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

Online Meetings: Our club continues to meet virtually using the Zoom Meeting platform. Our weekly meetings will begin at our normal meeting time, Noon on Wednesday. All Rotarians are welcome and participating will count towards meeting attendance. Here are the login details…

Direct Link: https://zoom.us/j/183084884
Meeting ID: 183 084 884

To join by phone, dial 669-900-6833 or 346-248-7799 and enter the meeting ID number when prompted.

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

Classics On Main Event: With the 2021 Concours d’Elegance unable to happen, the Concours Committee has decided a host a smaller event on Main Street on Sunday, July 18. The invitation-only event will feature up to 85 former class winners and judges. Following the event, a group of 50 cars will take an invitation-only tour that will end at the Brothers Museum in Salem.

The Concours Committee will need help from club members with set-up, car-spotting, a Rotary information booth and more. If you are able and interested in volunteering for the event, sign up at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0448a9aa22a5f94-july.

Due to logistical challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no Concours d’Elegance in 2021. Click Here To Read The Full Announcement.

Steak Sale: Thank you to everyone who participated in our latest Steak Sale. The pick-up for steaks took place on Thursday. We will have an update on the club’s proceeds from the latest sale in a future edition of the Rototeller.

Over the last year, our club has netted over $13,500 from the steak sales that we have done over the last year. These funds are helping to offset proceeds we normally receive from the Steak Feed and the Concours d’Elegance, both of which are not happening again this year due to the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who has made these sales such a success, especially Jeff Duyck, Julia Kollar, Lucas Welliver and Marge Johnston.

Wine Fundraiser: As the club continues to look for ways to make up for the fund that we usually realize from the Concours d’Elegance, we will be having another wine sale fundraiser coming up in July. These are bottles of wine made available by the former owners A Blooming Hill Vineyard with approximately 200 cases available for sale. Bottles of red wine will be available for $12 and bottles of white available for $10. The club will realize a return of approximately $45 per case. Watch for additional details coming soon.

Club Budget: As the club looks ahead to the coming years, the board of directors has been taking a critical look at the club and foundation budgets. The board has been looking ahead to the next two years for the club, knowing that we will have missed two years of both the Steak Feed and the Concours d’Elegance. It is likely that a number of committees will have to reduce spending in order to keeping withdrawals from the foundation’s rainy day fund to a minimum.

The board is looking to put together a couple of fundraisers that will help being money again to fund our club’s outreaches, including the Scholarship Program. If you have potential ideas, please let any member of the club know.

Thirsty Thursday/Satellite Club Meeting: Thank you to everyone who came out for the June Thirsty Thursday/Satellite Club meeting that was held at the home of Stan & Corinne Reasoner. The meeting was a great opportunity to discuss what is upcoming for both the club and the satellite club for the upcoming year. President-elect Bryce Baker also attended to talk about his goals for the upcoming year and to speak more about the club visioning process which took place in early June.

Golf Tournament: Mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 11, for the club’s annual golf tournament at Sunset Grove Golf Course. This is currently scheduled to be the club’s first in-person meeting back following the COVID pandemic and we are looking forward to seeing everyone face to face.

The day will begin with a barbeque lunch, which all members are invited to regardless of if you are playing in the tournament or not. Golf will tee off around 1 p.m. Additional details on the day are coming soon.

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. Our club is currently contributing $1,000 per month of toiletry items, cleaning supplies and feminine hygiene products.

Distribution events for these items take place on the first Monday of each month. If you are interested in assisting with the next distribution event, please contact President Julia or Michael Yakos.

The Food Pantry is open on Mondays from 2- 4 p.m. Donations are accepted on-site on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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.

Presidential Rotation Update: Due to an exciting new work opportunity, Josh Shinoda will be unable to fulfill the position of president of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove for the 2022-23 Rotary year. While we are sad that Josh will not fill that role, we are excited to announce that Janet Peters has accepted that role.

The presidential rotation for the next three years is…

2021-22: Bryce Baker
2022-23 Janet Peters
2023-24: Amy Tracewell

Rotary Phone Tree: Attached to this week’s Rototeller is a revised version of the Rotary Phone Tree (with some corrections from the version sent two weeks ago). Tree toppers will utilize the new list starting this week. If you have questions, or if your information on the Phone Tree is not correct, contact Paul Waterstreet.

The goal of the phone tree is to reach out and check on every member of the club to make sure they are doing all right and to provide updates on club announcements and activities (Hint: You have a great list to draw from here). The plan is for the tree to be activated every Tuesday. The idea is that for each person to call the next one on the list. The last person on the list should call the team captain to make sure the list is complete.

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 are archived on our club’s YouTube page. Visit https://bit.ly/fgrotaryprograms.

Around District 5100
District 5100 Vocational Service Committee Update (By David W. Potts, District 5100 Vocational Service Chair): I hope you and your families are safe and well as we continue to deal with the global pandemic.

One of the ways we can practice Rotary Vocational Service is expressed in the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”

Now that all [adult] Americans are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, we have many seniors, homeless and low-income individuals who are having issues navigating the system to acquire their vaccines. If you are fully vaccinated (it has been two weeks from your final COVID-19 vaccine), please consider volunteering your time to assist some of these at-risk people in acquiring their vaccine(s). This assistance could be helping these citizens find locations where vaccinations are available near them, how to access these vaccinations as well as to provide rides to those who have issues traveling to receive their vaccination(s).

During the pandemic, many nonprofit organizations need new volunteers, as many existing volunteers are older and at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, so they are less able to volunteer. If you don’t feel comfortable volunteering during the pandemic, but are in a position to help charities financially, please consider donating, as the need is great.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about Rotary Vocational Service, are interested in Vocational Service presentations or projects or if you are interested in starting a Vocational Service committee in your club. You can email me at david.w.potts@att.net.

Around Rotary International
Updates To Rotary’s Commitment To Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy: Did you know that the Board of Directors recently updated Rotary’s policy on diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out the new policy in the Committing to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion course. You can start taking this course by clicking this link and signing into My Rotary.

For questions about the Learning Center, email learn@rotary.org.

Rotary’s Second Virtual Convention Highlights Accomplishments In Polio, Progress Towards Ending COVID-19: Thousands of people experienced friendship and fun at Rotary International’s second straight virtual convention. The event, held 12-16 June 2021, was conducted online after the convention originally planned for Taipei, Taiwan, was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 11,000 people registered for the robust program that included more than 20 guest speakers, informational and inspiring breakout sessions, the interactive House of Friendship, and a variety of engaging virtual activities and entertainment.

During the opening general session, Rotary International President Holger Knaack acknowledged that he was worried about how successful his presidency would be, since he couldn’t visit clubs and projects and provide encouragement and support due to travel restrictions. “But what seemed like a problem turned out to be an advantage,” he said. “By visiting clubs online, I could be everywhere, every day.”

Knaack talked about how rewarding it was to be able to visit clubs and districts around the world in just one day. “In a virtual environment, I could visit a dozen Rotary clubs a week and participate in their projects. It was exciting and rewarding. And I was so proud of the work you did in such difficult times,” he said.

“The pandemic continues to bring great devastation and, for far too many, a very sad ending for people important to us,” Knaack said. “We must continue to honor those who have passed and do whatever we can to bring this devastation to an end as soon as possible.”

Despite the challenges of the past year, Knaack also highlighted successes, including the historic announcement that the World Health Organization’s African region had been declared free of the wild poliovirus. He encouraged Rotary to build on that positive news by staying focused on our commitment to ending polio worldwide. Until early May of this year, he said, just two cases of wild poliovirus were reported worldwide. Wild poliovirus is still circulating in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave a video address to online attendees, crediting Rotary for continuing to focus on polio. “When COVID-19 struck, you didn’t abandon your vision of a polio-free world,” he said. “You redoubled your efforts.”  “The pandemic has highlighted that unprepared and underserved communities anywhere are a threat to health everywhere. Rotarians know this,” Tedros added. “And I want you to know that your investment in public health will inspire future generations to live up to your motto of Service Above Self.” Read More

Rotary Responds To COVID-19: Rotary is taking action in response to the pandemic as our clubs support COVID-19 vaccination and continued prevention efforts around the world.

Tapping into decades of experience in bringing polio to the brink of eradication, Rotary members worldwide are helping health authorities communicate lifesaving information about COVID-19 and vaccination, combatting misinformation, supporting fair and equal access to vaccines, and curbing the spread of the virus by donating protective gear and other supplies to clinics and hospitals that are under strain. Read About How Rotary Has Been Responding & Supporting

Last Week’s Program: Julia Kollar, Club Of The Year Celebration

Click Here To Watch The Complete Program

The Rotary Club of Forest Grove has not slowed down much in its mission to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Club 2020-21 president Julia Kollar presented her year-end report and a celebration of the club’s accomplishments at Wednesday’s meeting.

Rather than presenting individual awards to members, Julia focused on what we have done as a whole as a club during this challenging year. She opened the program by thanking members of the club’s board of directors for their service this year and the work of club image chair Blake Timm for the work on the Rototeller and the club’s social media.

The club’s commitment and work with the Forest Grove High School Food Pantry continued to grow in 2020-21 as the need in the community continued to grow. For the second straight year, club members shopped for items for the Food Pantry during the annual Hope For The Holidays event in December. The Satellite Club put together a toiletry drive and toiletry distribution program at the Food Pantry on the first Monday of each month. The drive was financed by the club and with a $2,000 matching grant from District 5100. The Food Pantry is a great partnership with Rotary that is filling a critical need in the community.

The club worked with the City of Forest Grove to purchase and install an ADA accessible picnic table and game table at Rogers Park adjacent to the recently completed Anna & Abby’s Yard. The club also worked to refurbish a barbeque at the park that was built by the club as its centennial project.

The annual Hope for the Holidays project continued last December, providing more families a chance to make the holidays brighter at such a critical time. This year, Hope for the Holidays helped 40 local families by providing them $250 Walmart gift cards to use during the club’s annual shopping night. While things looked different thanks to the pandemic, the reach for Hope for the Holidays was greater than ever.

Our chartered Scouts BSA Troop 213 continued to be very active despite the pandemic. The troop and the affiliated girls’ troop 5213 had a successful Christmas Tree fundraiser after a one-year hiatus and continued work on a number of service projects, including the annual placement of flags at the local cemeteries around Memorial Day. The troop also had a large number of scouts that reached the rank of Eagle during the year, including one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the country.

President Julia gave a special shoutout to Rocky Brown, who is retiring after nearly a decade of service as scoutmaster.

The club’s giving to The Rotary Foundation and PolioPlus continued meeting goals. As of June 26 club members had raised $11,262 towards a goal of $9,500 for Rotary’s annual fund and a total of $3,985 towards the club’s goal of $3,000 for PolioPlus. Fourteen club members have systemic giving to Rotary set up through Rotary Direct and 34 members gave $20 or more to The Rotary Foundation over the last year.

Seven club members either attained their first Paul Harris Fellowship or received their next level of Paul Harris Fellow recognition: Andrea Stewart (Paul Harris Fellow), Blake Timm (PHF+2), Tim Pearson (PHF+4), Julia Kollar (PHF+4), Jeff Hoyt (PHF+5), Jeannine Murrell (PHF+6) and Tom Raabe (PHF+7).

The club contributed to a number of service projects over the course of the year. Our club, along with the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club, worked to assemble 200 desks at Cornelius Elementary School in preparation for the school’s return to hybrid instruction. The club continued its tradition of road cleanups along Gales Creek and Thatcher Roads through the leadership of Paul Waterstreet and Andrea Stewart. The MacDougall Garden was made ready for another year of welcoming people into Forest Grove. This year, much of the garden was planted with perennials, which will help save money and work in the future.

Our We Care Committee, chaired by Paul Waterstreet, put together and continues to maintain a phone tree to help check in on members during the pandemic and help keep members involved with what is happening with the club.

The club’s Scholarship Committee, chaired by Sharon Olmstead, continued its work of providing scholarships to graduating high school seniors from the local area. The club provided $12,000 worth of scholarships to eight graduating seniors while also moving the application for the program completely online. Read More About This Year’s Recipients.

The club also saw a number of members continue leadership roles in District 5100. Club members made up the majority of the District 5100 Conference Committee, chaired by Claudia Yakos, which included the successful production of two virtual conferences during the pandemic. Jeannine Murrell wrapped up her term as an assistant governor for the district and will step into the role of administrative assistant governor next year. Tom Raabe will also begin a second term as an assistant governor on July 1.

The meeting ended with an appreciation of Julia for her year as president and her exceptional work in keeping the club pointed in the right direction during the pandemic.

Club Calendar
All Meetings Are On Zoom Unless Noted

Wed., June 30: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Jeannine Murrell & Pamelajean Myers, ShelterBox Update

Thurs., July 1: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.

Wed., July 7: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Daniel Kittleson, Washington County Parks, Hagg Lake Summer Activities

Thurs., July 8: Board Meeting, 7 a.m.

Wed., July 14: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Program: Ryan Garcia, Concours “Cars & Coffee” Event

Sun., July 18: Concours “Cars & Coffee” event in downtown Forest Grove