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

Online Meetings: Our club continues to meet virtually using the Zoom Meeting platform. Our weekly 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…

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

A Return To Zoom Meetings: With the ongoing surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19 I have made the decision to move our meetings back to Zoom for the time being.

This isn’t the decision I wanted to make. I would love nothing more than to return to normal with all of you, singing, embracing, and eating together. But the world is not ready for normal yet. Delta spreads so much more easily than past variants, and this last week we’ve had a higher number of cases in our community than ever before. Masks are being required even for outdoor events and the CDC is recommending against all large gatherings. We must do our part to halt the spread further and keep our community members as safe as possible. Club leadership will continue to monitor the situation, and we will reinstate our in-person meetings again as soon as it is safe to do so.

As always I appreciate your feedback and questions, and I look forward to seeing you at our home away from home on Zoom this Wednesday.

Yours in Rotary Service,
Bryce Baker

Steak Sale: Thank you to everyone who participated in our Labor Day Steak Sale! We sold around 200 packs of steaks this round, which will next approximately $1,200 for the club. The funds will go towards the Scholarship Program and our club’s other community outreaches!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Survey: Members are asked over the next couple of weeks to take our club’s annual diversity, equity and inclusion survey. The survey is designed to help better understand the club’s perspectives about these issues. We hope to use the aggregated data to compare to last year’s survey and to help our club further develop. We hope to have as many club members as possible to complete the survey by the end of September.

Click Here To Take The Survey

Volunteer Opportunity – Corn Roast: The annual Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce Corn Roast & Harvest Festival is coming up! This year it will be a two-day event taking place on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19. This year’s Corn Roast will feature vendors, entertainment, a brew fest, a bicycle parade and, of course, corn.

An army of volunteers is needed to make this even happen. Volunteer opportunities include help with set-up and takedown, parking, preparing and cooking corn, kids activities and many other duties. If you are interested in volunteering, whether it is for an hour or the whole day, Click This Link to sign up!

For more information of this year’s Corn Roast & Harvest Festival, visit the Corn Roast webpage at discoverforestgrove.org or contact Juanita Lint at 503-357-3006.

Rotaract Liaison Needed: The club is looking for a member that could act as our liaison with the Pacific University Rotaract Club. If you are interested or would like to learn more about the role, please contact President Bryce.

ShelterBox HERO Club: Once again, our club has been recognized by ShelterBox USA as a ShelterBox Bronze Level HERO Club! The recognition signifies our club’s continued commitment to donate $1,000 per year to ShelterBox over a three-year period. We are truly grateful for the commitment of our members to continue to give to ShelterBox’s ongoing disaster relief efforts all over the world.

ShelterBox is an official Rotary partner. You can learn more about what the organization is doing around the world by Visiting The ShelterBox Website. Our own ShelterBox ambassadors, Jeannine Murrell and Pamelajean Myers, gave a program to the club on the organization in June which can be Viewed Here.

Haiti Relief Efforts: ShelterBox is looking for donations to help with relief for those affected by the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Donations can be directed to the ShelterBox USA website. Additionally, there is a relief fund that has been established by Rotary District 7020, which includes the majority of the clubs in the Caribbean. Click Here To Donate To The Relief Fund

Service Opportunities Upcoming: Be watching over the next two weeks for information on a service opportunity as we begin a partner project with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity!

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 was sent out with the quarterly billing that went out earlier in July.

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.

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. Donations are accepted on-site on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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.

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.

Around District 5100
District 5100 Rotary Foundation Update (by Tom Crosier): District Rotary Foundation donations this past year were the highest they’ve been in several years – with the challenges of COVID, wildfires and freezing weather, Rotarians stepped up their giving. Thank you to all for an extremely successful year of donations.

District Grant request forms are now online on the district website and being accepted for the first round of District Grant matches for up to $2,500 and are being reviewed and approved beginning July 1. We expect to receive DDF funds from Rotary International in September.

WHAT IS THE PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY?
The Paul Harris Society recognizes donors from around the world who notify The Rotary Foundation of their intention to contribute $1,000 or more every year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved global grants.

WHO ARE PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY MEMBERS?
Globally, more than 20,000 people are members of the Society, which was established in 2013. These dedicated donors share a desire to give substantially and empower Rotary clubs to change lives in their community and around the world. If you’re interested in joining the Paul Harris Society (PHS), please fill out the Online Registration Form on the Paul Harris Society’s webpage. If you have any questions, please contact Bruce or Tammy Clark, your PHS District 5100 coordinators at 503-805-9813.

7TH AREA OF FOCUS FOR GLOBAL GRANTS, PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
Now that Rotary has added a seventh Avenue of Service, Supporting the Environment, have a look at an interesting article, “Rotary Scholars and Peace Fellows Put Expertise into Helping the Environment”, a series of interviews on climate change and the perspectives of several of our Rotary Peace Fellows: Read The Story.

VISION STATEMENT
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Save The Date: District 5100 Rotary One Conference: Mark your calendars for May 19-22 as District 5100 will present its first combined Spring Training Event and annual conference in Seaside. The combined conference will provide Rotary training opportunities, inspirational speakers and a celebration of what is hoped to be a great year in District 5100.

Around Rotary International
Providing Shelter After Hurricanes Iota, Eta (By Cékube Chhea, Operations Coordinator, ShelterBox): Through my work as an Operations Coordinator at ShelterBox, I have had the opportunity to work with Rotary clubs around the world. But the work together has never been more instrumental than last year during the pandemic.

In November 2020, Hurricanes Iota and Eta brought a wave of destruction across Central America.  ShelterBox responded in Honduras, where an estimated 82,307 homes were damaged and 174,241 people had to shelter in collective centers.

ShelterBox partnered with the Rotary Club of San Pedro Sula, Hábitat para la Humanidad Honduras, and Habitat for Humanity International to support those who could return to their homes to clean up and repair their homes. Through the partnership, we distributed emergency shelter solutions in the form of ShelterKits, tarpaulins, tools, training, and household items to 3,208 families. This response is a key example of the strength and effectiveness of our global partnerships with Rotary International and Habitat for Humanity International.

Before the pandemic, I would have deployed to Honduras to support our partners. Having response teams in the country is vital to our operations. It helps us build relationships and connections, as well as giving us a ‘real time’ understanding of the situation. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions we had to take a different approach.

We worked closely with the Rotary Club of San Pedro Sula and Habitat for Humanity, whose knowledge, connections, and networks enabled a community led response. Each team played a crucial role, bringing their capacity, resources, and knowledge to the response. Our role was to provide equipment and aid, organize international logistics, and provide digital training and technical support. Our pre-positioned stock in our Panama warehouse enabled us to respond more quickly. Read More

Last Week’s Program: Keith Buckley, Pacific University Athletics

Click Here To View The Complete Program

At last week’s Zoom meeting, we welcomed Pacific University director of athletics (and former head football coach) Keith Buckley, who provided us an update on the Boxers’ athletic program heading into the 2021-22 season. Keith opened by talking about how much he looks forward to meeting with our club each fall. This was his first time addressing the club as the director of athletics.

Buckley took over the day-to-day operations of the athletic department from former director of athletics Ken Schumann just eight weeks before the pandemic started, so he doesn’t feel like he has truly had the chance to start the job he was hired to do. During the pandemic, Buckley has had great support from an incredible athletic support staff that has helped him to navigate through.

Last year was challenging for everyone but Pacific athletics fared well and was able to put together a spring with just about every one of the program’s 24 sports competing. Pacific only had to cancel one athletic event due to health and safety protocols within the Pacific program itself. Buckley said he was proud of the efforts of everyone to stay safe and provide opportunities for their student-athletes to compete and be involved in the sports they love.

Six weeks ago Pacific, and the community at large, thought the corner has been turned on the pandemic but the delta variant has forced some changes. Pacific has adapted in the ways that it provides competitive experiences without changes to the schedule. The biggest impact will be in its spectator policy. Spectators must be vaccinated or have documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken with 72 hours of the day of the event to attend games in person. This policy is in line with what other colleges and professional teams in Oregon are doing.

The 2021-22 athletic seasons began on September 1 and the Boxers hosted their first home football game of the season on September 3. The football was the beginning of Ian Falconer’s first full season as head coach after taking over from Buckley when he assumed duties as director of athletics.

The Pacific season begins with a number of new head coaches. Brandon Porter, an alumnus who played as part of the Boxers’ 2010 Northwest Conference championship men’s soccer team, is the team’s new head coach. Bailee Cofer has been elevated to head cross country coach and Ryan Hunter-Simms, who competed collegiately at Oregon, was elevated to head track and field coach. Braden Ash, a former Pacific golfer, takes over the men’s and women’s golf programs after Richard Warren retired after 22 years as head coach. The women’s rowing program is also with new leadership with Charlotte Copp stepping in as interim head coach.

The number of student-athletes competing in 2021-22 continues to be robust. The initial eligibility rosters were just short of 600 athletes that plan to compete in intercollegiate athletics this year.

Buckley said that Pacific has stringent COVID-19 protocols with all faculty, students and staff required to be vaccinated by the university with some allowance for medical and religious exemptions. The athletic department is currently 96 percent vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals will be tested weekly according to both NCAA guidance and university regulations.

With the mask mandate issued by the state of Oregon, masks are required of all individuals in sporting events and practices except during competition and organized practices. This means that the players will not need to be masked but all other individuals will be. Masks are required in all other campus settings regardless of vaccination status.

Club Calendar
Wed., Sept. 7: Weekly Meeting, On Zoom
Program: Sarah Phillips, Pacific University College of Arts & Sciences

Thurs., Sept. 8: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.

Wed., Sept. 15: Monthly Evening Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Location & Program To Be Announced

Wed., Sept. 21: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Mariana Valenzuela, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion