HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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
Concours Meeting: We are only seven months away from the next Concours d’Elegance! The next Concours meeting will take place on Tues., Jan. 8, 7 p.m., at the Forest Grove Chamber office. If you are committee chair or have an interest in a greater leadership role with our biggest fundraiser, plan on attending!

Peace Village: Our Rotary club is partnering with the Daybreak Club to put together a Peace Village camp this summer for local youth. An initial planning meeting is scheduled for Tues., Jan. 15, 7 p.m., at the Forest Grove City Auditorium. Anyone interested in being part of this project is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Loren Waltz. To learn more about Peace Village, Visit Their Website.

Your Dues Are Due: Quarterly dues for the club are now due. If you have not received an invoice in your mailbox or your email inbox, you will very soon. We must pay Rotary and District 5100 dues this month, so please be prompt in remitting your payment.

 Rotary Foundation Update: To date, club members have contributed a total of $2,990 towards The Rotary Foundation and $1,090 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!

Next In Line: Bryce Baker has agreed to step into the officer rotation for our club. He will serve as club president in 2021-22. We look forward to your leadership. Bryce!

Be The Inspiration Award: This week’s Be The Inspiration award winner is Jerry Frye as presented by Richard Kidd. Congratulations Richard!

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: Sharon Olmstead & Janet Peters
Thought for the Day: Paul Waterstreet
Rototeller Article: Todd Kelley
Raffle Prize: Virginia Ohler

Wednesday’s Program: Rotary Scholarship Committee
Rotarian Sharon Olmstead, financial Advisor at Edward Jones and chair of our scholarship committee, spoke about the history and status of the scholarship program.

The Forest Grove Rotary Club began awarding college scholarships when it began presenting the annual Concours D’Elegance in 1972.  In the beginning, half of the net income was distributed as scholarships and the other half to youth sports and activities.  Of the money for scholarships, 60 percent was donated to Pacific University to attend the local college and 40 percent was awarded to students from Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston high schools attending a college other than Pacific University. The scholarships are to help pay for the first year of tuition and college fees.

Later the scholarship funds were paid 40 percent to Pacific and 60 percent to colleges other than Pacific.  Rotary now includes graduates of private high schools or home school students living in Forest Grove, Cornelius, Banks and Gaston in its scholarship program. In recent years, the Forest Grove Knights of Pythias have donated thousands of dollars to increase the money for local students.

In 2017, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove started an Endowment with Pacific University, with a beginning donation of $25,000 and with a current balance of just over $29,000. The endowment funds will be a perpetual scholarship opportunity for applicants of Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston who intend to attend Pacific University.

All graduating seniors who reside in the Forest Grove, Gaston and Banks school district boundaries are eligible to apply for the Rotary scholarships. The scholarship is to be used for the first year of tuition and college fees. It is not used for housing. This year’s application deadline is April 2. Recipients are evaluated based on their history of academic achievement, participation in school and community activities and demonstrating citizenship and personal character/values which align with Rotary’s Four-Way Test.

Over the last nine years, the Rotary Club of Forest Grove, along with generous donations from the Forest Grove Knights of Pythias, have awarded 108 scholarships totaling $143,000.

Club Calendar
Tues., Jan. 8: Concours Meeting, 7 p.m., Forest Grove Chamber Office
Wed., Jan. 9: Weekly Meeting, Noon, Pacific University
Program – Stacy Metzger, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Emergency Preparedness
Thurs., Jan. 10: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m., Heritage Bank

Upcoming Programs
Wed., Jan. 16: Program TBA
Wed., Jan. 23: David Noyes, Cascade Pacific Council, Scouts BSA
Wed., Jan. 30: Rob Foster – Trip to Pakistan
Wed., Feb. 6: Dr. Lesley Hallick – Pacific University Update