Rotary Rewind – Feb. 6, 2019
If you didn’t make it to this week’s Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, below is an overview of what you missed.

Announcements
Successful Road Cleanup: Thank you to those members who participated in our semi-annual road cleanup on Sat., Feb. 2, including Jerry Hoerber, Jim Crisp, Blake Timm, Greg Nemchick, Stan Reasoner, Corinne Reasoner and Melinda Fischer (I know I am leaving a couple of people out…my apologies).

Welcome Tim Cleary!: At Wednesday’s meeting we welcomed Tim Cleary as a member of our club. Tim works as a real estate professional with All Professionals Real Estate in Beaverton and works in western Washington County. Prior to entering real estate, Tim spent 23 years coaching college men’s basketball, most recently at Pacific University. Tim is a native of Redding, California. Welcome to Rotary, Tim!

Cornelius Library Service Opportunity: The Cornelius Public Library is beginning its long-awaited move into tis new building and they need volunteers to help make the move! Opportunities are available to help move books and other equipment from one building to the other from Sat., Feb. 16 through Wed., Feb. 20. If you are interested in helping, sign up at the following link: https://bit.ly/2W8rm9A. The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is a proud financial contributor to this community project!

Mike Ward Community Service Award: Nominations are now open for the club’s Mike Ward Community Service Award, which will be presented at the Crab Feed on Wed., Mar. 27. The award honors a non-Rotarian who has demonstrated longtime service to the community. Nomination forms can be picked up at a club meeting or can be Downloaded From The Club Website. The deadline for nominations is Fri., Mar. 1.

Peace Village: Our club and the Forest Grove Rotary Daybreak Club have both received District 5100 Matching Grants to help towards our club’s joint Peace Village project. The camp, which will target middle school students in teaching skills in conflict resolution, media literacy, connections with nature and mindfulness, will take place in August. The project is a joint between our Rotary Club and the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in the planning process, see Loren Waltz, Blake Timm or Julia Kollar. To learn more about Peace Village, Visit Their Website.

Rotary Foundation Update: To date, club members have contributed a total of $4,100 towards The Rotary Foundation and $1,405 towards PolioPlus. We are a third of the way towards reaching our club goals of $9,000 for TRF giving and $1,500 towards PolioPlus giving. Thank you!

Silent Auction at Crab Feed: In order to help raise funds for our Rotary Foundation giving, we will have a silent auction as part of the Crab Feed on Wed., Mar. 27. If you have a great item (think beach house weekend, experience, cool item, etc.) that you would be willing to donate, please contact Michelle Thomas, michelle.thomas@fgiis.com.

Are You Close To A Paul Harris?: We will be honoring our latest Paul Harris Fellow recipients at the Crab Feed on Wed., Mar. 27. Are you close to your first or next Paul Harris? Be sure to contribute by no later than the end of February so that you can be recognized. Not sure how close you are? Contact our foundation chair, Michael Yakos, myakos@yahoo.com.

Be The Inspiration Award: This week’s Be The Inspiration Award winner is Jim Crisp, as chosen and presented by Geoff Johnston (yes…this is Jim’s second time winning the award, but he is more than deserving). Congratulations Jim!

Have A Program Idea?: We have made the transition for program chairs with Julia Kollar starting her term. If you have an idea for a program or would like to present something yourself, let Julia know. She will also have a program planning board at meetings so you can see what is on deck and what dates may be available.

Next Week’s Duty Roster: Make note of your assignment!
Greeters: Hannah & Josh Shinoda
Thought for the Day: Loren Waltz
Rototeller Article: Jeannine Murrell
Raffle Prize: Amy Presley

Wednesday’s Program: Dr. Lesley Hallick, Pacific University
President of Pacific University and fellow Rotarian Dr. Lesley Hallick spoke to the club about Pacific University in 2019, the challenges the university faces as well as some bright spots of recognition. As part of the presentation, the club presented its annual scholarship contribution check to the university.

Pacific has been a partner in Forest Grove since its earliest days, when shared founders established the orphan school that would become this university. Their vision was to offer a home and education to those who needed it most.

Today, that mission is alive and well at Pacific.

Pacific serves more than 3,900 students — 2,400 of them in Forest Grove. Pacific students are diverse. While the largest segment comes from Oregon, about 17 percent are from Hawai‘i. The fastest growing demographic of Pacific students are Hispanic — currently about 16 percent of all undergraduates. Pacific University is designated as an Asian American and a Native American-Pacific Islander Serving Institution. Twenty-two percent of all students are first-generation. Thirty percent of all undergraduates receive an income-based federal Pell Grant intended for low-income students. Pacific serves more students from low-income families than peer institutions in Oregon. Pacific students see greater socioeconomic growth after their college years than their peers from similar schools

Pacific’s 29,000 alumni live all over the world and work in every profession. But the largest contingent — 28 percent — live in Washington-Multnomah-Clackamas Counties. Sixteen percent live here in Washington County. Healthcare and education are their most common professions.

Pacific has a rare formula in the higher education world. Pacific is among just a handful of universities with a near even split between undergraduate and graduate programs. That diversity helps Pacific weather some of the struggles that other undergraduate universities have faced in recent years. It provides an opportunity to grow new and innovative programs. And it allows for the creation of pathways for students to pursue advance degrees and future careers.

Pacific has also invested in the core value of discovery — the fundamental act of finding, creating and sharing knowledge. Pacific was recently ranked in a National Science Foundation survey as the No. 1 private research university in the Pacific Northwest. And No. 10 on the West Coast — just behind institutions like USC and Stanford.

Pacific’s community partners are critical to the student experience, in research and more. Civic engagement is a core part of the undergraduate experience in particular, and students find tremendous volunteer and engagement opportunities in local organizations.

The Forest Grove Rotary have been incredible long-time supporters of Pacific University students. The annual scholarship funded through Concours d’Elegance has provided support for more than 100 Pacific students. And the endowed scholarship established in 2017 will create perpetual support for even more.

Club Calendar
Tues., Feb. 12: Concours d’Elegance Committee Meeting, 7 p.m., FG Chamber
Wed., Feb. 13: Weekly Meeting, Noon, Pacific University
Program: Irene Trent-Valencia, Cyprus Friendship Project

Upcoming Programs
Wed., Feb. 20: Jim Crisp & Mike Hundley – Mike Ward & the Mike Ward Award
Wed., Feb. 27: Program TBA
Wed., Mar. 6: Jerry Hoerber, Roadside Cleanups