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, Jan. 15, in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week, we will hear from a representative from Plaza Encuentro, located in Hillsboro.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our weekly meetings in January and February are scheduled to take place at Pacific University.

Weekly Meeting Meals: Last Tuesday, we learned that because the dining commons is open at Pacific University for winter term, there is no need to cater lunches. We will take our meals through the commons as we usually do. We apologize for the confusion.

Steak Sales: Thank you to everyone who participated in our latest Steak Sale, which ended on Sunday. Proceeds will benefit our Rotary Youth Exchange inbound student Laurin von Orelli’s participation on the Forest Grove High School ski team.

Pick-up will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., outside the warehouse at Main Street and 19th Ave. (adjacent to Forest Grove Coffee Company). For questions, please contact Julia Kollar.

Youth Citizens Of The Month: Last week, it was our honor to recognize three students from the Forest Grove School District at our January Youth Citizens of the Month. Congratulations to Moira Olmstead of Forest Grove High School (the daughter of Rotarian Sharon Olmstead), Leta Falconer of Neil Armstrong Middle School and Dylan Rodgers from CALC! All three were presented with certificates and a $50 gift card from Frye’s Action Athletics.

Hope For The Holidays: Thank you to all of our Rotarians, Interactors and friends who made Hope For The Holidays another great success. Our volunteers spent three-plus hours on Monday, Dec. 23, packing holiday food boxes, which were distributed at Forest Grove High School. This year’s project served 103 families, including 217 adults and 122 children.

We are incredibly grateful to Parri Van Dyke and Janet Peters for once again coordinating the effort this year! We are also grateful for our Rotarians who have provided funds for this project, including $1,600 raised through our annual wreath fundraiser. We also extend thanks to District 5100 for the $2,500 matching grant for the project. We look forward to doing all again in December 2025.

Crab Feed – Save The Date: This year’s Crab Feed is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 19. 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. Our Crab Feed Committee is actively starting planning for this year’s event.

Rotary Pickleball Tournament: Our club’s inaugural Rotary Doubles Pickleball Tournament is coming up! Join us on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 10 a.m. for a fun afternoon with fellow Rotarians and our families and friends at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way.

There will be brackets for four different skill levels: I have never played, I’ve played a few times, I play from time to time and I play competitively. You can either sign up with your own doubles partner or be paired with someone by the committee.

If you are interested in participating, Fill Out This Google Form or sign up at an upcoming club meeting. If you have questions, please contact any member of the tournament committee: Steven Barnard, Mallory Hiefield or Cole Thursam.

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.

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.

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

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!

Club Calendar
Wed., Jan. 15: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Plaza Encuentro

Thurs., Jan. 16: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Jan. 22: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Mallory Hiefield, Pacific Coast Trail Adventures

Thurs., Jan. 23: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Sat., Jan. 25: Rotary Pickleball Tournament, 10 a.m.
Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way