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

This Week’s Meeting: Be sure to join us this week for our regular weekly meeting on Wednesday, noon, in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. We will be joined once again by Larry Strober of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, who will present on the Oregon Peace Trail and the district’s peace pole initiative.

Upcoming Meetings: Our meetings on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and Wednesday, Oct. 22 will take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way. All other Wednesday meetings will take place at Pacific University.

Our club does not meet on the third Wednesday of the month. Instead, we welcome club members to join us for a monthly social, which takes place on Thursday, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Rotary Youth Exchange Training – Oct. 4: Are you interested in learning more about Rotary Youth Exchange or getting more involved in the program? District 5100 is hosting a Rotary Youth Exchange training on Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. to noon at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie. Anyone interested in the exchange program is welcome to attend. For more information, or if you plan to attend, please contact our Youth Exchange Officer, Sarah Barbour.

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 still has 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.

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: There is still time to sign up for 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.

District 5100 Featured In Rotary Magazine: Have you read the September 2025 edition of Rotary magazine yet? If you haven’t, you are missing a great story on Janet Chvatal, a 1984 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and a native of Beaverton. Now an internationally known opera singer and stage actress, who played the role of Christine in the Vienna debut of The Phantom of the Opera, Chvatal continues to give back to Rotary through her “home club,” the Beaverton Rotary Club. Her book project, “The Wish Prince,” has distributed 5,000 books dedicated to helping children discover and pursue their dreams. Read The Story On The Rotary Website

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

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

Fri., Sept. 26: Pacific University Peace Pole Dedication, 1:30 p.m.
Pacific University Forest Grove Campus, Near Old College Hall

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

Thurs., Oct. 9: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Thurs., Oct. 16: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Thurs., Oct. 16: Social Event/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove