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

Club Announcements
We Are Back…Online: Yes, we went without meetings for much of March thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak. But that is changing. We had 31 members and one guest Rotarian join use for the club’s first-ever virtual meeting over Zoom. Much of the meet was spent checking in on how each of us was doing, brainstorming what we can do as a club to support the community during this crisis and providing updates on District 5100 activities.

We will continue to meet virtually using the Zoom Meeting platform for the foreseeable future. Our meetings will begin at our normal meeting time, Noon on Wednesday. All Rotarians are welcome and participating will count towards meeting attendance. We will send out meeting log-in information to members and post to FGRotary.org by Tuesday.

Zoom Cloud Meeting App For Android
Zoom Cloud Meeting App For iPhone
Download Zoom Meeting App For Desktop

Quarterly Dues: If you have not already received it, you should be receiving your quarterly dues statement from the club in the next couple of days. Please note that this statement will not include any prepaid meals expenses. This reflects the decision of the board in March to put all members on a “pay as you go” status for this quarter since we are currently unable to meet in person.

We understand that this is a challenging time for all of us and that some of our members are affected more significantly than others. If you are able, please pay your dues invoice as soon as possible so that we can continue to meet our RI and District obligations. If you believe that your situation will make it hard or impossible to make a payment, please contact President Tim Pearson. The club will consider and work with those hardships on a case-by-case basis.

What About Steak Feed & Concours?: The status of our two major fundraising events for the year, the Steak Feed (scheduled for Friday, June 12) and the Concours d’Elegance (scheduled for Sunday, July 19) are still up in the air. The Concours board will be meeting online on Tuesday, April 5, to discuss this year’s show. The board will take up both events at its Thursday, April 9 online meeting.

Youth Exchange Changes: With the world turned upside down with the pandemic, the parents of our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Gabriella Cuadra from Chile, will be returning home on April 14. We are sorry that her experience is ending early but we are grateful for the time we spent with her!

We have also learned that our 2020-21 outbound student, Melanie Schneider, has had her experience to Denmark canceled. Read More On How District 5100 Is Handling Youth Exchange During Pandemic

FGHS Community Food Pantry: Even with schools closed, the need for resources at the Forest Grove High School Community Food Pantry continues. The pantry continues to be in need of the following items to serve the community that is depending on it…

Food: Pasta, Canned Sauces, Tortillas, Rice, Beans, Canned Fruit, Jelly, Peanut Butter, Boxed Milk, Canned Vegetables, Bread, Applesauce, Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks, Macaroni & Cheese, Tuna, Crackers, Maseca and Vegetable Oil.

Hygiene Items: Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Tampons/Pads, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Hair Brushes, Toilet Paper.

If you are able to donate any of the above items, please contact Gwen Hullinger at 503-419-7341. If you wish make a cash donation to the pantry, Click Here.

Helping The Forest Grove School Community: At the request of Rotarian and Forest Grove School District Superintendent Dave Parker, our Youth Funding Committee donated $3,000 to the school district to help in making supplemental learning items available to students as supplemental and distance learning. We have also reached out to the Banks and Gaston school districts to see what assistance our club can provide.

Rotary Scholarships: With the COVID-19 outbreak, our scholarship committee has extended the application deadline for the Rotary Club of Forest Grove Scholarship program to Thursday, April 30. The following changes have also been put in effect to help make it easier for applicants during this time…

• Applications will be accepted via email. All required documents must be part of the email.
• If a student is unable to obtain an official transcript, a copy of their most recent transcript or grades report will be accepted.

The program is open to graduating seniors who live in the Forest Grove, Gaston and Banks school district attendance areas. The program is funded through the proceeds our club receives by putting on the annual Concours d’Elegance. Seniors who wish to apply can download the application from the Rotary Club of Forest Grove Website. Applications are due by Thurs., April 30.

No Fines, No Problem: With not being able to collect fines or take brags last week, Tim Schauermann suggested that members donate $50 instead to go towards our scholarship program. We had 14 members do that, raising $700 to go towards next year’s scholarships. If you are interesting in donating your $50, please let President Tim Pearson know. Donations will be billed.

Take Out Locally!: There are many local restaurants and coffee shops that are continuing to operate for take-out during the stay-at-home order. Those local businesses are seeing a significant drop in business and could use our support. Could you commit to patronizing one of these eateries at least once per week to help stimulate the local economy? Click The List Of Restaurasnts Open In Forest Grove courtesy of Court Carrier.

Board of Directors Elections: Elections for three open board of directors positions were held at our March 11 meeting. Congratulations to Virginia Ohler, Howard Sullivan and Alma Lozano, who will serve from 2020 to 2023. We look forward to your greater service to the club!

RYLA: With the resignation of Kerri Willis from the club, Lazaro Villegas has agreed to help chair RYLA for our club! If you know of someone who would be a great candidate for RYLA this summer, please let Lazaro know.

District Announcements
District Training Assembly (Stay At Home Edition): In this age of COVID-19, we’ve found it necessary to be a bit more resourceful in helping you prepare for the 2020-21 Rotary year. We’re excited about providing you with a learning plan to get all members motivated and prepared for the coming Rotary year. By participating in this learning, you’ll also receive credit for some of those Rotary meetings you’re missing due to social distancing. Even though we can’t physically be together, remember that we’re still all in this together.

The four avenues for virtual training are listed below. Please note:

• There will be a drawing for a free Paul Harris Fellow for those who participate in any of these trainings from Friday, April 3^rd through Sunday April 5^th at midnight. The drawing will be held on Monday, April 6^th.
• The club with the most per capita members to participate in these trainings will win a one-year subscription for the Pro version of Zoom Video Conferencing, valued at $149.90.
• To receive credit for a make-up, please notify club secretary Lucas Welliver or enter your make-up in your DACdb profile for each session you attend or course you complete.
• In order for your club to receive credit for your participation in the D5100 website training opportunities (and thus be eligible for the Zoom subscription, please notify D5100 Trainer Renee Brouse at rbrouseymca@hotmail.com no later than Sunday, April 5^th, at midnight.

1. DTA Zoom Video Conference Sessions (Click To View Details)
   1. Specific video conference sessions will be conducted simultaneously.
   2. See the attached for a listing of learning opportunities, times and links.

1. D5100 Website
   1. Additional PowerPoint presentations and handout materials will be posted on our website. You will receive the web address in the next few days.

1. Rotary Essential Enrichment Learning (REEL)
   1. REEL is a basic integrated online educational program of 13 courses for Rotarians (members and leaders) in District 5100 who want to learn essential information, best practices, and access key resources about Rotary.
   2. This is a self-directed course and members can learn at their own pace.
   3. Click here to log in and begin your REEL learning, at any time.

1. Rotary International Learning Center (connect at any time)
   1. Members must have a MyRotary account to access information in the learning center. Click here to register for an account if you don’t have one.
   2. Take advantage of a wealth of training materials designed to help you learn new skills, become more successful in what you do, find resources and tools that support you in your role.
      1. Learn by role: new member, club president, treasurer, secretary, committee chair, etc.
      2. Learn by topic: membership, fundraising, projects, public relations, etc.
   3. View Rotary’s online course catalog to learn about additional opportunities to further your Rotary knowledge.

District 5100 Conference: Due to gathering restrictions with the COVID-19 outbreak, the District 5100 Conference has been canceled.

Club Calendar
Sat., April 4: District 5100 Virtual Training Assembly. See above announcement for details.
Tues., April 7: Concours d’Elegance Committee Meeting, 7 p.m., via Zoom
Wed., April 8: Club Weekly Meeting, Noon, via Zoom
Thurs., April 9: Board of Directors Meeting, 7 a.m., via Zoom
Wed., April 15: Club Weekly Meeting, Noon, via Zoom