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Welcome to Portland Pearl Rotary

The Portland Pearl Rotary

Welcome to the Portland Pearl Rotary. Please join us at our frolicking, fun, and informative breakfast meetings.

You'll find us at the Ecotrust Building in the beautiful Pearl District of Portland, Oregon on Tuesday mornings at 7:25am.

See you there!

Our Mailing Address is PO Box 2521 Portland OR 97208

Y.E. Vanderford brothers make PPRC Tuesday visit

by Donald Q. Smith

They both graduated from Lincoln High School. They both have the University of Oregon as their alma mater.

And both Nigel and Mason Vanderford are past Rotary International long-term youth exchange participants: Nigel, to Denmark, in 2002-03; Mason, to Taiwan, in 2005-06.

The Vanderford Brothers visited Pearl Rotary Aug. 9. They were introduced by Rotarian Jerry Baysinger who has past club and District 5100 leadership experience with youth exchange.

"I want to thank you guys so much for all your help," said Mason. "You really helped find my niche."

And that career choice: studying the Mandarin language beginning this fall in Taipei, Taiwan.

For Nigel, he returns soon to Wake Forest University for his second year of law school. His specialty: European Union law.

The brothers were sponsored by our Rotary Club Nigel by the Portland Industrial Rotary Club, Mason by Portland Pearl. Their individualized buttons have places in our storage box and were found as they entered the EcoTrust conference room.

Joked Nigel: "I appear to be the only one still wearing a Portland Industrial badge."

Pictured (from left): President Phil Rothrock, Mason Vanderford, Nigel Vanderford, Rotarian Jerry Baysinger.

Rotarians perform service: Pearl District 'graffiti busters'

by Donald Q. Smith

On two early-summer weekend mornings, Portland Pearl Rotary members joined other volunteers to remove graffiti from public places in the Pearl District.

Armed with solvents, razor blades and scrubbers, Rotarians participated June 13 in a preliminary effort spearheaded by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association. That was prelude to a 50-volunteer effort (including nine from PPRC) which attacked signs and stickers on Saturday morning, July 10. The avenues of 12th, 13th and 14th were targeted, from Burnside to Lovejoy.

The community service effort is part of PPRC's goal of expanding connections within the Pearl District. On the Fourth of July, Pearl Rotary was a major sponsor (and provided volunteers) for the first Pearl Picnic, joining hands with the chief organizer, the Pearl District Business Association. On Oct. 30, the third annual Bet on the Pearl casino night fundraiser will be staged at Venue Pearl.

For the two three-hour stints of graffiti abatement, PPRC was saluted by Jan Valentine, a leader of the project with the neighborhood association. She wrote:

"Thank you to everyone at Pearl Rotary we could have not done it without your participation. Pearl Rotary contributed a total of 68 volunteer hours as 'Graffiti Busters,' working to remove graffiti from five major avenues."

The next step? According to Valentine:

"In August 2010 an 'Adopt-a-Block' program...this will be the method by which we keep the Pearl clear of this vandalism and reclaim our streets, establishing a pristine standard for our precious Pearl."

Pearl Rotarians will be asked to adopt a block.

And, if the board and club agree, Pearl Rotary may have a natural leader in Jo Barney, wife of past president Don Barney. From their previous home in Northwest Portland before moving to the Pearl a few months back, Jo quietly and informally adopted a block and cleaned signs. She earned the title:

"Graffiti Grandma."

And she was even introduced that way by Councilwoman Amanda Fritz on July 10 when Fritz saluted volunteers before they attacked graffiti on signs, parking ticket kiosks, bike stands, gas and electric meters and utility poles.

PPRC launches program for sharing professional advice

Traditionally, the vocational service area of Rotary Clubs has focused externally: how Rotarians share their business background with youth, particularly in high school, who express an interest in the classification that member holds.

In Pearl Rotary, such volunteerism has happened through visits to high schools, mentoring, mock interviews and appearing at job fairs. Establishing job-shadowing and internships has been discussed by the vocational service committee chaired by Yelena Girich.

The club's internal vocational efforts have included formal networking sessions at club meetings and a table which displays business cards and brochures of fellow Rotarians.

Peter Okantey, PPRC Rotarian, is featured in national story

Peter Okantey, a native of Ghana in West Africa and a Rotarian in the Pearl club, was recently featured in a U.S. governmental publication within the State Department. The lengthy piece details his foundation, NAPE, and the expanding effort to bring education to his fellow people including new connections being forged with Portland State University. Visit this link for the most informative piece:

http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2010/July/20100708105535SztiwomoD0.2060511.html?CP.rss=true

Rothrock leads Pearl Rotary, succeeds Smith as president

Under the international theme of "Building Communities Bridging Continents," Phil Rothrock has begun his term as the 2010-11 president of the 51-member Portland Pearl Rotary Club.

Rothrock, a former educator and now-retired Realtor, succeeds Donald Q. Smith, the 2009-10 president. The transition breakfast occurred at the regular Tuesday morning breakfast meeting July 6. In addition to a review of his year (Smith) and preview of his presidency (Rothrock), Rotarians and guests heard from five Rotary youth exchange students from three who had gone to Japan, Ecuador and Mexico...and from two soon to leave for Finland and Peru.

Phil

Pearl's Przybilla-polio event: highlighted in Rotary posting

Przybilla Blocks Polio, the March event featuring Portland Trailblazers' Center Joel Przybilla, was highlighted in the July edition of a Rotary publication. The just-released End Polio Now online newsletter of The Rotary Foundation includes a story on the successful fundraiser. Pictured are Przybilla and Pearl Rotarian David Haack. See this link:

http://echo4.bluehornet.com/hostedemail/email.htm?h=3f1cacaa630cebf59b9254b06950b1ed&CID=9848351007&ch=EC7129DD2879309D9054FF841E323B78

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Welcome to Portland Pearl Rotary Club

Rotary International was founded in February 1905 in Chicago, Illinois by Paul Harris. Portland Pearl Rotary (PPR), one of some 31,000 local Rotary Clubs established since then, was founded initially in 1975 as Portland Industrial Rotary Club to serve the industrial area of Northwest Portland. Over the years the character of Northwest Portland has changed greatly as has our club.
To reflect these changes, in 2005 Portland Industrial Rotary changed its name to Portland Pearl Rotary and moved from Northwest Portland to the center of the Pearl District.

Our Programs

What does PPR do besides listen to great programs over breakfast?

Fellowship is a Cornerstone: We build Club fellowship though our weekly meetings, frequent social events (holiday dinner, summer picnic, monthly social hours after work) and by working on community service projects and serving on Club committees.
Community Service: Programs serving our community are at the core of PPR's commitment
to "Service Above Self." Examples include delivering Meals on Wheels every Friday, leaning up our parks, and participating in special projects for local nonprofit organizations.
International Projects: We have participated in funding micro banks in Guatemala and in the development of a school water system in Honduras. We are currently helping fund a Women's Health project in Fiji. And we are exploring ways to partner with Portland's Fire Bureau to expand its training and equipment assistance to firefighters in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Youth Exchange: Every year we host an incoming Rotary Youth Exchange high school student from another country and also sponsor an outgoing exchange student from Portland to attend school for a year overseas.
Local Organizations: We extend financial support to selected non-profits which serve the local area such as: Albertina Kerr Centers, Friendly House, Boy Scouts, Multnomah County Library Foundation, and Loaves and Fishes.

Club Interaction

We enjoy activities that inform our members about each other. Tuesday morning "Rotarian of the Day" talks fill members in on fellow members' lives and professions. "Brag for aBuck" is a fun way to learn about the good things happening in members' lives and businesses.

What we expect of our members

"Service Above Self" does involve Club expectations:

Attendance. PPR members are expected to attend a minimum of 60% of our weekly meetings (Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. in the Ecotrust Bldg. in the Pearl), or to make up at other Rotary Clubs in the area. Certain Club functions (committee meetings, service projects) also count as attendance. Each PPR member is expected to be active on one or more committees to carry
out service projects.

Contributions. PPR's dues structure and fund raising participation:

Initiation (one-time, new members only)	$150
Annual Club dues (payable in July)	$200
Annual fund raiser (member participation)	$100
Brag for a Buck (Participation over the year)	$25
Rotarian of the Day	$25

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