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

This Week – Meeting At The Cornelius Public Library: This week’s Wednesday meeting will be held at the Cornelius Public Library, 1370 N. Adair St. We will start at the usual noon time. Come join us! Thank you to our own Parri Van Dyke and Wedge & Cured for providing our meal.

Satellite Club Meeting: This month’s Satellite Club meeting will take place this Thursday, May 18, at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove, beginning at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Steak Feed: If you haven’t already marked your calendars, mark them for Friday, June 9 on the campus of Pacific University. Our second-biggest fundraiser of the year (behind Concours d’Elegance), this is an “all hands on deck” event where we need as many Rotarians as possible to help make the event happen. Proceeds from the Steak Feed directly fund our involvement in the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

Rotarians should have already received an envelope with 10 Steak Feed tickets and a list of committee work assignments.

Please do what you can to sell your Steak Feed tickets to friends, family, co-workers, enemies…anyone who wants to support the work of our club and enjoy a delicious steak dinner with all of the trimmings. Tickets are $25 each.

For any questions, please contact Steak Feed chair Geoff Faris.

Rotarians At Work Day: We had a solid turnout of club members and friends turn out for Rotarians at Work Day on Saturday, May 6. Thirteen Rotarians turned out to help the City of Cornelius distribute flyers for the city library as well as paint the exteriors of restrooms in the city’s parks. We also had a crew doing some maintenance on our McDougall Garden in Forest Grove.

Thank you to the following Rotarians and friends who participated: Parri Van Dyke, Juan David Gabela, Howard Sullivan, Dave Parker, Jim Cain, Jim Crisp, Rus Peters, Jabet Peters, Julia Kollar, Dallas Roark, Tom Carlson and Lucas Welliver. A special thank you to our Community Service Committee chair, Michael Cook, for his hard work in making these service opportunities happen!

Board of Directors Elections: Congratulations to our three newest members of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove Board of Directors! Evelyn Orr, Jonathan Skeele and Pamelajean Myers were all elected to the board by members and will begin their three-year terms on July 1. Thank you all for your service to the club!

Concours Polo Shirts – Order Now: For the first time in many years, the club is producing updated Concours d’Elegance polo shirts. Club members typically wear these shirts on Concours day and at our club promotional functions, such as the Steak Feed. The new polo shirts will be the navy blue that we have had in past years and feature the updated Concours d’Elegance logo on the front and our club logo on the sleeve.

Orders are being taken now with both men’s and women’s sizes available. Both men’s and women’s shirts will cost $29.50 each. If you are interested in purchasing a shirt, please contact Tim Pearson.

Concours Sponsorship Opportunities: The Concours d’Elegance Committee is well underway with procuring sponsorships for our 2023 show, which will take place on Sunday, July 16. There is plenty of sponsorship opportunities for both businesses and individuals for starting as low as $250. How important is sponsorships? Most of the profit that comes from Concours, which helps pay for our service outreach and funds our Scholarship Program, comes from sponsorships.

Click Here To Download The Sponsorship Flyer, which describes a number of the show’s sponsor opportunities. For more information or to help secure a sponsorship, please contact Tim Pearson at 503-998-8616 or timpearsonpc@gmail.com or Andrea Stewart at 503-357-1427 or astewart@pacificu.edu.

Concours Entertainment Sponsorship: Tim Pearson has announced a new entertaimment sponsorship that is available for the Concours d’Elegance. The sponsorships, sold for $250 each, include four tickets to the show, inclusion in the Concours program as an entertainment sponsor and on signage at the entertainment stage, recognition by the emcee, and a 35% discount on any advertisement that they would like to purchase in the program. There are multiple sponsorships available. For more details, or to purchase, please contact Tim Pearson.

RYLA Applications Open: The application period is now open for the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Held annually, RYLA is week-long intensive leadership camp that is open to youth and young professionals ages 19 to 32. The program has been described as a life-changing professional experience for many participants, many of whom also become Rotarians.

Our club annually sponsors one to two RYLA participants, all of which attend on scholarships provided by District 5100 clubs. This year’s RYLA will take place July 8-14 at the Menucha Retreat Center in Corbett, just east of the Portland metro area.

If you know a youth who might benefit from attending RYLA, have them visit ryladistrict5100.org. The website includes a link to the online application form.

For questions, please contact our club’s RYLA chair, Andrea Stewart, at 503-357-1427 or astewart@pacificu.edu.

Concours Concert – “Celebrating Our Senses”: The Concours d’Elegance will once again feature a Friday night vineyard concert. The second “Celebrating Our Senses” will take place on Friday, July 14 at the Eagles Next Reserve Winery & Vineyard, 12995 NW Bishop Rd., Hillsboro.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for the dinner event with music by Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductee King Louie Pain and the Renato Caranto Trio beginning at 6:15 p.m. Dinner includes a three-course meal, featuring appetizers of charcuterie and fruits and vegetables from Wedge and Cured, a Texas-style barbeque entrée from Ferrtie’s BBQ and gourmet cookies for dessert provided some of the dedicated bakers of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. A selection of wines from Eagles Nest Reserve Winery will also be available along with assorted ciders from Bull Run Cider Company of Forest Grove.

Tickets are $75 per person. For more information, please visit the Concert Page on the Concours d’Elegance website or contact Court Carrier.

Youth Exchange Update: Back in January, we learned that our selected outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student had withdrawn from the program for personal reasons. Since then, our club has officially applied to host an African exchange student in a one-way exchange through the “Power of One” program.

The club has recently learned that we were approved for a “Power On One” exchange. We will be hosting a female student named Fareeha from Uganda. We are not waiting on guarantee forms in order to move forward with approval from Forest Grove High School. As part of our club’s commitment to the program, the club will cover airfare, a clothing allowance, health insurance and some other expenses.

The Youth Exchange Committee is looking for host families that are willing to host Fareeha for a three-month period. If you are interested, please contact Youth Exchange Chair Melinda Fischer.

The Youth Exchange Committee, meanwhile, is make applications available for the 2024-25 outbound program at Forest Grove High School on May 1. Applications will be due on June 2 with interviews taking place in early June.  Applicants should be freshmen at Forest Grove High School.

For more information on the District 5100 Youth Exchange Program, visit https://www.youthexchange5100.org/. For information at the club level, please contact Melinda Fischer.

Family Justice Center Denim & Diamonds Gala: The Family Justice Center of Washington County, which recently presented a program to the club, will be holding its Denm & Diamonds: Glimmers of Hope gala on Saturday, June 3, 5:30 p.m., at the Hillsboro Elks Lodge. The evening will include dinner, music, dancing, an auction and much more. For more information, please visit https://www.fjcwc.org/events.

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 (over 100 videos to date) are archived on our club’s YouTube page. Visit https://bit.ly/fgrotaryprograms.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Elks Backpack Program: The Elks Backpack Program, which provides food for youth in the Forest Grove School District experiencing food insecurity, is looking for 50 new or gently used backpacks for the program. If you have backpacks to donate, please bring those to a future meeting and we will get them to the appropriate people.

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 4-6 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
Rotary Friendship Exchange: District 5100 has an opportunity for Rotarians to participate in a Rotary Friendship Exchange. District 5100 and District 3261 in NE India have combined forces to create a Friendship Exchange in India in January/February 2024 timeframe. The return exchange will be in May/June 2024 timeframe here in our district.

Independent travel can be arranged before or after the exchange on your own. Indian Rotarians may be willing to help with arrangements for travel to places of interest, such as the Taj Mahal, which is located in Uttar Pradesh a state just north of District 3621. District 3621 includes all or parts of the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.

If you are interested in participating in this exchange, please contact District RFE Chair Dennis Wickham for an application.

Rotary Friendship Exchanges are funded by Rotarians participating on the exchange. Some clubs may help by providing funding for meals when inbound RFE Team members visit their club. Rotarians participating from this district and their club are expected to host Rotarians from our partner district and plan the various activities of the inbound RFE team. The culture of India is such that guests are not expected to pay for any of the expenses associated with being a guest! Participants in this exchange are expected to not only host inbound Rotarians but financially support activities that are planned for the inbound guests.

District 5100 Newsletter: Click Here To View The Monthly District 5100 Newsletter

Around Rotary International
Rotarians In India, Pakistan Promote Peace At Sacred Site (By Armit Pal Singh, District 3080 Assistant Governor And Past President Of The Rotary Club of Chandigarh, India): I was thrilled recently to help coordinate a remarkable meeting between Rotary members in India and Pakistan that promoted peace and understanding between our two countries. On 4 March, more than 100 Rotary members, friends, and family from India and another 100-plus from Pakistan met together at a sacred site in Pakistan. The goodwill meeting sought to break down some of the historic barriers of animosity between our countries and unite us in the spirit of Rotary fellowship.

Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is a sacred site for Sikhs with immense religious and spiritual value to both Indians and Pakistanis. Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, is believed to have spent the last 18 years of his life there. The complex on the east bank of the Ravi River is massive and well-maintained. Its beauty is overwhelming. Strict immigration and customs rules are in place for people from India making a pilgrimage to visit Kartarpur. Access is through a narrow corridor. Fortunately, we were able to secure all the necessary permissions to make it happen.

In the reception area that served as our venue, old friends hugged while new friends shook hands and got to know each other. Almost everyone was busy with their cameras, taking photos to capture the moment. Members exchanged club banners and presented Rotary pins. Some participants gifted each other with boxes of treats.

Because Pakistan is still a polio-endemic country, Rotary members from India were required to receive polio drops in the Indian immigration building before crossing the border. The person administering the drops saw my Rotary pin and said excitedly, “Rotarians have been giving these drops to the children of our country for so many years. I am so proud to return the favor today.” It was a touching moment.

The idea originated with past governors Madhukar Malhotra of District 3080 (India) and Shezad Ahmed of District 3272 (Pakistan), both directors of the Indus Peace Park Society. They proposed a meeting between members of the Rotary Clubs of Chandigarh and Lahore Garrison. But as an assistant governor, I expanded the idea to include more clubs from the two districts.

Our focus was also on creating twin club relationships before the trip so that members of the paired clubs could meet. I had help from Anil Ghai, a Rotary member from Delhi who is also an Indus Peace Park director. Our efforts resulted in eight clubs from Chandigarh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Shimla, and Parwanoo, India, forming twin club relationships with clubs in Lahore and Faisalabad, Pakistan, in February.

On the day of the event, we had members from 16 different clubs, including many current, past, and future district leaders and club presidents. Ved Parkash Kalta, our district governor, was not able to attend due to a previous commitment to training events but supported and encouraged attendance. Twin club certificates were signed, and memorandums of understanding exchanged. We discussed future opportunities to follow up on the goodwill meeting and collaborate on future service projects.

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye. Many felt a sense of fulfillment for having made the journey as well as sadness at having to leave. Invitations were extended to visit each other in the future. Since our return, two of our clubs in India have had joint meetings over Zoom with their twin clubs in Pakistan. The Rotary Club of Chandigarh has also pledged to work with clubs in Pakistan to bring children with congenital heart disease to India for free heart surgeries.

As Rotarians, we can help make this world a better place through our actions.

This story was originally published on the Rotary.org website.

Last Week’s Program: Kristy Reddick, Community Action of Washington County

Click Here To View Last Week’s Program

Last week we were joined by Kristy Reddick, the corporate and community partnerships manager for Community Action of Washington County. She provided a history of the program’s roots and insight into the services that the organization provides to underprivileged individuals in Washington County.

Community Action’s mission is to lead the way to eliminate conditions of poverty and create opportunities for people and communities to thrive. Community Action was formed as a response to poverty in the 1960s. In 1965, a group of local leaders formed Communtiy Action to help Wash Co’s poorest people access services and resources. The organization served 34,000 people last year.

Kristy went over the federal poverty guidelines, which provides a minimum amount of income needed that a family needs for food, shelter, etc. The current level is at approximately $31,000 per year. The guidelines do not take into account regional differences. Nine percent of Washington County households fall into the federal poverty guidelines and approximately 23% of Forest Grove families fall under the threshold.

Community Action works to eliminate the conditions of poverty thorough a theory of change that allows families to find ways to make basic needs secure, providing direct services and connections to resources to make families better equipped to exit poverty.

When someone comes to Community Action for assistance, they employ a wrap-around service model that allows clients to receive all services that they need no matter how they make contact. Services include a Head Start and Early Head Start program, child care resources and referral, support for new and expectant mothers, skill develop for healthy families, housing and homeless services, emergency rent assistance, energy assistance and a financial literacy program.

Club Calendar
Wed., May 17: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Cornelius Public Library, 1370 Adair St., Cornelius
Program: Club Assembly

Thurs., May 18: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Thurs., May 18: Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Wed., May 24: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Anne Lane, Forest Grove Parks & Recreation

Wed., May 31: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Steven Barnard, Pickleball at the Armory

Fri., June 9: Steak Feed, 5-8 p.m.
Pacific University Campus

Sun., July 16: Concours d’Elegance
Pacific University Campus