Rus & Janet Peters paired up as one of the teams at our first pickleball tournament.

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

This Week: We hope you join us this week for our weekly meeting on in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week, our Rotary Inbound Youth Exchange Student, Laurin von Orelli, and members of the Forest Grove High School Interact Club will present on the club’s projects and activities.

Upcoming Meetings: All of our weekly meetings in January and February are scheduled to take place at Pacific University.

Rotary Pickleball Tournament: Thank you to all of our Rotarians and friends who participated in the club’s first pickleball tournament on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory. We had an impressive 32 people participate, ranging from experienced players to those who had never picked up a pickleball racquet before. It was proven that the event met the fifth part of The Four-Way Test: Is it fun?

Congratulations to the winners, our president, Lucas Welliver, and his wife, Megan, who took home trophies provided by Sharon Olmstead and Edward Jones. A special thank you to the committee who helped put this event together: Steven Barnard (a.k.a. the Pickleball Whisperer of Forest Grove), Mallory Hiefield and Cole Thursam.

Youth Citizens Of The Month: At our Jan. 8 meeting, it was our honor to recognize three students from the Forest Grove School District at our January Youth Citizens of the Month. Congratulations to Moira Olmstead of Forest Grove High School (the daughter of Rotarian Sharon Olmstead), Leta Falconer of Neil Armstrong Middle School and Dylan Rodgers from CALC! All three were presented with certificates and a $50 gift card from Frye’s Action Athletics.

Crab Feed – Save The Date: This year’s Crab Feed is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 19. The evening event serves as our club’s chance to honor our new Paul Harris Fellows and those who have given generously to The Rotary Foundation. Our Crab Feed Committee is actively starting planning for this year’s event.

Rototeller – Help Wanted: Blake Timm, the editor of the Rototeller, is looking for a club member who would be interested in helping fill in to take notes at meetings on an occasional basis. With his increased duties as area governor and work, he is having to miss more Wednesdays than he did in the past. The job would entail taking notes about any club announcements and a five to six-paragraph recap of that week’s program. Please contact Blake for more information.

Have A Program Idea? Let Hector Know!: Do you have an idea for a program presentation that you would like to see at our meetings? Let our incoming program director, Hector Mendez-Colberg know as he is setting up the schedule for 2025.

Pickleball Evenings – Presented By Rotary: The Rotary Club of Forest Grove is helping to sponsor indoor pickleball Monday through Thursday evenings at the Forest Grove National Guard Armory, 2950 Taylor Way. Coordinated by Rotarian Steven Barnard, the evenings run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There is a $5 fee to help cover facility rental. Players of all ages and ability levels are welcome with reserved courts for beginners and intermediate-level players.

For more information on the pickleball evenings, please contact Steven at 443-454-5177 or sbarnard@fgsd.k12.or.us.

Greeters Are Back: President Lucas is bringing back the role of having greeters at our weekly meetings. This role will not be pre-assigned. Instead, the ninth and 10th Rotarians showing up a meeting each week will serve as greeters. Please be prepared to take on that responsibility and let President Lucas know if you have any questions.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Do You Know Of Service Opportunities?: Are you aware of service opportunities in our area that our members might be interested in? We can advertise those here! This space is not limited to club-sponsored activities but to any service opportunity in the community. To promote the service activity, please send a detailed description of the project, the date and time, contact information and a link to register to Rototeller editor Blake Timm, blakertimm@gmail.com.

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 Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m. The pantry is located along Nichols Lane between the football field and the Basinski Center. Click Here for more information on the FGHS Food Pantry and on other resources for those experiencing food insecurity.

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.

Around District 5100
Rotary Expo – May 3: Clubs are asked to think about participation in District 5100’s Rotary Expo, which takes place on Saturday, May 3, at the Wingspan Conference & Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds. This one-day event will take the place of the annual District Conference & Celebration.

At Rotary Expo 2025, we invite you to explore the theme “Rotary Service: The Next Generation.” This event is designed to inspire, educate, and empower Rotarians and the general public to learn about Rotary’s mission of service and how you can get involved in transforming your community.

What to Expect:
Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow Rotarians and community leaders to forge impactful collaborations.

Showcase of Innovations: Discover groundbreaking projects that exemplify the spirit of service in the modern world.

What You’ll Experience:

• Family-Friendly Activities: Enjoy fun activities for all ages, including games, crafts, and more!
• Community Showcase: Discover local organizations and initiatives that you can support or join.
• Inspiration: Gain fresh ideas and insights to enhance your service initiatives.
• Education: Learn best practices and new strategies for impactful community engagement.
• Empowerment: Equip yourself with the tools to lead the next generation of Rotary service.

We look forward to seeing you there to share with the community The Magic of Rotary!

District 5100 Spring Training – April 12: Mark your calendars for Saturday, Apr. 12, because its time for players to report to Rotary District 5100’s Spring Training — and it’s not just for the pros!

Whether you are a rookie or a seasoned player, this virtual event has required position-specific training and elective courses to help you knock your Rotary skills out of the park.

Swing by from anywhere and get ready to hit the ground running for a winning Rotary season. Don’t let this pitch pass you by — let’s make 2025 the championship year for your club! Stay tuned for registration info soon.

Around Rotary International
Rotary’s Response To U.S.’s Intent To Withdraw From World Health Organization: Rotary notes the recent announcement that the United States intends to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). We remain resolute in our mission to eradicate polio. As a founding partner of the GPEI, Rotary has for decades worked closely with all the GPEI partners, the U.S. government, and other governments to end polio worldwide. This effort has reduced the number of children paralyzed by polio by 99.9% since 1988. The global effort to eradicate polio has innovated many times over the years to come close to protecting every last child.

Although this decision creates new challenges, Rotary remains dedicated to ensuring that every child is protected from this preventable disease. We are confident that the GPEI will continue to adapt, to innovate, and to implement effective strategies to keep polio vaccines available for every child in the United States and around the world, especially those in the most challenging and remote regions. The most important decisions leading to a polio-free world are made every day by parents who present their children for vaccination.

We remain committed to working with all GPEI partners to fulfill the promise of a polio-free world. Together, we have ended smallpox, and together, we can ensure that polio becomes the second human disease to be eradicated from the planet.

Club Calendar
Wed., Jan. 29: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Laurin von Orelli, Forest Grove HS Interact Club

Wed., Feb. 5: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: District Governor Jeannine Murrell

Wed., Feb. 12: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: To Be Announced

Thurs., Feb. 13: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
Via Zoom

Wed., Feb. 19: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Jim Geering, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue

Wed., Mar. 19: Crab Feed

Fri., June 6: Steak Feed, 5 p.m.
University Center, Pacific University

Fri., Jan. 18-Sun., July 20
Concours d’Elegance Weekend