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

Crab Feed – Thank You!: Rotarians and honored guests enjoyed the annual Crab Feed at the Forest Grove Community and Senior Center on Wed., March 29.   It was so nice to hear the buzz in the room as members, non-members and guests caught up with each other!

The evening included a silent auction, dessert dash, music by Pamelajean Myers and Maggie Dickerson, photo booth and Paul Harris Awards. It was a full evening of good food, music and fellowship!

Our Rotary Foundation Chair, Mike Yakos, announced 16 Paul Harris Fellow recipients, including seven first time honorees.

I want to thank our Crab Feed Committee for all of their planning and work to put this together. The committee included Julie Kollar, Jeff Duyck, Candace Evers, Andrea Stewart, Melinda Fischer, Claudia and Mike Yakos, Hector Mendez, John and Mary Welch, Jessica Lynch, Sharon Olmstead and Parri Van Dyke.  Thank you to members of Scouts BSA Troop 213 and Forest Grove FFA for serving and clean up.

A total of $4,640 was raised through the silent auction, dessert dash, steak sales and extra crab and wine sales. These funds will go The Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus. Thank you to everyone that came and supported our event!

President Janet Peters

Paul Harris Fellows: At the Crab Feed, the following individuals were recognized for earning Paul Harris Fellows over the course of the last year. Individuals become Paul Harris Fellows for $1,000 lifetime giving to The Rotary Foundation and for each subsequent $1,000 of giving. Rotarians may also continue funds to give a Paul Harris Fellow to other individuals.

Paul Harris Fellows: Bryce Baker, Cindy Yakos, Alexa Johnston, Alex Johnston, Rus Peters, Lucas Welliver, Melissa Hartneky, John Weglarz

Paul Harris +1: Pamelajean Myers

Paul Harris +2: Michael Yakos, Geoff Johnston

Paul Harris +3: Janet Peters, Chuck Pritchard

Paul Harris +4: Andrew Stewart

Paul Harris +6: Julia Kollar

Paul Harris +7: Jeannine Murrell

Next Noon Meeting – At FGSD Offices: Our next noon meeting will take place on Wednesday, Apr. 5, and will take place in the Grove Room at the Forest Grove School District office, 1728 Main Street. We need a head count by the end of the weekend for catering. If you plan on attending, please contact President Janet by no later than Sunday night.

Rotary Scholarships: Applications for the 2023 Rotary Club of Forest Grove Scholarship Program are by midnight on Thursday, Apr. 6. The program provides one-time scholarships to graduating seniors that reside in the Forest Grove, Banks or Gaston school district attendance areas. The awards may be used towards tuition at any college or vocational school in the United States.

The Scholarship Program is made possible by proceeds from our annual Concours d’Elegance car show.

For more details and a link to the application, Click Here. For questions, please contact Scholarship Committee chair Sharon Olmstead, sharon.olmstead8571@gmail.com.

McDougall Garden Work Party: Thank you to the small but sturdy work party that came out on Saturday to help get our McDougall Garden ready for spring. Those who helped out included Geoff & Annette Faris, Melinda Fischer, John Minor, Jim Cain and Margie Davidson.

McDougall Garden – Public Sculpture Call For Artists: The City of Forest Grove Public Arts Commission is submitting artist submissions for a sculpture that will be installed at the McDougall Garden later this fall or winter. One piece of art will be selected from those presented with a project budget from the arts commission not to exceed $12,000. Applying artists should be qualified and able to demonstrate artistic excellence as well as complete and install the project with a specified timeline. Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 14.

For more information on the project, Visit The City Of Forest Grove Website.

March Madness Fundraiser Update: The madness ends on Monday night! Thanks to everyone who bought into our March Madness fundraiser, which has raised $260 for The Rotary Foundation. Monday’s national championship game features UConn vs. San Diego State. We will know by Wednesday’s meeting who gets all of those Paul Harris points.

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.

Rotarians At Work Day – Save The Date: Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which will be our annual Rotarians at Work Day. The Community Service Committee is working on identifying two to three projects for Rotarians to be involved with that day. Watch for a sign-up sheet at our weekly meetings.

Concours Polo Shirts: 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 and our club logo.

Orders are being taken now with both men’s and women’s sizes available. Men’s shirts will cost around $25 and women’s sizes will be around $35. If you are interested in purchasing a shirt (cost between $25 and $30), please contact Tim Pearson at 503-998-8616 or timpearsonpc@gmail.com.

Concours Concert Details: The Concours d’Elegance will once again feature a Friday night vineyard concert. The event will take place on Friday, July 14. Court Carrier is looking for assistance on identifying potential caterers and musical performers for the evening concert, which will be held at a local winery. If you have possible leads or want to be involved with the planning committee, contact Court at 971-404-7864 or ccarrieriv@gmail.com.

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 should find out which student we are hosting in the next weeks. It is a high likelihood that our student will come from Algeria or Tanzania.

The “Power Of One” program has asked our club to participate in a level of funding called Enhanced Plus, where the host district pays for health insurance, clothing assistance, Rotary sponsored trips and provide a monthly stipend. Students and their families are responsible for airfare and visa and interview costs.

District 5100 is very supportive of the “Power of One” program and will support our club with additional funding should our club not be able to come up with the necessary funds.

This is an exciting opportunity for our club to continue its tradition of involvement with Rotary Youth Exchange for this year. Be watching for more details soon.

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 $350. 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.

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 Spring Training Event Registration Open: Registration is now open for the 2023 Rotary Spring Training Event (formerly District Training Assembly). This year’s event takes place at Sherwood High School at Sat., Apr. 22.

This year’s lineup will have some wonderful workshops and training opportunities as well as a new concept called “Birds of a Feather” for attendees to participate in.

There will also be post-training activities, so bring your family and plan on staying after the event. Langers Entertainment Center, the premier family entertainment center in Sherwood, has offered Rotary space to fellowship after the training, complete with snacks and a $25 game card for every attendee. You can bowl, climb the rock wall, play laser tag, do the rope challenge course and much more.

The Rotary Spring Training Event is more than a training. It is time to connect and enjoy fellowship with your fellow District 5100 Rotarians as, together, we create hope in the world.

A registration link was emailed out to all Rotarians and can also be accessed through DacDB. Click Here To View The Schedule Of Classes & Events.

If you want additional information, please contact DGE Renee Brouse at rbrouseymca@hotmail.com.

Rotary Direct Matching Points Available: District 5100 is offering three Jubitz Rotary Foundation (TRF) recognition point offers this year in conjunction with this year’s Spring Training Assembly.

The one-time offer provides for 250 TRF Recognition Points for joining Rotary Direct or for increasing giving through Rotary Direct or 500 TRF Recognition Points for joining the Paul Harris Society.

Rotarians can take advantage of this offer to complete their own Paul Harris Fellow or to recognize someone significant their life.

Here’s How It Works:

• Sign up for Rotary Direct, which required a minimum monthly contribution of $10 or more to the TRF Annual Fund – SHARE.
• Increase current Rotary Direct giving by increasing by a minimum of $100 per year to the Annual Fund – SHARE.
• Sign up for the Paul Harris Society (PHS) through Rotary Direct with a minimum monthly contribution of $85 or more to the Annual Fund – SHARE.

Spring Training registration will open on Mar. 1. Your completed Rotary Direct form must be submitted to the Foundation Table at Spring Training on Sat., Apr. 22 Click Here For The Rotary Direct Form.

This year, you do not have to attend Spring Training to turn in your Rotary Direct form. A member from your club can submit the form for you or you may also send it to the District 5100 Office, 6700 SW 105th Ave., Suite 313, Beaverton, OR 97008, or by email to office@district5100.org. Mailed applications must be received by Apr. 18, 2023.

Thank you to Rotarian Al Jubitz for his gracious support in allowing the use of his TRF points and thank you all donors who believe in Rotary’s work, both locally and globally.

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

Around Rotary International
In RYLA, I’ve Glimpsed New Horizons Of Opportunity (by Kennedy Brooks, Participant in RYLA in Missouri): Last July, I attended a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Academy in Missouri, USA, that changed my life. I found myself in the right place at the right time. In the span of less than four days, I made unbelievable friendships, met mentors who were willing to give me wise counsel, and learned skills that I can use to explore a future of endless opportunities.

Several months earlier, my high school counselor had invited me into her office to tell me that the Branson-Hollister Rotary Club wanted to send me to a RYLA event. I knew what an honor it was to be selected. As the trip approached, I was more excited and anxious than for any trip I had previously taken.

The week began with the ride from my town of Hollister, Missouri, to Warrensburg and the campus of the University of Central Missouri. Upon arriving on campus, I checked into the dorms and met my roommate for the four nights. Her name was Ella, and she was from St. Louis. I was not sure how we would get along, as her and my backgrounds were considerably different. But we got along great and stayed up talking about everything and anything every night.

The first day, we did ice breakers to get to know one another. The entire event was filled with activities designed to help us learn about each other and get to know ourselves. Rotary members came and talked to us. We did some fun activities as a large group. And we broke into small groups to take part in a race in which our small groups competed to be the first to accomplish various tasks.

My small group called ourselves Mike’s Minions and Tracy Terrors after our fearless small group leaders: Mike and Tracy. Mike is a pastor and Tracy a Rotarian, but we called them our RYLA mom and dad.

Before the race began, the small groups got together to take the True Colors personality test, to learn about our strengths and weaknesses. I learned that my primary color was orange, which meant I’m confident, adventurous, an impulsive decision maker, and a quick action maker. My secondary color of blue revealed that I’m emotionally driven, creative, and empathetic. After we learned our colors, we discussed how we could use this information to help our team win the race.

The race included team-building exercises such as a trust fall, an obstacle course, and an activity designed to teach us about polio eradication. The ultimate goal was to plan a service project, and we were also given a budget exercise where we had to work out a real budget for our project. The service project we decided upon was to hold a 5K Red Ribbon Run to raise funds and awareness for teen drug abuse. We designed a plan that any Rotary club could

implement. After the race, all the teams celebrated with a surprise dance party, led by a fantastic DJ.

Throughout the week, Rotary members told us about different opportunities. I was struck by a presentation on Rotary’s Youth Exchange program, and afterward, spoke to a member of my local Rotary club about applying for the program.  Attending RYLA gave me the courage to apply, and now I have been accepted to take part in a youth exchange beginning in July. My adventure with Rotary will continue.

I am forever grateful for RYLA Academy and the way it has taught me things that will help me pursue my future dreams.

Club Calendar
Wed., Apr. 5: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Grove Room, Forest Grove School District Office, 1728 Main St.
Program: Matthew Tschabold, Policy Advisor For Governor Kotek’s Housing & Homelessness Initiative

Wed., Apr. 12: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Karen Martinez, National Day of Prayer & Civic Engagement

Thurs., Apr. 13: Executive Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
via Zoom

Wed., Apr. 19: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Club Assembly

Sat., May 6: Rotarians at Work Day, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Locations To Be Announced

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

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