The club's board of directors recently approved a recommendation from the membership committee that we create a business membership and a family/partner membership.

The idea behind these is to encourage local businesses to participate in Rotary with more than one employee, and to provide an opportunity for like-minded family members to join the club without having to pay full dues for each member.

​The Family/Partner Membership allows a couple (two family members related by marriage/civil union/blood) an opportunity to be a member of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks with two members to actively participate in the club, per the definition of participation in the club’s bylaws.

​The Business Membership allows a small business, company or corporation an opportunity to be a member of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks with up to four members to actively participate in the club, per the definition of participation in the club’s bylaws.

We are excited that the Business Membership idea already has some traction, with a couple of businesses already expressing interest.

What a great meeting of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks on Thursday, Oct. 18!

It was full of celebration and recognition, as much as it was meeting with, and hearing from, our district governor.

Thanks for all who attended District Governor Larry and LaDonna's visit to our club, held at Red Barn Coffee House, where the comfortable setting and beautiful weather outside the open roll-up door created a casual, social setting.

IPP Susanne received (officially) our Rotary Citation for the 2017-18 year; Kerrie was recognized with President Nelson's October Service Star, and Lisa Bechtold's first reading was done.

Congratulations to Kelley Campbell who was recognized by DG Larry as our Club Champion. Unfortunately, Kelley was unable to attend, but Jolene accepted for her boss.

We also inducted our newest member, Andi Costello. Who knew she didn't really bungee jump in New Zealand, but instead skydove, to "let her rebel fly"!?

Larry Hatch, District 5100 Governor, will pay the annual visit to our club on Thursday, Oct. 18. This meeting will be an offsite social at Red Barn Coffee House (10718 NW Lakeshore Ave., Vancouver) during our regular meeting time of 5:30-6:30 p.m.

DG Larry and his wife LaDonna have been visiting clubs across the district, including a week long swing to Northeastern Oregon. DG Larry will have a few comments to share and will recognize a Rotary Club Champion from Three Creeks. He will also be interested in hearing about some of our club's successes and getting to know each of us a little bit better.

Larry joined Rotary as a charter member of the Forest Grove Daybreak Club in 1991.  He served as President twice, and 3 years as an Assistant Governor.

After serving in Vietnam in the Army as a Military Police officer, he began a 41-year career in public safety: 13 years as a police officer and the last 28 years as the Assistant Director of Washington County 9-1-1 before retiring in 2015.

He believes we must all be global citizens and chose Rotary as his pathway for service.  To that end he is a proud Rotary Foundation Triple Crown donor.

Larry has been married to LaDonna for 45 years. They live in Forest Grove and have one daughter Christy, and granddaughter Abbey.

They are both retired and enjoy heading out in the RV to explore the backroads of Oregon and surrounding states finding unique places you can’t see from the highway.  He is an avid sports fan supporting the OSU Foundation and all things Beavers.

Rotary Club of Three Creeks presents 100 Rotarians Who Care - a fundraiser
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018
5:30-7:30 p.m.

at CHELATCHIE CROSSING SMOKEHOUSE & SALOON
15001 NE 181st St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606

100 Rotarians Who Care is a fundraiser for youth and community programs conducted by the Rotary Club of Three Creeks, and will be held for the first time in partnership with Chelatchie Crossing Smokehouse & Saloon in Brush Prairie, Wash.

The goal of the event is to unite 100 Rotarians from across Clark County who each give a $100 contribution for the event. The impact of coming together like this will instantly raise $10,000 that will be used to change our community in ways that far surpasses what we can do as individuals. The reward comes when we experience our community changing lives as a result of our unity and our generousity.

Rotarians are People Of Action who make a difference in the community. The Rotary Club of Three Creeks will be the primary benefactor of this giving, and the Rotary Club that partners to raise the most money outside of our own club will also receive a share of the funds raised.

More information will be coming soon, so keep an eye on the website, and all of the Three Creeks communications methods.

Questions should be directed to rotaryofthreecreeks@gmail.com.

Jeff Harris - Jessie's husband - became the first non-member of our club to receive the Service Star from President Nelson at our August 16 meeting.

President Nelson said he chose to give Jeff this recognition for his consistent efforts to help our club with service projects in the community. "It is to recognize that those family members of Rotarians are deserving of recognition as well, and we very much appreciate Jeff's hard work and investment in Service Above Self."

Jeff has participated in everything from trail cleanups and garden plot setting to painting rooms and laying sod. He and Jessie also made the financial contribution that provided paint supplies for our painting project at SHARE's Hazel Dell shelter earlier this year.

He has always been humble about his service, too, almost always avoiding the team picture at the end of a service project, instead volunteering to take the picture of the rest of us, even though he fully deserved to be IN the photo.

His participation alongside Jessie in our club service projects is deeply appreciated, and this recognition is deserved. Thank you Jeff, and congratulations on the August Service Star award.

Another compliment to the Rotary Club of Three Creeks came in early August, when our own IPP Susanne Holmberg was asked to serve alongside Claudia Yakos as co-chair of the planning committee for the 2019 District Conference in Bend, Ore.

This is seen as a nod to the creative culture of our club and Susanne's leadership skills as DG Larry Hatch has stated he would like to see a "different look" to the conference in his Rotary year.

Susanne would love to hear comments, thoughts, suggestions and ideas from our members about how to make the District Conference valuable to you. This is a great opportunity to provide service to the district in just a few seconds.

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.