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

Welcome Jenny Coyle & Marc Williams: We are proud to welcome Dr. Jenny Coyle and Dr. Marc Williams of Pacific University as the newest members of our club!

Coyle and Williams were inducted in a ceremony held during the club’s weekly meeting on the Pacific University campus on Feb. 8. Coyle was sponsored for membership by Claudia Yakos while Williams was sponsored by Amy Tracewell.

Jenny Coyle became the 18th president of Pacific University in July 2022. She is the first alumna to lead the university, having received her bachelor of vision science in 1990, her doctor of optometry in 1993 and her master of science in vision science in 2000. She was an instructor and professor in the Pacific University College of Optometry from 1994 to 2006.

In 2006, Coyle was named associate dean of the College of Optometry and served as dean from 2008-2019. During her time as dean, Coyle was a member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove.

Prior to returning to Pacific, Coyle served as the dean of the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University from 2019-2022.

Coyle is a contributing editor for Primary Care Optometry News and a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry. A diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, Coyle was named one of Vision Monday’s 50 Most Influential Women in Optical in 2006. She received the 2010 Clarence G. Carkner Oregon Optometrist of the Year and received the Women in Optometry Theia Award for Excellence in Education in 2018.

Coyle was the first woman president of the Association of Schools and College of Optometry, serving for two terms (2013-15) and currently serves on the board of directors of the American Academy of Optometry.

Dr. Marc Williams is the founding director for the Center of Business, Sports Entrepreneurship and Entertainment in the Pacific University College of Business and also serves as the Pacific athletic department’s NCAA diversity and inclusion designee. Prior to moving to Forest Grove over the summer, Williams served as the associate vice president for innovation and technology and associate athletic director at Jarvis Christian College in Texas.

Williams career in sports includes time as a senior executive for three major worldwide sports brands, Champs Sports, Reebok and Footaction. He was recently named as one of the Top 100 Influential Blacks in the World by CORE Magazine and is considered one of the top educators in sports marketing, innovation and esports curriculum in the United States.

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University, a master’s in sports management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his doctorate in education/curriculum instruction from West Virginia University. His wife, Pei-Ru Lin, is a Fulbright Scholar from Taiwan. Together they have a young daughter, Maru-Sattva Lin Williams, who was born last spring.

Steak Sale Is Back: Get your grills ready because we have another steak sale under way! We are offering packs of two choice New York cut steaks from Columbia Empire Farms for $20 per pack. Buy some for your own freezer and sell them to friends as well. Proceeds from the sale will go to support our ongoing community outreach programs.

Orders are due to Janet Peters by Friday, Feb. 24. Steaks can be picked up on Friday, Mar. 3.

Thirsty Thursday/Satellite Club Meeting: This month’s Satellite Club meeting will take place this Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., at Zesti Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove. All club members are welcome to join in for an evening of Rotary fellowship!

Crab Feed – Save The Date!: This year’s Crab Feed will be on Wednesday, Mar. 29. This annual event allows us to come together as a club, enjoy fellowship and honor those members who have become Paul Harris Fellows or have reached their next Paul Harris Fellow level. We will not have a noon meeting on Mar. 29.

The crab dinner, which will include hot soup, salad, bread, a half-pound of crab and beverages, will be $45. A vegetarian option will be available for $25. Crab will also be available for purchase by the pound at market price.

Use the links below to pre-order your tickets!
Regular Crab Feed Ticket, $45
Crab Feed To-Go Meal, $42
Crab Feed Vegetarian Meal Ticket, $25

For questions, or if you want to be involved on the planning committee, please contact Julia Kollar .

In addition, Parri Van Dyke is once again putting together a silent auction with proceeds to benefit The Rotary Foundation. We are looking for specific items such as weekend getaways, wine and wine tastings, hosted dinner and themed gift baskets…or maybe you have an idea of something to donate! If you would like to donate, please contact Parri.

Rotary Scholarships – Applications Open: Applications are now open for the 2023 Rotary Club of Forest Grove Scholarship Program. 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 of 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.

Applications are due by midnight on Apr. 6, 2023. For more details and a link to the application, Click Here. For questions, please contact Scholarship Committee chair Sharon Olmstead, sharon.olmstead8571@gmail.com.

In addition to our annual scholarship program, our club maintains an endowed scholarship program at Pacific University that provides tuition funding to students from the local area. On Wednesday, our club presented a check to Pacific University for $14,865 as our annual donation to our scholarships to the university.

ShelterBox Appeal – Syria & Turkey Earthquake: Turkey and northwest Syria were struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake early on Mon., Feb. 6. Minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake followed by a third 7.5-magnitude earthquake ravaged the same region.

Thousands of people have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured and made homeless.

Powerful aftershocks have continued across the region. The devastation is immense, with thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the disaster was the worst the country had seen since 1939 when the Erzincan earthquake in eastern Turkey killed nearly 33,000 people.

The priority is search and rescue as first responders desperately try to save people trapped beneath the rubble. ShelterBox has been actively monitoring the situation and is deploying an assessment team to the region this week to determine what is needed and if we can support the humanitarian shelter needs.

This devastating earthquake will only make matters worse for the Syrian people, who have already faced years of displacement due to conflict and trauma. Without homes, freezing temperatures will put lives at risk. The emergency shelters, blankets and warm winter clothing ShelterBox provides could make the difference between life and death.

ShelterBox has been working in Syria since 2011, providing life-saving aid to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the civil war. In addition to Syria, ShelterBox has responded to the impact of earthquakes in Turkey, most notably following the 2011 Van earthquake.

Our emergency team is working closely with partners to monitor the situation and understand what support is needed in the aftermath of today’s earthquakes.

Your donation makes the life-saving work of ShelterBox possible. Your gift today will help families made homeless by conflict or disaster– wherever the need is greatest. Donate At This Link.

Rotaract/Interact Liaisons Needed: We are in need of club liaisons that would like to be involved with both the Rotaract Club at Pacific University and with the Interact Club at Forest Grove High School. Both clubs are connected to our Rotary club and aim to provide service opportunities to students. If you are interested, or would like more information on what the role entails, please contact President Janet.

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.

Youth Exchange Update: While we are looking forward to our continued involvement with the Rotary Youth Exchange program, the way our club will be involved during the 2023-24 Rotary year will be different.

We recently received word that the person that had been selected to be our outbound exchange student has withdrawn for personal reasons. Instead of not being able to participate in the program this year, our club is looking to be involved with the program through a program called “The Power Of One.”

“The Power Of One,” program, which is powered by Rotary Youth Exchange, helps to open to door to African students through one-way exchanges. In past years, District 5100 has been involved with this program through exchanges with clubs in The Dalles and Monmouth-Independence.

Be watching for more updates as we pursue being involved this year through this exciting program!

Concours Concert Event – Help Wanted: The Concours Committee has given the green light to go ahead with another concert event linked to the annual show. The concert is tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 14 with the Concours taking place on Sunday, July 16. If you are interested in helping plan and execute the concert event, please contact Court Carrier at 971-404-7864 or ccarrieriv@gmail.com.

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
District 5130 Disaster Relief Fund: Our Rotary friends in District 5130 in Northern California are facing some significant challenges as the calendar turns from 2022 to 2023. A 6.4 magnitude earthquake on December 20^th caused significant damage to homes and businesses in Humboldt County.

A follow-up 5.4 magnitude earthquake on New Year’s Day, followed by the winds and rains of the cyclone bomb have left the businesses and residents reeling.

The District has an established Disaster Relief Fund to help with recovery efforts. If you are able to and want to provide some financial assistance to our neighbors to the south, please visit their website at https://www.rotary5130.org/district-disaster-response-plan/.

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

Around Rotary International
Rotary Responds To The Turkey/Syria Earthquake: Turkey and Syria were struck by a devastating earthquake on 6 February that has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes and other structures, and left people across the region without shelter in bitterly cold winter weather.

The Rotary world responded to this catastrophe immediately. RI President Jennifer Jones activated our disaster response efforts, communicated with the affected districts, and encouraged governors in those regions to apply for disaster response grants and share information about their relief efforts so that Rotary can amplify the calls for support.

Rotary’s project partner ShelterBox has an emergency response team assessing the needs in the region and how it can respond. That team is communicating with Rotary district leaders. Our service partner Habitat for Humanity International is also working on its response. Many Rotary members are asking how they can help. Here’s how to have the greatest impact:

• Give to The Rotary Foundation’s Disaster Response Fund. Donations help clubs and districts provide aid and support rebuilding efforts where the need is greatest. The funds are distributed to affected communities through disaster response grants. The Disaster Response Fund can accept cash contributions and District Designated Funds (DDF). Donations to the Disaster Response Fund are combined and cannot be designated for a specific disaster.
• Support local initiatives. As we learn about local response efforts that are being led by clubs and districts, Rotary raises awareness about how to support them. People can then support these projects by working directly with Rotary members in the region. If you want us to publicize information about local response efforts, write to relief@rotary.org.

Last Week’s Program: Andrew Saultz, Pacific University College of Education

Click Here To Watch The Full Program

On Wednesday, we were joined by Andrew Saultz, who will become the interim dean of the Pacific University College of Education this summer. Currently an assistant professor of education policy and leadership in the Ph.D. in Education and Leadership Program at Pacific, Saultz came to specifically to present on the College of Education.

Saultz opened by saying that Rotary holds a special place in his heart. His grandfather was member of Rotary in Dayton, Ohio and often talked about what it meant to him. He also thanked the local club for all of the work it does in the community. “Rotary represents a light in a world that needs it,” Saultz said.

The College of Education has two parts: the School of Teaching & Learning, which educates teachers, and the School of Communication Disorders. The COE also has an Early Learning Community and a Ph.D. program in education and leadership, which trains researchers to be diverse learners. He has never seen a school of education as connected as it is at Pacific.

Saultz provided his perspective on what is public education like in Oregon today, which provides a broader context in the mission of the COE. For too long, the system has been built for a small portion of students. Teachers are doing heroic things everyday, he said, and the pandemic has stretched resources and shined a spotlight on the inequities within education.

Oregon does not adequately fund education and has the shortest school year in the country. Saultz said 81 percent of HS students graduate on time, ranking 42nd in the U.S. Thirty-nine percent are proficient in reading in third grade in Oregon. Thirty percent of students in Oregon passed math proficiency exams. Only 25% of black students are proficient in reading at grade level and only 30% for Latinos. The numbers are lower in math proficiency. The future of the state of Oregon needs us to better and our children deserve better, he said.

Dr. Saultz touched on a number of issues within education right now and how the work being done at Pacific is addressing those issues head on.

Club Calendar
Wed., Feb. 15: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Julie Titus, Virginia Garcia Memorial Medical Center

Thurs., Feb. 16: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Via Zoom

Thurs., Feb. 16: Thirsty Thursday/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Wed., Feb. 22: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Howard Baker, Forest Grove Timber Beats BB Gun Team

Wed., Mar. 1: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Grove Room, Forest Grove School District Offices, 1728 Main St., Forest Grove
Program: TBA

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

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