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

This Week – Thursday Social!: It is the third week of the month, so we will not have our regular Wednesday meeting. Instead, plan on joining us for our monthly social on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St. Join us for a nice evening of fellowship with our fellow Rotarians and friends. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Meetings: All of our Wednesday meetings through the end of September will take place in the Boxer Pause room in the University Center at Pacific University. Our meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 1, will take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way.

About The Third Week Social Meetings: Rotary is all about service and fellowship and we’re bringing both to life in a new way. Our club has replaced its noon meetings on the third Wednesday of each month a social evening on the third Thursday of each month in conjunction with our Satellite Club. These socials will take place at Zesti Carts, 2131 Yew St., at 6:30 p.m.

The hope is that these new social meetings will provide a chance for club members to bond better with one another, to better connect those who attend our Satellite Club meetings, and to align better with the fifth point of The Four-Way Test: Is it fun?

Bring your significant other, invite a friend and come ready to meet someone new. Let’s make these evenings a place for fun, connection and the shared purpose that makes Rotary meaningful. We can’t wait to see you there!

Peace Pole Dedication At Pacific University – Sept. 26: Join Forest Grove’s Rotary clubs and Pacific University for the dedication of a new peace pole on Pacific’s Forest Grove Campus on Friday, Sept. 26, 1:30 p.m. The pole will be installed near Old College Hall and the Faith Gabelnick Labyrinth, which was built by our club in 2004. A light reception will be held after the dedication in Old College Hall.

This will be the second peace pole installed on the Pacific campuses. A third pole will be installed this spring on the Hillsboro Campus. The pole is made possible by contributions from our club, the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club, and the Jubitz Family Foundation.

Pacific University and the Rotary Club of Forest Grove have shared a long relationship. We would like to see as many Rotarians as possible there to celebrate that relationship and this symbol of peace. We hope to see you there.

Change To Lunch Procedures For Meetings At Pacific: As we return to Pacific, we will be taking lunch through the dining commons in the University Center. The university’s food service provider, Bon Appetit, had updated the way lunches are purchased for our meetings. Beginning on August 27, all members and guests will need to check in with the treasurer before going through the commons to purchase a lunch voucher.

• If you are billed for lunch, you will still need to check in to receive your voucher.
• All guests will also need a voucher to enter the commons.
• The cost for lunch remains at $10.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we transition to this new process. If you have questions, please contact President Andrea Stewart or Treasurer Sharon Olmstead.

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. This would begin on Wednesday, Sept. 3. 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 undergone a background check with the district.

Club Excellence Award: Once again, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove is a recipient of the Club Excellence Award for the 2024-25 Rotary year. The award recognizes a club’s ability to grow and be vibrant. To qualify, clubs must set at least half of the 28 annual goals set by each Rotary International president and meet the goals that they chose to pursue.

At our Sept. 3 meeting, Area Governor Blake Timm presented the Club Excellence Award certificate to Past President Lucas Welliver. Congratulations to our entire club for helping to meet our goals and continue to rank our club among the top in Rotary District 5100!

Community Service Coordinator: Our thanks to one of our newest Rotarians, Amanda Hartmann, who has stepped forward to assume the role of our community service coordinator. If you have ideas for ways that our club can provide service to our local communities, please talk with Amanda.

Membership Committee: The club’s Membership Committee is looking for additional club members who want to make the experience in our club the best for current members and to find new members. The committee will be talking about what we can do to retain members, the recently completed club member survey, and what we can our members can provide to make this club that we can continue to be proud of.

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

Memorial Service For Rick Kaufmann: We are sad to report that Rick Kaufman, a former member of our club and a longtime volunteer with the Concours d’Elegance, passed away earlier this year. A memorial service is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m., at the Log Chapel on the campus of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Our condolences go out to Rick’s family and friends, and we are grateful for his longtime contributions to Concours and to Rotary.

Steaks Available For Purchase: Our club has 19 packages of steak left over from the Steak Feed available for purchase. Packs of two choice New York steaks are available for $20 each. If you are interested, please contact Janet Peters.

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.

Corn Roast Volunteers Needed: The Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce will host the 61st annual Corn Roast on Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., along College Way and the west lawns of Pacific University. This annual community includes vendors, a welcome to new educators in the community, and the Corn Roast meal for all to enjoy.

Volunteers are needed for both set-up and takedown, corn shucking, helping serve meals, and traffic control. Volunteers are needed for multiple shifts. If you are able to help, wear your Rotary shirt so you can let people know that our club is out helping in the community!

To sign up, please visit the Sign Up Genius site for the Corn Coast. For more information, contact the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce.

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
Vibrant Club Workshop: All Rotarians are invited to take part in District 5100’s Vibrant Club Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 27, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The pod for the Western Region clubs (Forest Grove, Hillsboro & Beaverton) will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 372 NE Lincoln St., Hillsboro.

This year’s Rotary Vibrant Workshop will provide hands-on club integration of funding, public image and membership. Membership grows and retains Rotarians when clubs have meaningful service projects that are well promoted and provide meaningful community contributions. The workshop will share successful strategies that clubs in our district have used to grow their membership.

Club executive leaders and board members are highly encouraged to attend, but all Rotarians are welcome. There is a $15 per Rotarian fee to cover facility rental and light refreshments. Sign-up for the workshop on DacDB.

For questions or more details, please contact Area Governor Blake Timm.

Discovering District 5100 Rotaract (by Shany Yizhaki, District 5100 Rotaract Chair): Rotary District 5100 has been honored as a Rotary International Global Peacebuilder When I first joined Interact in 2013, I had no idea what Rotary was—or how it would change my life. I joined because I wanted to serve my community and, above all, because I craved a sense of belonging. From the very first meeting, I knew I had found something special. That community quickly became a big part of the person I am today.

Rotary gave me belonging that I’ve never experienced before and gave me the confident to lead. The girl no one knew her name, became a leader of the Interact club and later in Rotaract. It was the people I met in Rotary who guided me, encouraged me, and helped me believe in myself. They gave me the tools to grow, as a person and a leader.

This mentorship and encouragement inspired me to support the future of Rotaract in District 5100. I am honored to serve as the District Rotaract Representative (DRR), helping to grow Rotaract across District 5100.

What is Rotaract?

Rotaract is a young professional club for individuals age 18 and above who are dedicated to service, leadership, and community engagement. Rotaract clubs can be university-based clubs that runs within a specific university or community-based, serving a broader city or region.

While Rotaract and Rotary share many values and similarities, Rotaract is designed to meet the needs of young adults. Most of our members are university students or young professions at the beginning of their professional career. It’s ideal for people in a transition time in their lives that are interested in serving their community and leadership opportunities. I see Rotaract as a club that values service and giving back to the community while developing young leaders in the community. Rotaract can often be a bridge to later joining a Rotary club. 

Rotaract in District 5100: Rebuilding Together

Rotaract in our district is currently in a phase of renewal and rebuilding. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, District 5100 had six active Rotaract clubs. By June 2022, only three rotaractors remained across the entire district. We decided to combine all clubs and operate as a general Rotaract club for everyone in the district.

With flexible ways to engage, we have members from various cities and regions including Portland metro, Salem, the Columbia Gorge and Forest Grove. The meetings are hybrid or virtually for everyone to attend and service projects are rotating in the Portland metro area.

We didn’t give up and worked hard to be where we are today. During my presidency year in 2024-25 alone, we grew from 5 to approximately 20 members, secured sponsorship from a Rotary club, organized our first fundraiser, volunteered at Rotary club events, projects, and fundraisers; and participated in leadership training opportunities. This was a fundamental year for Rotaract and it’s only the beginning!

How You Can Support Rotaract
There are many ways to support Rotaract and help young leaders thrive:

Invite us! We love being part of your events, projects, socials, and meetings. Invite us to connect and collaborate- we want to support your initiatives and share fun moments with you.

Sponsor a club. If you know a few young professionals who would be interested in being part of Rotaract, connect them to a local club or help them start a new club. I highly recommend sponsoring a club. Sponsorship provides stability, mentorship, and guidance for the Rotaractors. Rotary clubs can sponsor Rotaract clubs individually or jointly (1–3 sponsors per club).

Send people our way! Know a young professional? Send them our information. We welcome anyone in the district no matter where they live. FYI- Dual membership between Rotary and Rotaract is an option. If you have a young leader in the club or a prospective member, they can continue being part of your club and explore Rotaract at the same time. We have a few members that find it beneficial and fulfilling.

Rotaract is one of my biggest passions. It’s where young voices are heard, where leaders are made, and where community impact begins. When I look at the members who are shaping the future of Rotaract today, I’m filled with excitement for what is yet to come. As the District Rotaract Representative I’m hoping Rotaract will thrive again in our district!

Connect with Rotaract on Instagram and at the Rotaract website. For more information, email d5100rotaract@gmail.com.

Susanne’s Storybook: Click Here to read the latest edition of Susanne’s Storybook, the Rotary District 5100 newsletter.

Last Week’s Program: PDG Renee Campbell, Rotary Foundation

At last week’s meeting, we welcomed Past District Governor Renee Campbell, the chair of District 5100’s Rotary Foundation Committee, who provided an overview of the foundation and its immediate impact within our district. Renee was chair of last year’s successful “Shoot For The Moon” event, which raised nearly $2 million for the foundation. She is a Triple Crown Donor (which means that she is a Major Donor, a Paul Harris Society member and Bequest Society member).

The Rotary Foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary International. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians, Rotary clubs and friends to help Rotarians advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education and alleviating poverty. The Rotary Foundation has received five-star ratings 19 years in a row from Charity Navigator and has a 100/100 score. The foundation uses 88-91% of all funds raised towards programs.

The first Rotary endowment was established in 1917 by Arch C. Klumph, who wanted to establish a fund to “do good in the world.” Once it received its first $100,000 in 1928, it was renamed the Rotary Foundation. In 1929, it made its first grant of $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children (now known as Easter Seals).

The Rotary Foundation is funded through a unique three-year cycle. All donations to the foundation are invested for three years. After those three years, the funds are returned to Rotary clubs in the form of District Designated Grants and Global Grants. Of each dollar donated, 47.5% goes to District Designated Funds, 47.5% goes to the World Fund and 5% is held for operating expenses.

In 2024-25, District 5100 was able to fund 95 grants worth $135,370 for club projects. This year, the district has $174,412 available to give out for grants. Clubs that meet their TRF giving goals of $100 per member receive a 1:1 match on grants. Those that don’t meet their giving goals receive a 50% match from the district. The goal for a club is typically at least $100 for every member on a club’s roster as of July 1.

Global Grants are for large-scale projects with a minimum value of $30,000. The projects must be sustainable and measurable, in one of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus, and must have at least three clubs helping to fund and participate in the project. The district has $255,463 available this year in Global Grants. With aging district global funds, the district is available to provide a 1.5 to 1 match for global projects. District 5100 is a leader in global projects, both generating our own or in partnering with other clubs and districts.

During the 2024-25 Rotary Year, 50 clubs in District 5100 received funding for 95 district projects for a total of $348,947. The district also founded six new Global Grants projects with funds totaling $608,972. When combined with 16 Global Grants in process or that were completed in 2024-25, the district funded over $4 million in projects.

The Rotary Foundation also includes PolioPlus, which has been a focus of Rotary since 1985. End Polio Now is the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history, is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. It is projected that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will need $5 billion over the next five years to complete the effort.

So far for the 2025-26 Rotary year, our club has raised $4,612 towards its goal of $8,000 of contributions towards the TRF Annual Fund. We are also well on our way towards our goal of $4,000 raised for PolioPlus. So far this year, 34 of our club members have contributed to TRF. Our club also has six members who are members of the Paul Harris Society, committed to contributing at least $1,000 per year to the foundation.

In the last Rotary year, our club received $2,500 towards our Hope For The Holidays project and $500 towards producing “Best Day Boxes” in conjunction with the Forest Grove High School Interact Club and the FGHS Food Pantry.

If you would like to give to The Rotary Foundation, you can contribute online through Rotary Direct online, which will accept one-time gifts and help you set up recurring gifts to the foundation.

To learn more about The Rotary Foundation and its impact, visit the foundation website or speak with our club’s foundation chair, Michael Yakos.

Club Calendar
Thurs., Sept. 18: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St.

Thurs., Sept. 18: Monthly Social Meeting/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St.
No noon meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Wed., Sept. 24: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Larry Strober, Oregon Peace Trail (Take 2)

Wed., Oct. 1: Weekly Meeting, Noon
United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Laura Rost, Bee City USA

Wed., Oct 8: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Concours d’Elegance Discussion