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

Steak Sale Deadline: The deadline is THIS WEEK for our third Rotary Steak Sale fundraiser. So far Rotarians have placed orders for 222 packets or sirloin steak, which means another $1,300 put towards our annual service projects.

The deadline for all orders is 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 27. Order quantities should be emailed to Julia Kollar. Steaks will arrive for delivery and grilling the week in the first week of September, prior to 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.

Golf Tournament Update: The annual Rotary Golf Tournament will take place next Wednesday, August 26, at Sunset Grove Golf Course. Tee times will begin at 1 p.m. All participating Rotarians will be responsible for paying their own fees. Greens fees are $14 per person and $12 for seniors. Power carts are available for $8.

A sack lunch, for golfers and for anyone who wants to come and watch, will be available for $10 but must be ordered in advance. If you are interested in golfing or would like a lunch ordered, please contact Julia Kollar or Tim Schauermann.

And remember to come out armed with plenty of cash to buy string! That string not only helps you win but also makes this tournament a fundraiser for The Rotary Foundation.

Remember that we will not have a Zoom meeting this Wednesday.

Bob Nixon & Rotary: Our longtime friend Bob Nixon has decided after 58 years in Rotary that it is time to resign his membership from the club. While the Board has accepted his resignation, they also voted to make Bob an honorary member of the club in recognition of his decades of service to Rotary and to our community.

We do not have enough space here to list all that Bob has done for us over the years. He had been a Rotarian since his induction on May 25, 1952. He served as club president for the 1962-63 Rotary year.

 In Memoriam – Dick Johnston: It is sadness that we announce that Richard W. “Dick” Johnston passed away on Wednesday, August 12. Dick was a member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove since 1963 and served as club president in 2003-04. Dick had a longtime track record of community service and he will be sorely missed. Our sympathies go out to the entire Johnston family. Arrangements are pending and will be communicated with the club when available.

In Celebration – Eleanor Rose Cirlincione: We are happy to announce that Rotarian Tara Cirlincione and her husband, Jason, welcomed their second daughter into the world last week! Eleanor Rose Cirlincione was born on August 12 and weighed in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. All are healthy and well! Congratulations to Tara, Jason and big sister Lyla!

In addition, Rotarian Chris Barron and his wife, Angie, were expecting their first child to be born this week. We hope to have details next week.

Satellite Club/Thirsty Thursday Meeting: Thank you to everyone who attend the monthly Satellite Club/Thirsty Thursday meeting at Plum Hill Vineyards last Thursday. We had a great turnout, enjoyed some good wine and welcomed our newest member, Juanita Lint, into the club! The next Thirsty Thursday is scheduled for September 17 with the location to be determined.

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. Thank you to Amy Tracewell and Howard Sullivan, who have agreed to be co-chairs of the committee.

Daybreak Club Bicycle Project: Our friends at the Forest Grove Daybreak Club are looking for bikes to donate to WashcoBikes, a non-profit organization that refurbishes bikes and distributes them to residents in Washington County. If you have a bike to donate, please contact Mitch Taylor at 503-314-0766.

Corn Roast: Despite the pandemic, the annual Forest Grove Corn Roast is going to go on! This year’s event will be an eat-in-your-car event at the Cornelius 9 Cinemas on Sunday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be entertainment on site throughout the day. For more information, or if you are interested in helping sponsor this year’s event, please contact Juanita Lint at the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce.

Adelante Mujeres Grand Opening: Despite the pandemic, Adelante Mujeres is moving ahead with a virtual grand opening celebration for their new downtown Forest Grove facility on Thursday, September 17 at 7 p.m. Details about the event and a RSVP link are available at https://www.avstream.me/adelante. Our club, along with the Daybreak club, donated funds to help make the renovation of their new space possible.

Miss A Program?: Did you miss a meeting or want to go back and check out a program again? Most of our programs since May are archived on our club YouTube page. Visit https://bit.ly/fgrotaryprograms.

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 Monday 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
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
New Rotary Fundraising Tool Coming Soon: Fundraising is about to get personal at Rotary with a new online and mobile-friendly program for members and supporters, called Raise for Rotary. Initially only available in English and U.S. currency, Raise for Rotary gives members, donors, and participants a new opportunity to create custom fundraising pages to share with their social networks and raise funds for The Rotary Foundation. The new platform will be promoted in September.

Make plans now to start a virtual fundraiser with Raise for Rotary to celebrate special occasions and share it with family members and friends. Athletic pursuits, tributes, and responses to current events are also popular reasons to garner support for a favorite Rotary cause. This new fundraising platform will help increase our impact with more contributions collected for Foundation funds, such as the World Fund, Polio Fund, Disaster Response Fund, and Rotary’s areas of focus.

By sharing these fundraising pages widely on social media, email, or text messaging, more people will learn about and support the good work that Rotary and Rotaract clubs do in local communities and around the world.

Jennifer Jones Nominated To Be First Female RI President: Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.

Jones will officially become president-nominee on 1 October if no other candidates challenge her.

Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact.

“As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”

As the first woman to be nominated to be president, Jones understands how important it is to follow through on Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement. “I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion … begins at the top and for us to realize growth in female membership and members under the age of forty — these demographics need to see their own reflection in leadership,” Jones said. “I will champion double-digit growth in both categories while never losing sight of our entire family.” Read More

Last Week’s Program: Dave Parker, Forest Grove School District

Click Here To Watch The Full Program

There is a lot of change in education with the pandemic. Rotarian Dave Parker, superintendent of the Forest Grove School District, spoke to us last week on the challenges and the opportunities that will face the district and its staff moving into the 2020-21 academic year.

Over the spring, there were a lot things that went right for the district when it moved to online learning in March. There were also areas that the district needed to improve. Parent feedback showed that the district rated high in showing empathy and reaching out to students and families to try and meet their needs. The biggest area of improvement came in student assessments.

At the beginning of June, the Oregon Department of Education provided the first guidelines for re-opening school in-person. Since then, benchmarks and guidelines have changed regularly based on the number of active COVID cases across the state and the changing science around the disease.

In early June, the state was experiencing 30-50 new cases per day. At the beginning of August, the state had 331 cases per day on average with Washington County being one of the higher infection rate counties. The Forest Grove School District, along with many districts across the state, made the decision to start school fully online.

In order to move to a hybrid in-person instruction model, schools must be in a county that is no longer in a baseline phase to consider in-person instruction models. This includes case rate of 10 cases per 100,000 population in a county and a test positivity rate of 5 percent per 100,000 in the preceding seven days for at least three weeks.

Among the changes coming to online learning for FGSD in 2020-21 will be the taking of daily attendance and daily attendance that closer mirror’s the school’s regular bell schedule. All students will have classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Wednesday used an independent practice/catch-up day for students and a prep day for teachers.

In elementary schools, students will receive instruction for a total of 16 hours per week. This will include 2.5-4.5 hours per game of synchronous instruction time (with teachers) and about 30 minutes per subject per week of recorded lessons.

At Neil Armstrong Middle School, students will have 21.5 hours of instruction peer week. Students will be instructed for four periods per day for about one hour per period. Additionally, all middle school students will take a Success Class meant to help provide study skills and academic skills.

At Forest Grove High School, students will have four periods of classes per day at 90 minutes each. Each period will have 30-40 minutes of direct instruction with remainder of the time being independent work. There will be no A Day/B Day rotation. Instead, students will have four classes every nine weeks (as opposed to eight periods per A/B day rotation over a semester).

At all levels, it is the intent of the district to have lessons recorded to allow students to view instructional content later for review.

Club Calendar
All Club Activities Are On Zoom Unless Otherwise Noted
Wed., Aug. 26: Golf Tournament, 1 p.m., Sunset Grove Golf Course
NOTE: No Zoom meeting.
Thurs., Aug. 27: Steak Sale Order Deadline!
Wed., Sept. 2: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: To Be Determined
Wed., Sept. 9: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: To Be Determined