| About Our Club

A Message From Our President, Scott Parker

When people ask me what Rotary is, I usually don’t start by talking about history or meetings. I tell them it’s about people. It’s about neighbors helping neighbors. It’s about rolling up our sleeves, sharing a few laughs, building friendships, and leaving our community just a little better than we found it.

The Rotary Club of Newberg

“The Rotary way is to light a candle. I light one, you light one, 1.2 million Rotarians light one. Together, we light up the world.” – RI President-Elect Gary C. K. Huang, April 2014. The Rotarian

Rotary Clubs are the heart of Rotary. Its members are the innovators, the people of action, the “boots on the ground” – the people getting things done.

The Rotary Club of Newberg is one of three Rotary Clubs in Newberg. Founded in 1936, we are the oldest club and have continually supported the youth of our community. Our Club’s motto stands as our guiding light, shaping our decisions, as we focus on the well-being and empowerment of our youth.

Each year we provide scholarships to our graduating seniors, dictionaries to our 3rd graders, and supplies to our school resource rooms to help students in need. Internationally we have helped more than 40 students in Kenya receive an education, provided training programs in Nepal to stem the tide of violence against women and children, worked with indigenous populations in Guatemala to provide dental care and clean water, and teamed with organizations such as Transiciones to help children confined to a wheelchair to receive care and an education. Closer to home, for years we raised our paddle at our annual auction to raise funds for a fledgling organization, Thugz Off Drugz, to provide needed support services for those in drug recovery and those returning to their communities after years in prison. Today, Thugz Off Drugz is known as Helping Hands and has become a success story respected by law enforcement for its low rate of recidivism and success in transitioning those in need into productive community members.

Our Mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

The Objective of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise, and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

  • The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

  • High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

  • The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
  • The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
Five people standing outside; one is embracing a woman holding a water bottle on the shoulder

Vision

Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

The Rotary Club of Newberg Club Mission

 “With Service Above Self, We are Dedicated to the Youth of Our Community and World-wide.”

The Four Way Test

first…Is it the TRUTH?

second…Is it FAIR to all concerned?

third…Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

fourth…Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Meet Our
2024-2025
Board of Directors

 

President Scott Parker
President-Elect Stauros (Star) Gibson
Vice President Jenny Lewis
Treasurer Amanda Bowlby
Secretary Nathalie Garimella
Public Relations Chair Kathi Futornick
International Service Chair Laura Tilrico
Interact/Youth Services Chair Jen Yahn
TRF Chair Dan Keuler
Programs Chair Stauros (Star) Gibson
Peace Committee Larry Strober and Kathi Futornick co-chairs
Rotary Club of Newberg Foundation Chair Spike Sumner

Newberg Rotary Foundation

The purpose of the Newberg Rotary Foundation (NRF) is to promote and encourage the health, education, and general welfare of youth, principally in Newberg & local area.

Classroom with grade school age students with a teacher pointing to a chalk board at the front of the classroom

The Rotary Family

Rotary

International

The Rotary

Foundation (TRF)

Rotary District

5100

INTERACT

Rotary Club of Newberg History

The Rotary Club of Newberg was organized December 20, 1935 and received its charter February 5, 1936, with 22 charter members, becoming the 3,910th club in Rotary International which was in 79 different countries at that time.  Read about Paul Harris in his youth –  before Rotary, in a January 2023 graphic novel and travel through Rotary’s history with the Rotary Time Traveler.