More good news, and another first in club history, was noted on July 23 when District 5100 awarded the club its first-ever district grant.

Club Rotary Foundation Director Jim Selby submitted a grant application for two more Peace Poles to be installed in the 2018-19 Rotary Year, and the application has been approved.

These poles are tentatively set for the Port of Ridgefield's Millers' Landing waterfront, and a Ridgefield School District facility. Final locations are yet to be determined.

A Peace Pole is a hand-crafted monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth", on each of its four or six sides, usually in different languages. They serve as constant reminders for us to visualize and work toward a place where peace is widely accepted.

The Rotary Club of Three Creeks has already placed one Peace Pole, at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital's Healing Garden, and will officially dedicate its second at Luke Jensen Sports Park on August 16.

Three Creeks members Chuck Green, Kerrie Cloyd, Steve Pash, Catherine Kroll, Gary Bock, Daniel Spanski Dreffin, Jessie Harris (and husband Jeff), Susanne Holmberg and Club President Nelson Holmberg spent part of their morning on July 21, 2018 laying sod at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, helping to create an awesome play area for dogs.

This lawn will provide a clean, safe, comfortable and mud-free play area for dogs who have short- and long-term stays at the Humane Society, where volunteers walk and play dogs multiple times a day. Pash's Frontier Landscaping built an irrigation system to care for the lawn and donated the sod and expertise to be sure the project was completed properly. Pash also coordinated and briefed the volunteer teams.

When the work was done, the volunteers were given a tour of the Humane Society facilities, where approximately 200-250 dogs and 300 or so cats are sheltered before adoption.

Secretary Lisa Abrahamsson and Membership Director Chuck Green were sworn into office during our July 19 meeting, in a less-than-traditional ceremony conducted by President Nelson.

Chuck and Lisa both raised their left hands and swore to pledge their allegiance to the Rotary Club of Three Creeks, "with liberty and justice for all".

Chuck immediately recognized President Nelson's attempt to "try something different", by saying, "you would pull the pledge scene from 'Animal House'!" Immediately following the pledge, Nelson handed Chuck his Director pin, and Lisa her Secretary pin, bestowing the nicknames "Chuck Buck" and "Scribe" on the two newly-sworn club directors.

It's just another example of the club's attempts to have fun, and try something new, whenever possible.

District 5100 ERK (Essentials of Rotary Knowledge) Chair Claudia Yakos visited our club to present a certificate of "graduation" from the district's ERK program, class of 2017-18.

President Nelson was one of this year's graduates and was the only member of a club in Clark County to go through the program this past year.

The program is not required, but is helpful in deepening a members' understanding of all aspects of Rotary, from the Foundation to leadership and membership.

Past District Governor Tom Markos also participated in the presentation of the Certificate of Completion, as he and his wife Nancy Docekal visited our club during the July 19 meeting so that Tom could deliver his "Power of Five Dollars" mini-program, on behalf of the Rotary Foundation. Tom is now the District 5100 Rotary Foundation Chair.

Our July hands on project is schedule to take place on Saturday, July 21 from 8 a.m.-noon. We will be helping the Humane Society for Southwest Washington with rehabilitation of an outdoor dog run.

We have eight commitments for help, but if you are interested in participating and have not yet RSVP'd, please email Tina Vlachos to let her know you will be attending.

With many hands, the work of placing sod will likely go quickly, and there's a good chance we will be done before noon.

You'll have plenty of time to visit the pets up for adoption.

The Rotary Club of Three Creeks got its first boost for the new Rotary Book Nook program Saturday, July 15 when members of the club in attendance at the Friends of the Ridgefield Library CHAIR-ity Fundraiser won an auction for the club's first mini library.

Rotarians Gary Bock, Kerrie Cloyd, Susanne & Nelson Holmberg, and Catherine Kroll pooled their money to win the auction, with a contribution from the club committed by President Nelson.

This library will be installed at a location yet to be determined, appropriately within the city limits of Ridgefield.

The Rotary Book Nook is intended to be a neighborhood place for residents to take a book, leave a book or return a book and the goal is to help promote literacy - one of Rotary's Six Avenues of Service.

Featured guests at our club meetings will be asked to sign a book chosen by the club president for each meeting, and that book will be placed into one of our Book Nook libraries.

In keeping with Three Creeks tradition, Audra Smith became the latest Red Badge Checklist graduate, "walking" with her mortarboard on at our July 5 meeting. Immediate Past President and Audra's sponsor, Susanne presented Audra with her sparkly new Blue Badge.

Photo courtesy of Dan Sockle

President Nelson gave his first "Service Star" recognition of the year at our July 5 meeting. He recognized Susanne for all of the work she did in more than two years as the club's president. He remarked that her work bringing the club through startup and growth to success was remarkable, and for that, he decided she should be recognized with the club's first-ever "Service Star" award. This will be an ongoing recognition throughout the 2018-19 Rotary Year.