INTRODUCING -- A "HAPPY HOUR" MEETING, FOR MEMBERS AND GUESTS, ON THE THIRD MONDAY OF EACH MONTH (INCLUDING THIS MONDAY, MAY 21). INSTEAD OF OUR USUAL NOON MEETING, THE MEETING WILL BE 5:30-6:30 pm AT OUR USUAL MEETINGPLACE. GUESTS RECEIVE A FREE DRINK, AND COMPLIMENTARY HORS D'OEUVRES. JUST DROP IN!
NO MEETING MONDAY, MAY 29 -- IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY
Click here for the current club bulletin of Southeast Portland Rotary, in PDF format -- >
Not yet a Rotarian... But curious about it?
Take 3-1/2 minutes to watch this video, and see what being a new Rotary member is like! If you're still interested, come to our meeting as our guest and experience Rotary for yourself! Fellowship with local community leaders... Making a difference locally, and around the world! Want to know more about OUR club? Scroll down!
S.E. Portland Rotary photo album
From the Southeast Portland Rotary Club -- Happy Holidays!
The Rotary Club of SE Portland serving up a fine meal for the Clark Center, one of Portland's homeless shelters for men located at MLK and Hawthorne, on November 12, 2011. Shown are, from left, Bill Meyer, Margie Davidson, Club President Patricia Nichols consumed in laughter, Judy Tester, and Jim Stromvig.
Rotary is the only worldwide organization with a specific code of ethical behavior for individuals and businesses -- the FOUR WAY TEST. On February 28, 2011, Southeast Portland Rotary presented Marc Gaudin an award recognizing the high ethical standards with which he runs his business -- "The Joinery" in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland. Presenting the award for the club, at left, was President-Elect Patricia Nichols.
S.E. ROTARY CLUB PRESENTS COMMUNITY GRANTS. The Southeast Portland Rotary Club, which meets at Our Lady of Sorrows every Monday noon, raises money with an annual Wreath Auction, open to the public at no charge, on the first Saturday evening of December. From the proceeds, it makes a variety of grants, many of them to local nonprofit organizations and activities. June 6th, grants ranging up to a thousand dollars apiece were received by, from left, Dr. Genie Willis (Nigerian hospital project), Kathleen Butler, (FISH Emergency Services), Mike Ray (student assistance fund at Moreland Presbyterian Church), Darin King (club-sponsored Cub Scout Pack 466), and Marcia Harris (Community Transitional School). Not shown – representatives from M.D.A. and from the club’s own local “Families In Crisis” program.
Ed Atiyeh, left, accepted an award from the club presented by Joe Amato, on the occasion of Southeast Portland Rotary's 50th anniversary celebration on September 27, 2010. Atiyeh is the only charter member still a member of the club, and was our first Club President. Amato has the longest unbroken record of "perfect attendance" in the club -- approaching 40 years.
For many more photos from the club's 50th anniversary banquet, CLICK HERE!
Our club raised $731 (the entire proceeds) by spending the afternoon scooping the signature ice cream at Sellwood's 31st annual "Sundae In The Park", sponsored by SMILE, and held in Sellwood Park on August 1st!
Tammy Glenn, a 12-year volunteer with Guide Dogs for the Blind, introduced Southeast Portland Rotary to the organization, and to a Guide Dog in Training, Toshi, who dozed at her feet. She told the club that the organization was founded in 1942 to provide assistance to World War II vets, but today is available to all. Most of those receiving Guide Dogs were born with sight, and lost it later due to a variety of circumstances. The dogs are placed free, but are valued at $55,000 when presented to the recipient. All vet car for the life of the dog is included. Toshi was a purebred female Golden Retriever. The club made a monetary contribution to the organization.
Southeast Portland Rotary is one of the sponsors of the annual Woodstock Festival in Portland's Woodstock neighborhood in mid-July. This year, marching in the parade down Woodstock Boulevard representing the club were Past President Eric Norberg, and Club Treasurer Patricia Nichols. Also representing the club was Drew, the long-haired German Shepherd, who -- as do all Rotarians -- believes in "Service Above Self". (Photo courtesy of Richard Howell)
26-year-old Brad Hoffa of Portland, sponsored by Southeast Portland Rotary to the 2009 RYLA week of "leadership training" at Menucha, returned on August 3rd, 2009, to tell the club what a life-changing experience in leadership development it was. Young adults 29 or under are qualified for this annual leadership developmen week, with their costs fully paid by the Southeast Portland Rotary Club. For details, contact a member of Southeast Portland Rotary! Hoffa then went to Uganda as part of the MAPLE microfinance project; he returned to relate his experience at another speaking appearance at S.E. Portland Rotary on Monday, April 26th.
"ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR" Southeast Portland Rotary honored Sellwood UPS Store Owner Joel Fields, the club Rotarian of the Year for 2011. The honor was presented by Woodstock Attorney Bill Meyer, left, the previous year's recipient of the honor -- at its annual Installation and Awards Banquet on June 28th. Inaugurated as its new President for the year was Woodstock resident Patricia Nichols. The event was organized and hosted by Joe Amato, who stands as having by far the longest "perfect attendance" record in the club -- 37 years.
Governor Victor Atiyeh
On Monday, February 8, 2010, former Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh spoke to Southeast Portland Rotary, and an unusually large number of guests. Atiyeh gave a pointed commentary on the way Oregon State Government is working today, from the perspective of having served in the State Legislature and then the Governor's chair for decades.
There's always an interesting program as part of Southeast Portland Rotary's meetings, and the public is always welcome to visit any of our Monday noon meetings!
Southeast Portland Rotary's Kathy Stromvig (center) and her husband Jim (left) participated with other Southeast Portland volunteers and Moreland Presbyterian Church in traveling to the village of Santa Clara in El Salvador to drill a well and bring fresh water to the community for the first time. They are shown here with the pump of the finished project in early 2009.
Southeast Portland Rotary partnered with other local Rotary Clubs to deliver dictionaries to third grade students in neighborhood Portland Public Schools. We got some awesome thank you's from a few of the students at Grout Elementary School after they received their dictionaries! Click on the icon at right to see them!
Club background and history
Each Southeast Portland Rotary Club meeting lasts about an hour -- and, amid a convivial, friendly atmosphere, presents a buffet lunch, a little fundraising among members (but not among the guests!) to benefit community causes, and a speaker or other program of significance to the community.
Each new Rotary Year starts on July 1, and as with all Rotary Clubs, new officers are installed and awards to members given at the annual Installation and Awards Banquet at the end of June. Photos at right are from this year's banquet! Special honors are given to a member chosen as the club's "Rotarian of the Year", and for "perfect attendance". You don't have to attend every meeting to be a Rotarian, but Rotary honors those who do. If you are on vacation or out of town, you can maintain perfect attendance by attending the meeting of any other Rotary Club anywhere -- which is fun to do in any event! And the "makeup" can be done + 13 days, so it's really not hard to maintain (and be honored for!) perfect attendance. In addition to Joe Amato's exceptional 35 years of perfect attendance, seven other members were honored for it at the banquet -- ranging from 1 year to 28 years' duration.
For a look at upcoming programs at our meetings, and a list of our members, CLICK HERE!
To learn more about all the Rotary Clubs in District 5100, and when and where all their meetings are held, CLICK HERE! (Although for Rotarians, visiting other clubs to "make up" missing their own club meeting is part of the fun -- when it's difficult to do, it now is entirely accepted to "make up" attendance by visiting a "virtual" Rotary Club -- online!CLICK HERE to visit the first and best-known of these -- "Rotary Club One". Our club members making up there will need to know that we are "Club 310".)
You don't need an invitation to visit one of our meetings -- if you're interested in the program that day, curious about Rotary (the ORIGINAL service club, now worldwide), or considering joining our club and just would like to see what it's like -- drop in any Monday! We'll look forward to meeting you, and hope you'll enjoy your visit and will come visit us again -- or will consider joining us!
President Claudia Stewart passes the "crown of club presidency" (which she obtained from a hamburger restaurant at no charge) to her successor, 2009-10 President Eric Norberg.
Joel Fields, left, was honored for his first year of "perfect attendance" at the 2009 Awards Banquet; while longtime member and Past President Joe Amato (right) was honored for his club-leading 35 years of "perfect attendance"!
A highlight of the club's "Awards and Installation Banquet" on June 30, 2009, at Portland Golf Club was the presentation to past club President Kathy Stromvig of the "Rotarian of the Year" award; Kathy (left) received the award from Assistant District Governor Deneil Banks (right).
A happy 48th anniversary for Southeast Portland Rotary!
On Monday, November 10, 2008, Southeast Portland Rotary observed its 48th anniversary, with a cake, and an assemblage of club presidents past and present. Conducting the special commemorative program was Ed Atiyeh, the only charter member remaining in the club and its first President. He also went on to serve as District Governor, but he still regularly attends the weekly meetings of Southeast Portland Rotary!
To conclude the 48th anniversary meeting, past and present club presidents posed in the meeting room at Country Bill's in Woodstock. Standing, from left, are Stan Boquist, the irrepressible Alex Jones, Joe Amato (the first club president to serve twice), Brian Marantette, Juanita Powell, John Normandin, Ed Atiyeh, Chuck Dimon, Bruce Poinsette, Doug Foley, and Sharon Gitt (who was the club's first woman president). In front, from left, Bill Pederson, Claudia Stewart (the 2008-09 Club President), and Art Johnstone.
For over 100 years, ROTARY has meant fellowship, benefiting the community, and "Service Above Self"!
