundation. Those points can then be transferred to another individual for their Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Clubs and districts can also receive points for contributions.

Individuals can become multiple Paul Harris Fellows for each additional $1,000 contributed (or contributed in their name) to the Foundation. When written out, the designator is the acronym PHF followed by recognition of the level. For example, PHF+1 is an individual who has donated $2,000 or more. Individuals receive a new pin for each new level, which ends at PHF+8 (contributions of $9,000 or more).

Once individuals reach contributions of $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation, they receive Major Donor recognition.

The Paul Harris Society is recognition for individuals who elect to give $1,000 or more each Rotary year to The Rotary Foundation. Membership in the Paul Harris Society is signified by a blue chevron-shaped flag worn under a Paul Harris Fellow pin.

To date, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove has recognized 201 Paul Harris Fellows (Rotarians, and friends and family of Rotarians), including 49 multiple Paul Harris Fellows. Our club currently has five Paul Harris Society members.

Learn more about Paul Harris Fellows and the history of the program at rotary.org.

Rotary Glossary
Triple Crown Donor: Recognition level of The Rotary Foundation for donors who achieve three distinct milestones:

• Major Donor (cumulative cash contributions to TRF of $10,000 or more)
• Paul Harris Society Member (contributions of at least $1,000 annually to TRF)
• Bequest Society Member (planned commitment of $10,000 or more to TRF through an estate plan)

Around District 5100
Danette LaChapelle To Be District 5100 Governor In 2029-30: Danette LaChapelle has been selected as our district governor nominee designee and will serve as district governor of Rotary District 5100 during the 2029–2030 Rotary year.

“I am so excited to start this journey to be a district governor for District 5100 in 2029-2030,” says Danette LaChapelle, Rotary Club of Clackamas.  

What led her to Rotary was her passion for serving. It started as a Sunday school teacher, a lector, singing in the choir and chairing the Pastoral Council at her church.

Danette has also been involved in community service throughout her credit union career. In the early years, she taught financial education to area children, started seven high school credit union branches, as well as a book scholarship program that enabled teachers to apply for free books, just to name a few. She retired as a chief communications officer.

Danette served on several community boards, especially those that focused on children, such as the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools and the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center.

And then she found Rotary. It began with just being asked. Danette held several board positions with the Rotary Club of Greater Clark County, ending with president in 2012-13. She went on to serve three years as an assistant governor, working with the eight clubs in Clark County at the time. She loved sharing ideas and resources to help each club to be better and stronger. Danette then worked with PDG Larry Hatch as his administrative assistant governor. This led to more opportunities to serve on the district Grant Committee, organizing a major donor dinner and helping with district celebrations. Danette has also taken advantage of Rotary travel: a project in Tanzania, friendship exchange in India and several international conferences. After her retirement she joined the Rotary Club of Clackamas.

“I want to be your District Governor so I can give back to the organization that has seen me through so many experiences and personal growth,” Danette said. 

Her goals are to enhance leadership training, support the many initiatives that clubs want to accomplish, as well as bring emerging leaders to the forefront to take Rotary into the future.

Danette’s passion keeps coming back to serving, friendship and belonging through Rotary connections, clubs, trips, and projects. “I want to share the enrichment that Rotary has given me and turn my passion into a legacy of connecting people,” said Danette. “I look forward to being a part of the 125-year Rotary celebration – helping clubs to celebrate their past and create a vision for how they will continue well into the future. I want clubs to think of me as someone who listens and helps them to take action.

“Rotary feeds me. It gives me hope for the future. I want to bring that joy and sense of fulfillment to others.”

Last Week’s Program: Claudia Yakos, Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce
Last Wednesday, we were honored to receive a presentation from our own Claudia Yakos, the executive director of the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce. She provided some insight into her own journey with the chamber and some insights on what lies ahead for the organization.

Four years ago, when the chamber was on unstable financial footing, Yakos stepped in to become the volunteer executive director at the urging of late Rotarian Richard Kidd, who at the time was on the chamber’s board. As she transitioned into her permanent role as director, she brought on her daughter, Amanda, to help manage the public facing parts of the organization.

Yakos believes that chamber is more than a membership organization. She feels that the chamber owes it to the community to do what’s best for it and to let go of things if there is not a need. She believes that the chamber has a role of championing the next generation of entrepreneurs in our community.

Relationships are the real value of belonging, Yakos said. This comes through making introductions, such as in their Rise & Shine networking, leaders luncheons and ribbon cuttings; opening doors to business with business spotlight, member directories and newsletters; and by being a voice by convening leaders and bringing business concerns into civic conversations.

Yakos discussed the small business incubator center that the chamber has developed and that is housed at the Cornelius Public Library. In one year, 18 businesses have launched through the incubator. The services of the incubator program are provided free of charge through grant funding.

The chamber is present at key signature events. Yakos sees the chamber’s role as supporting community events, not to compete with them. The chamber does have its own events that it hosts annually, including Corn Roast, Wine Walk and Holiday Tree Lighting.

The chamber now handles Forest Grove’s marketing and tourism, with Amanda Yakos leading the effort. Tourism is about economic development, increasing awareness of FG outside of our community and connecting visitors with restaurants, wineries, shops, lodging and more. Partnership is how this work becomes possible.

How can we build a stronger chamber? Yakos says it takes stronger systems. The chamber has partnered with the Boxer Marketing Group through Pacific University to work with the chamber on marketing and programming. Work continues on modernizing systems, sustaining thoughtful involvement in staffing and operations, and focusing on keeping resources directed toward services with community value.

Learn more about the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce by visiting their website, fgcchamber.org.

Club Calendar
Wed., Nov. 4: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Jeannine Murrell, Rotary Foundation

Tues., Nov. 10: Membership Committee Meeting, 4 p.m.
Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, 2417 Pacific Ave.

Wed., Nov. 11: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Nick Stier, Malawi Community Health Clubs Global Grant Project and Rotarian of the Month

Thurs., Nov. 12: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Online

Thurs., Nov. 18: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Location TBD

Thurs., Nov. 18: Monthly Social, 6:30 p.m.
Location TBD
No Wednesday Meeting on Nov. 17

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

Wed., Nov. 25: No Meeting. Happy Thanksgiving!