If you didn’t make it to our last Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, here’s what you missed…

Online Meetings Continue: We will continue to meet virtually using the Zoom Meeting platform for the foreseeable future. Our meetings will begin at our normal meeting time, Noon on Wednesday. All Rotarians are welcome and participating will count towards meeting attendance. Here are the login details (will be the same for all of our online meetings moving forward)…

Direct Link: https://zoom.us/j/183084884
Meeting ID: 183 084 884

To join by phone, dial 669-900-6833 or 346-248-7799 and enter the meeting ID number when prompted.

Zoom App Downloads
Zoom Cloud Meeting App For Android
Zoom Cloud Meeting App For iPhone
Download Zoom Meeting App For Desktop

 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee: In an effort to make our club even more diverse, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove is establishing a diversity, equity and inclusion committee. This committee is part of an effort in District 5100 to address the issues around diversity, equity and inclusion that have been in the forefront over the last weeks and, really, years. If you are interested in serving as part of the committee, contact President Julia Kollar.

 Steak Fundraiser: Our Steak Sale fundraisers have been such a success for the club this summer that wee will be doing it again! A new sale will start up in August with steaks arriving in time for the Labor Day weekend.

With the first two steak fundraisers, we sold over 2,000 total steaks with a final net proceed of $6,145 to benefit the Youth Exchange Program. To put it in perspective, last year’s Steak Feed netted $5,300 for the club.

A big thank you to Jeff Duyck for coordinating this effort with Columbia Empire Meats and past president Tim Pearson for coordinating the sales.

Golf Tournament Update: Even with social distancing guidelines, we will be able to have our annual golf tournament. The tournament will take place on Wednesday, August 26, at 1 p.m., at Sunset Grove Golf Course. If you are interested in playing, or have a foursome already put together, please let President Julia Kollar know. Note that we will not have our regular weekly Zoom meeting that day.

 Rotary Foundation Giving: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and not being able to meet in person, our club came through in terms of finishing its Rotary Foundation giving strong for the 2019-20 Rotary Year. The club finished with $9,841 raised towards its annual fund contributions and $3,512 towards its Polio Plus giving. Thank you all for doing your part to help push Rotary’s local and international missions forward!

 Quarterly Dues: By now, club members should have received the July quarterly club dues billing in your mailbox or inbox. At the June Board of Directors meeting, it was agreed to extend pay-as-you-go for meals for all members through the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this dues billing reflects only quarterly club dues, district dues and Rotary International dues.

Please do your part and make sure that invoices are paid in a timely fashion.

We understand that this is a challenging time for all of us and that some of our members are affected more significantly than others. If you are able, please pay your dues invoice as soon as possible so that we can continue to meet our RI and District obligations. If you believe that your situation will make it hard or impossible to make a payment, please contact President Julia Kollar. The club will consider and work with those hardships on a case-by-case basis.

Attendance Makeups: If you participate in a Rotary function outside of our regular club meetings, please send that information club secretary Claudia Yakos. Attendance at an official Rotary function, in-person or online, or a club service project can count as a make-up for a missed meeting.

McDougall Garden: The McDougall Garden, near the big flagpole, is looking good. But just like any garden, weeds will pop up. Rotarians are welcomed and encouraged to stop by and pull a weed or two, even if it is just for a few minutes. Many hands make for light work. Once again, thank you to our garden committee and especially Rob Foster, Geoff Faris and Lucas Welliver for their work in this visible community project.

Rotary Phone Tree: Thank you to everyone who has made our Rotary Phone Tree such a success in caring for our members. Paul Waterstreet shuffled the list and was sent out as part of last week’s Rotary Rewind.

The goal of the phone tree is to reach out and check on every member of the club to make sure they are doing all right and to provide updates on club announcements and activities (Hint: You have a great list to draw from here). The plan is for the tree to be activated every Tuesday. The idea is that for each person to call the next one on the list. The last person on the list should call the team captain to make sure the list is complete. For more information or questions, or if your information on the Phone Tree is not correct, contact Paul Waterstreet.

FGHS Community Food Pantry: Even with schools closed, the need for resources at the Forest Grove High School Community Food Pantry continues. The pantry continues to need the following items to serve the community that is depending on it…

Food: Pasta, Canned Sauces, Tortillas, Rice, Beans, Canned Fruit, Jelly, Peanut Butter, Boxed Milk, Canned Vegetables, Bread, Applesauce, Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks, Macaroni & Cheese, Tuna, Crackers, Maseca and Vegetable Oil.

Hygiene Items: Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Tampons/Pads, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Hair Brushes, Toilet Paper.

Over the summer, the Food Pantry will be open on Mondays and Thursday from 2-4 p.m.

If you can donate any of the above items, please contact Brian Burke, bburke@fgsd.k12.or.us. If you wish to make a cash donation to the pantry, Click Here.

Food Pantry Need: The Food Pantry is looking for a 20-square-foot freezer that could be donated to help with keeping more perishable foods. If you know of one that might be available, please contact wither Brian Burke (contact information above) or Bryce Baker.

Take Out Locally!: There are many local restaurants and coffee shops that are continuing to operate for take-out during the stay-at-home order. Those local businesses are seeing a significant drop in business and could use our support. Could you commit to patronizing one of these eateries at least once per week to help stimulate the local economy? Click Here For A List Of Places That Are Opened For Takeout (updated on May 18), courtesy of Court Carrier and Jeff King at the City of Forest Grove.

Around District 5100
A Cup Of Jo Podcast: In her latest two podcasts, “Wanderings With Jo,” District Governor Jo Crenshaw talks about the changes to how Rotary leaders are adjusting to leading clubs and districts without meeting in person. She also discusses her specific goals and areas of emphasis during her Rotary year. Click Here To Listen To The Podcast

Save The Dates: The annual District 5100 Training Assembly is scheduled for the weekend of April 17 and 18. The exact date, location and delivery method is to be determined. The annual District 5100 Conference is scheduled for April 29 through May 2 at the Vancouver Hilton.

Around The Rotary international World
ShelterBox Celebrates 20 Years: One of the most successful homegrown projects within the Rotary world, ShelterBox is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020. In its two decades of service, ShelterBox has grown from a Rotary club service project to an international humanitarian organization providing emergency shelter, essential items and support to over 1.5 million people.

ShelterBox was started by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The initial hope was to help eight to 10 families a year with a box containing a family-sized tent, sleeping bags, water purifying tablets, trenching tool and pots and pans.

ShelterBox became its own registered charity in 2003 and in 2012 ShelterBox was recognized as an official Rotary partner organization.

The Rotary Club of Forest Grove has long supported the mission of ShelterBox and was proud to be named a bronze level ShelterBox HERO club in 2018-19. Read More

The Four-Way Test: Think that Rotary’s Four-Way Test is hard to find in action in international business? The Rotary Voices blog features the experience of Rotarian S.R. Yogananda, who has used it in high-profile situations with results that validate its value in business. Read More

 Nigeria Now Polio Free: The quest to free the world of polio is one step closer. The World Health Organization announced in June that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria, leaving the devastating disease endemic in only two countries in the world.

“The outstanding commitment and efforts that got Nigeria off the endemic list must continue, to keep Africa polio-free,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. “We must now support the efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan so they soon join the polio-free world.”

Nigeria has not reported a case of wild poliovirus since 24 July 2014, and all laboratory data has confirmed that a full 12 months have passed without any new cases. Read More

Last Week’s Program: Alida Ostapkovich, Washington County Emergency Services

Click Here To Watch The Full Program

During our July 29 Zoom meeting, we received a presentation from Alida Ostapkovich from the Washington County Department of Emergency Services on the steps that our county will need to take to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alida opened by providing an update on COVID-19 cases in the county and current regulations in place. As of July 29, Washington County had 2,583 active cases with 22 deaths. Washington County is currently in Phase 1 of the state’s re-opening plan. That limits indoor social gatherings to no more than 10 people and requires the use of facemasks by individuals 5-years-old or older when in indoor public places and outdoors when social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained.

For reopening, Washington County has now been linked as a region with Multnomah and Clackamas counties. To date, the region is meeting two of the six state mandated benchmarks that the state requires for reopening.

Alida provided a summary of what is required of business to be open during this time. All employees must wear facemasks. Anyone who has any COVID symptoms is prohibited from entering or working on the premises. Water fountains must be closed unless they are contactless. There are extensive cleaning and handwashing procedures in place. Six feet is social distancing is required between customers and employees. Businesses are encouraged to take reservations of advanced orders. Some require appointments. Some high-risk businesses are required to college contact information for contact tracing purposes.

Washington County does have a COVID-19 Enforcement Team. Anyone noticing a business not following enforcing regulations can call 503-846-8390. The team takes an education-focused approach with an escalating complaint system. An initial complaint will result in a phone call to the business. A second will result in an official letter and a third will require a site visit.

Alida also provided a summary of what to expect when contacted by a contract tracer. If you are contacted by the Washington County Health Department, the called ID will show 503-846-8400, Washington County or Washington Country Public Health. Cell phones used by contact tracers will all be 971-330-XXXX or 971-804-XXXX numbers. Contact tracers will never ask for social security numbers, immigration status or credit card numbers.

Contact tracers will ask where you have and whom you have close contact within the last few weeks, what your health is like, your housing situation and employment status. They will also ask if you have what you need to be able to stay safe and recover.

 Club Calendar
All Club Activities Are On Zoom Unless Otherwise Noted
Wed., Aug. 5: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: To Be Determined
Wed., Aug. 12: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Gwen Hullinger, Forest Grove High School Food Pantry
Thurs., Aug. 13: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Wed., Aug. 19: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Dave Parker, Forest Grove School District Update
Thurs., Aug. 20: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Thurs., Aug. 20: Satellite Club/Thirsty Thursday Meeting
Time & Location TBA
Wed., Aug. 26: Golf Tournament, 1 p.m., Sunset Grove Golf Course
NOTE: No Zoom meeting this day.