A $60,200 project has been approved by both the Pearl Rotary Club board and District 5100. To proceed, The Rotary Foundation is reviewing the application and a request for $20,500 from the international non-profit arm of Rotarians.

“The grant will pay for a 9KW solar array (48 panels) and large battery bank to provide reliable back-up power for a growing hospital in remote Western Nepal,” reports Rotarian Jordan Weisman of Future City Solar (pictured speaking to Pearl Rotary). As PRRC’s international service director, Weisman–himself a solar power entrepreneur–conceived the project and has led its promotion.

Pearl Rotary’s partner in Nepal is the Dhulikhel Rotary Club in Kathmandu; significant support here has come from Portland Rotary (downtown) and Seaside Rotary. Pearl’s contribution of $5,000 has been buffeted by local businesses, including Weisman’s Future City Solar.

The Bayalpata Hospital is located 15 hours by rugged roads from the nearest airport. Serving an area with 260,000 people, the hospital sees 30,000 patients a year. The facility is being expanded with a surgical theater, a microbiology and ultrasound equipment, but faces this delimma: only 4-6 hours of hydro-powered electricity are available daily.

Two years ago, a small array of solar power was installed in a pilot project to serve the administrative needs.

On April 24, Weisman updated Rotarians on the progress to date. He also showed a video and greeting from Mark Arnoldy, director of Nyaya Health, the non-profit that operates the hospital (which is staffed by Nepali health care workers).

“It is an incredible feeling to know that we can do real good works around the world through the power of the Rotary community,” Weisman wrote after the District 5100 leaders gave preliminary approval to the Nepal project. “I’m excited about getting my first project as committee chair off the ground. If members have a passion for a project internationally, please come and join our committee.”

Weisman has also said he will organize a Rotary trip to Nepal when the solar-powered panels are installed and are supplying the 25-bed hospital with a more reliable power supply.

What followed was more than an hour of short speeches by 23 presidents dating back to 1977-78, two years after the club was chartered in 1975 as Portland Industrial Rotary.

Each was introduced by Baysinger (1985-86 president) who had gathered pictures of most leaders’ years in a PowerPoint presentation. Special tribute was first given to Sam Lee, a member of the Portland Rotary Club who acted as the chartering Rotarian for the new–and first breakfast club–in the district. Ironically, Lee died just a day before the event at the age of 97; before a fall three weeks earlier at his home, Lee had planned to attend.

Northwest businessmen Herm Hermanson (left) and Bing Bingham (back to camera), charter members when Portland Pearl Rotary was organized in 1975, greeted each others at the April 10 gathering.

Joining Wilhelm as charter members in attendance were Bing Bingham and Herm Hermanson, also Northwest entrepreneurs.
One by one, the presidents followed Wilhelm, standing before the club’s blue and yellow Rotary wheel and banner, to trace the club’s significant service history that includes:

90s-era Pearl Rotary Presidents (then called Portland Industrial Rotary Club) connected at the April 10 event: Nola Jeli (left), '93-94, and Phil Brown, '94-95

• International projects from fitting eyeglasses for refugees in the ‘80s to more recently equipping a teaching kitchen for poor women in Costa Rica;
• Commitment to youth–in the ‘90s with the Youth Incentive Program which provided mentors and funded college enrollment for at-risk youths…and today through support for Rotary youth exchange, stand-out students at Lincoln High School and participants in the Open Meadow non-traditional school.
• Community service projects like Transition Projects at the new Bud Clark Commons (where a monthly meal is prepared and served)…a partnership with the Northwest Children’s Theater (which has brought acting classes to the Zimmerman Community Center)…and neighborhood clean-up events like Polish the Pearl and graffiti abatement.

Other landmark events were resurrected:

• The first female Rotarian in ’87-88 (Nola Jeli, among those attending, became president in 1993-94);
• Successful fundraising events with the Oregon universities’ football coaches;
• Support for the Multnomah County Library’s Northwest Branch;
• Re-branding of the club seven years ago with a new name (Pearl Rotary) and breakfast site (Ecotrust);
• Installation of a granite bear in Jamison Park as the club’s Rotary International centennial project;
• And the club’s continuing support for the worldwide Rotary effort to eradicate polio.

Portland Industrial was chartered in 1975, in large part to be a convenient make-up club for downtown Rotarians. For many years, it met at the MAC club in southeast Portland.

About ten years ago, the club was down to 22 members, Dave Bangsund (2002-03 president and Northwest resident) remembered. “We had only two projects–youth exchange and Meals on Wheels. Was this a club that was folding up or going on?”

The last decade has seen the Rotary “Service Above Self” motto at work–in the club, in the community and in the world. The club today has a membership nearing 70, with 50% growth the last two years.
“This is a club that is a delight to be associated with,” Bangsund championed. “I’ve just had a wonderful experience. I’m proud to be a part of Rotary.”

First past president to speak was Bob Wilhelm, Jr., who led the Pearl club (then known as Portland Industrial) in 1977-78

Emotionally, Sorenson said Park “gave guidance and mentored me…he meant a lot to this club and he meant a lot to me.” Sorenson then presented almost $1,300 in contributions for the club’s non-profit (the Pearl Fund) that he had solicited from past presidents. Park’s widow, Maylene, was in attendance.

Leading the club was an important personal accomplishment cited by many, including the most recent past president, Phil Rothock (2010-11): “Rotary International has a magical combination that is dynamic: We make the world a better place and we have fun. As president, I had more learning that year than anytime in my life.”

The past presidents’ event was organized by George Wright (1991-92), Walt Swan (2001-02) and Baysinger.

“The presidents were just terrific,” observed Wright, author and N.W. Thurman resident. “What fun to see all and watch them greet one another. The memories were great to hear: the fun, the achievements, the emotions–fabulous.” The recollections gave former, long-term and new members “an important history lesson,” Wright believes.

The organizing trio worked with current President Lou Radja to plan the two-hour meeting.

No doubt speaking for most in attendance, Radja ended: “Today was one of the highs of being president–to hear our club’s rich history.”

(Editor’s note: Donald Q. Smith, a resident of Northwest Portland, is a former weekly newspaper editor and publisher in Minnesota; he is a member of Pearl Rotary and served as president in 2009-10; he can be reached at donaldqsmith@yahoo.com.)

Belen R.C. Past President Maria Eugenia Mondragon ("Maru") with new computers

And if their mothers learn cooking skills, their lives, too, will be changed.

Those have been the goals of two successful projects—both with Rotary Foundation funding—that have resulted from the combined effort of the Portland Pearl and Belen Rotary Clubs.

The teaching kitchen came first. Four years ago, a $54,000 project equipped a culinary room at the Suri School, just outside Costa Rica’s capital. The vocational training for women offers an opportunity to learn a skill that could lead to work in the restaurants or hotels of San Jose or as paid domestic help.

“The culinary kitchen gives them an opportunity for better jobs,” said Maria Eugenia Mondragon (“Maru”), past president of the Belen Club.

Belen Rotarian Victor Mata Chacon with new kitchen

“Renowned chefs have come in to teach classes here. They say they don’t have anything like this in their kitchens. They should be very proud of it.”

On a visit to Costa Rica in March, my wife, Nancy, and I toured the school. We were joined by Belen Rotarians for a delicious chicken lasagna lunch prepared by women who study in “our” kitchen. On the wall near the entrance door is a plaque commemorating Rotarians’ contribution.

Club members in the two countries, linked first at a project fair that Central America Rotarians host to seek support, forged a friendship that led to a second effort: a computer lab for the 130 female students (ages 13-18) with a total Rotary investment of $18,500.

Nineteen workstations and two printers will be linked when the room opens this summer. Computers and related equipment have arrived and await installation, after the ordered desks reach Suri.

The visiting Smiths followed the Suri school visit by attending an evening meeting of the Belen club, hosted by Maru and Victor. I am the sixth Rotarian from PPRC to visit. In Spanish, I saluted our international projects, thanked Belen Rotarians for their friendship and hospitality, and invited them to visit Portland and be hosted by Pearl Rotarians.

(During our visit, Belen Rotarians were also told that Pearl Rotary may again join hands with the Costa Ricans: PPRC has committed $500 to the East Portland/Belen matching grant application to equip an emergency room at a clinic near Belen. That application is now before the Rotary Foundation in Evanston, Ill.)

Long after our return to Oregon (our stay in San Jose also included visits with two youth exchange students to my former club in Minnesota), I reflected. My international experiences with Rotary Clubs in the past have come through making up meetings or expanding connections through youth exchange. On trips, I have observed Rotarians’ service projects from Northern Ireland to South Africa.

But this was a first–actually witnessing first-hand the results of matching grants initiated by my own Rotary Cub (in this case, Portland Pearl). After acquaintanceship with Belen Rotarians, Pearl Rotarians committed both money from its non-profit Pearl Fund and time to recruit dollars from District 5100 clubs. Today teen-age girls and women, through education at the kitchen and computer room, have opportunities that might not have existed without Rotary.

They come to Suri School from a community where unemployment, poverty, crime, drugs, teen-age pregnancy and single parenting could dictate their lives.

But today, mothers will find jobs…and some girls will go to university.

It happened, in the words of the 2011-12 Rotary International theme, because Rotarians “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity.”

(Donald Q. Smith is the former editor and publisher of the Monticello, Minn., Times; he lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is a freelance journalist and member of the Portland Pearl Rotary Club. He’s a past president of both the Pearl and Monticello Rotary Clubs.)

An ocean cruise on Holland America Line…an afternoon of golf in nearby Newberg – both await supporters of Pearl Rotary’s new fundraisers.

The cruise (up to ten days) is the top prize in the Pearl Fund Raffle, launched this month. The winner can choose the tour for two from the line’s itineraries, a package valued at $5,400. The top prize was arranged through Willamette International Travel, represented in Pearl Rotary by Nancy Fowler.

Second prize is $800 in cash; third: a new iPad, 16gb with wifi (value: $499).

A maximum of 2,000 tickets are available at $10 each; they are being sold by Pearl Rotarians. The drawing will be Tuesday, June 19, 8 a.m., at a regular meeting of the club (Ecotrust, second-floor conference room, in Portland).

While the cruise winner is destined for an international trip, golfers who form foursomes will travel less than an hour for the Friday, July 27, Pearl Rotary Golf Tournament. Site of the inaugural event is the Chehalem Glenn Golf Course, Newberg. A shotgun start of 1:30 p.m. is set.

The four-person scramble was announced April 12 at the club’s board of directors meeting by Greg Mottau, fundraising chair. Joining him in the coordination are Jerry Baysinger, chair of the club’s non-profit Pearl Fund; Marc Hillman, PPRC president in 2013-14; and Jordan Weisman, international service chair.

Proceeds from both events will go to the Pearl Fund, the charitable arm which funds projects ranging from Open Meadow non-traditional school in Portland to the Suri School in suburban San Jose, Costa Rice; and from youth exchange through Rotary to the Boy Scouts; and to both the Interact (at Lincoln high school) and Rotaract (at Portland State University) Clubs.

The Wednesday, March 20, staging of “The Mouse and the Lion” completed the weekly acting classes at Isobel’s Clubhouse. It was standing room only, ZCC’s director, Kris Moore, reported.

“Thanks to everyone at Portland Pearl Rotary Club for making this possible,” Moore said. “The children loved it.”

The sessions were led by Angie Collins (playing the lion, see pictures), First Stage Director for the children’s theater who led the weekly sessions. PPRC contributed $700; Rotarians are also volunteering for one-hour stints.

Added Moore: “The second round begins March 28. It’s already full.”

That’s Royce Hayson talking. He’s a freshman at Madison High School in northeast Portland, one of a group of students in his class who are taking advantage of Step Up, an after-school program aimed at helping students launch successfully on the road to graduation. Hayson said he is achieving his goal this year of a 3.5 GPA and believes a 4.0 is possible for him.

In a recent presentation to Pearl Rotary Club, Hayson and his Step Up classmate, Sam Guy, praised the program for keeping them on track during the difficult freshman year when many students who are academically at risk of dropping out are challenged.

Guy said he has moved from a 1.7 GP average of the past to a current 3.0 GPA. He credits Step Up staff and classroom advocates for “being there” for students, “They believe in you; believe you can realize your goals”, he added. Guy allowed that he now has college aspirations and a desire to become an attorney.

Pearl Rotary is a community partner to Open Meadow School in north Portland which initiated the program. Rotarians have supported Step Up for the past three years, helping to underwrite costs and providing volunteer tutors. Step Up is also available at Roosevelt, Franklin and Gresham high schools.

At the club meeting, Don Barney, past president of Pearl Rotary and a volunteer tutor, presented a $4,000 check in support of Step Up to Sierra Hill, Step Up program manager and Nia Lewis, program coordinator at Madison (as the two students watched–see photo).

Ms. Hill thanked the club for its continuous support over the past three years, including the time and energy shared by Pearl Rotarians helping students complete homework assignments and special projects for English, biology, world studies and other classes. More than a dozen Pearl Rotarians have volunteered as Step Up tutors since 2009.

It is anticipated that some 20 past presidents will attend a celebration of their past service. Plans include an extended meeting, which will include comments from each attending dignitary (in two-minute slots), focusing on something notable in their year albeit: momentous, humorous or calamitous.

Jerry Baysinger and George Wright, themselves past presidents, tracked down as many of our former leaders as possible. The response has been enthusiastic with only those who will not be able to attend being upset. We are urging all of our members to attend this gala event to hear about our club’s history and meet an amazing gathering of the people who led the club for over three-and-a-half decades.

Whether it is establishing a new school, serving as an ambassadorial scholar in a foreign land, or working for global disease control Rotary creates opportunities to build peace throughout the world.

The information shared at the Rotary/Rotaract Peace Symposium is just a small but impressive sample of what remarkable possibilities the world offers for community service on behalf of peace. The local high school curriculum focused on peace, the Portland mayor’s proclamation, the many affiliated community organizations are beautiful examples of what can be done.

This symposium marks an upwelling of enthusiasm and concern for others around the world which Rotary embraces. Other illustrations like Peace Trees Vietnam, Mercy Corps, the World Affairs Council, the Wholistic Peace institute at Concordia and many other represent an increasingly effective human outreach that helps the world make progress in challenging times. -Roger Meyer, MD

Download a copy of the Peace Symposium schedule and brochure here.

Greetings Pearl Rotarians,

I am ringing in the new year Japanese style this year which, for many, involves a trip to a local Buddhist temple and an all-night party in the streets. Tokyo winters are as cold as the summers are hot, and I can now see my breath inside my apartment (the lack of central heat here has been something of an adjustment, particularly for my Thai roommate).

I have already harvested my rather puny balcony vegetables, which got a late start after an extreme (and exciting!) typhoon wiped out the first batch. The first term of classes went well and I am impressed with the diversity of students in the ICU graduate program. Upwards of 15 nationalities are represented in some of my classes, which leads to great debates.

My research papers for last term looked largely at theoretical and practical debates related to social exclusion. To balance academic theory with some hands on experience, I have been getting out and about as much as possible, attending workshops, helping build a straw bale house, visiting local farms and ecology groups, meeting up with Japanese friends, volunteering at a local orphanage, attending Rotary meetings and events, singing karaoke and learning a bit of Japanese from a sweet little retired man who has adopted me as his student and, perhaps, his granddaughter.

This term I am taking a range of classes, and am particularly interested in learning more about non-hierarchical education systems and how to apply them to development models. Also on my mind is this summer’s fast approaching field experience opportunity, for which I am tasked to find someplace in the world to intern (tough life, eh?).

I am currently looking for internships in Bhutan, as I aim to research Zero Waste strategies and the human resources engaged to implement such strategies. I am also helping ICU faculty members organize a large event to facilitate dialogue between artists and policy-makers who are dedicated to peace and reconciliation. The event is part of an ongoing project of the US-based Aspen Foundation, and ICU will have the honor of hosting in October, 2012.

I am enjoying Tokyo and am starting to feel at home here. Living so far from Portland also reminds me of the luxuries of the Pacific NW. Portland and Tokyo differ in many ways. I am particularly missing the vibrant arts scene, Forest Park, friendly neighborhood cats, Mexican food and crunchy peanut butter! On the other hand, Tokyo has great food, kind people, is amazingly safe and exhibits some of the best fashion and most unbelievable hair dos on earth. I look forward to seeing you all in Portland this June, while I participate in the upcoming peace conference that some of you are helping to organize.

Taylor

Still it’s an industry that has grown four-fold in the last dozen years, from about 100 in the late-’90s to over 400 today. One of the oldest in Oregon, located in the North Willamette Valley, bears his name.

Adelsheim, speaking Dec. 13 to Pearl Rotary, said he was “excited but very naive” when he planted his first grapes in 1971. The last four decades have been a continuing education for him on the multiple factors that affect wine production (temperature, rainfall, soil type, sunlight, hillslope, etc.). In addition to working in the field, Adelsheim has dedicated hours to the promotion of the Oregon wine industry, including a stint as president of Oregon Winegrowers Association.

72% of wine produced in Oregon is pinot noir, Rotarians learned. 27% of production is shared by three whites–pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling. The remaining 1% (Adelsheim called them “geek wines”) include pinot blanc and chenin blanc.

Adelsheim’s visit was timed perfectly with the annual PPRC wine exchange, scheduled Tuesday, Dec. 20. Wine enthusiast and Rotarian Mike Rompa will supervise the internal fundraiser. Rotarians and guests must bring $25 to enter and also present a bottle of wine ($25 suggested value and up). It’s helpful to have a couple $5 bills since wines selected by a Rotarian can be bought up to three times (“stolen” may be an accurate word).