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 join us this week for our weekly meeting on Wednesday in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week’s program we will honor our Rotary Youth Citizens of the Month from the Gaston School District.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our weekly meetings through February will take place at Pacific University.

Save The Date – Steak Feed: Make sure to mark Friday, June 6 on your calendar for our annual Steak Feed at Pacific University. This is one of our two big fundraisers of the year with proceeds from the evening benefitting our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. This is an all hands on deck event and we need all of our members to be there and make the event a great success.

As in past years, we will have tickets for club members to sell coming up in a few weeks. Tickets will be $25 and will include a choice New York steak, salad, rolls, beans, drinks and dessert. For more information, contact Steak Feed chair Geoff Faris.

Crab Feed – Save The Date: This year’s Crab Feed is scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 19, 5:30 p.m. The evening event serves as our club’s chance to honor our new Paul Harris Fellows and those who have given generously to The Rotary Foundation.

Tickets will be $45 for crab dinner or $25 for a dinner without crab. Crab meat to go will be available for $45 per pound and steaks will be available for $20 for a pack of two steaks. We hope to see everyone there for a fun evening of fellowship and food!

For more information, or if you want to help out with the planning committee, please contact Crab Feed Committee chair Julia Kollar.

Purchase your Crab Feed tickets now at the following links:
Crab Feed Dinner | Crab Feed Dinner (No Crab) | 1 Lb. Crab Meat To Go | Steaks To Go

RYLA Applications Now Open: Our club, and others within District 5100, are now accepting applications for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program. This one-week leadership event, designed for young adults ages 21-32, takes place July 12-18 at the Menucha Retreat Center in Corbett.

RYLA takes place every July and brings together dozens of young adults from every stage of life, from current college students to those just starting life after college and those with a family and solid career. Working together, participants learn from world-class speakers and activities during the week, and explore and strengthen their ideas of leadership and community.

We have one club member who has already expressed interest in attending RYLA, but we have sponsored more attendees in the past. If you know of someone that would be interested and would benefit from RYLA, please contact Andrea Stewart.

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.

Congratulations Outbound Youth Exchange Students!: Our 2025-26 outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students now know where they will be headed next year. Irene Barbour-Weiss will be headed to Mexico while Danny Cervantes will be headed to Denmark. We wish Irene and Danny the best as they prepare for their experiences and adventures.

Pickleball Evenings – Presented By Rotary: The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is helping to sponsor indoor pickleball Monday through Thursday evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way. Coordinated by Rotarian Steven Barnard, the evenings run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There is a $5 fee to help cover facility rental. Players of all ages and ability levels are welcome with reserved courts for beginners and intermediate-level players.

Proceeds from the pickleball evenings go to cover facility rental for the armory, but also to help fund the Forest Grove School District Community Alternative Learning Center’s (CALC) Career & Technical Education (CTE) Fridays. At our Jan. 29 meeting, our club presented a $5,000 check to Tim Graham, principal of CALC, to benefit the program.

For more information on the pickleball evenings, please contact Steven at 443-454-5177 or sbarnard@fgsd.k12.or.us.

Rototeller – Help Wanted: Blake Timm, the editor of the Rototeller, is looking for a club member who would be interested in helping fill in to take notes at meetings on an occasional basis. With his increased duties as area governor and work, he is having to miss more Wednesdays than he did in the past. The job would entail taking notes about any club announcements and a five to six-paragraph recap of that week’s program. Please contact Blake for more information.

Have A Program Idea? Let Hector Know!: Do you have an idea for a program presentation that you would like to see at our meetings? Let our incoming program director, Hector Mendez-Colberg know as he is setting up the schedule for 2025.

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.

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
Rotary Expo – May 3: Clubs are asked to think about participation in District 5100’s Rotary Expo, which takes place on Saturday, May 3, at the Wingspan Conference & Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds. This one-day event will take the place of the annual District Conference & Celebration.

At Rotary Expo 2025, we invite you to explore the theme “Rotary Service: The Next Generation.” This event is designed to inspire, educate, and empower Rotarians and the general public to learn about Rotary’s mission of service and how you can get involved in transforming your community.

What to Expect:
Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow Rotarians and community leaders to forge impactful collaborations.

Showcase of Innovations: Discover groundbreaking projects that exemplify the spirit of service in the modern world.

What You’ll Experience:

• Family-Friendly Activities: Enjoy fun activities for all ages, including games, crafts, and more!
• Community Showcase: Discover local organizations and initiatives that you can support or join.
• Inspiration: Gain fresh ideas and insights to enhance your service initiatives.
• Education: Learn best practices and new strategies for impactful community engagement.
• Empowerment: Equip yourself with the tools to lead the next generation of Rotary service.

We look forward to seeing you there to share with the community The Magic of Rotary!

District 5100 Spring Training – April 12: Mark your calendars for Saturday, Apr. 12, because its time for players to report to Rotary District 5100’s Spring Training — and it’s not just for the pros!

Whether you are a rookie or a seasoned player, this virtual event has required position-specific training and elective courses to help you knock your Rotary skills out of the park.

Swing by from anywhere and get ready to hit the ground running for a winning Rotary season. Don’t let this pitch pass you by — let’s make 2025 the championship year for your club! Stay tuned for registration info soon.

District Leadership Opportunities: Running a successful organization requires that we plan for succession, and then continue to invest in future leaders. District 5100 is always looking for those Rotarians who would like to advance in Rotary leadership. Some positions require some past leadership experience. For more information, please contact the District Office, District Governor Jeannine Murrell or Area Governor Blake Timm.

Public Image: We need Rotarians who are able to complete some mission critical tasks for the benefit of the District. These are singular projects for different events happening between now and the end of the Rotary year. If you have a background in press releases or writing social media content, please contact DG Jeannine Murrell.

Vision to Action Committee: Calling those who have an interest in helping clubs envision and plan their club’s future! District 5100, with the assistance of the Vision to Action Chair, Renee Brouse, is forming a Vision to Action Committee! This committee will be trained to facilitate the new Vision to Action curriculum as well as aid in the new three-year rolling plan from RI, and help create a pathway for annual reviews and other resources as needed. Want to join the committee and be a part of the future? Contact Renee Brouse.

District Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion Committee: This committee is working on facilitating with clubs the RI DEI policies and real-life applications for Rotarians and clubs. They meet once a month. The chair of the committee is Chase Morinaka.

Around Rotary International
Mário César Martins de Camargo Calls On Members To Unite For Good: Rotary International President-elect Mário César Martins de Camargo asked members to Unite for Good by embracing growth, service, and connection as he outlined a plan to expand “the best-qualified team of volunteers on the planet.”

“Rotary’s greatest asset is not our history, our projects, or even our unmatched global reach. It is our members,” de Camargo said at the organization’s International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 10 February. He noted praise from one of Rotary’s partners about “the extraordinary dedication” of Rotary members. “That recognition from an outsider deepened my understanding: Rotary’s greatest gift to the world is its people.”

De Camargo, a member of the Rotary Club of Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil, emphasized the importance of seeking out new perspectives and strengthening Rotary’s service to communities around the globe. He outlined three “essential pillars” for growth: innovation, continuity, and partnership.

Noting how quickly the world changes, de Camargo urged members to innovate.

“Technology, social expectations, and economic conditions evolve constantly, and Rotary must evolve with them,” he said. “Innovation is how we adapt to this changing world.”

One important way to do this, de Camargo said, is by embracing and promoting a variety of club models. Satellite clubs, cause-based clubs, enterprise clubs, and passport clubs offer people different ways to experience Rotary. Noting that his wife helped charter a satellite club with nearly 50 members, he said, “Future Rotary members are out there. We must meet them where they are.”

De Camargo also emphasized the importance of leadership continuity and said he observed its benefits during his extensive travels in the past 18 months. Districts thrive, he said, when governors build on their predecessors’ efforts, ensuring that programs and strategies continue without interruption.

He cited an effort to build wells in Nigeria, an initiative in Pakistan that helped people affected by devastating floods to find a better future, and a Rotary grant-funded program in India where children get lifesaving care.

“Continuity is not about uniformity; it’s about alignment,” de Camargo said. “When district leaders work together, envisioning Rotary beyond their ‘governor year,’ they set the stage for long-term success.”

The Power Of Partnership
Rotary members working alone can achieve great things, de Camargo said, but collaborating with others makes it possible to change the world. He noted that Rotary’s historic effort against polio has been undertaken with partners such as the Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Without these partners, de Camargo said, Rotary couldn’t have had the same impact. He suggested exploring other kinds of partnerships to attract members and revitalize clubs.

Partnering with business associations, professional organizations, and academic institutions can help Rotary attract members while embracing diversity in professions and perspectives, he said. “By reaching out to professionals who share our values of service and engagement, we can expand Rotary’s capacity to do good in the world.”

Ultimately, de Camargo said, all of Rotary’s achievements and growth depend on members. By focusing on attracting and retaining them, Rotary can renew its strength as well as its ability to create change in communities for years to come.

“In a world often divided, Rotary stands as a beacon of unity and hope,” de Camargo said. “Our projects bring together people of all races, religions, genders, ideologies, and economic backgrounds, uniting us in a shared purpose: to do good in the world. … Let’s build a Rotary that unites for good and ensures a brighter future for all.”

Last Week’s Program: District Governor Jeannine Murrell
Last week was homecoming week for our very own District Governor Jeannine Murrell as she made her official visit to her home club. Jeannine is the third member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove to serve as district governor, joining William W. McCready (1959-60) and George Horner (1979-80).

Jeannine’s year has been based around a hybrid Star Trek/Star Wars theme. What does Star Trek have to do with Rotary? She says diplomacy, peacekeeping and determination. She believes that we need to imagine Rotary to allow it to expand into the 24th Century. We need to reach beyond ourselves to touch more people with service projects and draw in new members.

Jeannine talked about the relationship between the club and district. All of what happens that is important in Rotary is through the club level. The district’s job is to help make the clubs successful. She went over the Rotary Action Plan and encouraged our club to go through a new vision planning.

Jeannine pitched the upcoming Rotary Expo on Saturday, May 3 at the Wingspan Conference & Event Center in Hillsboro. The expo is designed to expose the public to Rotary clubs, service organizations and service projects, and will take the place of the annual conference The Jubitz Foundation will preview the peace park that will premiere at the RI Convention. The event will also include the annual Rotary Youth Exchange talent show, presentations about RYLA, Rotaract, Interact and so much more.

At each club, Jeannine is honoring one club member who is doing new and innovative things for their club with the Innovator Award. From our club, Jeannine honored Steven Barnard for his work with the Youth Citizen of the Month program and the pickleball evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory sponsored by the club.

Club Calendar
Wed., Feb. 12: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Youth Citizens of the Month – Gaston

New Member Orientation, 4:30 p.m.
Moore & Welliver Attorneys, 2002 Main St.

Thurs., Feb. 13: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Feb. 19: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Chief Jim Geering, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue

Thurs., Feb. 20: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Feb. 26: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Edith Velazquez, Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation

Wed., Mar. 19: Crab Feed, 5:30 p.m.

Fri., June 6: Steak Feed, 5 p.m.
University Center, Pacific University

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