Newberg Noon Rotary Newsletter for September 12, 2018

~ GREETER ~

Auggie Gonzales was today’s GREETER….Thanks to always-smiling-Auggie!

~ Opening of meeting ~

Club President, Om, opened today’s meeting on a more somber note today asking us all to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the horrendous tragedy that befell our nation 17 years ago on 9 -11, 2001.

~ Pledge ~

Dr. Stan Kern led us in today’s PledgeThanks, Dr. Stan!

~ Visitors – Guests ~

Guests today were: Steve Drew [Owner of Steve’s Auto Service – location of our beautiful, newly finished Rotary Mural!] – guest of Auggie G.; Kaheela Reid [George Fox] – guest of Auggie G.; Gene Piros [applying to be a “Friend of Rotary” – and former Newberg Rotarian] – guest of Auggie G.; and Laura Isiordia [The Ford Family Foundation announced that it has hired Laura Isiordia, a community leader from Woodburn, to serve as the Foundation’s fourth field coordinator, a field-based position for the Foundation.] – guest of Denise Bacon. Additionally, three Newberg High School students…our speakers for today….will be introduced separately. Welcome all!

~ Today’s Rotary Moment ~

Walter and Julie Want just returned from a “whirl-wind” trip to the Middle East and India. Welcome home! Walter spoke of the importance of wearing one’s Rotary pin when traveling, as they met some very interesting fellow Rotarians during their trip…because of the ready identification of another Rotarian wearing a Rotary pin...and vice-versa! [I hope their trip will result in a GREAT PROGRAM in the near future for our entertainment and education!

~ Announcements ~

~ This program’s September 19 meeting will be back at the Chehalem Cultural Center! ~

Lisa Blackburn will be presenting “Partnering to Serve the Hungry in Newberg/Dundee”. Learn how various organizations and businesses in Newberg/Dundee are partnering and/or coordinating to feed the hungry in Newberg/Dundee and Yamhill County.

Newberg FISH Emergency Service

AND – New member Kim Abraham’s Rotary Classification talk is set for 9/26/18.

Geoff Gilmore re-introduced Steve Drew, thanking him again for allowing our intrepid George Fox University art students’ team to paint the Rotary Mural Project …on the east-facing exterior wall of Steve’s Auto Service business building. The “Block Party” celebration for completion of that mural was Saturday, September 8, and was well-attended…mostly by GFU students…also by a number of Noon Rotarians.  

As a way of extra thanks to Steve, please consider his business the next time your car needs some extra special attention!

~ NEWS FLASH! ~

Leah Griffith reported on our Club’s involvement in the community’s annual OktoberFest celebration…this last weekend…and a little rain didn’t keep people away from the event, put on by the Early Bird Rotarians at the Chehalem Cultural Center.  There were racing wiener dogs, brats, polka bands and music from Hit Machine. There was also a Rotary Day display just inside the lobby of the Center’s Main Entrance…sharing what our two Newberg Rotary Clubs and Rotary International are accomplishing in the world. A key display were the 3D viewers sharing the End Polio Now Project and we’ll be bringing those to a club meeting to share.  We also had a chance to share our club with the Oktoberfestees including prospective members and a donor to our Annual Auction.  Gail Watson, Karl Hughes and Leah Griffith worked on the Friday set up. Deborah Cathers Seymour, Mike and Amy Caruso, Ray Hillman, Denise Bacon, Walter Want, Corey Zielsdorf, Om Sukheenai, Leah Griffith, Paula Radich and Jeff Lane, all helped out. It was a GOOD weekend!  Thanks to Bob Travers and Tina Enomoto from Early Birds for coming up with the idea for the Rotary Info Lobby. 

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~ Another News Flash! ~

Before 9 AM Saturday the 15th, three [3] intrepid Noon Rotarians, Shannon Buckmaster, Kimberly Abraham, and yours truly, Editor Rick, showed up with work clothes on, at the local/current Habitat-for-Humanity build, on 8th just west of Blaine, ready and willing to do the bidding of the Site Supervisor, Josh Hanselman. In short order, we were each given white paint, brushes/rollers, and specific instructions/assignments to make the interior trim look GREAT! We were joined by the soon-to-be-homeowner, Jose, and WE ALL GOT TO WORK! About 11:30 we were treated to a delicious home-made lunch of super-fresh & caliente tortillas, falling-off-the-bone-juicy-and-spicy chicken and re-fried beans…with cookies, too…YUMMY! With fresh white paint on all the interior trim, the house is starting to look like a home! What a privilege to help Jose and his family with this Habitat-for-Humanity project! Just another way Rotary helps in our communities! A BIG THANKS! to Shannon for coordinating our volunteerism! And what a great “hands-on” way to get Kimberly involved in Rotary Community Service right away!

ADDITIONAL REMINDER…there are still volunteer opportunities for the following YOUTH activity:

HEALTHY KIDS FUN RUN – This fall launches a series of runs for local youth.  Event Coordinator, Rachael Nichols, is in need of volunteers.  You can sign up on the link below.
FIRST RUN – The first run is scheduled for SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH and begins at JOAN AUSTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Volunteers should plan to arrive by  3:45 p.m. for the first run and at 4:00 p.m. thereafter.  The event should conclude by 5:30 p.m. if all goes well…and at 6:00 p.m. at the very latest.
VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS – Course marshals to stand along the course to help youth know where to go and cheer them on.
Finish line help (tearing bibs, timers, recorders).
Registration table helpers. 

RUN DATES – There are five (5) run dates 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7 and 10/14 (ALL SUNDAYS)
QUESTIONS – Contact:  Rachael Nichols 856-379-5108 (call or text)  

 Becky Ankeny again reminded us of the upcoming seminar opportunity in “Interrupting Hate in Public Spaces”…to be held September 21, from 2 – 5 PM at the United Methodist Church. The event is sponsored by Noon Rotary and the Emerging Friends Church. Printed material on this was distributed at each table. Check with Becky for more details.

Also remember that the e-mail link is on the club’s website for volunteer sign-ups for Senior Meals, etc.

~ The Duck ~

Former Newberg Noon Rotarian Gene Piros (and soon to be Friend of Rotary) ably handled the “Duck” today…managing to collect generous contributions from several Rotarians present…though Gene has been away for a number of years, it was obvious he already knew what to do with the Duck!

~ Today’s Program ~

A primary service focus for Newberg Noon Rotary Club is on YOUTH. The MURAL PROJECT has been a great example…with many youth…especially amongst the students at George Fox University...of introducing them to the Ideals of Rotary…additionally…the three [3] young speakers in our program today…all seniors from Newberg High School…were introduced by Cory Zielsdorf: Quentin Comus, Kennedy Randy and Riley Wood are very involved in the Newberg High School Forest Restoration Project. A “project wants & needs” list was included in the printed hand-outs. Their summary sheet enumerated the local area organizations with whom they are dealing/cooperating. They “…identify, design, and implement environmental conservation projects in the Newberg-Dundee area…with the goal…to provide students with real-world job experience in the natural resource field while improving the local environment…” Kennedy and Riley spoke about their own participation vis-a-vis their individual Senior Projects, with each of the three also planning to go into environmental and/or conservation-related further education after high school… projecting future careers in those fields. For additional, in-depth, information on this and related projects, go to [email protected]

Quentin is also a Life Scout with Troop 520 in Newberg, and is a Hornaday Award candidate. The William T. Hornaday Award is Scouting’s most prestigious environmental conservation award. Quentin plans to apply for the Silver Medal by completing four [4] environmental projects in Newberg before his eighteenth [18th] birthday in May of 2019. He provided us with printed material detailing the award project and his plans to achieve them. For more information on his efforts at [email protected] or call him to do a presentation for a school or youth group, call him at 971-264-4309.

Thank you!…to these sharp/very active/involved/forward-looking Newberg High School Seniors!

Let your days be guided by Rotary’s “Four Way Test” of the things we think, say or do:

The FOUR-WAY TEST courtesy of Rotarian Herbert Taylor! RI President, 1954-1955

SAVE THIS DATE: October 24. District Governor, Larry Hatch, will be our speaker.

[Editor’s note” DG Larry is a good friend of mine…and a long-time Rotarian in the Forest Grove DayBreak Rotary Club…a club which I helped charter in 1991...Larry’s usual manner is generally very “laid-back”, but I assure you his message will be worth hearing!]

President Om, always a living inspiration to others, closed the meeting with her usual up-beat reminder for us to ….

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In Continuing Rotary Service,

Respectfully submitted,

Rick Kaufman

Newsletter Editor

[Editor’s note: If you know of a good program for our club, please contact Corey Z., as he is looking for them.]