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

September Potluck: On Wednesday, September 7, we will meet in the evening for a potluck and social at the home of Pete and Parri Van Dyke. A new member orientation will start at 5 p.m. (all members are welcome) with the potluck beginning at 6:30 p.m. Club members are asked to bring a main dish or side dish to share. There will not be a noon meeting on Sept. 7 and this will serve as the Satellite Club meeting for the month.

If you know of someone who might want be become involved in Rotary, both the new member orientation and the potluck are a great opportunity to introduce them to our club! As part of the evening, we will be inducting our three newest members: Michael Cook, Cari Atzen and Rus Peters.

New Member Orientations: September 7 will be the first of four new member orientations that the club will hold throughout the year. The other orientations are scheduled for December 7, March 1 and June 1. All Rotarians are welcome to take part and to bring potential new Rotarians.

September 14 Meeting – Location Change & Bylaws Revision: Our weekly meeting on Wednesday, September 14 will take place in the Grove Room at the Forest Grove School District offices, 1728 Main Street. Superintendent and fellow Rotarian Dave Parker will present the program.

As part of the meeting, club members will be asked to vote on a change to the club bylaws that would define corporate memberships. The proposed change was sent to members via email on August 31. The change has been approved by the board but a quorum of 41 members is required to vote on the change. Please make plans to join us on September 14.

Youth Exchange Update: For the first time since 2020, our involvement in Youth Exchange is back! Our outbound exchange student, Blue Barbour-Weiss, will leave for Ecuador on Aug. 25. We wish her all of the best on her journey this year!

Our inbound exchange student, Juan, arrived from Ecuador on Aug. 20. For the first four months of his exchange, Juan will stay with the Barbour-Weiss family.

Host families are still needed that can host Juan during the winter (December through March) and the spring (March through June). If your family has interest, and for information on the requirements for hosting, please contact Youth Exchange Committee chair Melinda Fischer, dancorntopper@aol.com.

Applications for prospective inbound exchange students will be available in the counseling office at Forest Grove High School beginning on Sept. 7. Applications will be due on Sept. 16. Only sophomores may apply to be an outbound student.

New Concours Chair Needed: After this year’s show, Ryan Garcia will stepping aside as Concours chair. Thank you, Ryan, for your incredible dedication to the show through the pandemic and seeing us through to our first live presentation in three years! If you are interested in taking over as committee chair, please contact President Janet Peters or Allen Stephens with the Concours Committee.

Club Treasurer Needed: As Lucas Welliver transitions into his vice president and program chair duties, the club is looking for a new individual who can step in as treasurer. Lucas will be stepping aside as treasurer in January. The treasurer is an officer of both the club and the foundation. If you are interested in the position or have questions, please contact President Janet.

Steak Feed/Concours Leftovers: We have a number of leftover food items from both the Concours and Steak Feed that are available for purchase. If you are interested in adding any of the following to your pantry, please contact President Janet.

Steaks: We have approximately 26 packs of two raw steaks available for purchase. Each pack of steaks sells for $20 each.

Ice Cream: We have a number of five-gallon tubs of vanilla ice cream available for $27 per tub.

Strawberries: To go with that ice cream, we have a number of tubs of strawberries available for purchase for $15 per tub.

Online Dues Payments: Our club is now equipped to process dues payments online! We can now process credit card or debit card payments for quarterly dues. Information on how to pay online will be included with quarterly billings that will be coming to your mailbox or email inbox.

With the transition to billing with Quickbooks, some members may not have received their quarterly invoice. If you did not, please contact treasurer Lucas Welliver.

Past Programs: Did you miss a meeting or want to go back and check out a program again? Most of our programs since May 2020 are archived on our club’s YouTube page. Visit https://bit.ly/fgrotaryprograms.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Corn Roast: Once again this year, the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce will be utilizing our canopies for the annual Corn Roast & Harvest Festival on Saturday, Sept. 17. We are in need of a club member who can assist in directing volunteers to erect the canopies in preparation for the event. If you are interested and can assist, please contact President Janet.

Strobe Balance Study: At our Aug. 3 meeting, Brian Jackson, a professor of exercise science at Pacific University, spoke looking for volunteers for a strobe balance study that he is conducting with Pacific’s School of Physical Therapy. The objective of the study is to gain preliminary data on the effects of strobe (stroboscopic eyewear) use on balance and stability (and fall likelihood) in older adults.

Eligibility Requirements:

• 60-85 years of age
• Independent/capable of performing activities of daily living unassisted (e.g. no cane/walker)
• No history of seizures
• No diagnosis of epilepsy
• Fully vaccinated (with booster) or negative COVID test 48 hours prior to each testing session

Time Requirements:

• In-person pre balance assessments (around 90 minutes)
• Three weeks of daily strobe eyewear use (two times of 10 minutes per day)
• In-person post balance assessments (three weeks following pre-assessment)
• In-person retention balance assessment (three weeks following post-assessment)

Compensation: In addition to gaining information about your balance capacity, by successfully completing all three testing sessions, you will have the option of one of the following:

• $100 Gift Card
• A pair of Senaptec Strobe glasses ($300 value)

If you are interested in participating or have additional questions, please contact Brian Jackson at brianjackson@pacificu.edu.

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 on Mondays from 2-4 p.m. The pantry is now open in its new site in the building along Nichols Lane between the football field and the Basinski Center.

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.

Additionally, Rotarian Gwen Hullinger has put together an Amazon wish list of items that can be purchased and donated. Click Here To View That List.

Around District 5100
Vibrant Club Workshop: District 5100’s Learning & Development Committee will be holding a Vibrant Club Workshop on September 24. The workshop will focus on the essential cornerstones of Rotary that can help make clubs be more vibrant and successful. There will be sessions related to leadership member, The Rotary Foundation and public image.

The workshop combines the best of in-person with technology to allow interactions and quality presentations close to you. Within the 12 regions in the district, there will be “Pods” where Rotarians will gather in person to enjoy fellowship and participate in engaged topic discussions. Each pod will be linked to the District central office team who will synchronously present topic materials. Each session will have breakouts for in-pod discussions, learning and fun Rotary fellowship.
The Vibrant Club Workshop is for all members, not just committee chairs. Registration is now through DacDB. Rotarians will be able to choose a Pod closest to them.  Fellowship will begin at 8 a.m., and the workshop will be 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. The location of the Western Region pod, which includes Forest Grove, has not yet been announced.
Check out the district calendar on DACdb for other learning and development opportunities. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Gary Stewart, chair of the District 5100 Learning and Development Committee, at garylstewart@gmail.com.

Around Rotary International
How I Found A Sense Of Belonging In Rotary (by Maricler Botelho, Rotary Club of Marilia-Pioneiro): When I share my Rotary story, it is one of recognition, support, and acceptance. I believe it also tells the story of Rotary’s commitment to inclusion.

I was born in Tupi Paulista, in the countryside of São Paulo, and grew up in the northern part of the state of Mato Grosso, in the city of Juara. I come from a simple family that set a high value on respecting others. I had to move about 600 miles away from my town to pursue my desire to be a lawyer. I’m the first on my mother’s side of the family to get a college degree. Our socioeconomic status created real limitations, which is why I grew up accepting a feeling that I didn’t really belong. Then I was introduced to Rotary.

I first discovered Rotary through my husband, Laércio G. Domingues, who had become a member. I was already participating in various service projects when I was invited to become a member.  When I joined, I received great support from the club, and was encouraged to become involved in all sorts of activities; they had a calendar with different initiatives aimed at the goals set by Rotary International.

Within my first year of becoming a member, under the direction of our club president Sandra Craveiro and Governor Márcio Cavalca Medeiros, I was nominated to become president of the club for the 2021-22 Rotary year. This was my first feeling of inclusion, the trust that the club placed in me.

In July of 2020, I was invited to be on a video about the eradication of polio in Africa. I never imagined that I would be chosen for the video. I didn’t feel I was good enough to be a part of it. For those of us who come from great hardships, it is normal not to feel worthy. But my feelings were unfounded and as I worked on the video, it further awakened my sense of belonging.

I started learning more about our organization, and joined Rotary Action Groups to meet other members and learn about their work. I was welcomed in every group. I discovered a Women in Rotary Group founded by Julia Gangwani and took part in their online meetings. We shared our experiences and information about the work that was being carried out around the world. At the very outset, I asked about my ability to participate in this international group, as I am not fluent in English. But Julia reassured me that they very much welcomed my participation. She encouraged me to invite someone who could interpret for me whenever I felt I needed translation. My language abilities were not a barrier.

It was also through another Rotary Action Group that I learned about the work of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, and what had been done in Brazil. I was invited by Caio Cruz to meet the group – a team of Rotary members with extensive experience and talents. Even among so many talented people, I was heard and able to share my ideas. And I was involved in the development of a wonderful initiative that resulted in the creation of the DEI Committee in Brazil. Murillo Alvarez Alves, 2022-23 district governor, invited me to be the DEI district chair during his year in office, another demonstration of inclusion in trusting such a role to a new member.

On another occasion, Ann Frisch and Helen Peacock introduced me to their work in the Rotary Action Group for Peace and, even though we don’t speak the same language, we were able to align our efforts and actions. Our virtual meetings were very encouraging and inclusive. Once again, I found my language abilities did not present a barrier. I was able to connect with other distinguished members from all over the world.

Rotary has shown me that we are diverse – that we have limitations precisely because we are diverse. But it has also shown me that these limitations cease to exist when we unite. We break down barriers, distances, and differences.

Rotary has instilled in me a sense of belonging, not only to a single club, but to a great, international organization of people committed to taking action to create lasting change in the world.

Committing to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — This Learning Center course will help you learn more about Rotary’s DEI statement, what DEI means, and how you can put it into practice to create positive experiences.

Last Week’s Program: Erica Soto, Smile Oregon

Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to record the program this week. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Last Wednesday, we were joined by Erica Soto, who is the executive director for Smile Oregon. The organization’s mission is “to ensure that every family affected by a cleft or craniofacial condition living in Oregon has access to the coordinated care they deserve by providing support, awareness, and education.”

Erica is passionate about providing children with the tools they need to reach their full potential. She showed a couple of short videos that highlighted children born with this condition. One in 700 births are affected by a craniofacial condition. It takes multiple surgeries over many years, many sets of braces as the child’s face grows, and emotional and physical support to help these children and families. This organization can help with expenses and also walks alongside the families to provide the needed support.

There are multiple ways to help through donations, bottle drop, attending fundraising events or volunteering. You can learn more about Smile Oregon on their website, smileoregon.org.

Club Calendar
Wed., Sept. 7: Club Potluck
Home Of Pete & Parri Van Dyke
New Member Orientation at 5 p.m., Potluck at 6:30 p.m.
   NOTE: No noon meeting on Sept. 7.

Thurs., Sept. 8: Executive Board Meeting
7 p.m., via Zoom

Wed., Sept. 14: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Grove Room, Forest Grove School District Offices, 1728 Main St.
Program: Dave Parker, Forest Grove School District
Scheduled Vote On Change To Club Bylaws

Thurs., Sept. 15: Board Meeting
7 a.m., via Zoom

Wed., Sept. 21: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University|
Program: Dr. Jenny Coyle, President, Pacific University